Hair Salon Advertisements
What’s The Message?
One of the first things that any hair salon advert should do is convey some message. For example, if you are planning to run a special to increase customer counts by offering 25 percent off perms, then this is the message that you want the advertisement to convey. You do not always have to offer a discount price, though, to have effective hair salon adverts. For example, perhaps you would like to inform the public of a new service you are offering. That message should be clearly defined in your advertisement.
Who Are You?
The next important thing that you hair salon adverts need to do is to provide information about your company. A good way to do this is with a unique company logo. The benefit of having a logo is that you gain company recognition for your business. When you think of large companies such as Nike or Disney, you likely think of that unique check mark or the Disney castle. When your business has a good logo, it becomes fresh in the mind of clients when they think of having their hair done. You may also want your hair salon adverts to show off your expertise. For example, many advertisements will say “In business since 1982″ or something similar. This shows experience in a simple effective way. You can convey these messages of who you are in any advertisement that you display.
Taking Action
Perhaps one of the best tools that you will use in your hair salon adverts is a tool that causes them to take action. For example, if you are having a discount sale on hair care products you sell in your salon, a simple way to motivate the client to come in is a sale end date. ”Hurry, while supplies last” also works well for many sales. Taking action does not only have to do with a sale though. Provide the client with a simply way to get in touch with you, through a website address that is catchy or through an easy to remember phone number. This opens the door for opportunities.
Hair salon adverts can be complex to design on your own. When starting out, you may be tempted to create and use these on your own. While that may save you money, it may cost you more in the long run when you do not bring in the draw of customers that you would like to. Determine if hiring a professional to design and market your hair salon adverts is a better choice.
By Greg Milner
FREE Salon & Spa marketing DVD – watch this DVD and discover how to cram your salon or spa with clients eager to give you their cash.
Hello, My Name Is . . . What Your Name Tag Says About You
When you attend networking functions, what kind of name tag do you wear? One of those sticky things you scrawled your name on, or something a bit more sophisticated? For just a few cents to a few dollars, you can have a classy, customized name tag that will draw attention and comments and help you make the most of every networking opportunity.
Instead of relying on those disposable sticky tags, you can get your own engraved or imprinted name badge at your local office supply store. Some even allow you to add art, such as a full-color logo or even a color photo. At prices ranging from $10 to $20, you can have a distinctive and attractive name badge.
In addition to your name, your tag might include your company name, the URL of your web site, the name of your product, or your slogan or tag line. A catchy URL or slogan can be a conversation starter, inviting the people you meet to ask about your business.
If you have a graphic designer create your logo, letterhead, business cards, brochure and other marketing materials, ask him or her to also design a special name tag.
As an author, I like to draw attention to my book. For less than $3, a local copy shop made a laminated tag with a color image of my book’s cover. Wearing it guarantees that people will ask about the book. Your tag might include an image of your company logo, or photos of your products or storefront.
Make your name tag large enough that the people who meet you can recognize the images and read the text. One entrepreneur breaks this rule in a creative way. He uses a name tag that is a miniature version of his brochure! The tag gets attention, and gives him an opening to offer a full-size brochure.
Do you have an attractive and distinctive web site? Get a name tag that reproduces the home page.
Wear a name tag or button with a provocative question or statement on it. It will inspire those you meet to ask questions, and give you an opportunity to tell them about what you do.
You can print a tag yourself and put it in one of those plastic name tag holders, or go to a copy shop or graphic company where they can make one for you. In a pinch, you can put one of your business cards in a plastic tag holder.
Consider having more than one tag. Each tag may be designed to appeal to a different audience or emphasize a different benefit. You can even make them to coordinate with your outfits!
Wear your name tag proudly at the next networking event you attend. Wear it to professional meetings and conferences, when you make a speech or teach a class, or when you are just out and about running errands. You never know when the person in line with you at the post office will become your next customer.
What is Customer Targeting?
Customer targeting is an important part of any branding effort. Here I define customer targeting and demonstrate its place in an overall brand campaign.
A definition of customer targeting:
Customer targeting, or simply targeting, refers to the seller of a product or service going through the steps of specifically and clearly profiling the types of customers who will likely want to buy that product or service.
