A connection with a customer might start with something as simple as them watching an Instagram Live of yours, or noticing your shop front while strolling down the street… but it might also very well start with a gift voucher! And while vouchers are nothing new — the concept was invented in 1994 by Neiman Marcus — you’d probably have a hard time naming someone you know who, to this day, has never purchased one.
They’re a powerful asset for businesses and an uplifting gift for those who receive it. That’s why at a time like these, we’re excited to introduce Phorest Salon Software’s Online Gift Vouchers feature; a great way to keep revenue coming into your salon 24/7!
Table of contents
- Thousands in revenue for UK & Irish salons and spas
- One of the main pillars of the #SupportYourSalon movement
- Marketing your salon’s Online Gift Vouchers
- Further your learning, better your results
Thousands in revenue for UK & Irish salons and spas
With Phorest’s Online Gift Vouchers feature, salons all across the UK and Ireland are still managing to generate revenue despite being closed due to government measures against the novel coronavirus. In fact, hear from Nathan Jermy of The Cutting Room in the UK, who credits his gift vouchers sales to “the ease of having a link already set up which securely took payment through the online section of our website with the added bonus that each voucher was stored on each client’s individual accounts.”
Emma Wilson, from Emma Wilson Urban Spa, was faced with the familiar and challenging task of closing her two salon businesses in the last week of March 2020: “It was a heartbreaking and confusing time. I had lots of worries… How do I keep my business afloat? How do I pay the necessary bills? And what can I be doing to ensure the success of my business post virus?
From day one, the team at Phorest have been helpful and supportive with forward-thinking contingency plans in place to help salons survive in these tough times. I called the team, and within an hour, I had sent my marketing campaign with a call to action for clients to #SupportYourSalon. The uptake was immediate, and the lovely emails I received made my day. It was a very easy and simple process.”
Another success story came from Christine Cunningham owner of Passion Hair Salon in Ireland: “In a matter of days of adding online gift vouchers to our system, we sold over €2k worth of vouchers. The set up was seamless, and the support we received was just outstanding, guiding us in every way possible in how to promote through email or social media.”
One of the main pillars of the #SupportYourSalon movement
The #SupportYourSalon movement started shortly after the announcement that the novel coronavirus had become a pandemic; when governments around the world ordered businesses to close temporarily. In response to the financial impact this measure would have on salons and spas, clients were initially invited to reschedule their appointments, write a Google review, share their previous appointment looks to social media and more recently, encouraged to purchase an online gift voucher. The latter, immediately helping salons with their cashflow.
However, other key benefits include (and always will, even in a post-COVID-19 era):
- Increased brand awareness
- More holiday sales (Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Easter, Friends and Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.)
- Increased client engagement
- Convenience (available for online purchase 24/7 and your clients can choose from preset amounts to a bespoke price, bought for themselves or someone else)
Two-fold engagement
Gift vouchers are unique in the way that they create a two-fold engagement every time one sells. While the giver acts like an ambassador, the receiver, on the other hand, is often new to your brand and ready to embrace the experience fully.
Marketing your salon’s Online Gift Vouchers
The capability to generate sales like Nathan Jermy, Emma Wilson and Christine Cunningham is at your fingertips too! In three simple steps from within your Phorest software, you can send your first campaign to your clients so you can both stay in touch and turn their goodwill and well wishes into cash in the bank for when you reopen.
The beauty of selling Online Gift Vouchers is that even during social distancing times, you can see revenue come in at any time of the day. In fact, since April 1st, Phorest salons worldwide have sold over €1million in gift vouchers to be redeemed once non-essential businesses are allowed to reopen!
A simple three-step process
Step One: Enable online gift card sales in your system — it’s a single click process. If you’re currently a Phorest Salon Software client and would like to set up your Online Gift Vouchers feature, click here. If you’re not yet a client, request a demo or a quote today!
Step Two: Smart link your gift voucher purchase link directly into your email and SMS templates from within your Phorest marketing suite. On the purchase screen, your clients will then be able to choose from preset amounts to a bespoke price, bought for themselves or someone else. Our ready-made #SupportYourSalon campaign template was used by 9 out of our top 10 revenue-making salons in April.
Step Three: Copy and paste your Online Gift Voucher link to your social platforms and let your followers know how they can #SupportYourSalon by posting this video.
Further your learning, better your results
You might have heard this before, but our Education team goes by the mantra “the more you know, the more you grow.” That’s why we have free learning resources for you to understand the benefits of selling online gift vouchers, as well as step-by-step guides to help you make your experience a true success story.
Step-by-step guides for Phorest Salon Software clients:
- How to set up Online Gift Vouchers?
- How to market Online Gift Vouchers through marketing campaigns
- How to sell Online Gift Vouchers?
Get Phorest Academy certified
Phorest Academy is the one-stop online education shop where you and your team can learn all about how Phorest works and how it can help positively impact your business. If you’re currently a Phorest Salon Software client, log in and get started with the “Online Gift Cards: Generating Cash Flow” course.
What you can expect from the Phorest Academy:
- Interactive, online and on-demand training
- Learning on the go with the Litmos App
- A library of regularly added and updated courses
- Interactive Phorest systems
- Phorest Academy Certification for each course
The COVID-19 Salon Cash Flow Management Webinar
Two of the most difficult questions salon owners are facing right now is how to manage their finances, and how to inject some much-needed cash into their business. Presented by award-winning accountant Gloria Murray, this UK & Ireland exclusive webinar covers:
- How to safely avoid paying HMRC
- How to get available grants
- Missing money
- Get the cash into your business quickly
- How to keep said cash in your business
If you’ve had great success selling gift vouchers yourself, let us know either in the comments below or tweet us @ThePhorestWord — we’d love to hear your story! (Pssst! We’re on Instagram too!)
Thanks for reading! #LetsGrow
