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SALON SEASONALITY: HOW TO BREAK THE CYCLE TO BE CONSISTENTLY BUSY

Belinda Price OPI UK&I education & capability manager

At this time of year, our appointment schedules are packed. We have waiting lists, influxes of messages and generally experience a high demand for services. The summer holiday season is the busiest time of the year for the nail industry, as while requests are plentiful at Christmas, this duration is shorter.

To my mind, this busy season runs from Easter to mid-September, with a peak in the October half term and slight dip in June. What comes after are quieter months, with November and February tending to show lulls in bookings. These quiet periods can be avoided, however, with a slight adjustment to your mindset and a change in business strategy.

Offering an upgrade, such as a strengthening treatment with OPI Repair Mode™, takes little to no extra time and increases revenue.”

First, let’s talk mindset. We are often so busy trying to work through summer bookings and ‘make hay while the sun shines’, that we may take our eye off the ball. Each new customer in the summer is a twice a year for holiday treatments might be worth prospective regular client. A client that books

£80 to £100 to the business annually, whereas a regular client may visit every three weeks for a gel polish manicure that’s worth up to £1,000 per year to your business.

So how do we transition a client from occasional to regular? Give them an experience they can’t be without: one that offers great nails, amazing service, aftercare and comfort. Sometimes, we can be in such a rush in the summer months that the experience is forgotten, but it’s essential to offer a consistently great experience, in order to maintain the loyalty of clients for the rest of the year.

You should use a product range that you and your clients trust. In my salon, Nailspa, Huddersfield, OPI GelColor is used for gel polish services, and we have welcomed the updated formula, featuring Intelli-Gel™. It offers quick and easy application, and may allow the team to fit an extra treatment into each day or offer clients greater care, which is factored into the service time and price. Using a high-quality product range and ensuring that removal is gentle reassures clients that their nails are in safe hands. Offering an upgrade, such as a strengthening treatment with OPI Repair Mode™, takes little to no extra time and increases revenue and service value, without extending the treatment time.

‘Retailing’ can seem like a scary term, so consider ‘recommending’ when it comes to aftercare products. The practice shows clients that you care for their needs, even when their appointments are over. Selling a cuticle oil, for example, adds revenue to your business, makes return appointments easier and your work looks its best for longer. At Christmas, we give Nailspa clients a gift, such as the OPI ProSpa Oil To Go pen. This has doubled retail sales throughout the year, with more clients relying on the product and valuing the gesture.

Prepare for the busy season during quieter times, and ensure your team has up-to-date product knowledge. Staff must be aware that the objective is to to turn occasional clients into regular ones. I consider an occasional client to visit three to six times a year, and a regular at least 12 times per year. Give measurable targets, for example: if you had 40 regular clients on 1 April, aim for a 25% uplift by April the following year.

Although it’s late in the season, we still have time to make positive changes that will keep columns full year-round. It’s there for the taking: you just have to slow down and realise it.

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From Belinda and the team at OPI x

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