A comprehensive profile of the target customer group might include such factors as geographical location, income level, level of comfort with hi-technology, whether they drive an automobile, what type of music they listen to, and/or many, many others. It is important for the seller to pinpoint what qualities are most relevant about the product or service in terms of how those qualities might affect who purchases it. At that point, the seller can proceed to build a solid profile of the target customer group, or segment.
Sellers can realize three important benefits from taking the time to profile their target customers. First, they can tailor the features of their product or service even more precisely to the needs of the target customer segment.
Second, they can more specifically call out to or speak to their target customers in their ad campaigns, thereby allowing the seller to more directly get the attention of the people who might actually want to make a purchase.
Third, customer targeting can save the seller a tremendous amount of money by allowing the seller to develop more directed and efficient ad campaigns. By only contacting people within the target customer segment, the seller can afford not to buy expensive TV or newspaper placement and can instead put her advertising budget into more focused pieces such as direct mail, geo-targeted pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and opt-in e-mail campaigns.
Targeting is an important step in an overall brand campaign. In terms of sequence, it should occur after the seller has developed a brand identity but before formulating tangible image associations, creating messaging and logos, determining advertising channels, etc. If carried out early enough in the product development cycle, the results of the customer targeting can be used to fine-tune product or service features, influence the marketing efforts, and inform other customer-facing materials.
Overview on Qualitative Data Collection Techniques in International Marketing Research
This article is meant to be a brief review and reminder of some valuable yet often bypassed techniques to collect data on international markets and consumers.
When thinking of market research, surveys are most likely the first technique that comes to ones mind. However, surveys are a quantitative research and, in order to understand customer behavior and the social and cultural context in which our business will operate, we will need to perform some qualitative research as well.
Qualitative methods are most certainly a more appropriate option when in need of researching patterns and attitudes in customer behavior, understand the depth of the environment around the customer, and understand the cultural characteristics then influence a customer – especially when the marketer is not familiar with the country of culture.
There are certain situations where qualitative research alone can provide the marketer with all insights needed to make decisions and take actions; while in some other cases quantitative research might be needed as well.
We will stop by the main qualitative techniques and see how and where they can be employed in international marketing.
Craig and Douglas (2000), mention three major types of qualitative data collection techniques:
- observational and quasi-observational techniques;
- projective techniques and depth interviews;
- creative group sessions (synectics).
1. Observational and quasi-observational techniques
Observational techniques involve direct observation of phenomena (in our case, consumers’ behavior) in their natural settings. Observational research might be somehow less reliable than quantitative research yet it is more valid and flexible since the marketer is able to change his approach whenever needed.
Disadvantages are given by the limited behavioral variables and the fact that such data might not be generalizable – we can observe a customer’s behavior at a given moment and situation but we cannot assume all further customers will act the same.
Quasi-observational techniques are reported to have increased in usage over the past decades, due to the large scale employ of surveillance cameras within stores. Such techniques cost less than pure observational ones since costs associated with video surveillance and taping are far lower than a researcher’s wage; the tape can be viewed and analyzed at a later time, at the marketer’s convenience. When performing videotaping of consumers’ behaviors, they can be asked to give comments and insights upon their thoughts and actions while the conversation itself can be recorded and be further analyzed.
Pure observation: the marketer watches behavior of customers in real-life situation, either in situ or by videotaping the consumers (less intrusive). Videotaping can be specifically recommended when studying patterns of different cultures, since we can easily compare behaviors taped and highlight similarities and / or differences.
Trace measures: consist in collecting and recording traces of consumers’ behavior. Such traces can be fingerprints or tear of packages, empty packages, garbage cans analysis and any other ways a marketer can imagine (it’s all about creativity here!). In eMarketing, trace measures come under the form of recorded visits and hits – there are numerous professional applications that can help an emarketer analyze the behavior of visitors on his company’s website.
Archival measures: can be any type of historical records, public records, archives, libraries, collections of personal documents etc. Such data can prove to be of great use in analyzing behavioral trends and changes in time. Marketers can also identify cultural values and attitudes of a population at a given moment by studying mass media content and advertisement of the timeframe questioned.
