Two Things that will make your marketing 100 times more effective

How to create your I.O. and U.S.P.s
Would you like to know why people buy? I'm not talking about HOW
customers buy, but WHY customers buy.

We spend a lot of time on the how ‑ and not enough time for the why, and isn't the WHY the important thing? We want customers to have a strong motivation for buying from us and continuing to buy from us. The WHY is critical. If you don't know the WHY then the HOW doesn't matter!

WHY do people buy? Simply put, they buy because there are more reasons to buy than to wait, shop around, think about it, or just not do anything. We need to make sure there are lots of reasons to buy, and few reasons (or no reasons) not to.

That is where your Irresistible Offers (IO) and Unique Selling Points come into play.

So quick ‑ what offers do you have that a customer just has to take advantage of and what is unique to your salon/spa compared to your competition?

Are you having trouble coming up with the answers? If it is a challenge for you then how do you think your customers and employees will do when you ask them to name the offers and selling points of your business that are irresistible?


First let's look at the IRRESISTIBLE OFFER. (I.O.) An offer is a package of service and/or retail items promoted in a way and at a price point that cannot be ignored.

Why do people respond to offers? It is because the offer (reasons to buy) are greater than the reasons not to buy (risk of purchasing). We need to come up with an offer that has the greatest benefit to the customer with the least amount of risk.


The customer's perception of value is critical to your I.O.. What kind of things will add value without any risk, or even reduce the risk while making the offer more favorable?

$ Adding gifts with purchase ‑ free flip flops with a pedicure
$ Bundling services for a great price ‑ spa sampler with mini massage, facial, manicure,
make up touch up for $99
$ Giving complimentary services with a service purchase ‑ free paraffin with manicure
$ Giving many reasons why the service will make the customer look better
$ Giving many reasons why the service will make the customer feel better
$ Giving many reasons why the service will make the customers look younger
$ Giving many reasons why the service will make the customer healthier
$ Giving a guarantee that is unconditional
$ Giving many referral stories that match the customer's objectives
$ Giving a try before you buy offer
$ Providing a payment program
$ Providing a follow up system for ongoing value and support ‑ thank you and reminders
$ Showing proof that the service delivers as advertised (more referrals)


After you have created the irresistible offer or a list of possible offers that can be packaged you need to build your unique selling points into the offer. This is the WHY the customer should do business with you. The events that happen to the customer during their visits that are unique. The things that make the customer say Awow@. The little touches that make your business unique!

What are some things that make your business unique compared to your competition?

‑ How you greet the customer ‑ a greeter at a podium instead of a front desk
‑ How you package their smocks ‑ packaged in plastic to show freshness/cleanliness
‑ Touches in your restroom ‑ folded towels instead of paper, special soft soap and lotions
‑ Extras from your beverage bar ‑ flavored coffee, ceramic mugs, cinnamon stirring sticks
‑ Videos and information in your waiting area ‑ fashion videos, product information
‑ Extra things for the customer in your waiting area ‑ hot towels, relaxation area
‑ New customer welcome book awarded to new customers worth $XXX.XX
‑ Frequent customer rewards system with points for purchases
‑ A consultation booth for new customers or those wanting a change
‑ A thank you card to all new customers
‑ A referral reward system ‑ $10 gift certificate mailed the week a customer refers someone
‑ E‑mail reminders for services

Let's look at the difference in the customer experience and perceived value
of getting a manicure at two different salon/spas:

The low I.O. and U.S.P. salon/spa: the customer books the manicure from a referral, comes in and checks in at the front desk, is pointed toward the coffee bar to get a Styrofoam cup of coffee on his own, sits and waits for the nail tech to come out and get him, gets the manicure, pays and leaves.

