We know you love your studio, and during this season of love, we want to make sure your clients are falling in love with more than your amazing services. We want to make sure they're in love with your studio too! A great way to keep your clients comfortable, happy and coming back for more is to give them that highly coveted spa-like experience. The day-to-day grind leaves most of us feeling worn out and stressed, so coming in for a treatment should feel like a getaway, rather than just another errand on their to-do list. The service that you offer may not be as relaxing (i.e. waxing, tooth whitening, spray tanning) as certain spa-like services (i.e. massage, mani/pedi, hair), but that should not stop you from making the overall studio experience pleasant and relaxing anyway. You do not need to provide a spa service or have a big space to make your salon studio feel like a little oasis for your clients. It’s all about the little things that take the edge off, for both you and your clientele. (@balayagebyb) Here are 5 simple ways to make your studio worth falling in love with: 1. Design Your Welcome Often as a beauty professional, your days can get rushed, with unforeseen client backups, cleaning emergencies and scheduling pressures. Although managing these can feel hectic, there is a way to drop the pace for 60 seconds to greet clients with a warm welcome - even the client who shows up too early when you’re beyond overbooked, or the guy who is perpetually 20 minutes late. (@carlybrookeaesthetics) So, make it a habit. When your next client comes in, make sure you have a plan for their welcome, regardless of whether you are free or busy, hands full or empty. Take a deep breath and say something along the lines of, “Welcome! Here’s a place to hang your jacket. Can I get you anything?” Or if you are running behind, something along the lines of, “I’m sorry, I am a bit overbooked today. If you could wait in this chair for 5 minutes, I will be right with you.” Whatever state you are in - make sure to give them a warm greeting and instructions on what to do next. This saves people a lot of awkward fumbling... which leads to our next point... 2. Set Up a Station for Waiting A waiting chair will make for an easy and professional “waiting room” if you are running a bit behind. It will also take the stress off you, as you will not need to worry about entertaining a waiting client. They can use the waiting chair to take a deep breath and transition into the studio for their service without any of the awkward chaos involved in client transitions. (@wb_upstyles) When your clients arrive, make sure that you have a waiting chair somewhere, even if it is a very small space, with some form of entertainment in a bin or on a small side table. This may include a bowl of candy, a stack of magazines, a sign with a wifi password, a menu of your seasonal promotions, or anything else you want to lay out for your clients to kill time while waiting for you to free up.