Entrapment measures: those are indirect techniques (by comparison to the previously mentioned ones) and consist in asking the respondent to react to a specific stimulus or situation, when the actual subject of investigation is totally different. The marketer plants the real stimulus among many fake ones and studies reactions. The method is quite unobtrusive and the marketer can gather valuable, non-reactive facts. When the respondent becomes aware of the true subject under investigation (s)he might change the behavior and compromise the study.
Protocols: are yet another observational marketing research technique which asks respondents to think out loud and verbally express all their thoughts during the decision-making process. Protocols are of great value for determining the factors of importance for a sale and they can be collected in either real shopping trips or simulated ones.
2. Projective techniques
Such techniques are based on the respondent’s performance of certain tasks given by the marketer. The purpose is to have the consumers (respondents) express their unconscious beliefs through the projective stimuli; to express associations towards various symbols, images, signs.
Cooper (1996) suggested that projective techniques can be successfully employed to:
- indicate emotional and rational reactions;
- provide verbal and non-verbal communication;
- give permission to express novel ideas;
- encourage fantasy, idiosyncrasy and originality;
- reduce social constraints and censorship;
- encourage group members to share and “open up”.
Projective market research techniques can take the following forms, presented below.
Collages – used to understand lifestyles and brand perceptions, respondents are asked to assemble a collage using images and symbols from selected sets of stimuli or from magazines and newspapers of their choice.
Picture completion – certain pictures can be designed to express and visualize the issue under study and respondents have to make associations and / or attribute words to the given pictures.
Analogies and metaphors are used when a larger range of projection is needed, with more complexity and depth of ideas and thoughts on a given brand, product, service, organization. The respondents are asked to freely express their association and analogies towards the object being studied; or they can be asked to select from a set of stimuli (e.g. photos) those that fit the examined subject.
Psycho-drawing is a technique that allows study participants to express a wide range of perceptions by making drawings of what they perceive the brand is (or product, service).
Personalization consists in asking the respondents to treat the brand or product as if it is a person and start making associations or finding images of this person. This technique is especially recommended in order to understand what kind of personality consumers assign to a brand / product / service.
3. In-depth interviews
These techniques of marketing research put an accent on verbal communication and they are efficient especially when trying to discover underlying attitudes and motivations towards a product or a specific market / consumption situation.
Individual in-depth interviews are performed on a person-to-person environment and the interviewer can obtain very specific and precise answers. Such interviews are common in B2B practices of market research, for example when a company conducts a research about a product among their existing corporate customers.
Interviews can be conducted by phone or via internet-based media, from a centralized location: this can greatly reduce costs associated with market research and the results are pretty much as accurate as the face-to-face ones. The only disadvantage would be the lack of non-verbal, visual communication.
Focus groups are basically discussions conducted by a researcher with a group of respondents who are considered to be representative for the target market.
Such meetings are usually held in an informal setting and are moderated by the researcher. Videotaping the sessions is common these days, and it can add more sources of analysis at a later time.
Focus groups are perhaps the ideal technique, if available in terms of costs and time, to test new ideas and concepts towards brands and products; to study customers’ response to creative media such as ads and packaging design or to detect trends in consumers’ attribute and perception. One of the important advantages of focus groups is the presence of several respondents in the same time, providing a certain synergy. Disadvantages refer mainly to the costs involved and the scarcity of good professionals to conduct the interviews and discussions.
To conclude, we have to keep in mind just how important non-survey data collection techniques are in today’s market research. Not only they provide more depth of analysis but they can be performed in significantly less time than surveys and they’re more suitable to be employed during the exploratory phases of international marketing research.
Visual Merchandising
ABSTRACT
Visual merchandising is a comparatively new career field in which has sprung up with the growing popularity of window and floor displays. Visual merchandisers main area of work is to create impossible window displays. They can find employment with fashion boutiques, shopping malls, euphoria etc. They are also engaged as shop floor mangers. They can also do freelancing on contract basis for windows displays in exhibitions, fares, and other places. Other career options under this head are production coordinator, quality control supervisor, fashion retailer, export manger etc. This paper discusses importance and potential for visual merchandising professionals.
