Are you planning to open your own salon business or switch salons? If so, you’re probably wondering how you will break the news to your clients, as well as how you can bring them with you to a new salon.
The good news is clients are usually very loyal to their stylists — even if their hairstylist moves to a new salon that’s a little farther away. The trust and rapport you build with your clients drive that loyalty and commitment that will allow you to transition your clients to a new salon and take them with you everywhere you go.
Getting your clients to follow you to your next endeavors may be the easy part, but transitioning them may take some time and patience. Don’t worry, though! We have written this blog post to show you just how to transition your clients, as well as other helpful tips on telling your clients you’re moving and how to retain your clientele during this time. Your clients are going to follow you just like the hair salon supplies you’re using.
How to Transition Clients to a New Salon
If you follow this step-by-step guide, you should be able to make the transition process for you and your clients as seamless as possible.
- Inform Your Clients That You Will Be Moving to a New Salon
The first step in transitioning your clientele will be notifying them that there is a change coming. You can do this in a variety of ways, but we strongly suggest communicating this in a way that’s natural for you and your clients. For example, if you usually communicate via email or text, this could be a great way to open the dialogue. However, if your clients prefer to talk over the phone or in person, you’re better off approaching the topic this way. You can also send out postcards or business cards with your new salon information, as well as a notice that you will be moving.
- Incentivize Your Clients to Follow You
You may have a few clients who push back on following you to a new location or are hesitant at first. However, you can sweeten the deal and incentivize your clients by offering them discounts on services at your new salon. If offering a discount at your new place of business isn’t feasible, you can always assemble a gift bag filled with your client’s favorite products. This shows your clients that you truly value their business and that you would hate to lose them in this transition.
- Share How This Move Will Improve Your Services
If you have a good reason for moving or you know this transition will allow you the opportunity to be using different salon tools to improve your services, make sure your clients are aware that this could benefit them, too. This can also help attract and retain your clientele as you switch salons.
- Leverage Social Media to Maintain Connections
Whether or not your clients decide to follow you to your new salon, encourage them to follow you on social media so that you can stay in touch. This could be a great way to keep your clients who don’t follow you interested in your services, which could lead to them eventually coming to see you. It’s also important to fill your social media profile and bios with relevant booking and location information so that your clients know where to find you.
- Onboard Them on Your New Salon’s Booking Software
As you transition into your new salon, leverage the booking software the company uses to add your clients who are following you over. This is effective because it lets your clients know that they are the first priority as you get settled in your new digs. You can use this software to send clients a welcome text or email that informs them of your availability, as well as any promotions you’re offering.
Just because you have clients who are following you over to your new salon doesn’t mean you stop trying to build a continuous funnel of new clientele. One of the best ways to keep the clients rolling in is by empowering your existing clients with a referral system. Have your clients tell their friends and family to come to see you. Their friends and family will drop your client’s name when they book and you can provide a discount to that client. Word of mouth is still one of the best ways to market yourself.
Are you feeling confident and ready to make the big move to a new salon? We hope this article empowered you to take the next step!
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