Editors Letter

‘Tis ‘almost’ the season to be Jolly!

Christmas time is my FAVOURITE time of year in the clinic. Just ask my staff who have to physically hold me back from blasting Mariah 24/7 from September! I especially love Christmas in the clinic. The Christmas gift sets, booking clients appointments ahead of time and the grand tradition of the great count down of weeks and days till jolly saint nick comes.

One concept I’ve always found so fascinating inclinic is that our mindset seems to magically stop on December 25th.

Isn’t it strange that we can rebook a client for 2, 3 4+ appointments leading up to Christmas, but then magically on December 25th we stop?

Likewise, we lean into helping our clients with retail opportunities, feeling more comfortable showing them packs, erasing their skin and, of course, shopping for gifts as well. Isn’t it funny we don’t do this ALL YEAR ROUND?!

One of our biggest cries in January is “I’M QUIET!” And “How can I get more bookings?!”

My tip. You make it happen BEFORE Christmas. Busy and profitable January’s and beyond are possible but are MADE with strategic planning and mindset focus starting right now.

Here are my 3 easy hacks to a busy and profitable New Year that you can start right now.

#1 - Set yourself a goal.

Make it easy, then shift the goalposts to keep challenging yourself more and more till you are booked up!

“I will rebook all my regulars not just till Christmas but also in January and February” or “I will rebook 10 clients this week through Christmas and then add on a January and February booking too.”

It makes sense that if a client can make a regular appointment every 4-6 weeks in the lead up to Christmas that they should be able to do this beyond this date too. Try it. Start with one client. Heck! I even asked my VIP regular if I can make them a regular monthly appointment for the WHOLE YEAR! They loved that I helped them get organised ahead of time.

Don’t worry if they have to move around later on. You’ll text them beforehand and they can let you know then. The point is that they have booked. This repeated over and over again can help you fill whole weeks of your month ahead of time.

#2 Fake it till you make it.

The biggest obstacle in making January busy is our mindset. It’s only true either way because you have made it so. Your clients cant see your appointment book. Not the way you can. The way I booked my won clinic out in January is I started with one client. Even if my books were empty.

“Mary, we are already booking up till Christmas and even through into the New Year. Do we have you booked ahead yet?”

When my client’s books up to Christmas I automatically repeat the same interval into the New Year.

“Mary, “I’ve added a couple of extra appointments for you into the New Year at that same 5-week interval I know you prefer. We get so busy into the New Year. We’ll text you before each one so you can let me know if you need to make any changes ok?”

#3 - Drive a major promotion in January

Why don’t we do major promotions in January? “Because everyone’s spent their money in December” “Because everyone’s away” “Because it’s quiet”. HOGWASH!

I say, IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME!

Make it exciting. Market the hell out of it with emails and social content. Get a talented graphic designer on board to really make the campaign extra special.

Don’t rely on your product companies to give you the offers. Make your own! It could be a gift with purchase or even an event day where clients get a free mini Micro or Peel with the purchase of 2 or 3 skincare products at their event appointments. One year I even moved our Birthday to February, no one noticed, and threw our birthday celebrations just after school went back.

You don’t have to spend a lot. What are your cheapest 3 skincare products? How much do they cost you wholesale? Would you spend that money on a Facebook ad or give that kind of discount on a lastminute offer to fill your books if you were quiet? The answer is often “YES!” So why not make your own offer and team the lowest cost skincare products with your top Facial services? After all, aren’t these what we’d love to fill our New Year with anyway?

I want to challenge you to think differently. Outside the box. Step out and do something you’ve never don’t before. Especially after everything that’s happened this year what have you got to lose.

You’ll never gain what you didn’t step up to claim.

Clare xo

Clare Lamberth, Editor

clare@mochapublishing.com.au