Contents
INTRODUCTION
CRITICAL ISSUES OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING
ROLE OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING
SCOPE FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT
INTRODUCTION
Selling a product (convenient/shopping/specialty) is incomplete without communicating its image. To build long term brand loyalty, in addition to the quality of the product, right image is very much needed. To attain this, many companies invest huge money the promotions. But many businesses neglect the retail front which is the face of the brands. In other words, the way the products are displayed at the retail shelves, the way the sales people communicate to the consumer etc. are the some of the issues, which if not handles well can be a great threat to the brands image. Visual merchandising is the art of presentation, which puts the merchandiser in focus. It educates the customers, creates desire and finally augments the selling process. This is an area where the Indian business people lack adequate knowledge and expertise. This inadequacy is best reflected in poor presentation/display and communication the various national and international exhibitions with phasing out of quantitative restrictions after the year 2004, the textile industry will have to compete purely on the competitive edge of the products and visual merchandising will be helpful for the projecting the uniqueness of the products and thereby increasing the market access and sales. It is high time that the Indian textile and clothing industry should understand and adopts the scientific and professional system of visual merchandising rather than the traditional practices of display of products and communication.
CRITICAL ISSUES OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING
Retailing them itself has transformed the way business is done and the so called merchandisers of disposition of store inventory. There are many ways and standard procedures to ignite sales, increase profits and maximize the net worth of the business. Visual merchandising helps in this respect. This calls for a concerted industry efforts to approximately value the importance of quality retail coverage such as self-integrity in store advertising, price verification, stock rotations, new item-cut and other related activities. To make effective the retail business one has to focus on the following critical issues of visual merchandising.
a) Graphics and signage: attention grabbing yet clear graphics by way to visually communicate the brand and these graphics when compiled with the right signage become the stalls complete instruction manual.
b) Trends and moot boards: This is misunderstood by many as mere decorations for the stall. The brand sources and moot boards convey the source, in fact the mere need of the product for the consumer to the buyer. A good trend story board display can exhibit a thought process nursing for the inspirations (research, to swatch development of the final usage of the product.
c) Space management: Most displays concentrate on the floor management of space. In order to create a complete desired ambience the ceiling space should also be given enough attention. Walls are not elastic space should be allocated to the available products as per the expectation of the customers to deliver best results. The major issues of space management are:
1. How do we want our ranges to look?
2. Hanging/stocked/customers etc.
3. What stock density do you want to achieve?
Generally, the more options/units you can hold for a given amount of space, the higher the potential returns. Space landing systems can be split into two types
Numeric and visuals: Numeric planning system simply allow users to account of space available and to calculate the ratios like returns on space. Visual systems allow users to create three dimensional walk through models of the stores and to preview the look of a store once ranging decisions have been made.
d) Dresiforms and mannequins: The dresiforms communicate the 3 dimensional form of the product. Along with the fit a good mannequin can also be customized to communicate a character, for example, special kids wear mannequins with caricatured faces convey the playful mood of the collections.
e) Synergy among the different stalls: A stall look should compliment the mood the whole fair too. So some visual elements from the fair, be it a color scheme or some material used should also be incorporated in the stall.
f) Out of the box thinking: With so many stalls around, it sometimes focus some stock value to grab the attention of the buyers. Innovative ideas in displaying the mannequins, swatches etc can invite many more people to the stall.
g) Merchandise planning: The first function of merchandising planning is making a strategic plan, which is normally for a five years or more and is used to set the critical success factors for merchandising in terms of sales, margins and stocks. Next in a channel sales budget to take into account the effect of the new channels, new stores, closures, and refits. In simple words merchandising planning is a systematic approach and aiming at maximizing return on investment, through planning sales and inventory in order to increase profitability. It does think by maximization sales potential and minimizing losses from marked down and stock cuts.
h) Range planning: Begin with assortment plan. In assortment plan, the goal of merchandise plan are divided into specific lines and such a way that the division results in the increase of overall marginal mix. Then a distributions planning in done. The link between available physical space and ranging done here is a key determinant of merchandising performance.
