5 Ways to Increase the Average Ticket at Your Salon or Spa

As a salon or spa owner, one of your top priorities throughout the year is to increase revenue. One of the simplest ways you can do that is by increasing your average ticket size. With the right selling strategies, even the slightest uptick in your average ticket can help increase your bottom line and even change what services or products your clients take advantage of.

Let’s say you have 200 clients visiting your business per month. By increasing your average ticket size by just $5–$10 dollars, your business could be raking in up to $2,000 more per month—or $24,000 more per year—than it normally would.

So, you’re already bringing customers through the door, why not implement a few techniques to help you earn more money per client? Here are some tips to help you grow your average ticket and increase your bottom line.

1. Suggest some add-on services

Let’s start with the simplest form of upselling—adding on a treatment or service that complements what the client came in for in the first place. Think it might be hard to convince a client to shell out some dough for an add-on service? Think again. According to a recent survey, 53% of consumers are more open to trying new beauty services or treatments compared to before the pandemic.*   

Now, these add-ons don’t have to be anything crazy—focus on suggesting treatments or services that are financially doable for your customer. Here are some examples:

• For salons: This could be something as simple as a deep conditioning treatment or scalp massage for clients who are getting a cut and color.
• For spas: For your massage clients, ask them if they would like to add a cupping session before their service starts. I’m a frequent visitor of Mindbody customer, The Healing Joint, which offers an add-on cupping session to any massage for $15. I always take them up on that offer!

2. Lean on AI

By now, you’re well aware that Mindbody’s Messenger^[ai] helps turn missed phone calls into bookings when you or your front desk is busy helping other customers. But did you know that it can also help increase revenue by automatically following up with clients after their appointments to encourage them to re-book at your salon or spa? On top of that, you can also utilize the broadcast feature to let clients know about new services and products they can take advantage of the next time they visit your business. Have new retail products coming in? Spread the word with Messenger^[ai]!

3. The power of email marketing

Without a doubt, email marketing is one of the most effective marketing tools a salon or spa can use to increase revenue. In fact, experts say that for every $1 you spend, you can expect an ROI of $51. With Marketing Suite, you can easily send out email campaigns and use two-way text messages to promote new services added to your menu or any product specials before clients even step foot in your business.

For more tips, be sure to check out The Complete Guide to Email Marketing for Salon, Spa, and Wellness Businesses.

4. Sell that retail

Another simple way to easily increase your average ticket size is to sell products. If you own a salon, tell your clients which products you’re using on them in real-time to entice them to purchase them at the end of their service. I’ll never forget the first time my stylist used an OLAPLEX treatment on my hair after getting a balayage—my hair looked so healthy that I always buy a bottle of it to use at home in between hair appointments. If you’re a spa owner, let your clients know about the retail you sell while at checkout. Robes, essential oils, body scrubs, and bath bombs can allow clients to enjoy a spa day at home. Don't miss out on an opportunity for your clients to bring some of their favorite products home for that perfect self-care gift for themselves.

5. Implement some friendly competition

Mindbody's Reporting & Insights tools make it easy to create leaderboards in the staff lounge or host contests, encouraging some healthy competition in order to boost sales. This is a fantastic way to motivate you and your team to stay on top of suggesting add-on services to clients and selling products. You can even implement an incentive for those who sell the most retail, have the highest pre-booking percentage, and have the highest average ticket.

Bottom line—increasing the average tickets size at your salon or spa doesn’t have to be hard. By using these tips, you’re well on your way to ramping up your revenue stream.

* Mindbody. Summer 2021 US Consumer Survey. July 2021.