last week I conducted the Leap Ahead with Leadership Excellence spa leaders seminar in Orlando Florida.  We had 20 professionals join me from all over the country. I met some amazing professionals.   You know what is most amazing to me every time I hold one of these events is the type of professionals that attend.  they are all already successful they just want to be even more successful.   They all received a new spa business model and the blueprint on how to elevate their spa’s success. thank you all for joining me and I wish everyone great success!

You should join us for the next Leap Ahead so you too can Leap in 2010.

This week I am going to Indiana to work with a client who is opening a brand new medi spa. And then off to NY to the IECSC show.  I will be speaking… Check out the shcedule and come by to see me. I am doing two sessions one about going from solo to owning your own spa and the second one is about expanding your spa wellness program and increasing profits, hope to see you there.

 I was in Daytona Beach all this week.  This morning as I was out getting my coffee, I passed by the Daytona Race Track.  In case you don’t know, the Daytona 500 is approaching quickly. It’s next weekend but already people are piling in Daytona Beach.  As I was driving by, campers are lined up in the infield with very few spots left.  This is the biggest car race of the year!  Daytona Beach has done a great job marketing this event.  The city captures thousands of tourists who spend millions of dollars during the month of February.  So here is a question for you, why does the American public love racing so much?  As a matter of fact, racing is the number one watched sport in America.  Yes, more than football, basketball, and even baseball.  Aren’t you surprised to hear that?  I guess we just love speed!

You’ve been in the “rat race.” It seems that we are in a constant rush and moving at a very fast speed. Doing, doing, doing, our life is a race.  That’s why people need to go to the spa, right? To slow down, relax, and recharge, so they can continue with the race. 

Just like in a real race, drivers have to make a PIT STOP.  If they don’t, they can’t finish the race.  We need to apply the same philosophy to our business. Pretend your spa business is a car in a race. Once you get on the track, you are there with all your competition, going around and around.  But while you are doing that, you have to plan your spa winning strategies.  You need to know when it’s time for new tires, gas, check the oil, wash the windshield, etc.  Also, a key factor is your spa team.  Are they on top of their game?  Can they deliver quality service at a fast pace so you can win the race?

Many business people skip the pit stop. They don’t take time to learn and fine tune their strategies. They just keep going around and around, with no end in mind.  It’s sad but true, we see it all the time as a consulting firm.  Only the top 20% of all businesses have a strategic plan. The rest barely make ends meet. 

When we host the Leap Ahead spa director seminar, the people who attend are the people who are already successful and they want to be more successful.  The people who urgently need this educational event are nowhere to be found! They are on the race track with no plan and no chance to win. Sooner or later, they will run out of gas or even crash!  Sorry to be so blunt, but it is true.

If you have not made a PIT STOP recently; you should, so you can at least have a chance at winning the race.  Join us for our LEAP AHEAD in 2010 seminar.  Let us help you win the race!!

While conducting Spa marketing assessments with clients, I discover that many of them think that marketing is advertising. Because advertising is so expensive, they think that they can’t market.  That is wrong thinking.  First, advertising is one component of a marketing mix. There are many marketing mix options available for you to choose from and many are low cost.

Here are a few economical Spa marketing mixes that you can implement within your marketing plan.

In-spa marketing

 Always display your promotions in a prominent location within the spa in order to upgrade and sell additional services and products.

q    Public speaking

Position yourself as the expert on the spa lifestyle within your community.  Promote the spa lifestyle and your spa as much as possible.

q      Special events

Spa events are great way to introduce new guests to your spa. Select the type of spa event you would like to host and follow the structure outlined in our calendar section of our InSPAration Management marketing manual.

q  Spa promotions

Promotions are a great marketing tool. They help you increase the number of services from one treatment to two or more.

q   Spa coupons – spa dollars

Utilize as needed; especially for events and self generated efforts.

q  Business-2-Business alliance

A great way to promote your spa business!  Create a list of businesses in your area that compliment your spa such as: Plastic Surgeons, Dermatologists, etc. Visit them, introduce your spa and have an agreement ready to present.

