{"id":7049,"date":"2018-05-29T12:36:02","date_gmt":"2018-05-29T19:36:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/salonmonster.com\/blog\/?p=7049"},"modified":"2022-04-20T11:05:05","modified_gmt":"2022-04-20T18:05:05","slug":"prebook-to-make-15000-more-a-year-with-the-clients-you-already-have","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salonmonster.com\/blog\/prebook-to-make-15000-more-a-year-with-the-clients-you-already-have\/","title":{"rendered":"Prebook to make $15,000 more a year \u2014 with the clients you already have!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"prebook<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cYou may not always have a lot of control over how busy you will be today, but you have total control over how busy you will be in the future!\u201d
\n\u2014Antony Whitaker<\/a>, Grow<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/h1>\n

Prebooking – It\u2019s not magic, it\u2019s not even hard.<\/h1>\n

The most effective way to increase your income (besides being an amazing stylist) is to prebook your clients for their next appointment(s) before they leave the salon.<\/h2>\n

Seriously, it\u2019s that easy.<\/p>\n

And prebooking is a win-win because, at the same time that it ups your earnings, it\u2019s also making your clients\u2019 lives easier.<\/p>\n

By booking clients in for their next service at the end of their appointment, you\u2019re helping them maintain the look they love \u2014 the look you created \u2014 so they can have great hair every day.<\/p>\n

And they\u2019ll never again have to put \u201cmake a hair appointment\u201d on their to-do list.<\/p>\n

Done, dusted, and blowdried to perfection.<\/p>\n

Really? Prebooking sounds so boring<\/h2>\n

We know, prebooking doesn\u2019t sound sexy. But it\u2019s the fastest way to increase your earnings with no extra work.<\/p>\n

Your dentist probably prebooks your next check-up before you leave their office.<\/p>\n

And most successful stylists prebook their clients, pretty much guaranteeing that their books will be filled six weeks or more in advance. Super stylists rebook around 80% of their clients. Aim for your salon to rebook at least 60% of your clients at a minimum.<\/p>\n

OK, so you know what prebooking is \u2014 but are you actually doing it?<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s review: prebooking not only increases your income, it makes both hair care and scheduling easier for your clients.<\/p>\n

Kind of a no-brainer, right? Yet, many stylists, especially beginners, aren\u2019t doing it.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not prebooking, what are you giving up?<\/p>\n

3 ways you lose when you don\u2019t prebook<\/h2>\n

Clients want what they want when they want it.<\/p>\n

To look their best, clients generally need a haircut every 6 weeks. But many clients will let that 6 weeks slip by and then suddenly realize, oh no, I need to get my hair done!<\/p>\n

But then most clients get distracted and wait another week before booking.<\/p>\n

Now we\u2019re at week 7 and they discover that you\u2019re booked at their preferred times, bringing us up to 8 weeks.<\/p>\n

So, what happens next? Well, usually one (or a combination) of these three things:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. You lose money<\/strong> \u2014 About 80% of clients need a haircut every 6 weeks, but most wait 7 weeks to book and get in around 8 weeks (see the numbers, below).<\/li>\n
  2. You lose a little of your client\u2019s respect<\/strong> \u2014 Hey, you weren\u2019t available when they needed you.<\/li>\n
  3. Your lose your client<\/strong> \u2014 They waited until the last minute, and now their hair is unbearable and they can\u2019t get in to see you for at least a week or two. So, they go to a walk-in salon and get a cut from someone else.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Show me the money<\/h2>\n

    The numbers don\u2019t lie: prebooking makes you more money without having to find a single new client. Here\u2019s how it works.<\/p>\n

    Let\u2019s say a client named Angela likes to come in every 6 weeks for her cut and colour. This adds up to about 8\u00bd services each year.<\/p>\n

    If Angela ends up coming in every every 8 weeks because you don\u2019t prebook her, she will only come in for 6\u00bd services a year.<\/p>\n

    Uh-oh, that\u2019s 2 lost appointments.<\/p>\n

    If she is paying you $100 per service, you just left $200 on the table because you didn\u2019t prebook.<\/p>\n

    If you do prebook Angela to make sure she comes in every 6 weeks, that extra $200 is yours.<\/p>\n

    Now, let\u2019s say you have a client list of 75 clients. Multiply that $200 by 75, and you get an extra $15,000 per year \u2014 like magic!<\/p>\n

    Oh, except it\u2019s not magic, it\u2019s just the numbers. You\u2019ve increased your income by a whopping 33% without adding a single new client to your roster!<\/p>\n

    \n

    10 reasons prebooking is good for you<\/h2>\n
      \n
    1. Having your schedule filled in advance is motivating for you<\/li>\n
    2. A full schedule allows you to run a cancellation list<\/li>\n
    3. You\u2019ll have recurring clients to rely on while building clientele and during slow times<\/li>\n
    4. Slow times happen less often when you have enough prebookings<\/li>\n
    5. You can easily justify raising your prices once you are prebooked a couple of months in advance<\/li>\n
    6. Gives the impression that you\u2019re in demand<\/li>\n
    7. Creates a sense of scarcity<\/li>\n
    8. Makes clients aware that your time is valuable<\/li>\n
    9. Converts first-time clients into long-term clients<\/li>\n
    10. The more often you see your clients, the more loyal they feel<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n
      \n

