During the months of September and October we have been talking about pre-booking. We’ve discussed how important it is to your business and to your revenue. I have given you numerous ways to get your client to pre-book her next appointment before leaving the salon. I really want you to get the hang of this before the holidays are upon us, and here’s why: During the holidays we are so busy, our books are full, we’re selling retail and we’re buzzing like bees with so many clients and services. If we aren’t pre-booking our clients during the holidays because we are too busy, we will be twiddling our thumbs in January and February. Not only will our client and service counts go down, but so will our income. Many of us can’t afford that kind of fluctuation in our business.

I want you to practice and get good at the art of pre-booking now, so we are proficient at it during the holidays when it will really matter most. The last two weeks I have given you a no pressure approach to getting the pre-book at the front desk. That two-part series “Making It Tough to Say No” hopefully makes you feel more confident when making the pre-book suggestion. The week before that I posted “How Much Are You Losing By Not Pre-Booking?” about the financial rewards of pre-booking. My hope is that by breaking down the math, you were able to see how much money can be lost by not pre-booking your clients.

My approach all along has been verbal. I have given you scripts and told you how to get your client to commit to another appointment. Being verbal takes practice and you have to prepare what you are going to say. If you like what I have suggested to you, please use my words verbatim. Say them as I do and rehearse what I have said so you feel comfortable and don’t sound scripted. We’ve all heard it before, practice makes perfect. Many of you will have success just by using my words and making the pre-book suggestion. If you feel that my words don’t sound like you, then make it your own. Use what I have said and change a few words, change the approach or start from scratch to make it yours. Personalize your pre-book suggestion and watch your books fill up! It doesn’t matter what you say, as long as you feel good about making the pre-book suggestion. Find what works best for you.

So many times while traveling, I hear techs making it up as they go along and stumbling over their words. Don’t be that tech! Your clients see right through you if you are making the pre-book suggestion without conviction. All I ask is that you have a plan. I am revealing to you what has worked for me and what has made me successful. I am sharing my accomplishments with you so you can have your own success.

Please comment and tell me how the pre-booking articles have helped you. Have you noticed a difference in your books since you started asking for the pre-book? Tell me what you’ve said and what has made you successful. Have you used my words or made up your own? Share what works for you, it may help someone else.

Next week, we’ll discuss giving your clients an incentive to pre-book. Practicing the art of pre-booking — one more way to help you stand out above the rest and become the BEST!

— Jill