ROLE OF VISUAL MERCHANDISING
Visual merchandising is an artistic method to ensure that retailers merchandise moves off the shelves faster. It’s a tool to appeal to the visual sensory elements of the customer. Visual merchandising is an unknown skill which is fastly becoming popular nowadays with the introduction of self service in retail stores in recent years and the number of changes taking place in super market merchandising methods, there has been increased emphasis on the kind of store layout, store building, fixtures, and equipment, color displays, silent communication tools, window display and finally opinion building through in store displays which has taken the art of retailing the higher applications frames.
Customer expects to spend less time for shopping and prefers one step multi brand retail formats and hence significance of visual merchandising is on increase. As per the opinion of Hemendra Mathur, senior consultant of KSA technopark based on the third annual consumer outlook study that the consumer is getting time saved and the time spent on shoppin (both grocery and non grocery) has come down. Further the study reveals that are increase in the impulse and unplanned purchases in the certain categories. Visual merchandising helps in the increase of impulse buying.
The practice of a visual merchandising is negligible in durables and home textiles and in the apparel and foot wear it is 20%. Many people experience in organized retailing are of the opinion that innovative application for effective retail presents and brand buildings are being used aggressively by companies in retail merchandising. Brands like Reebok spent 25% of their advertising spent on point of sale merchandising. The brand managers of Reebok feel that 80% of the buyers are influenced by the 3 feet experience i.e, point of sales material and visual merchandising are more effective than outdoor displays and advertising.
Market analysis feel that most companies are unfortunately not spending as much time and money as they should on POS (point of sales) visual merchandising as a strategic tool for brand building, indiscriminately “displaying everything rather than displaying selectively and effectively to assist consumer in taking decisions.
Visual merchandising helps in:
a) Establishing a creative medium to present merchandise in 3 D environment, with which a long lasting impact and recall value.
b) Combining the creative, technical, and operational aspects of a product and the business.
c) Educating the customers about the product/services in an effective and creative or innovative manners.
d) Drawing the attention of the customer to enable him to purchase decisions in the short space of time and this augmenting the selling process.
SCOPE FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Retail business analysts feel that the average spending on POS and merchandising displays is RS. 1000 per square foot in the organized retailing whole size is Rs. 14,000 crores of the total (both organized and unorganized is Rs. 11,00,000 crore. Further analysis reveal that the multi brand retail formats (hypermarket) are storing 35% growth rate per annum which is the storing indicator for the bright and huge scope. For the visual merchandising professionals who have experience in designing effective store layouts, color displays, the use of creative silent communication skill tools, creative window display, and in store displays. The curriculum of visual merchandising includes generally the following fields:
a). Creative art.
b). Specific application to retail.
c). Techno commercial planning and execution.
Students of management looking for employment can find opportunities in departmental stores, super markets, malls, and hyper markets as visual merchandiser. Further those who have entrepreneurial streak can look for event managers or interior designers professionals.
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Church Marketing – Top 10 Items to Include in Your Church Welcome Packet!
So, you put a marketing plan together, even got a budget that didn’t have “shoestring” associated with it, ran your campaign and guess what? It all came together. People have started to flow into your church. And if you have read my past articles, you are saying that you are done and have done the warm hand off to others as these folks are on their way to becoming regular visitors and perhaps even members. You job is done…..almost!
Let’s face it, marketing’s job is never done, but there is one thing that you should give some thought to before the marketing team’s job is considered done. And that is a good welcome packet.
Why have welcome packets?
A welcome packet can be a marketing tool to provide new visitors information about your church, its’ doctrine or belief’s and some of the ministries or activities that go on there. It gives the guest something to review when they have left the church and have some time to reflect.
There are several objectives of insuring your guests are given a welcome packet when they visit:
* Makes them feel welcome! You want to express your gratitude for allowing you to share and to also indicate that they are welcome to return
* Understand your structure. One of the reasons visitors come is to learn something about your church. How it is organized. What sets you apart from the other churches in the area. Welcome packets can accomplish that.
