Catering to Your Clientele
Ask the Expert
By Lisa Starr
Originally published in Skin Deep, February/March 2005.
Copyright 2005. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.
Q: With the increasing interest in the spa services marketplace -- veterans, baby boomers, Generation Xers, and Generation Yers -- do you recommend catering to all or targeting a specific demographic?
A: The original spa client demographic -- women between 35 and 55 with a household income of $60,000-$70,000 -- has now expanded to include men, teens, and different age groups. Chances are, you will be more profitable if you decide who you want your core clientele to be and then design, build, equip, and market a practice that will appeal to them. Let's say you decide to target 25- to 45-year-old working females:
Step 1: Identify the needs of your target clientele and develop a practice around those needs. These women are likely to have careers and young children, for instance, so their time is limited. They will want and need extended spa hours in the evening and on weekends.
Step 2: Build your menu with services your clients want. This target group will seek time-saving services to ease stress and rejuvenate the body and mind.
Step 3: Offer retail products that appeal to your specified group at the right price point: in this case, easy-to-use home-care products with clean, simple packaging.
Step 4: Honor their time by emphasizing punctuality and planning multiple service visits with just the right flow.
By developing a business that speaks directly to your targeted customers and fulfills their needs, you get happy, loyal customers in return.
Lisa Starr, East Coast business consultant for Preston Wynne, Inc., has more than 25 years experience in the beauty industry in areas of marketing and advertising, business operations, and sales. She is an industry writer and frequent presenter at trade shows, lstarr@prestonwynne.com.
Copyright 2005. Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals. All rights reserved.
Q: With the increasing interest in the spa services marketplace -- veterans, baby boomers, Generation Xers, and Generation Yers -- do you recommend catering to all or targeting a specific demographic?
A: The original spa client demographic -- women between 35 and 55 with a household income of $60,000-$70,000 -- has now expanded to include men, teens, and different age groups. Chances are, you will be more profitable if you decide who you want your core clientele to be and then design, build, equip, and market a practice that will appeal to them. Let's say you decide to target 25- to 45-year-old working females:
Step 1: Identify the needs of your target clientele and develop a practice around those needs. These women are likely to have careers and young children, for instance, so their time is limited. They will want and need extended spa hours in the evening and on weekends.
Step 2: Build your menu with services your clients want. This target group will seek time-saving services to ease stress and rejuvenate the body and mind.
Step 3: Offer retail products that appeal to your specified group at the right price point: in this case, easy-to-use home-care products with clean, simple packaging.
Step 4: Honor their time by emphasizing punctuality and planning multiple service visits with just the right flow.
By developing a business that speaks directly to your targeted customers and fulfills their needs, you get happy, loyal customers in return.
Lisa Starr, East Coast business consultant for Preston Wynne, Inc., has more than 25 years experience in the beauty industry in areas of marketing and advertising, business operations, and sales. She is an industry writer and frequent presenter at trade shows, lstarr@prestonwynne.com.
