Every retention success story begins with choosing the right program for your clients

As the old song says, “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other’s gold.” It’s the same for clients: New clients are great, but recurring clients are the lifeblood of any business. 

Our research shows that when clients book a second appointment, 70% of them will go on to book a third. The trick is locking in that first return booking, which is where client retention programs come in.

Instead of focusing on new clients this New Year, instead, go for the gold of bringing back your existing clients.

What are client retention programs?

Client retention programs are a strategy for engaging clients and turning them into regulars. Sounds simple enough, right? It can be, but don’t forget that different strategies engage different clients:

• One might connect with your brand through marketing campaigns.

• A second might share your brand values and feel inspired to support your business.

• Others are always looking for the most bang for their buck, trying to maximize whatever offers you can give them.

Client retention programs provide a structure so you can focus on the right approach for the right audience. They also provide a frame of reference for measuring performance so you can see whether the strategy is effective or needs improvement to meet your goals.

How do you center the client experience?

Putting the client experience first is the most effective retention technique available to self-care businesses. To be clear, “experience” doesn’t just mean “service.”

• Booking: The client experience begins the minute they start engaging with your brand on your website or social media platform. Their first significant interaction with your brand is likely to be whatever booking solution you offer.

• Ambiance: Once they’ve made it to your physical location, decor, music, and scents contribute to an atmosphere that helps clients feel comfortable. If they like the vibe of everything they’ve encountered and associate it with your brand, the promise of similar experiences in the future will encourage them to return.

• Vibes: The challenge is figuring out the right vibe for your clientele. The music and color scheme that matches a trendy, energetic hair salon doesn’t necessarily fit a relaxing massage. Wherever possible, establish the message you want a target audience to take away from a first visit and build the experience around it.

• Follow-through: The client experience continues after their appointment ends. For instance, you can remind them about upcoming appointments they may have scheduled or reach out if it’s been a while since you heard from them. You don’t want to reach out so much that they feel pestered, but don’t ghost them just because it’s been a minute since you talked.

How do you bring them back for maintenance?

Some clients will gladly book appointments for complex services but forget about regular maintenance. If they attend an intense deep tissue massage or spend three hours straightening hair, that work could undo itself without continued care. At best, they’ll come back a few months later and need another big appointment — at worst, they’ll wonder if the service they received really made a difference.

Maintenance appointments are high-value services that drive retention without the price tag of an initial session. Here's how to ensure your clients are coming back for maintenance:

• Educate clients on what maintenance actually looks like. For example, after a color correction, ongoing gloss treatments and regular haircuts are essential to preserve the overall look and protect the long-term health of the hair.

• Set expectations at the end of the first appointment. Recommend weekly or bi-weekly maintenance sessions that require a smaller time commitment and feel more approachable for clients.

• Bundle services into a membership package. Pair the initial service with ongoing maintenance to make consistency easy for clients while generating predictable, recurring revenue and more opportunities to deliver thoughtful, high-value care over time.

How do you reward clients for their business?

Another effective retention strategy is to reward clients for their loyal business. Naturally, the high-quality services you offer are already an ample reward for clients who decide to spend their time and money. But you can encourage a greater sense of investment in your business if you implement loyalty rewards and special offers.

• Profiles: Tying reward points to client profiles means easier access and management from your client experience platform.

• Progress: If a client has unlocked 50% of a free session, they’ll be more likely to keep working toward that freebie instead of starting over with a competitor.

• Engagement: This creates multiple opportunities to engage with the client and earn their loyalty instead of relying entirely on the first impression.

Whatever route you take, reward points are great for client retention because they provide a tangible benefit to loyalty.

Are you rounding out your outreach?

Though it’s common to think about marketing as a way to bring in new clients, marketing is just as important for getting previous clients back in your chair or on your table. It’s also common to think marketing is too big a job to handle on your own. Here are some ways you can make the most of your marketing on your own:

• You don't have to invest in a pricey contract with an agency — you may just need the right marketing automations to multiply your efforts.

• Using a campaign template can help you integrate professional advice on everything from which images to use to how often to send out each email or text.

There’s no shortage of programs, big or small, that can improve your retention. If you want to capitalize on them this year, marketing software can make the difference. By generating regular reports, you’ll better understand how each program influences your bottom line and build on successes. Each small step can improve your retention rate and services, and they can all build together to make this new year your best one yet.