It's JANUARY.
A NEW YEAR!
Are you TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THAT?
Are you POSITIONING YOURSELF TO CATCH THE NEW YEAR WAVE???
Business is often cyclical. It's not unusual for those cycles to be timed to seasons (think: Christmas tree merchants) or yearly events (think: florists and Valentines Day). The most recent yearly event for most of us is the turning of a new year.
You've seen it on TV and tried to ignore the ads on the internet -- this is a great time for sales! Specials! Bargains! People are in the mood to change! Make resolutions! Set the tone for their entire year!
What am I doing to take advantage of that cultural push? Very little.
Crazy, right? Missing an awesome opportunity, right? Eh, maybe, maybe not.
I don't like to be part of the Big Push at the beginning of the year. I used to but I realized it only made me anxious and cranky. More importantly, it also rarely produced results that were worth the push.
Every business has its own cycle and seasons. Mine hasn't historically peaked in January. I also historically make virtually nothing from gift cards in December or at Valentines Day (or Mothers Day or any of the other gift-giving holidays). That's been true pretty much from the beginning.
I'm not saying that's not true for other practices; it's just true for mine. I used to peak in August. I think it was because so many other massage therapists took vacation in August. Why doesn't my practice benefit from those seasonal and holiday bumps? I think it's because they don't move me so my energy isn't there. I think it's also that the "temperament" of my practice isn't suited for it. How I position myself and the profile of the clients I'm best suited for aren't making their decisions based on season / holiday.
I've learned that my best marketing efforts are quietly steady. Regular gentle connections. A steady presence through my website. Being connected in enough places (like social media and other local health care providers) that I have a steady influx of interest.
2014 will be the third full year of my practice after my practice-closing Australian-adventure. I'm starting to have enough data to show me when the highs and lows of my practice are now. I'm starting to have enough data to know what marketing efforts have worked and which ones haven't since I re-opened.
Have you stopped (if that's allowed in January) to notice what works in your practice? If you step back, does it feel like your practice / your typical clients will respond well to a January push?
If the answer is "yes", push on! If the answer is "no", go have another hot chocolate on me while you notice what time of the year / season / event / connection does work for you.
Well put Kelly. I do send out a mass email and do a discount in Dec, on for V-day and moms day. But that is all I do. More seems like spam. But, I get good results for the occasional targeted special.
ReplyDeleteI'm offering a Stress Reduction Class through a local Wellness Center starting on 2/3 and they've marketed it under their "Resolutions 2014" programs. I'll let you know how it goes! I'm finding that right now, most of my potential clients (which are corporate) are just getting back to work from the holiday season and seem to be busy catching up rather than scheduling anything new.
ReplyDeleteI like what you said about "regular gentle connections" and "a steady presence" though. I think that those always work better than huge promotions. Many people have suggested that I run promotions on my stress workshops and it hasn't worked for me either.
From a customer standpoint, I'm a terrible January customer. As much as I like the idea of a new blank calendar being an opportunity to go be awesome, it's just too dang cold for new habits.
ReplyDeleteHere's something that's been rattling around in my brain and I think I just figured out how to say it: heavy holiday promotions runs the risk of making massage look like something you do for "special occasions" or for "pampering". For some businesses, that works beautifully. It can also be a way to give a little boost to your existing client base. For others, it's a dud (it has been for me).
ReplyDeleteThe other thing to consider is this: will your special offer / promotion just become part of the January noise? Can you do it in a way that doesn't just add to the volume of businesses trying to get your attention?
ReplyDelete