* Become familiar with your worship style (is it more singing then they would like?) and church beliefs.
* Review activities calendar. Visitors want to know the upcoming schedule of events and ministry meeting times.
What should go into the packet?
While there is no absolute must have list, here are some ideas that will help to make a great impression and give guests a reason for returning:
1. Video or DVD of your organization
- It could be a video tour of the entire grounds or maybe just a 30 second clip that tells about each ministry in the church. Perhaps it is the vision for where you want to get to.
2. Refrigerator magnets
Are you looking for an inexpensive marketing tool that has long term staying power? This may be better than you think! According to a study at Purdue University, the average American visits their refrigerator 22 times a day. What else could you get that is going to get that much exposure? And strange as it sounds, even if people don’t like them, they tend to put them on their refrigerators.
3. Letter of Greeting from the Minister
Perhaps a personalized message with an invitation to return the following week. Studies have found that a personal interaction with the Minister can have a dramatically positive effect on whether someone returns or makes a church home. (So, don’t forget about the Minister making a personal phone call to follow up the next week either!)
4. Information on the membership process of your church.
Some visitors are ready to become members from day one. They may have just moved and want to keep their denominational affiliation intact. Others just feel good and know when they have found their new church home. It takes the awkwardness out of them having to ask.
5. Invitation for on-line survey.
A quick survey of a visitor’s church experience is good. But they may feel uneasy filling out one in church especially if they are the only guest that day. Online surveys provide an easy way for you to determine how things really are since they are truly anonymous.
6. Audio recording -
Could be a recent Sunday Message or perhaps something more of an invitation. Keep in mind that at the least we are a CD world. Cassettes are dead. Podcasts or downloads are a great way to get them to your website.
7. Informational brochure
- General info about the church and its’ ministries (if you can’t do a video or want to cover your bases). It could also include a brief history of the church, or the denomination if that is deemed important.
8. Calendar of events -
Announcement flyers of public events such as fall festivals, Christmas programs, etc.
9. Coupons!
A coupon to turn in at the church book store or on the website for a free token of appreciation or a discount. I love the coupon that entitles the user for a free cup of coffee with the minister!
10 Tote bags or bookmarks -
Both of these have become very inexpensive and help to keep your church in the guests mind. Be sure to include your website address on these!
While these are not all-inclusive, they do make a favorable impression on any church guest. A good welcome packet can make the difference if a visitor comes back for a second look. It can provide the answers to some of the questions that arise after they have left the church. Of course, nothing beats a personal note or phone call from the minister
How do they get distributed?
Don’t leave it up to chance whether a visitor gets a welcome packet or not. While my experience has gone from having to look for them myself or being told to pick one up on the way out, anything short of personally handing one to me loses some of the welcome packet’s purpose… to make me feel welcome. Make sure your church doesn’t make that mistake!
How to Perform a Wedding Flawlessly, Even If it is Your First Time – Part 1
I can remember how frightened I was when I performed my very first wedding. I was still in seminary and in my 20′s and it was a small wedding in a home, but it seemed a daunting task. The thoughts raced through my mind constantly as I prepared such as “What will I say?” “What will I do?” “What is the right order for everything?” “What happens if I mess up?” “Where can I find a wedding ceremony?” “If I mess up their wedding will they still be my friends afterwards?”
That was 25 years ago, and I have performed weddings over 400 times since then and have “messed up” many times (in small ways), but I have never had anyone leave mad and have never been featured on “America’s Funniest Videos.” Keep in mind that what is a large mistake in your mind, is often completely unnoticed by the crowd or even the couple since it was probably only an intention in your mind that you did not follow through on or a small word mix up, etc.
Let me give you the quick and easy way to perform a wedding flawlessly (OK semi-flawless). It will at least increase your odds of doing a good job by a ton, even if it is your first time. I am assuming that you have been asked to do this by friends or family or church members who have confidence in you and that you are legally certified to do it. You probably have some public speaking experience already or you would not have been asked to perform the ceremony so I am not going to cover Public Speaking 101. I am going to focus on the “mechanics” of performing the wedding ceremony. This is something that I have rarely if ever seen anyone discuss. I sure don’t remember reading anything about it, but I wish I had 25 years ago.
