Getting new clients: groupon???

Professionals Only! Electrologist to Electrologist (pros only)
#1

I’ve started my own small biz and only do couple services. I really want to focus on electrolysis but it seems nobody knows what it is anymore esp. the younger folk.

When I was working again as a laser tech several months ago, I would bring up electrolysis when I thought it would suit them better. Most of the time I had to explain what it even was?!

I hate groupon (its such a rip off for the biz owner) and the like but I’m thinking of doing it for electrolysis just so people can try it out. I do offer free consults with a minute of electrolysis but I feel I need to hook them in to get past the “I thought it would be gone after the one treatment” lol.

Anyone tried any specials to get people in the door?

#2

Clients should be told that electrolysis is a treatment program. No reason to “hook” anyone. Simply tell them the truth and let the client decide if electrolysis is for them.

#3

Thanks for the reply hairadicator but tried it. With so few people asking for electrolysis I need something more than waiting for a consult. I look at my website analytics/google adwords and my electrolysis service pages gets almost no hits per month yet the lashes and waxing are in the 60’s + hits.

#4

Just replying to myself…I was seriously thinking about the groupon but hated the fact that you have to disc. by 50% min for the sale then groupon takes half of this “profit”. You basically discount like 75% off your service. I saw Arlene’s coupon and think thats a great idea!

I worked at a place that had a printable coupon on the website but they made it so complicated for us staff that I erased it from my mind.
I still don’t get the hits on the website but the ones that do see it may be more tempted to book for the consult. Also Im paying google adwords now so why pay groupon too lol.

#5

The only thing I would say about this whole thing is that you would only be paying Groupon ONCE. You would make all the money on future visits with the clients.

Now if I said to you, “I will bring you clients, but you have to pay me $20 for everyone I bring to you”, would you balk at that? Sure, you might get some people who only come the one time, but for all the people who come more than once, you get ahead. Furthermore, how many clients do you think will have real projects that will keep them coming back for a year or more, as they increase the size and scope of their hair removal desires?

I know it seems like you are doing all the work, and giving away free money, but in the end, most practitioners are looking to find 12 new clients every 30 to 180 days. Any help in that matter tends to be worth it, if it doesn’t take away from your actual treatment time availability.

#6

I would not go for groupon. There are lots of articles about how businesses end up losing money and time. They force business to offer deals that are so attractive the customer won’t pass them up.

Advertise yourself and offer your own coupons and discounts.

#7

If you are new to the business realize it can take a couple of years (in some cases longer) to build up electrolysis clientele. People are very careful when selecting an electrologist and do not always breeze on in just because they see someone offering the service. Like a tattoo artist or plastic surgeon it takes a while before people in the area realize you are skilled and can be trusted. Many practitioners work part-time and have a full-time job to keep them going until their practice builds. Brutal economic times present an added challenge, but if you stick with it and are skilled, business will come your way!

#8

Electrolysis is one of those businesses where word of mouth is much more important than any other form of advertising. Up front, people need your mouth to explain to them what electrolysis is, and how it would work for them, and/or they need to see good results and hear positive stories from those who have done it before them. As a new person, you don’t have many (any?) previous or current clients who already have work that is finished, or so far into the process that people are asking them questions about what did they do to fix that hair problem.

In this case, you can only work to increase your exposure verbally, and your visibility on the faces of those who can give you the best testimony.

#9

Thanks for the advice everyone :slight_smile: I had worked for a Laser clinic that did 4 groupon type offers in one year and it was brutal (a lot of groupon jumpers that never intended to stay). In the end the biz closed the doors before the expiry of the coupons! I ended up putting a printable 50% off first Electrolysis visit (includes consult) on my website and will see what happens.

Yesterday the person whom I’m renting the work room from wanted to get Laser done from me?!? I had to remind em that I do electrolysis NOT laser. I’ve been there for several months and have talked quite abit to them about the difference between the two treatments and have brochures in their waiting room. Maybe I didn’t make it clear enough?

I think I need to assume people don’t know what electrolysis is and educate them more somehow.

#10

You must talk up electrolysis and never let anyone misrepresent you or the service. It is an educational process (for both practitioner and client) that goes on forever. I have been an electrologist for almost 33 years, yet people think I perform laser treatments and sometimes will ask if I am still “pulling hairs.” (I let them know I have never “pulled hairs” and have no intention of doing so in the future). Another piece of advice … do not wear yourself down doing impromptu consultations in public when people ask what you do. Wherever you go, people will ask “how much would you charge me to …” Don’t waste your breathe! Trust me, these idiots and know it alls have no intention of ever showing up in your office. Do yourself a favor … concentrate on quality work and the people will come to you. Referrals are the best way to gain a clientele.

#11

I participated in a group coupon promotion to introduce a new service (microdermabrasion) about one year ago.

The majority of the clients that it attracted were the coupon clippers who go wherever they can get a deal, with no intention of further patronizing the business. There were few that became regular clients, but the majority were just out to get a deal.

