Welcome to this month’s edition of “Spa Season.” It’s time to focus on new year’s resolutions.I would like to encourage you to make 2021 the best year yet for your medical spa practice.Start the New Year off by introducing an updated membership or loyalty programs. Clients like to be members with VIP status that offers added value.You want to set up either monthly or yearly memberships with dues that offer program members special pricing and discounts on products and services. Make being a member worthwhile for clients, so they will want to join. You might give them points for each purchase they make and then award free products or services at specific point levels.Hold member only events – either virtual or in-person – to make membership more enticing.The goal is to retain current clients and re-activate previous ones as it’s true that 80% of revenue usually comes from 20% of clients.

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PARTNERSHIPS 

If you’re uncertain about putting together a loyalty club on your own, consider asking a team of consultants for coaching. Think out of the box and consider partnering with a complimentary but non-competitive business.For example, form a joint loyalty club with a high-end, busy beauty salon, or fitness center. Take turns offering monthly member discounts or promotions. Both businesses should send out e-blasts to all clients. 

BONUS SERVICES 

Increase traffic to your spa by offering extra bonuses for services. Start your own or cautiously join Groupon or Living Social. Make a deal with them and limit the number. Offer “Treat a Friend” gift certificates for an introductory treatment at a promotional discount.Offer a buy one, get one discount, which is twomemberships for your VIP program or members only beauty club: the more traffic, the greater likelihood of increasing the bottom line.

Having loyal clients refer new ones is the lifeblood of business.You can encourage this without breaking the budget by using internal marketing – that is simply putting your existing client base to work to grow the spa.It’s like growing your spa from the inside.It does take time and consistent effort, but the long-term results are worth it.

MARKETING 

Ask existing clients for referrals.Reward them with discounts, free products, or services.When an existing client refers someone, theyare endorsing the spa to that person.A word-of-mouth referral is the best possible advertising.It has built-in credibility because it comes from someone the potential new client knows, and therefore, the new person is more likely to act on the referral.Second, unlike paid advertising, a referral from an existing client is free.Don’tunderestimate the benefit of rewarding the referring client.A thank-you goes a long way in building good-will and more future referrals. Women love flowers and gift cards to local vendors. Create a local network and negotiate discounted fees or a barter system if possible.

PROMOTE 

Promote homecare product kits to extend the benefits of the skin care treatments you offer. Clients that stop in to replenish their supply of a favorite retail product are likely to book additional services since they will be visiting your spa anyway. Offer a monthly subscription service for retail products as part of theloyalty beauty club, so clients never run out of their favorite products.You have a guaranteed monthly retail sale.Feature a retail product of the month at a discount for VIP members to encourage them to try new products and increaseretail sales.Take it one step further and offer a treatment of the month or put together a treatment package with complimentary products for VIP members.Make VIP membership appealing and fun.Consider holding a monthly drawing to select a VIP member to receive a free treatment or gift package.Take photos of the winner to post on your social media platforms and use them to promote the VIP club membership.

STAFF INVOLVEMENT 

Involve staff. Brainstorm ideas for the club events.Train staff to educate clients about the benefits of club membership.Reward staff members for recruiting new members and selling club memberships.

 January is typically a slower traffic month, so it’s important to take steps to generate increased traffic to keep the bottom line healthy and growing.Follow up with those clients who purchased gift certificates as holiday gifts and offer them a thank-you miniature treatment to get them to come in during January.Encourage clients to bring a friend that they gave the gift certificate to for a fun and relaxing spa day to beat the January doldrums. For those coming in with gift certificates for the first time, offer them special bundling packages. For example, a series of microdermabrasion treatments with oxygen or stem cell miniature facials.

If you spend the time and effort to promote loyalty clubs and launch them now, they will pay dividends the entire year.Get the year off to a great start by increasing traffic now and growing it throughout the year.Loyalty programs help retain existing clients, re-activate previous clients, and recruit new clients.They can help a spa make good on that new year’s resolution to make 2021 the best year yet.

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Cheryl Whitman is founder and CEO of Beautiful Forever, an aesthetic business-consulting firm specializing in assisting physicians to identify and execute new business strategies aimed at improving their bottom line.A sought after lecturer and the author of multiple books on MedSpa Practice Management, including Beautifully Profitable, and Forever Profitable 6th edition, now available on Amazon; Ms. Whitman is also the founder of Beautiful Forever University, which offers educational programs to Medspa Practices.Contact Cheryl Whitman by email at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by telephone at: 561-299-3