“What are the best promotions for a tanning salon owner to offer during J.A.S.O.N.? I continue to build up my EFT memberships, but I still feel like I might be missing out on other money makers. I don’t have a lot of space to bring in additional retail products and I don’t do tan-until-the-end-of-the-year specials because I believe that I lose money in the long run with those specials. Can you help?”
J.A.S.O.N. is always a challenge, but it is a monster that can be mastered. In fact, because the vast majority of salons have weak sales patterns during this time, any progress you make is known as “found money.”
“Feet in the door” or “butts in beds” should be the goal of any tanning retail business. I suggest August because it’s usually the pre-back-to-school season, particularly for markets with college students just returning to campus. Here are some promotions you can offer in mid- to late-August to help get more people into your tanning salon.
A free tan week is a great way to drive people through your doors. Run this promo on Facebook and other social media as well as your emails. Offer the free tans on your entry-level tanning beds or the next level up to generate foot traffic. Then you and your employees work on upselling everyone who comes through your doors. Remember, the most expensive tanning equipment you own are the tanning beds that aren’t being used!
Another promo you can offer is the “tanning salon tour.” This allows clients to tan once in each piece of equipment for a super low price, say of $19.95. It gives them a low-price experience for all your tanning beds and could be the hook that keeps them around.
As you move into September, try promoting a tanning lotion bottle exchange. Give a large discount (50 percent, for example) to tanners and new clients who bring in their old bottle of tanning lotion to exchange for a bottle of the same or higher price. It encourages customer experimentation with other brands as well as keeping things active at your tanning salon.
Of course there’s always the never fail fall season of free tanning contest. Run this on all your social media as well as through in-store signage and promotions. To enter, tanners must visit your salon to sign up. You draw one winner after a two-week contest duration. It’s an inexpensive way to get a lot of people in the door and have one captive customer for three months. After all, what does that much free tanning for one person cost you? As with any promo, you and your staff have the opportunity to up-sell this person each time them come in to tan.
Best of luck on your J.A.S.O.N. promotions!
