How many of you have a referral program at your salon? I bet most of you do! Many salon owners offer a referral program to their guests to encourage their loyal customers to spread the word and to help gain new clients. Having a referral program is a simple way to build your business and show your longtime customers how much you appreciate them.

However, if you don’t have referral program set in place, it’s a good idea to consider starting one! The first step to creating a successful referral program is deciding what the reward will be for guests who refer new guests! This could be a tiered approach – for example, after the first guest is referred, that client receives a free service such as an eyebrow wax, and then after their fifth referred guest, that client could receive any product of their choosing up to a $50 value.

The options are endless! At my salon, Be Inspired Salon, we send a handwritten thank-you note, along with a $10 shopping pass, to every guest who refers someone to Be Inspired. Incentivizing your guests to refer friends with gifts and deals is a great way to get your program off the ground, but it’s important to reach out and thank them. Adding that personal touch will reinforce their loyalty – and most likely encourage them to refer more clients!

But how do you know which client made the referral? It’s also very important to include a way to capture that recognition. At Be Inspired, we use a survey to ask every new guest how they found out about us. Not only is this survey a great way to keep a pulse on which of your marketing programs are working the best, it’s an easy way to ask people for the name of the friend that referred them. Once you have that name, make sure to send them a handwritten note thanking them!

Of course, a referral program, or any program for that matter, will only work if people know about it! So make sure your stylists are informing their guests, and have the program promoted in your salon! Put together a cute promotional flyer with all the details and leave it at checkout. Or, make sure to include it in your regular communications with clients via email and social media.

If you already have a referral program in place, that’s great! Keep it up. If you don’t, I hope this helps to inspire you to create one for your salon. Either way, I highly encourage you to go that extra step and thank each salon guest who refers a friend with a personal gesture.

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