There’s a secret to marketing your salon. Do you want to know what it is?
~ Bows ~
That’s right, bows. Well-made, brightly colored, and altogether wonderful, bows. The bow is your secret weapon and one of your best marketing tools.
“Seriously?! I thought bows were just for decoration?”
Bows are a genius marketing tool. They bring attention to your business. In a nutshell, that little splash of color is doing your promotion work for you.
How?
The best part about this tip is that you already know the answer. Look at this page. What grabbed your attention first? Was it the pictures? The colorful text? If so, that’s no accident. The eye is naturally attracted to bright colors.
Beautifully groomed pets attract even more attention when they have a bright splash of color. Applying bows as a finishing touch on a marvelous groom is a sure way to generate interest.
Getting attention is the #1 goal of any marketing campaign. Beautiful bows do that in a fun and attractive way.
Accessorizing a freshly groomed dog can be a highly successful marketing opportunity. Adding colorful bows to a pet can be the perfect way to get owners talking about your styling services any time others see them.
I learned this trick when I was very young, with our family’s first dog.
When we traveled, we’d send our Golden Retriever to a local kennel before we left. When we picked her up, she’d always be freshly bathed and sporting a simple, felt fabric bow on her collar. The bow color would change with the seasons, but this simple bow was there every time.
In our small community you could always tell when a neighbor had been traveling, because his dog would be wearing the same type of bow. As we stopped and chatted, mixed in with the conversation would be the name of the kennel and how wonderful they were.
If that basic little bow had not been there, the kennel name would never have been mentioned, and a marketing opportunity would have been missed.
I carried these lessons of my childhood over into my grooming business. Every dog that stepped out of my salon or mobile van had this bright finishing touch – unless the client requested otherwise – which wasn’t very often.
The bows were always subtle and stylish. I used the seasons and holidays to dictate the color and themes of the bows.
Christmas and springtime bows were always popular. At Christmas, we pulled out all the stops to add a festive sparkle and shine to the bows. In the Spring, we made basic bows adorned with small silk flowers. After a long Michigan Winter, this fun little bow lifted everyone’s spirits.
Successful people know that the difference between good and great is in the details. Bows and finishing touches are part of the entire service package you offer to your clients.
Making attractive bows does require finesse. It takes a bit of time to learn. But once you figure out a method that works well for you, you will be limited only by your own creative spirit and time.
Many professional groomers and stylists use down time to create bows, in the same way that many people use knitting or crocheting to relax.
However, if basic bow tying just isn’t for you, there are many companies that specialize in wonderful, ready-to-use bows. We encourage you to use them!
There are thousands of ways to market yourself as a professional pet groomer. Choosing to accessorize a freshly groomed dog can generate lots of word-of-mouth advertising. Adding colorful bows to a pet gets people talking about – and remembering – your styling services.
Isn’t it time you took advantage of the best sales tool for your business?
Happy Trimming!
~ Melissa
P.S.
Did this idea help? Go online and tell us what you think on the Learn2GroomDogs Facebook page.