Looking to grow your client base? A great and inexpensive method is to partner with another business.
What are the Benefits?
Cross promotions will raise awareness of your business in a positive manner. Every business has built a trusting relationship with their loyal customers. When they refer those customers to your salon or spa, they are connecting their reputation with your business.
Partnering with another business can also reduce promotional costs. Split the cost when you advertise together or mail out promotional postcards.
Who Should I Partner With?
Your partner should either provide a different service/product to the same audience or serve a different target audience.
Think about your client’s needs and desires. Is there something that will complement the services you provide to them? For example if you run a hair salon, it may make sense to partner with a nail technician. Alternatively, you can team up with a business that serves a different target audience. Your clients may be interested in finding a quality barbershop for their husbands, and perhaps the barber has a few clients whose wives are looking for a new salon! Pay attention to your clients because they might give you some clues.
After identifying some potential businesses, you can then consider if the partnership will be balanced. Will their clients be similarly inclined to visit your business and possibly become loyal customers?
One caution is to ensure that your partnering businesses are in line with yours. Do they share a similar values? Do their prices align with your clients’ budgets? Remember that your clients trust that you have their best interest in mind.
How Do We Work Together?
- Display each other’s business cards or brochures. Leave them in highly visible areas like the front desk.
- Mention your partner when talking to your clients. You don’t need to make a sales pitch, but if you’re talking about a relevant topic, you can naturally mention the partnership.
- Extend your reach by mentioning each other through your social media networks. Send an email to your clients on behalf of your partner and get them to do the same (be careful not to share your client’s information unless they have given you permission to do so).
- Sell each other’s gift cards if your partner is targeted at a different market. For example, men at a barbershop may want to treat their wives to a spa day. By making it convenient for them to purchase gift cards to your spa, you will attract new clients without affecting the barbershop’s sales. If your partner is serving the same people, consider whether selling their gift card will cut into your own business’s gift card sales.
- Bundle related products and services. If you are a hair salon, connect with a cosmetologist or nail salon. Assemble a range of retail products to bundle and sell. Create a wedding package so brides will easily find someone to do their hair, nails, makeup and everything else!
Insight Software helps you grow your business. Insight offers marketing tools including automated email and SMS messages to clients.
