Got Your Five

Five dollars might not seem like much, but it’s a small tweak in your tickets that can make a big difference over time.

Millennium Salon Software points out that just tacking on a conditioning treatment to a haircut or aromatherapy to a massage can quickly increase your average ticket. Just think—if you have 200 clients who visit five times a year and you make an additional $5 on each of those clients, you’ll make $5,000 more per year.

Suddenly, $5 doesn’t seem so inconsequential.

There are several ways to do this. Buddying up with a front desk associate is one of the best things you can do for yourself and your clients; the front desk team can try to get those add-ons even before your client walks in the door, and they might help you close on a product sale. But you can accomplish a lot working solo, too.

Here are five ways to get your extra $5 (or more!):

1. Add-on services: For women, try a glaze or conditioning. For men, offer to camouflage gray, do a neck shave or scalp massage.

2. Pre-book: Make sure you talk about the next appointment while your client is still in your chair.

3. Up your frequency of visit: It seems obvious, but it bears mentioning that one more visit from a client will help a lot. On-trend short haircuts require more upkeep, which is an easy way to increase a client’s frequency.

4. Keep your clients: Hold onto your regulars by making each one feel special; retaining repeat clients is even more important and profitable than finding new ones.

5. Participate in friendly competition: Salon-wide leaderboards are a great way to motivate yourself to achieve at a higher level. Suggest your salon keep a back-room leaderboard for stats such as most retail sold, highest pre-booking percentage or highest average ticket.