An electrolysis business takes some time to build, word of mouth advertising is the best way of attracting business.

#12

I have always found that getting my clients to go from having an obvious problem, to looking improved in the quickest time possible, is a great advertising technique. While many people won’t talk up your business without being asked, having them wear your work in public prompts people to ask, “What did you do?” If the client answers the question honestly, the good word about your work is passed around.

As for educating the public, since we need lots of time to discuss our business, we really are not best served by the standard forms of advertising.

As I have said in print before, “We are not Coca Cola. A successful ad campaign for Coke would have every last can and bottle sold out in one day… because they will be delivering more tomorrow. We need our prospective customers delivered to us in such a way that we can deal with them as they come in. It would do us no good to get 500 people trying to book an appointment on a Monday Morning. Find a way to spread those call out through out the year, and we have something we can use. Otherwise, we just have 410 people upset that they can’t book an appointment this month.”

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#13

Just an update. I didn’t go for groupon, but I did create a printable coupon for my website. It was 50% off for new customers and gave it a several months for the expiry date. I had to use google adwords for 1 month for advertising ($30 maybe) that the coupon existed.

Outcome: I got nobody for the first 2 months but noticed my website was finally getting hits for my elec services. In the 3rd month I started getting calls and emails on electrolysis and I would say I got maybe 10-15 new electro clients from the coupon.

I probably could have gotten more clients with groupon, but found this was a cheaper method with less commitment of honouring groupon coupons for a year.

#14

It also sent you the customers in a way that you could actually meet the demand. 10 to 15 new customers in 30 days, you can do. 10 to 15 trying to book Monday the 1st of the month, not so good. Sounds like a great return on investment.

#15

I did the Groupon deal to and got a lot of people who just want the deal and would never return again. Using adwords is a great idea and you do not have to work for free like you have to do with Groupon.

#16

Being in the electrolysis field now for 4 years, I can attest to what many of you are saying here. It’s difficult to spread the word of the effectivness of electrolysis when laser is so powerfully marketed, and unfortunately mismarketed with it’s claims to fast permanent hair removal.

I wanted to share my experience with groupon, to shed light on the marketing strategy and why you might want to consider this.

Two years ago, I heard about groupon and I decided that I would give it a try. People like to try new things or get a deal on something, so Groupon, the first of it’s kind, has a HUGE database of people. My goal was raise awareness of electrolysis in the community. I did a deal of 2 hours of electrolysis for the price of 1. I was in the process of growing my business, and I was finding that the awareness of electrolysis as a viable option just wasn’t obvious to people. Groupon gave me massaive exposure with the advertisement. I sold well over a 130 coupons. Yes…it was already a 50% discount, and yes, I only get half of that. So yes, I’m technically only getting 25% of sales. However, if you think about it…how many clients do you have that only need 2 hours of electrolysis? Some need only a bit of upper lip work, but many people have serious issues and need a lot more time.

This is where lies the key. I was easily able to keep 75% of people that came through the door, really looking for a solution. The fact that I only redeemed 25% off the original sale didn’t matter, because I just had a massive spurt in clients. MANY people were so relieved to have seen the advertisement, and to finally understand what electrolysis was and how it would work for them. As James has pointed out in this post already, educating people was my first priority. It builds positive relationships and longevitiy with clients.

Not all businesses are cut out for this kind of advertisement…certainly if you don’t have a way to expand beyond the original coupon, it wouldn’t work for you.

But in our field, I think it’s something worth trying.

All the best to everyone!

Veronica

#17

Yeh, ive considered doing this as a new business myself but they do rip you off! They try to make you discount as much as possible leaving you with less than a quarter of your actual price! Sucks but yeh i agree word of mouth maybe leaving leaflets in the right places maybe community centres, doctors offices, dentists, swimming pools, gyms. HTH

#18

I sold 81 of the Groupon (Livingsocial) and I am very happy with it. 50% of the people I treated have come back with regular visits. Those who did not come back may come back some day in the future and the word is out. I am looking forward to running another special just meet more really nice people people who suffer with excessive hair.

#19

Grethen0b how did you convince groupon/living social to work with you? ive tried contacting them but nothing! I really want to try this and have been considering this for a while.

#20

The only way i believe it is if you kept selling to those people at Groupon prices. Is that what you did?

On a side note, i recently had a lot of success creating a referral program for my clients, i tell people that if they refer someone, they will get 50% of what the new client buys during the first time that he makes a purchase. The result? A few days ago i had a lady who “referred” her daughter to do stuff for about $3000. Normally, in a similar situation the new person would maybe try one area without a package to see how it goes, this way she purchased a lot.

The idea behind this method is simple, i know that my clients LOVE my technicians. Therefore, i compete on service and not on price. The second principle is also simple, i want to keep my prices reasonable but high which means, i don’t want people to get a discount when they buy, because then they wouldn’t buy again until they get that same discount. Instead, if they want a discount, they should refer people to me and get a credit for a portion of what their referral is going to pay.