Make your salon a cosy escape in the wintertime!

I will always remember the first time I went to an exclusive hair salon. It was a snowy winter and I was freezing and exhausted. The staff greeted me with an in-depth hair consultation, gave me a 15-minute long scalp massage and what really got me - I was offered a glass of an aromatic punch. I felt spoiled, relaxed and surrounded by luxury. I can still recall the scent of mint chocolate candles, lit specially for me. Till this day, I consider visits to that salon as my little treat and private relaxation session. Their services are quite expensive, but I will never go to another salon - because what they offered me was not just a new hairstyle. It was an experience.

Competition in the beauty industry is very stiff, with new salons opening every day. Clients’ expectations are higher than ever, now that they can pick and choose on and on. Nowadays, being an amazing specialist is simply not enough - most of your customers come to you for more than just a service, no matter how greatly done.

However, this should not be treated as an obstacle, but as an opportunity. You can not only make your salon stand out, but also gain clients’ appreciation and loyalty - especially now, in the cold, winter months, when we all seek comfort, warmth and relaxation.

How can you trigger the most positive feelings? Think about all the ways your customers perceive the visit in your salon and feed all of their senses with pleasurable tingles. Here is a little script and a few ideas to make your parlour truly stand out in the winter!

Sight: the most alluring decors

Going past the exhibition window, people usually glance over it. If they notice something special about the view, they are likely to stop for a while and consider going inside.

Imagine this scene: you are walking down the street, breaking through a blizzard. You are shivering, exhausted and feeling kinda down. Behind one of the windows, you see a beautiful room bathed in warm light. Besides standard salon equipment, you may notice a number of still lifes and client portraits on the walls. It looks warm, it looks cosy and one of the smiling salon workers just hands a client a cup of hot chocolate with little marshmallows. Can you feel that burning urge to come in, even if you were not planning any beauty treatments for this week?

In most cases, during winter months we are naturally more attracted to warmer colours and subtle lighting. When preparing decor, draw from the themes of hot spices and seasonal fruits (for example, a decorative jar full of cinnamon sticks and slices of dried oranges with pounded cloves), as they indicate the feeling of warmness and establish the wintery atmosphere. Branches of evergreen trees (spruce, pine, fir), silver plated cones and acorns, snowflake ornaments and organic wreaths will turn your salon into a winter forest. If the Holiday season is near, you have even more options to choose from - from Santa and his reindeers to Christmas tree and mistletoe.

Scent: sweet aroma of wintery goods

Lured by the view, you walk into the salon. The next thing that attracts your attention is the subtle smell of apple pie with cinnamon (the theme is still going strong!). There are scented candles here and there and you feel better immediately.

It is very easy to go overboard with aromas, so be careful. Too much of an artificial scent may cause a headache and nausea. Remember that you and your crew will be there for eight hours or so! Both the employees and customers need a good dose of fresh air to be comfortable. Hair products usually have strong smells themselves, so keep your ventilation running.

Hearing: soothing sounds or cheerful beats

Sitting in the chair, you are unwinding and simply enjoying the service. You can hear the subtle notes of slow-paced music, a smooth sax and gentle piano playing. When you are done explaining the treatment you would like, you stretch out in the chair and almost fall asleep hearing the calming tones.

As for the music in your salon, it is best to keep it consistent with the overall atmosphere. When you have lots of paintings on the walls and serve only the most exquisite tea, emphasise the classy and sophisticated vibe of your salon with classical music. If your salon has that smokey and edgy appeal (which works great for barber shops!), deep jazz or some alternative beats will be a nice addition. If you go for a more ladylike approach, you may complement it with a female-only soul.

Do not be afraid of being thematic - salons with a distinct leitmotif are more memorable! If your business’s gimmick is being natural and organic, gather cruelty-free retail, choose rustic decor and play nature sounds in the background. Make it feel like a forest glade or a secret garden. In wintertime we all crave the contact with nature, give your customers what they need!

Taste: seasonal flavours

While you are half-napping, half-chatting with your stylist, another salon worker comes by and offers you a plate full of gingerbread and sugar cookies. Also, she prepared that magnificent cup of hot chocolate with little marshmallows for you. At this point, you simply do not want the visit to end.

Serving beverages at your beauty salon is always a great idea and keeping them thematic is a brilliant one. However, you have to remember that anyone handling food to the public needs to abide by certain standards of hygiene - make sure you are familiar and compliant with food and beverage laws in your area! That is why it is better to settle on “dry” snacks, such as biscuits or jellies, as these are easier to store and keep fresh. However, no matter what beverages you serve, be extremely careful about expiration dates - food poisoning is the last thing you want to serve to your clients!

If you are not ready for serving snacks, you can always try to spice up your drinks just a little bit. Adding seasonal syrups and spices is a fantastic idea, both safe, inexpensive and easy to do. For your winter tea, add a slice of orange, honey instead of sugar and lots of cloves. For your winter coffee, add a little bit of cinnamon and caramel syrup. Offer an exclusive, wintertime-only cup of hot chocolate! And thinking ahead - for the summertime, you can offer your customers a glass of fresh lemonade. Just like that!

Touch: comfy seats and soft textures

The chair you are sitting in is extraordinarily comfortable and as you appeared in the salon, shivering and freezing, they offered you a warm blanket you could put on your lap until you warm up. It was a little thing, but you really appreciated the gesture. That salon clearly knew what their clients need in the winter!

Even if your salon’s chairs will never be the flabby sofas you can dive in and fall asleep immediately, you should still make sure they are as comfortable as possible. Remember to regulate them whenever you have a very tall or very short client! You can also offer your customer a blanket if it is cold outside and they need a warm-up, or even ask if they need a neck-support pillow. They will surely appreciate your empathy and care.

Invite clients for a wintertime relaxation!

Do not risk having your efforts go unnoticed! A tempting exhibition window (you can read more about preparing it for a holiday season here) will help catch customers' attention, but it may not be enough. How could you attract your existing client base to come? Send them customised invitations and offer special discounts on wintertime treatments!

Make the invitation relatable (“The weather outside is frightful and the beginning of the year not so delightful? Visit us and let us spoil you with our special winter offer…”) and keep the treatments thematic. For example, give a discount on all deep-conditioning treatments (to fight dryness caused by the weather). Get creative with it!

The easiest way to distribute those invitations is to use a salon management software. Booksy allows you to send customised messages to the chosen audience. Thanks to that, you can send a “wintertime relief” discount on a favourite treatment to your most loyal customers or a more general discount for your new clients. Make sure to keep your vocabulary upbeat and cheerful and prepare your salon for the warmest wintertime ever!