The high I.O. and U.S.P. salon/spa: the customer calls to book the manicure and are offered the paraffin treatment for half price that will make her hands look and feel great. She decides to get the paraffin treatment with the manicure. When the customer arrives, she is greeted at the door and taken to the waiting area where she is given a mug of flavored coffee and shown where the restrooms and changing rooms are. She is offered a tour of the salon/spa. Her nail tech comes out to get her and comments on the referral logged at the time of booking and provides the service. When the customer leaves, she is given a new customer welcome book when booking the follow up service. The customer decides to purchase a series of manicure/paraffin packages to get seven services for the price of six. The next day the customer gets a thank you card in the mail and her friend that refers her receives a $10 gift certificate for the referral.

Do you see the difference in the experience and especially in the
perceived value of the experiences?

In the low I.O. and U.S.P. salon/spa the customer booked and was provided with the service ‑ but what reasons did she have to rebook, upgrade, or ever come back? Is just doing a good service good enough?


In the high I.O. and U.S.P. salon/spa customers are given an I.O. when booking (half price paraffin with your first manicure), the experience of greeting, waiting, and receiving service was filled with lots of customer wows (U.S.P.), and the customer received two more I.O.s when leaving ‑ the new customer welcome book you get for prebooking before leaving, and the series special of seven visits for the price of six. The referral reward program encourages the referring customer to send more people and the thank you card to the new customer seals the deal!

If both of these salon/spas are in the same area who will get and maintain customers?
This is the next level in customer service and is critical in this new economy.

Now let's look at how the High I.O. and U.S.P. Salon/spa built this magnetic customer system.

The appointment booking: when a customer calls in the salon/spa has a script that books the requested service and always offers an auxiliary service that complements the requested service and delivers value for the price. When the customer calls the booking expert asks if the customer has heard about the booking specials. When the customer asks to hear about the specials, the booking expert delivers the offer emphasizing the way the add on service will make the customer look and feel. An example script would go something like this:

Customer Hello I'd like to book a manicure.
Booking Expert Great, let me look for availability. Have you heard about our nail
department specials?
Customer No, what are they?
Booking Expert Well you know how hard the last few months have been on our skin. The dry, cracked look and feel of our hands can be a real problem, and we have the perfect solution for you!
Customer What is that?
Booking Expert We have a paraffin treatment that we apply to your hands and then rest your hands in warm mittens. In 15 minutes your hands will feel soft and look great. It is normally a $20 service and we are offering this service for only $12 with manicure services. How does this sound? 8
Customer Great!

Notice that the booking expert did not ask "Would you like to book this service?" They asked "how does that sound?" This is a great way to close the deal!


The greeting and check in experience needs to be simple and personal. A customer who comes to the salon/spa does not want to walk across 60 feet of waiting area with other customers looking at them and wait 5 minutes to check in. The customer does not look/feel good (that is why they came in) and wants to relax. The new customer does not know where the restroom is, if the beverages are free, and where to change. The greeting and check‑in in a high I.O. and U.S.P. salon/spa include the following special customer experiences:

‑ greeting by a host at the door
‑ the offer of a tour
‑ help with the beverages
‑ sees the offer for the new customer welcome book in the waiting area and other locations
‑ sees the opportunity to purchase series of services for a reduced price
‑ salon/spa oriented entertainment
‑ clean smocks and nice touches in the restroom

After the service is performed, the customer has the option and is given a reward for rebooking before leaving. The new customer welcome book will give the customer the incentive to prebook before leaving and receive a book full of add‑on offers worth $XXX.XX. This will double the chance of a new customer prebooking before leaving.

When rebooking the customer is offered a series of visits for a special price and is offered the ability to book the series of visits then. The customer will see additional perceived value and have the option of purchasing the series and prebook a group of appointments.

After the customer leaves the salon/spa they receive a thank you card in the mail and the customer who referred them receives a thank you for the referral card and a gift certificate good for their next visit.

As a salon/spa owner or manager it is your job to add Irresistible Offers and Unique Selling Points to the business all the time. Your job is also to counter your competition's I.O. and U.S.P. strategies by adding them to your business or even improving on the competition's strategies.

Want more information on developing your I.O.s and U.S.P.s? Call your MIKAL consultant for more examples and information about positioning your business for success at 513-528-5100 www.mikal.com or e‑mail us at mikal@mikal.com .