This Just In: Make January Count

To get the best advice on starting your new year on a winning note, we invited DAYSPA Advisory Board members Erika Mangrum and Frank Shipman to gather round a virtual fire to strategize ways that spa owners can infuse their spas with renewed energy come January. Mangrum, owner of Iatria Day Spas in North Carolina, and Shipman, owner of TC Salon Spas in Pennsylvania, were generous in sharing their ideas for motivating employees, maximizing gift certificates and launching new promotions during this often overlooked time of year.

DS: What can spas do to get over the typical post-holiday slump?
Shipman: Celebrate the past year, and also step back and take an honest look at it. Schedule individual employee reviews to discuss ways of achieving new goals. Give them plenty of notice beforehand, and schedule enough time to review employee files and assess productivity. Both parties should come together with goals and plans and, most importantly, be ready to listen with an open mind.
Mangrum: Most spas have great seasonality in visits. The slower times can be very rewarding as a way to connect and spend more time with clients. You can ask clients to bring in all their products for a free change-of-season analysis with a facial. Or host Girls Night Out events with mini services. There are so many ways to focus on retaining the best clients, and the beginning of the year is a great opportunity to say, “thank you, we care about you.”
   Cross-selling between departments also works. If a client comes in for a pedicure, offer her 15% off to add a facial to her service. Hold contests to see which department can get the most cross-referrals, and take that department to dinner at a nice restaurant. See how much closer a team gets during this time; they can work together instead of inspecting the books to see who has more.

DS: Why is January a good month to promote education, and what do you do to encourage your employees?
Shipman: Talk with manufacturers and distributors about educational support and assess your co-workers’ needs. Classes don’t have to be based on product knowledge or technique. Consider topics such as financial planning or motivation.
Mangrum: Most employees really want to help their clients, and the best way they can do that is to stay abreast of new trends, procedures and products. At Iatria, we have a tuition assistance program and new budget year that starts in January. It’s a great time for employees to get their requests in and get a 50% to 80% tuition reimbursement, depending on whether they are part-time or full-time.

DS: How do you maximize gift certificates in January?
Shipman: See them as an opportunity to start and build lasting relationships with new clients, or introduce existing clients to new treatments. Treat the gift certificate in the same spirit with which it was given—as something special.

Mangrum: This is prime-time to gain some new clients and talk to clients about different services. We use this time to promote our VIP Series: “Buy seven treatments and get the eighth for free.” The value of a gift certificate can be applied to any service, so even if someone receives a gift certificate for a pedicure, they can put the value towards a medspa service or Botox or Restylane, or apply it to a couples massage. We offer that flexibility.

DS: When do you start featuring Valentine’s Day promotions?
Mangrum: We start in January by featuring a Cupid on our website who is available to take hints for spa services to deliver to just the right person.
   Chocolate goes well with Valentine’s Day, so we bring out the heavy artillery with chocolate-raspberry body scrubs, and chocolate-and-peppermint pedicures. We even offer a delectable chocolate facial accompanied by a warm mug of hot chocolate.
During our eight years in business, we have built up Valentine’s Day to the point where people come back year after year to spend quality time relaxing with a special someone. We’ve even had marriage proposals in our couples suite!
Shipman: Our management team starts planning Valentine’s Day promotions in early November for a mid-January release. We create the traditional couples-oriented packages for gift certificate sales. Also, we plan an event for early February to raise money and/or awareness for a local nonprofit.

—S. Colombo