Vital to your business:

Client Relation Management - CRM

Acquiring and retaining spa clients is the heart and soul of marketing and business. Managing your client base requires a CRM system to monitor client-to-business relations.  Building your database is the most important thing you can do.  Once you have a database, you are able to market to them over and over.  Having a CRM program allows you to segment your list and identify:

• Buying habits
• Response to special offers
• Pricing analysis
• Popular products

This practice is essential to your business success!

Must Do:

Building Your Database

Building your database is a most crucial activity; without it, marketing becomes difficult and too costly.  Make it a habit to gain every client’s contact information and continuously update it.

Steps to Building your database:

1. The easiest way to build your database is by offering a “register to win” strategy on your home page.
2. On the phone.  Your receptionist should ask every person who calls in for their name and their email address. 
3. Collect info at every event that you hold, at functions you attend or sponsor and at Tradeshows.
4. Business alliance websites
5. Business to business lead boxes

Give away a treatment or have a product drawing once a month or quarterly.  List the winners on your website. 

 If you want your business to thrive, you must have an annual marketing plan.  Decide on how much you are going to invest in marketing.  Select your marketing mix and detail your annual plan.  This will drive traffic to your spa and increase your capacity.

you need help with your marketing plan ask inSPAration Management and we will help you. 

A decade came to an end yesterday and a new one has begun!  I remember when 2010 seemed so far away… but now, here it is, knocking on our doors.  Hope this year and this decade brings everyone great health, wealth, and happiness!

What did you do last night? I stayed home with my family, saw a movie, and then watched New Year celebrations from around the world.  For years, while in the hospitality industry, I always had to work on the holidays when everyone else I knew was off. I never had the week between Christmas and New Year off, not to mention other holidays. I missed out on many fun things with friends and family. I guess that’s what happens when you have a J.O.B. But for the past decade, since I became self employed, I am now blessed with the FREEDOM to take off whenever I want to, working when I want. Not having a JOB working for someone else is great!  I guess that’s how many entrepreneurs feel. After all, you probably became an entrepreneur because you did not want someone to dictate to you when and what you should do, right?  However; this past year, I received so many phone calls from entrepreneurs who own their own spa but are working harder in their business than ever before.  Many owners are performing treatments instead of working ON their business. They don’t have the freedom they deserve.

Last year, we helped many entrepreneurs get out of the treatment room. We guided them to work on their business, to make it more successful, and begin living with freedom, rather than becoming a prisoner to their job.  What about you? Are you working too hard? Can’t take time off? Skipped a vacation or two? Time for a change! This is a great time to make the change. It’s a new year, a new decade, and let there be a new you!

Let us help you! You can start by attending the Leap Ahead Spa Director Seminar on Feb 22-24 in Orlando. You will get your hands on a new business model and a blueprint on how to transform your business and begin living the life you deserve!

We’ve helped many spa owners transform their business!  Shannon and Amy own Heavenly Hands in Mustang, Oklahoma. They both worked in the room: one massage after another, all day, every day. Working, working, working, until they attended our spa director seminar last year. They moved to a larger location and are no longer in the room. Now, they work ON their business!

Or Mary from Gainesville, Florida. She owns a 5,000 SF spa and was still in the room when I met her.  She attended the seminar and now she is working ON her business instead of in it! Mary is achieving a new level of success and has more freedom than ever before!

I was speaking to a husband of an owner the other day who attended the Leap Ahead sneak preview call. He is considering attending the seminar. I was answering some of his questions when I discovered he does the financials for his wife’s spa. So I asked him how the business was going. He proceeded to tell me that everything was great. They are so busy then I asked if they have the freedom to have a quality lifestyle and take time off? So he said, “Oh no, my wife is so busy she can’t take time off!”  He proceeded to tell me that she is in the room working 10 to 12 hours a day!  I thought to myself, that’s crazy!  He thinks they are doing great when his wife is in the room being a slave to her business!  Then, he went on to tell me how she loves doing that! Who loves being in a treatment room all day when they own the business?

Remember, the reason you went into business is to have the freedom to do what you want when you want. If you are not doing that, you need help and you need to make changes.  So start this new decade on the right foot. Start thinking differently! There are answers out there. The best part is you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Let us help gain your freedom and make 2010 your best year ever!