1. Find a good basic wedding ceremony. You can find this in many places. Look through ministers manuals. Find something you can use as a template. You may be able to find some wedding ceremony templates by doing a search online.
2. Sit down with the couple ahead of time and find out what they want included in their wedding. I am finding that many couples are wanting “simple.” Write down their names correctly and ask them how to pronounce their names. Write them down in such a way that you can see how to pronounce them. Take notes in your meeting and get all the details.
3. Find a good order of service. Look at wedding programs. They vary, but many have the same basic elements of the wedding ceremony and show who does what. The basic elements are seating of the families / mothers, groom and groomsmen enter (there are variations), bridal party enters, bride enters, presentation of the bride, bride and groom at the front, message by minister, wedding vows, ring vows, unity candle (optional), pronouncement of marriage and kiss, blessing and prayer, presentation of couple, recessional, announcement about reception.
4. Sit down with your wedding ceremony and order of service side by side to see the transitions for yourself. Make yourself some note in the margins of your ceremony.
5. Meet and discuss details ahead of time with the wedding planner or wedding coordinator if they have one. Ask them their preferences. They will be extremely helpful. Find out how weddings are usually performed in that venue or wedding location.
6. Sketch out a walk though of the entire ceremony on paper using bullet points. If you are fortunate enough to have a skilled wedding coordinator, then you will only have to be responsible for the ceremony portion of the wedding. The ceremony itself should only take about 12-15 minutes.
For more great information on how to perform weddings flawlessly even if if it your first time see part 2 of this article. Part two of this article deals with some of the actual mechanics of organizing the ceremony and the tricks of leading it in front of a crowd. By following the steps in this article you can be performing weddings like a pro in no time.
Day Spa-Salon Marketing – 5 Great Promotional Ideas
Promotions are a great way to get your employees involved. Promotions build morale and momentum. Here are just a few more promotional options that you could be implementing. [See Promotions, Promotions - Part 1]
1. Staff Promotions: Yes, you should constantly promote your staff – to boost morale, reward hard workers and call client’s attention to your employees’ abilities. Staff promotions could include incentives, choosing a Stylist of the Month, displaying staff’s educational certificates, and featuring a different staff member in each newsletter.
As you can see, promotions will tend to overlap one another. A Father’s Day theme promotion will also be a Target Group Promotion aimed at men; it may also be a Retail Promotion if you’re including retail discount. Cross-promoting is an acceptable way of covering several bases. Just don’t try to promote to every group on every level at once. Experience has taught that the more specific a promotion is, the easier it is to gauge the success of it, so you’ll know whether it’s worth doing again.
2. Make-Over Contest: Have clients and potential customers submit photos and letters explaining what they would like to change about their appearance and why they want to have a makeover. Select numerous candidates to undergo the transformation. Make sure you have a photographer on hand to capture the moments. Tie in your makeover contest with a local talk show. Some possible makeover categories are:
Mothers-to-Be
Working Women
Seasonal
College-to-Career
New Attitude
Over 40 and Fabulous
Sweet Sixteen
Stylish at 60
Mother Daughter
A Family Affair
The client receives a free gift item (preferably a retail product) with a required minimum purchase.
3. PURCHASE WITH PURCHASE: Customers are able to buy a special promotional items at reduced savings. Some companies have used umbrellas, tote bags, and trial sizes of products, gym bags, cosmetic bags, clocks or watches. Make sure your promotional items are every bit as wanted as those the department stores offers.
4. FREE LIPSTICK CARDS: The customer may receive a complementary lipstick with any $15 minimum purchase. The lipstick card is an ideal promotional item to distribute after making a presentation to a group of consumers. Try to keep the minimum purchase to a minimum to create foot traffic for the business. A free lipstick/lipgloss offer entices women to walk into your salon.
