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SEARCHAs salons reopen and reforecast their goals, client acquisition and retention are essential areas to watch. For SALON TODAY’s Burning Questions series, Steve Gomez of Steven Gomez Business Coaching explains how this metric can make or break financial growth.
Bringing back new customers is always a top priority in the industry – and according to Steve Gomez, the founder Steve Gomez Business Coaching, new client traffic is an important line item for your salon’s financial health. As part of our Burning Questions series, Gomez shares how to track this growth trend.
SALON TODAY: What financial trends and indicators should I be keeping my eye on now that we are reopened?
Gomez: As a business coach, I actively work with over 20 salons and spas on a monthly basis. One of the most important trends I am seeing right now relates to new client acquisition and retention. I am seeing that most owners and leaders are not tracking this to see the growth potential. There are a few important points to consider:
1. Compare your client count in January and February to monthly client traffic since reopening. See if total client traffic is the same, up or down. Next, see how many new clients have come in since reopening. Your client count is going to include these new clients in it, but you likely have many existing clients who have yet to come back. How can you focus your attention and your promotions on these new clients?
2. I am seeing a high number of new clients with every business I coach but, on average, 61% of those new clients only come in one time. This presents many opportunities. How many new clients are coming in, what are they coming in for and what are they spending in service and retail? What are the systems for how a new client is served on their first visit? How many rebook? Is the salon following up with them after their first visit?
Gaining and retaining new clients has always been important to long-term growth. Now, more than ever, it is vital to success in the current climate. Pull your new client reports from your software and meet with your team to create new systems, actions and promotions to take advantage of this.
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