Maximize That Money, Honey!

If you’re like most nail techs the thought of “selling” makes you slightly sick to your stomach. Upselling can be a daunting piece of your business, and if you don’t strategize, it can be more time-consuming than it is profitable. But maximizing your earning potential doesn’t have to be sleazy and it also doesn’t have to be time-consuming. These winter months are the perfect time to take advantage of some easy opportunities to maximize the money you earn from each client.

The holiday season, no matter the temperature, is a perfect time to provide your clients with some quick and cute ways they can further their enjoyment of their time in your chair. If you’re looking to add more earning potential without additional time, an easy way to do this is to enhance what you’re already offering. You don’t need to completely reinvent the wheel, but think about ways to expand on services that are already popular with your clients. Here are a few ideas to help you improve your client’s experience.

 

Enrich With Aromas

It might seem way too simple, but smells are a fantastic way to really connect with your clientele and improve the way they experience your salon. Of course, the holidays are an amazing time to add featured aromas to your existing services. Try converting your already popular pedicure treatment by swapping out the scrubs, soaks, and lotions you use. You can charge anywhere from $5-$20 more for the service by featuring it as a limited-edition holiday aroma experience.

We all have fond memories of apple cider, hot cocoa, and peppermint during the winter months, so think about ways you can create nostalgia and comfort in a premium atmosphere for your clientele. Adding scents takes no extra time, but will definitely wow your clients and get your average tickets up. [You can find ideas for fragrant fall services at www.nailsmag.com/fallscents.] 

 

Relax With Wraps

Even if you live somewhere like Southern California, it gets cold-ish. Rain and snow, holiday stress, and darker shorter days make us just want to crawl under the covers. Why? Because it’s snuggly and warm under there! Bring your clients this experience when they visit the salon. Cozy blankets, heating pads for sore backs, or aromatherapy heated neck wraps are all great ways to give your clients the respite they are looking for.

There’s nothing better than relaxing with a nice hot neck wrap, and your clients will definitely pay extra to have some cozy time at your salon. Add to this service by providing a few different scent choices like lavender or cinnamon. It takes no extra time to provide your clients with a heated wrap or a blanket, but they’ll be snug as a bug in a rug and will never want to leave you.

 

Sipping on Cider

Holiday hot beverages are something we all look forward to. Some of us are happy enough with powdered pouches of instant apple cider, and some of us even go the extra crafty mile to simmer up our own batch. Whatever your pleasure, providing some token drinks for your clients is another quick and easy way to earn more while they’re in the chair. Hot cocoa with rainbow marshmallows, ciders, specialty coffees, and hot tea with a honey spoon are perfect for adding to the ambience of your salon while providing your clients with a premium service they’re happy to pay for. Don’t feel pressured to charge for the drinks. Up your service price instead and include the beverage “on the house” to enhance the experience.

However you decide to wow your clients, the key is to plan ahead. Think about the time, cost, and earning potential of each and every special service. Many of us have the best of intentions when it comes to cute ideas to maximize our earnings. We can find ourselves falling down a rabbit hole of crafty ideas that are oh so Pinterest-ingly cute, but we have to be careful. We all love to shop, but without a plan you can end up overspending on something you thought was going to make you money.

For example, if you know that providing your clients with a hot drink will cost about $2 a head, make sure you increase the service fee by at least five to 10 times that amount to ensure you make some extra money with the service. Knowing exactly what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it is the best way to make sure your master plan gets executed flawlessly and results in extra money in the bank.

 

Keep Up the Price Bump

And another quick tip is to keep up the momentum. If you’re like most nail techs who haven’t raised their prices in eons, use the holiday months to provide enhanced services at higher prices. Then come January when everything winds down, don’t just drop back to your old prices. Take this time where your clients have been getting used to paying more as an opportunity to keep prices up, recalculate your costs, and strategize for the next 12 months of services. You can even use your holiday experience to think about what went well and what didn’t, so come summer you’re able to do an even better job with special offerings.

It’s all about learning, evolving, and moving forward. The more you use each experience as a stepping stone, the better off your business will be. With some well-thought-out strategy and creative ideas you can turn a basic appointment into something even greater for your client and your business.

Scottsdale, Ariz.-based nail tech Elizabeth Morris is an educator, distributor, financial consultant, and experienced salon owner. Her website, The Nail Hub, offers free podcasts, a blog, product store, and consulting services. Learn more at www.thenailhub.com. 

Listen to The Nail Hub podcasts at www.nailsmag.com/thenailhub.