Let’s go back to the 80 - 20 rule.  The economist Pareto discovered in the early 1900’s that 80% of the wealth in Italy was held by 20% of the population.  I had written about this previously, but it is a good time to talk about it again.  I am frequently asked questions about gift giving to clients.  From What should I give them for Christmas? to How do I determine who my top clients are?  Here are some tips to help you:

1. Run a report by client and identify the top 20% spenders. Now, you have the answer of who to focus on.  The top 20% will probably represent 80% of your business. 
2. The second question I am often asked is: How much should I spend on each client?  That could vary depending on your budget.  Your gifting should be a line item in your budget.  If your overall marketing budget is 10% of your gross revenue, then perhaps gift giving could represent 2% of that amount.   Convert that 2% into a dollar amount. Now you know how much you can afford to spend on gifts to your top clients. 
3. The third question I am asked is: What should we get them?  There are several things you can do. The most popular item should be products from your spa, preferably branded items; such as robes, wraps etc.  Or it could be something like a complimentary treatment or a gift card.  It could be a book or something that has to do with health and wellness.   This really should be planned far in advance and ordered during the end of August.  But most important: It’s the thought that counts! Don’t get hung up on price.
4. You could also recognize them as a VIP client in your newsletter or during your holiday party by giving them a different color name tag.  They could receive a bigger and better goody bag. Get your brand to help you in recognizing your top clients who especially purchase products on regular basis.
5. If you have no budget at all, you can send a Christmas/Holiday card with a complimentary upgrade for their next visit.

The fourth question I am asked is: What should we do for all the other clients?  Sending holiday wishes via a card or an electronic card is appropriate. 

Here is what we did at InSPAration Management this year.  We gave our top 20% a gift. Then, we sent out a gift in our newsletter for all other clients to join us for a webinar in January.  The webinar is for the Don’t Sell, Recommend! Our number one educational program, a value of $99, they can attend totally free.  If you did not see it, and you are either a client or a newsletter subscriber of InSPAration Moments, make sure you sign up! 

Hope you are having a busy month, and remember, the important fact is to recognize your clients and your team members!

Every spa counts on selling a large number of gift cards in December, but how can you maximize the number of cards sold?  Here are some tips:

1. Set up a spa gift card display area in the reception center
2. Create 3 to 4 gift card spa packages that include retail products
3. Train the reception spa team to offer and close gift card package sales
4. Train the entire spa team on how to promote gift card packages
5. Set a volume target to aim towards
6. Frame your gift card packages and place them throughout the spa
7. Post your spa packages on your website
8. Announce the packages in your consumer newsletter
9. Send out an email blast with an urgent call to action
10. Announce an award program for the team for reaching the target

 What type of packages should you offer?

You can offer 3 or four different price point packages.  My recommendation would be to run some reports and discover past price points. Identify the most popular price point from past sales.  Once you’ve identified the most popular price point, set the new package prices starting from that price and offer higher increments.

For example, let’s say your most popular price point was $100

You can do the following:

$75 gift card + $25 retail product = $100

$100 gift card + $50 retail product = $150

$150 gift card + $75 retail product = $225

Name your packages and display them in a festive way! 

How much of a discount should you give?

If you want to sell gift cards solo, offer a special.

Here is an example from one of our clients’ Black Friday specials. 

Natalie Spencer, from Renaissance European Day Spa, sold $58,000 in gift cards in 4 hours.  Here is the special she offered.  Purchase a $100 gift card and receive $100 free.  The important point here is that the $100 free cards were given in $25.00 increments (4 gift cards).

 Natalie’s Average Volume Per Guest is $100. By giving a $25 gift card, it’s like giving 25% off a treatment.  Also, the person who purchased the gift cards can give the $25.00 gift card to other family members or friends, leading new people to the spa who will be incentified to spend more money.

If you want to offer this special, make sure you do it only for a very limited time to create urgency!  Do a mail blast about it and announce the date you will do it.

We wish you all a very Joyous and Prosperous Holiday Season!

P.S. sign up for LEAP AHEAD in 2010 and grow your spa business.

Thanksgiving has come and gone.  Hope you and your families had a nice time…

Remember growing up, mom and dad always telling us to say thank you and please? The basics of being polite and showing gratitude, right?  But on Thanksgiving, the word thanks has deeper meaning.  It’s a time to reflect on the entire year and really count all the blessings we have.  Here are some of the things that I am thankful for, and you’ll probably agree, that you are thankful for too!