      8 reasons prebooking is good for your clients<\/h2>\n
        \n
      1. Takes \u201cbook an appointment\u201d off their to-do list<\/li>\n
      2. Guarantees them their preferred appointment days and times<\/li>\n
      3. No more bad hair days while they wait for an appointment<\/li>\n
      4. Gives clients a welcome island of \u201cme time\u201d in their busy lives<\/li>\n
      5. Scheduling in hair care is an empowering act of self-care, especially for those who spend most of their time caring for others<\/li>\n
      6. Assures them of appointments during your busy seasons and around your vacations<\/li>\n
      7. Builds their trust in you<\/li>\n
      8. Budgeting for hair care is easier with regular appointments<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

        Tips for talking to clients about prebooking<\/h2>\n

        If you avoid prebooking because it feels too pushy or \u201csalesy,\u201d you\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n

        Many stylists, especially newbies, hesitate when it comes time to ask a client to prebook.<\/p>\n

        Others simply don\u2019t know how to open the conversation. What works best depends on personalities \u2014 yours and your client\u2019s. Here are some suggestions. Experiment to find what feels right for you.<\/p>\n

        Take a holiday<\/strong> \u2014 Veteran stylists confirm that one of the easiest ways to get your clients on the prebooking bandwagon is to book your own vacation.<\/p>\n

        But before you head for the beach, give your clients an insider tip: \u201cI\u2019m going on vacation, and I\u2019m booking up quickly. Would you like to book now to make sure you get the time you want before\/after my trip?\u201d<\/p>\n

        Celebrate the season<\/strong> \u2014 Festive seasons are another good rallying point: \u201cI get really busy in December, so how about we book you in now, so you\u2019ve got first pick for the time you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

        Make it about them<\/strong> \u2014 Don\u2019t ask clients \u201cwould you like to pre-book your next appointment?\u201d because they\u2019re more likely to say \u201cNo, I\u2019ll call,\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m not sure what my schedule will be.\u201d<\/p>\n

        Instead, give them a reason to prebook, and make it about their needs. For example:<\/p>\n

        \u201cI know you prefer to come in on Friday mornings. I\u2019m getting booked quite far in advance so I\u2019d recommend we book you in today so we can get you the most convenient time.\u201d<\/p>\n

        \u201cYou\u2019ve got your daughter\u2019s wedding coming up in June. Should we book you in now, while I\u2019ve still got room?\u201d<\/p>\n

        Educate your clients<\/strong> \u2014 Don\u2019t assume they know how often their hair needs to be cut or coloured. Share your expertise, they\u2019re counting on you for it.<\/p>\n

        Let them know how long their precision cut will keep its edges. \u201cIf you want to keep your cut looking sharp, let\u2019s book you for about 6 weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

        Explain to them that chemical services require more maintenance and lend themselves well to prebooking: \u201cSince you don\u2019t like your roots to show, how about we book you in for a root touch-up in 4 weeks?\u201d<\/p>\n

        When in doubt, ask<\/strong> \u2014 You can always start by asking, \u201chow often do you like to come in?\u201d and listen for clues about what to say next. They might ask what you recommend.<\/p>\n

        Or, maybe they\u2019ll tell you they don\u2019t want to prebook because they don\u2019t know their schedule in advance, but they would like to be reminded.<\/p>\n

        \u201cYour hair will need to be cut again in 6 weeks. Shall I give you a call in about 4 weeks and see what time works for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

        Recurring appointments and automated reminders<\/h2>\n

        If prebooking is good, then recurring appointments are the bee\u2019s knees. All good salon apps<\/a>\u00a0(salonMonster<\/a> most definitely included) allow you to set up recurring or standing appointments for your clients so everything is done for you.<\/p>\n

        Once a client is prebooked, it\u2019s essential that you remind them of their appointment. Clients can easily forget an appointment they made weeks ago. Any good online booking software<\/a> (like salonMonster<\/a>) will do this for you automatically, just set it and forget it.<\/p>\n

        Reminders are great for your client because they make scheduling effortless. And they\u2019re great for you because they insure that your client will show up.<\/p>\n

        Get the prebooking habit<\/h2>\n

        Don\u2019t expect to get all your clients prebooking from day 1.<\/p>\n

        It might take you some time to find your best approach and get your clients used to the idea. Keep offering and you will eventually reach a tipping point where most of your clients are booking before they leave the salon.<\/p>\n

        To help you get into the prebooking habit, salonMonster has a built-in reminder that asks you to prebook each client before checking out their current service.<\/p>\n

        If you\u2019re not a salonMonster client, get creative and find another way to make prebooking a habit at the end of every appointment.<\/p>\n

        We wish you all the best as you give your income a significant boost and make life easier for you and your clients \u2014 all with the simple habit of prebooking!<\/h2>\n

        P.S. Looking to read some more about prebooking? Check out these resources:<\/p>\n

        Grow 1: Super Stylist by Antony Whitaker<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

        BusyBus by Marion Shaw<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

        A Little More Off the Top by Michael Cole and Mary Cole<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

        The Naked Salon by Lisa Conway<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        \u201cYou may not always have a lot of control over how busy you will be today, but you have total control over how busy you will be in the future!\u201d \u2014Antony Whitaker, Grow Prebooking – It\u2019s not magic, it\u2019s not even hard. The most effective way to increase your income (besides being an amazing stylist) … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7055,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/salonmonster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7049","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/salonmonster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/salonmonster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salonmonster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salonmonster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7049"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/salonmonster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7049\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7511,"href":"https:\/\/salonmonster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7049\/revisions\/7511"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salonmonster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/salonmonster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salonmonster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salonmonster.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}