Greetings Floor Dealers!

“I’ll take the MVP cut,” I said to the girl behind the counter.  It was my first visit to Sport Clips for a haircut.  I’d heard good things about their service—that they were different than your typical walk-in hair salon—so the marketer in me was curious to see what they were all about.  Hence my visit.  (Besides, my hair was starting to look like a shaggy, red lawn.)

There are legions of Supercuts, Great Clips, and other low-price chop-shops dotting the fruited plain; walk-in hair establishments charging anywhere from $12 to $18 for a no-frills cut.  There’s very little to differentiate one from another.  Customers wander in, get their cut, plunk down a few bucks, wander on out again, and that’s about it.

Sport Clips takes the walk-in, no frills haircut concept to another level.  The “MVP” cut that I opted for entitled me to their “triple play:”  A consultation and “precision cut” from a guy-smart stylist, shampoo and “invigorating scalp massage,” and their “legendary hot steamed towel wrap.”

But it didn’t stop there.  Sport Clips has designed an environment that caters to men and elevates what would be just another run-of-the-mill cut into a mini-vacation.  Additional strategies they employ to create a great experience for their target market include:

  • Interior design that evokes the feeling of a sports locker room.  The stylists store their products and tools in black lockers.
  • Flat screen TV’s all playing ESPN.
  • Customers are referred to as “members,” and as such, they are entitled to “benefits,” such as free neck and sideburn trims between visits.
  • The shampoo area is in a separate room, the doorway to which has a sign saying “Showers.”
  • The hot, steamed towel is infused with tea tree oil, as is the shampoo.
  • Members get treated to a back and shoulder rub with a hand-held electric massager at the end.

The “MVP” costs $22, about 20% to 30% more than their competitors.  (They also provide a $17 basic service.)   But the experience blows away their competition.  This translates into more customers, higher tips, repeat business, and referrals.

So what can floor dealers learn from this?

A lot if you have your marketing antennae up and are willing to look outside the flooring industry for breakthrough ideas.  Sport Clips has created an environment that totally sets them apart.  You can do the same.

Here are some ideas:

  • A uniform, well-designed theme for your showroom.  Everything pulled together so it flows and isn’t a cobbled-together set of mismatched elements.
  • Beverage menus for walk-ins.
  • Kid’s play area with a television, video games, and other entertainment for a range of ages.
  • A “Man Cave” area for the husbands of your customers.
  • Monitors playing before-and-after videos of installations, and customer testimonials.
  • Design center for consultations.
  • Create a membership for customers.  Benefits include invitations to appreciation events, “members only” offers, invitations to after-hours events, gift cards, etc.
  • All team members wearing uniforms.

Too many dealers complain that they have to sell on cheap price because flooring is commoditized.  Well, so are walk-in haircuts for guys, yet Sport Clips charges 20% – 30% more than their competitors.

Your assignment this month is to keep your “marketing antennae” up.  When you visit or otherwise interact with businesses, look for breakthrough ideas that you can “borrow” for your flooring business.  Email me your ideas (and photos of the ideas if you can) and I may include them in a future column.

 

To Tons Of Customers!
Jim Augustus Armstrong is The “Coach”

Jim Augustus Armstrong is the President of Flooring Success Systems, a program that equips dealers to double their profits, cut their work hours in half and beat the boxes! Many dealers have totally transformed their businesses and their lives for the better after joining Flooring Success Systems.
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