9 things I am thankful for:

1.       Living in the USA: We really have a lot to be thankful for!  It’s never more noticeable to me than when I travel the world.  I flew over 90,000 miles around the world this year and no matter where I went: Asia, Europe, South America, Eastern Europe, the Carribean, Mexico, I always felt so happy when I land back at Orlando International Airport.  The USA truly offers the best quality of life!

2.       Land of opportunity:  The other thing to be really thankful for are the business opportunities we have.  With an idea, you can be an entrepreneur.  Other people in foreign countries want to come to America to realize their dreams.  And here we are, living in a country where dreams do come true!

3.       Thankful for my family:  My son, Charlie, who is 12 soon to be 13. He is a straight “A” student in all advanced classes.  I am thankful for his father, Craig, for taking care of him while I am working and gone.  And of course, our families: mom, dad, brothers and sisters…. There is nothing like sitting together with all the family members and sharing a meal together on Thanksgiving.  Being thankful for tradition and time to appreciate each other.

4.       Thankful for good health:  Sometimes, we take feeling healthy for granted.  There is nothing more important than good health.  That’s never been so obvious for me then watching my parents and Craig’s parents get into their 80’S dealing with the aging process. 

5.       Clients:  If you own your own business, you know how thankful you are for your clients!  This past year was a record breaking year for us. I am very thankful for all the people who put their trust in us to help them with their spa business.

6.       Business partners: I am thankful for all the business partners and sponsors who help grow our business.

7.       Team:  Thankful for the InSPAration Management Team.  They put up with me, and sometimes that’s difficult to do.  

8.       Happiness:  All the little things that bring joy and happiness to us that we may take for granted.

9.       God:  Thankful to GOD and all our blessings.   We should always be thankful not only on Thanksgiving, but everyday of our lives!  

A man was complaining about not having any shoes until he came across a man without feet.   We need to remember to stay positive and live with passion.

What are you thankful for?

Wow!  What a busy couple of weeks!!!

This past weekend, we attended the IESCS spa show in Fort Lauderdale.  I was happy to see so many people attend our spa workshops.  We hosted three of them, and they were all packed!  It is so refreshing to see people eager to learn and expand their knowledge.  Education does payoff!!! 

We met so many nice professionals; some looking to elevate their success, some planning to open a spa; some in the opening phase now. It’s great to see the spa industry so alive and well. 

Before the show, I was in Vegas sharpening my own saw. I attended an educational event in order to pass on new strategies to our clients. I stayed at the Venetian in Vegas and met professionals from all types industries.  I really enjoyed hearing what is working in other businesses, especially strategies that can be applied to the spa industry.  Currently, I am working on LEAP a new spa director educational event that goes beyond Leadership Excellence as well other things we will be launching in 2010. very exciting things.  if you are having a specific challenge write to us so we can help you address it. 

During the seminar I attended, the speaker brought up one of my favorite books, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. Have you read it?  If you have, you should read it again. If you have not read the book, read it now!  It has many great principals that apply to any business.  It’s a classic… One of the principals is Burning Desire.  This is such an important principal because when you have burning desire, you will succeed!

Valle Escondido Resort Golf and Spa

Here is an excellent example of burning desire.  Before Vegas, I was in Boquete, Panama assisting Thalia, the owner of Valle Escondido, open up her new spa.  Thalia is one of the most dedicated persons I know. She has had a very difficult year: her husband was very ill for a good part of the year; she has kids, a resort to run, and a spa to open.  She kept moving forward because of her burning desire to accomplish all the things she wanted to do.  I admire her for that! Last week, we opened her spa and it looks absolutely beautiful!  If you are looking to escape, it’s the perfect place to go! Check it out at www.valleescondido.biz

While conducting a preliminary coaching session with a new client this week who owns a very large spa, I sensed an unhappy tone in her voice as she began to express to me how bad her team’s morale is.  I’ll quote her,”They are lazy, no one likes their job, they do the minimum, they don’t like me or my management style, and the list goes on and on.  Please help me!” 

That conversation got me thinking… how does the team get to this point?  How do things get so bad? This does not happen overnight.   When people take a new job, they are usually excited and happy for the opportunity they are given. That period is known as the honeymoon period.  Then, things begin to change. Slowly, the person gets disengaged and usually quits weeks before they tell you they are leaving.  What can you do to keep the honeymoon attitude going and avoid a divorce? 

