How salons can make extra money this Christmas using gift vouchers
Last year, gift voucher popularity exploded as clients looked for convenient and contactless ways to spoil their loved ones, and this year gift voucher spend is going to be even bigger, with a projected 50% increase year-on-year, according to data in payment provider Blackhawk Network’s 2021 Holiday Shopping Forecast.
Arming your beauty therapists with client conversation touchpoints around gift vouchers post-treatment is a great way to increase your average client spend. It could be as simple as asking the client if they enjoyed their treatment today and offering them to share the experience with a friend through the purchase of a gift voucher, or even helping them finish their Christmas shopping by filling stockings with express beauty services.
Industry expert Adam Chatterley, founder of Beauty Business Secrets, encourages therapists to offer choices to their clients for flexibility: “Offer vouchers of a monetary value for those that can’t make a decision, but also package vouchers for those that want to offer an experience.”
However, therapists only have the capacity to see so many clients per day in their columns, so it’s essential that you think outside of the box (or the treatment room) when it comes to this bumper revenue stream this festive season.
Chatterley also details how to ensure you’re making the most out of your fully booked treatment rooms by “increasing the amount of gift card promotion you do as you approach Christmas Day,” he says.
“Service revenue will be maxed out and retail sales are difficult to fulfil, but you can sell gift vouchers on Christmas Eve and even Christmas morning to all those people who forgot to buy a present for someone. Gift card sales can be 100% automated, especially if you use Timely and TimelyPay. They’re the ultimate lazy person's gift purchase.”
Let the world know you’re selling gift vouchers on your social media platforms, via email newsletters and even by SMS. All your clients need to do is choose which voucher they would like to buy, enter their own details and the details of the lucky recipient, and then pay. The voucher is emailed to either the gift giver or the gift receiver – whichever the client selects.
Stuck with what to say? No worries, we've got some winning templates from our community to help you get started…
How to promote gift vouchers sales via SMS:
SMS template 1
SMS template 2
We have the perfect Christmas present for your loved ones at
How to promote gift vouchers sales via social media:
Let your followers and friends know you have gift vouchers available for purchase online easily through your social accounts. Create posts, stories and reels for your Facebook and Instagram accounts. We recommend at least one per week in the lead up to Christmas to help drive your sales. We’ve created some free social media posts to help promote your gift vouchers.
How to promote gift vouchers sales via email:
Make sure your business management software has a great integration with an email platform like Mailchimp so that you can send beautiful email campaigns to your customers letting them know about your gift vouchers. Email is a fantastic way to connect with your client base and we’ve collected some email templates from our community to help you get started.
Email template 1
Hi <first name>. Take the guesswork out of Christmas with a gift that will land you squarely on the nice list. A gift voucher from
With loads of wonderful services to choose from, you’ll be getting them exactly what they want. Buy online now – enter URL.
Email template 2
Hi <first name>. Avoid the crowded shops and long queues while supporting local businesses this Christmas with a gift voucher for your special someone. Gift vouchers are great because they let your loved ones decide from a large range of services – they’ll be spoilt for choice. Buy online now: enter URL.
Businesses who activate online gift vouchers sell an average of £5,000 a year in gift vouchers alone through online sales – on top of in store purchases, so it’s safe to say that this is one revenue stream that should be at the top of your December to-do list when it comes to capitalising on Christmas this year.
“There’s no such thing as overpromotion of your gift cards’,” explains Chatterley. “Use every channel available to you – your website, social media, email and text message. Don’t overlook in-store as well as posters, leaflets, displays and even word-of-mouth all play a big part in making sure everyone knows about your gift cards.”
Tamara Reid is head of brand at Timely Business Management Software.
Timely Business Management Software gives you and your clients an amazing payment experience. It's quick to set up, secure and easy to use, so if you don’t yet have an online payment solution then you can set up TimelyPay in only a few minutes.
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