SMS – The right Message to the right person at the right time
Get permission first!
So, you are excited your awesome new Salon Studio CRM™ software! You are ready to market your business and start sending targeted sms’s to the whole world. Just a word of advice before you do – get permission from your customers before you start marketing. It is one thing to send out appointment reminders via sms. You generally don’t need permission to confirm appointments. However be careful of launching any sales and marketing campaigns without getting permission from your customers first. The word for this process is “opt in.” Don’t get upset if people opt out and say that they don’t want to hear from your Salon. In fact, get excited because now you know that you don’t have to waste time or money on them. The key to remember is that people who opt in will never consider your sms to be spam, in fact they are waiting to do business with you. I guarantee you that if your customers opt-in, you will have higher response rates from your sms campaigns and this means more sales. It is important to get the permission of the people you plan to send text messages to for at least 3 reasons;
- Customers, who have opted in, are more likely to respond to your message and do business with you. They are “pre-qualified.”
- You pay per message you send to your customers. Ensuring the customer wants to receive the messages avoids wastage of your marketing budget.
- If you send unsolicited messages this could create negative sentiments on the part of the recipient towards your business / brand and have the opposite of the desired effect.
Have your customers opt-in and subscribe to receive your sms communication. You should also provide a means that allows the recipient to opt out. For customers who do opt-out of your sms marketing, Salon Studio CRM™ conveniently allows you to simply “switch them off” so that they don’t receive your sms’s. (Tool-Tip: Click on the Contacts Tab Ü Open the relevant client card Ü click on the additional details tab Ü under censoring switch the clients sms functionality on or off as desired.)
Get subscribers
There is a huge difference between prospects and subscribers. If you look up the word subscribe in the dictionary, this is what you will find, “to sign (as a document) with one’s own hand in token of consent or obligation.” That’s exactly what you want for your sms marketing campaigns. You want clients to consent, to be obliged. So how do you get customers to subscribe? Perhaps you already have a customer database that you can get in touch with to begin with, if not – don’t worry. Think about how you communicate with your customers currently. Here are a couple of ideas for you to use;
- In store – using a signup sheet have clients record their name and cell number.
- Online – sign up at www.yourbusinesswebsite.com
- Email – email your customers about your new Communicator-Lite service and include sign-up details.
- Phone – when talking with your customers ask them if they’d like to sign up.
- Print communications – include sign-up details in your press ads, flyers and treatment menus and other printed marketing material.
- Canvass in person – This is the simplest, cheapest and best method by far. Just ask them while you are doing their nails!
When promoting your value added sms communication give your customers as many ways to sign up as possible, e.g.
- Internet – using the online sign-up form.
- Email us your name and mobile number.
- Text your name and mobile number to (business mobile number).
- Complete the enclosed form.
Forms simplify the sign-up process for customers. Here are two sample forms which you may use / adapt: I recommend adding these forms to your client consultation forms. Simply copy and paste the following two forms into Microsoft Word and format them according to your own needs.
Form # 1
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Please send me Communication from (your establishment name) that contain info about promotional offers, discounts, events, reservation confirmations, etc. Name: _____________________________ Mobile number: ________________________ This info will remain confidential & will not be shared. You will not receive more than 3 text messages in any given week. |
Form # 2
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I want to join your mobile community. Sign me up to the (your Spa name) preferred customer Sms Communicator Program and text info to my phone about:
Name: _____________________________ Mobile number: ________________________ (Optional) Please do not send me any more than ___ text messages per month Your details will not be shared, rented, published and will remain totally confidential
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