5 smart pricing tactics that will get you booked

Fresha’s smart pricing features are built to help you effortlessly fill empty calendar slots. Off-peak pricing helps you keep your calendar full through quiet times or fill slots ahead of time; and last-minute offers help you quickly fill slots freed up by cancelled appointments and no-shows. Both let you reward your loyal clients who are flexible in their scheduling, while possibly attracting new clients with valuable discounts. 

Use these five tactics to set up effective off-peak pricing and last-minute offers to fill empty calendar slots, and get more value out of each day.

Set discounts that keep your salon’s profits healthy

Keep your profits in mind as you choose which services to discount with smart pricing and by how much. Making your off-peak prices and last-minute discounts too high could undervalue your services, or impact your self-employed staff’s earnings; so determine the perfect amount that will let you make a healthy profit while attracting plenty of clients. 

Choose whether to offer a percentage or fixed amount for each discount based on the service’s original price. For example, with lower-priced services, a percentage discount may offer better perceived value; 15% off a service that costs $20 may sound more appealing to your clients than $3 off. 

Identify the best times for off-peak prices in your reports

Check your sales reports to see when your least busy periods are, and set your off-peak prices to automatically switch on during those times. You can even set multiple off-peak times per day – for example, if your salon tends to be quiet right when you open and during the afternoon lull, set your off-peak prices for services booked between 10am - 11am, and 1pm - 2pm. 

Be sure to examine a big enough sample of your sales reports to identify patterns in your bookings. A few months or even a year’s worth of reports will give you the clearest possible picture of your off-peak periods and help you stay booked during those off-peak times. 

Offer bigger last-minute discounts closer to the appointment time 

To create a sense of urgency and encourage clients to book quickly, offer bigger discounts for bookings made closer to the appointment time. Be sure to strike a balance with a discount that tempts clients to quickly book empty slots, without encouraging them to only book last-minute. For example: offer 10% off bookings made between 24-48 hours before the appointment time, and 20% off bookings made on the same day of the appointment. 

Switch your smart prices on and off at optimal times

Be strategic about when you activate your smart prices to maximise your revenue. For instance, if you get more walk-in appointments during the summer season, deactivate your off-peak prices and last-minute offers to avoid offering discounts on booking slots that would have sold at full price anyway; then activate them again once walk-in traffic starts to slow down. 

On the other hand, if you typically get booked by clients preparing for seasonal events like holidays, weddings, and proms, you could switch on your off-peak pricing ahead of time to fill up your calendar in advance, then switch it off again once you’ve got a few weeks worth of bookings. 

Promote your smart pricing to as many audiences as possible

Make the most of your smart pricing and encourage clients to book by promoting your discounts at every opportunity. Ask your staff to mention your smart prices in their conversations with clients. Share your offers regularly on social media to make sure your followers are kept in the loop; always make your posts engaging and shareable to increase your chances of reaching new clients. 

You can also a blast campaign to instantly share your smart prices with clients who are most likely to book. For instance, you could send your most frequent clients a text message to promote a last-minute offer on next-day bookings. Or send an email highlighting your off-peak hours to clients who have more time during the day, like students or parents whose children attend school. 

Set up your smart prices now 

Use your off-peak pricing and last-minute offers to stay booked and get more value out of each day. When your clients book through Fresha, they can only use one discount at a time, so you don’t need to worry about accidentally doubling up on discounts. Plus, you can switch them on and off in minutes, so don’t be afraid to try out different discounts to figure out what works best for you. 

Not signed up to Fresha yet? Sign up now for free, and see what smart pricing can do for your salon or spa.