How to Increase Your Pre-book Percentage, NOW!

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Featuring, Luke Huffstutter

Getting MORE clients to pre-book their next appointment will positively impact a service providers WHOLE LIFE. It’s true, and I’ll tell you why.

Let’s start on the personal side of things– the way a service provider feels. It begins and ends with your books.

• When you are pre-booking over 70% of your appointments, your books LOOK full. When your books LOOK full, you FEEL epic, beautiful and SUCCESSFUL! When you look ahead and your books look empty… you feel depressed and SCARED. When we have positive emotions we do better work, are more confident in our offerings AND get even more clients who want to pre-book their next appointment with us! It’s about starting the MOMENTUM to get us where we want to go.
• Reservations also help you control your books. A great example is asking everyone if your slowest time works for them? You only need 20% of the people to say yes for your down day to turn into a busy day. Always try and book your weekend guests somewhere else. Openings on Saturdays = NEW GUESTS!

Now for the business side.

• People who reserve their next appointment come in 2 – 3 MORE times a year, spend more, send MORE referrals and RESPECT your schedule. This means that if you can increase your pre-books from 30% to 70% that you will automatically see 12 more clients in a month—and that is WITHOUT seeing anyone new.

So what gets in our way?

It’s those FEELINGS again. We are afraid of coming off pushy and selfish and we can tend to fear rejection. Most of the time if you have tried to ask and gotten a weird feeling back, it’s because YOU are acting WIERD and awkward. This happens when we try doing something for the wrong reasons. It’s just a fact of life.

The only way to overcome this fear and these feelings are to recognize that you are NOT asking for a pre-book for pushy and selfish reasons. In fact, your ultimate goal IS to take the best care of your client that you possibly can. When you shift the focus onto what the CLIENT needs- you go from salesy to service. What happens when a client goes too long between appointments? Protect THEM from going weeks not feeling their best. Everyone wins.

If you want 70% of your guests to reserve their appointments, just follow these THREE STEPS!

1. Teach them the maintenance of the look you have agreed upon BEFORE YOU START THE SERVICE.
   • For example, a pixie cut needs to be back in fewer weeks than a long hair cut. If we haven’t taught the customer what they are in for then, we are doing THEM a disservice. Teach, teach, teach.
   • Try: “This look will last ___ weeks.” “You will need ___ amount of time in the morning.””After six weeks you will look like a porcupine.” “Your nails will be chipped in ___ weeks.” “This facial lasts ___ weeks” etc. etc
2. Ask the right questions at the end of the service. They already know how many weeks you recommend, now it’s up to them. From here they will do what they need to do, and it is not about you.
   • Service Provider: “Let’s head to the reservation desk. How many weeks do YOU want to go?” (NOTICE, the service provider asked an OPEN ended question. When you say, “do you want to book your next appointment?” they can say “no” and then the conversation is over. Ask open-ended questions to get the BEST results.) Client: “Well, you said six weeks… but I’m going to push it to seven.” BOOM! You got the reservation.
3. Have an answer to no. You need a response when they say, “I don’t have my calendar” or “I don’t know what I am doing that far out.” If you don’t, it looks like more of a sale.
   • Try: “Most of my guests book and check their calendars when they get home.” “Would you like a wake-up call in (1 less week than they need)” – If you do wake-up call’s, please put it on your calendar, so you remember to follow up. Many of the people you reach out to will book within two weeks!

Listen, It’s going to be weird the first few times. Just do it for the right reasons. Sometimes, you just have to tell them why you are talking about it. “I read an article about how to take better care of my guests, and I don’t want you to be UGLY for two weeks between every appointment.” LOL.

Last hot tip, for the next few months as a new question to start your appointment. Ask “when did your hair (skin, nails) go bad?” When they say “OMG, like two weeks ago!” then you know you can book their appointment earlier!

Keep growing. Keep leaning into the stuff that scares you. I promise on the other side of that fear is riches and happiness!

What do YOU think? What are your favorite ways to seal in the pre-book?

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