5. YEARLY COUPON CARD: The object of this promotion card is to establish consistent retail traffic. In order for customers to redeem the coupon for the free gift, they must first make a minimum $25 retail (not service) purchase during the month. The base retail purchase requirement is beneficial for two reasons: Once the client starts to enjoy the free gift each month, she becomes accustomed to a little extra present at the end of each visit. Many clients will budget for their minimum requirement and systematically plan to restock their products monthly so they can take advantage of the coupon offer. It is fun for the client to go home with a little treasure.
The Benefits of Being Loyal
Loyalty comes with very important benefits.
No matter what industry you’re in you’ll notice that people who are loyal to a company are people who get better deals, better information, and an all around better relationship with the companies they do business with.
Most people associate loyalty with getting discounts or getting special deals they can only get because they’ve been doing business with the company for so many years. This is certainly a part of loyalty, but for certain industries, loyalty can mean quite a bit more.
What company takes care of your printing needs? What types of printing services do you get from them? There is the important question, and what makes loyalty a very important detail.
You see printing isn’t just about the costs. The final advertisement that you get back from your printing is going to be to an extent the face you give to the public. This is what you’re sending out to people to get them interested in your company. And the company printing that ad is going to have the last say in how the ad looks because they’re the ones actually making it.
If you have a good working relationship with your printer you have a wealth of knowledge available to you if you want to ensure that what you send out to the public is the best it possibly can.
They can tell you about the impact different types of inks have, what different kinds of paper can do, or what different printing methods will give to the final product. They also will know about a whole slew of printing methods you might not be as aware of yourself. There are all sorts of different things you can do to vary up the traditional methods of advertising, and while you might not know them all, your printing company should have a better idea.
This can particularly important when you start to branch out into styles of advertising that you haven’t had a lot of experience with before. You might be well versed in brochures but posters are kind of foreign to you.
If you have a good relationship with your printing company than when it comes time to get different printing services done they can help guide you through the process, tell you what will work best and what options you have open to you.
Being loyal to any company is going to be the best way to get a wonderful job from them. Once you find a company that gives you the work you like, stick with them and enjoy the benefits of a long lasting relationship. I’m sure that you treat your truly loyal customers differently than you do everyone else because you know they’ve treated you better by sticking with you.
Because of the important printing is to a good advertisement, you should try to create the best working relationship possible with your printer.
Personalize Your Vows: Add a Funny Wedding Vow
This event is the beginning of your new lives together. You will want the ceremony and your wedding vows to reflect both your individual personalities and your love for each other.
Why Write Your Own Vows?
Why do couples decide to write their own wedding vows? There are many reasons, but usually it is because they are creative individuals who are tired of the standard vows.
They want their words to be personal and to express exactly how they feel. Some prefer to spice up their vows a bit or add a funny wedding vow. Others find that only the two of them can express their true feelings and intentions in uniting with each other. They may find that traditional vows do not allow them to express themselves freely.
Remembering the Humor: Funny Wedding Vows
Writing your wedding vows should not be a chore or something you dread doing. It should be fun! One thing you need to keep in mind both for your wedding and then for the marriage to come afterwards is your sense of humor. Every successful couple understands the importance of humor in relationship. Sometimes you just can’t take things too seriously or the stress will destroy you.
The same thing applies to writing your wedding vows. Be sure you remember your sense of humor and remember what it is that drew the two of you together to begin with. There is no rule that says your vows have to be boring or lackluster. Your vows should reflect your personality.
This is a good point to remember that it’s okay to be funny in your wedding vows. Yes, this is a serious event and you want to be taken seriously. But a little humor is okay, especially if it comes naturally and if you are a bit of a jokester anyway. You certainly don’t want to treat your wedding ceremony as if it’s comedy night at the club or bust out with those funny internet jokes you got in your email yesterday. However, some properly placed humor is a really good thing.
Examples of Funny Wedding Vows
Funny wedding vows like, “I promise to share the remote and to put the toilet seat down” might sound kind of funny now but will not likely be a hit at the actual wedding. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t find some funny wedding vows that fit you two as a couple.
“I promise to always make your favorite banana milkshake,” or “I vow to split the difference on the thermostat” are some more examples of funny wedding vows we’ve found. You can have a lot of fun thinking up your own- whether they end up in your vows or not.