Usually, employees don’t quit jobs, they quit managers.  If you are experiencing a revolving door, it’s time to look at your management style and see what you need to change or improve to keep your team motivated and engaged. 

To improve relations and communication between spa leaders and the team, it’s important to know the different behavioral styles that exist within your spa:

There are four behavioral styles:

1.       The director – pushy, the “get to the point” kind of person

2.       The thinker – Very detail oriented, they dot all the “I”s and cross all the “T”s.

3.       The socializer – Likes to talk and have fun

4.       The mediator – Does not like change, a very touchy, feely kind of person

Here is the problem:

1.       Many therapists are right brained people and fit in the mediator behavioral style.  They are very sensitive. They are people oriented, mellow, like things calm, and they resist change.

2.       Many spa directors or spa owners have a director behavioral style. They are straight shooters and don’t beat around the bush. They are perceived as pushy, money driven, uncaring and so on.  

When you get these two styles together, the relationship will start out good but quickly changes.  Why? Because the directors’ true colors come through making the mediator style very unhappy.

To make this relationship work, the leader has to learn to flex their style while communicating with the mediator style in order to maintain a positive work environment and retain employees.

Remember, you are the leader.  Control your behavior and influence your team.  If you need help, get a coach or a mentor.  Read books on leadership, (John Maxwell has many helpful books on this subject).  Or contact me, I will be happy to help.

I remember when I first joined the spa industry 11 years ago while consulting with Pevonia International a leading skin care brand and getting ready to launch my first Spa business educational program.  I thought the best way to promote it would be via e-mail.  So I set up a meeting with Pevonia’s IT department. I was excited about showing them the HTML ad the marketing department and I designed for an e-mail blast to all Pevonia clients.  The excitement quickly drained when I found out only 10% of Pevonia clients actually had an e-mail address.  I thought I entered the dinosaur age!  It turned out the spa industry was not very high tech 11 years ago. 

But things have changed!  Many spas now have software programs. They are tweeting, they are on face book, some are even blogging.  What I am most proud of is their webinar participation!

Have you attended a webinar?  What is a webinar anyway? 

A spa business webinar is the most economical way to participate in training and professional education.  Webinars are becoming very popular within our industry.  We are seeing a large increase in on-line registrations.    I remember the first time I attended a webinar. I thought, “Wow, What a brilliant way to reach people!” Right away, I knew we needed to offer webinars to our clients.  Today, we still come across people who have not attended a webinar.  It’s fun to walk them through it and have them participate in this great educational platform.

When you take your spa team to a traditional live spa seminar, normally you have to pay for:                                     

• Transportation and travel time
• Food
• Seminar tickets on a per person basis

When you attend a spa business webinar, you don’t have to worry about all that!  You pay a flat fee, go in an office or a meeting room, watch the computer screen and listen.  Participants get to hear the webinar leader, watch the presentation and choose to participate by asking questions.  It’s as if you were in a live traditional seminar, but without all the costs!  Now don’t get me wrong, there are times when live seminars are necessary. Live seminars are still very much in demand and are irreplaceable; but advanced business spa webinars are a great way to keep the team tuned-up and fresh! They give the spa team a performance boost with minimal investment.  Having your team attend a Webinar every month keeps the spa team motivated, engaged, and productive!

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about InSPAration Management webinars:

Do I need special software to participate in a webinar?

No special software is required. The person hosting the event will send you an email invitation. You simply click on the link and join the webinar during it’s scheduled time. 

 What do I need to do to attend a live webinar?

Have internet access. If you have audio on your computer, you can listen via computer. If not, you can call into a conference number to listen and participate.

How many people can attend?

You can invite your entire team to attend or just you, depending on the topic.

How long are most webinars?

Most webinars are about 1 hour long with 15 minutes of Q & A.

We also offer a series of webinars on certain topics.

Will I be able to ask questions?

If you are participating in a live session, you will be able to ask questions. 

What are the international requirements and additional charges for overseas participants?

Webinars are available to international participants. Webinar fees are the same; however, international participants pay for the phone call.

 Join us for a webinar!  Experience their convenience and value…  We look forward to hearing from you!