I heard a story on NPR last week about the effect of the current economy on the beauty industry.

I know bodywork isn’t all about beauty but you can’t deny there are similarities in how the businesses reach their clients.

One of the people they interviewed was a salon owner on Rodeo Drive in LA. He acknowledged that many of his customers were waiting longer between “sessions” and not getting their roots touched up or eyebrows waxed as often as they had before. I guess dark roots are in this season.

Anyway, he’s been working on creative, yet useful, ways to get people coming into his salon and also remember who he is and the quality of his service.

The idea that got my attention was a blowdrying class. For $20/person you can come to a weekly class that teaches you the best way to style your own hair.

Firstly, $20 on Rodeo Drive is nothing. Secondly, people out that-a-way make a habit of going to a salon once or twice a week for a wash and blowdry (I had no idea that was a thing.) so a blowdry class is useful.

So he’s keeping people coming in. He’s giving them something useful. AND he’s probably building a new clientele. Really. I’d totally spend $20 to find out the best way to make my hair behave for a whole hour. And I’d tell my friends about it, too.

So that seems like something a bodyworker can take and make their own.

Classes are a great thing for friends/couples to do together and they also make good gifts (think Valentine’s). You can give classes on classic tension relief (neck and shoulders), “trouble spot” work (shoulders, hands, knees … they tell you), foot massage, infant massage, etc. (NTM has kits to help organize this.)

Pick one thing you’re really good at and/or known for, tell your clients about it and give it a try.

If you’re nervous about public speaking, consider giving the class as a “gift” to your favorite/best clients. The clients you’re most comfortable with. Use the time as practice and an opportunity to smooth out the roughs.

For a twist: Do you have a group of clients from the same business or neighborhood? Chances are they all found out about you because you were recommended by one or two trusted people (most of us at Natural Touch Marketing go to the same MT). Can you bring chair work to their office or neighborhood once or twice a month? If people are cutting back on their monthly sessions with you, maybe you can meet them halfway with an hour table session suplimented by a 20 minute chair session. Encourage them to bring their friends. Why not?

Ideas? Comments?

All my best,
Eileen