Retailers>this the season! Tips for a successful open house

Yes it is November and tis the season for every retailer to get their shelves stocked, hire extra help and get ready for the inevitable hustle and bustle of heavy duty shoppers. Unlike most retailers, the spa industry has an abundance of opportunities to increase traffic without relying solely on gift certificates to keep the dollars flowing in January. Open Houses are not only fun, they are extremely important for making that connection to your community; the abundance just follows from there.

Here are some quick tips and guidelines to get you started: 
ACTION>Get prepared by creating a plan of action. Write down your vision of expectations; if you are going on appointments, write down how much you want it to increase or how many new clients you want. 
PLAN>Start your planning now! From your vision, write down in point form, what you think needs to get done in order to reach these goals.

1. Choose a DATE and TIME: Call 10 of your top clients and let them know the date you are looking at holding it. Be sure to share WHY you are calling THEM; they will be flattered to know you are thinking of them. 
2. MAIL INVITATIONS: You can arrange your invitations online at a low cost professional printing house. We suggest VISTA PRINT: www.vistaprint.ca. They provide low cost, yet professional looking layouts and templates of several different products from postcards to flyers.
3. EMAIL MARKETING: There are countless choices of email marketing sites available these days and most offer a FREE TRIAL. We find Constant Contact (www.constantcontact.com) to be a reliable site and best known for their choices of ready to use TEMPLATES that allow you to simply drop in your logo, pictures and write some text and voila! You can make a coupon!
4. SOCIAL MEDIA: Social Media is probably one of the BEST tools available to reach clients; yet the spa industry is very slow on getting on board with setting up their FACE BOOK pages or BLOG sites and TWITTER accounts. With Social Media, you get to attract the clients you know will like what you have to offer at your location.
5. INVITE LOCAL ARTISANS/CRAFTERS: Connect with your local community artisans and craft makers and invite them to come for your open house. Just because you don't carry their line, it will bring in some contacts of theirs and be a special treat for your regulars to see something new and different. This would be a great TEST to see if this can be something you regularly offer there AND form a new relationship with a local business! 
6. OFFER HOLIDAY SPA TREATMENTS: Think of this time of year when it is so busy and what would appeal to the average spa goer/shopper and appeal to this. Offer something out of the extraordinaire like hand treatments or scalp treatments or a treatment that will not use much product, but allow a small connect with your client and introduce them to your favourite brand. 
7. GIVEAWAYS/DRAWS: Offer giveaways throughout the evening for major discounts on in-house services. Make sure you choose a service that totally makes you stand out from the rest and will leave them floored! Have a DRAW at the end of the night for a REAL amazing package of services and products. Make sure it is NOT stock that you are getting rid of; they will want to buy more when they run out and if you don't have it; buy bye! 
8. STOCK UP: Nothing worse than attending an open house and there is hardly anything to see or buy for that matter. I have been to a few already this season and was in and out of there with money to spend. Abundance begets abundance; simply put. 
9. BRING IN PRODUCT REPRESENTATIVES: A true test of your relationship with your supplier. All product manufacturers and/or distributors should offer some sort of onsite service, especially during the holidays. See if they can offer a Gift with Purchase based on volume. 
10. FOOD AND DRINKS: You don't have to offer alcohol but this would be the time to do it. You can have a juice bar or if you are wanting to introduce any new teas or nutritional cleansing drinks, now would be the time to serve them. Spread the food in different places if you can to keep the flow moving and not limit them to the one area. If you can sell it, even better for profit! 
11. RETAIL SPECIALS: Offer a special discount on all retail products on this day only. Go for 20% off if you can and watch the products fly out the door. Otherwise sales or discounts in a spa environment any regular time of year may indicate to your customer that you are getting rid of it. 
12. INTRODUCE A NEW TREATMENT or BRAND: So many retailers are 'afraid' (my most unfavourite word) to invest in a new product line or launching a new treatment or program. Listen, if you are hosting an open house where most of your year round regulars are going to be coming through; give them something new and exciting to see or experience; it is ideal! Offer a special discount for booking a treatment that is out of this world good like 40% off your 1st treatment. 
13. SERVICE>MAKE YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT: Service, service, service, will always prevail! Bring your business to the level of which the consumer sees your success and wants to participate.Above all, it all comes down to vibration, vibration, vibration. People love to come into a place this time of year with good energy and generosity. 
14. FOLLOW UP: Want to blow their mind? After the event, set some time aside to make a round of calls thanking them for their attendance. Do a draw after the event and announce it via Email Marketing so everyone can be involved and it is professional looking.

Otherwise, have fun. Make it simple and include any help from volunteers; both family and friends. This is the time of year to share and keep sharing. And in the retail world, your January will reflect what you put in today.