How to increase your pre-booked appointments

While walk-in appointments can help fill in scheduling gaps and unexpected no-shows, no small business should rely on a revolving door of walk-ins as a secure revenue stream. To grow into a more mature business model, you need to encourage pre-booking and more consistent scheduling behavior from your clients. Offering opportunities to pre-book helps you build a more consistent schedule of clientele, which will in time allow you to grow your business and increase revenue.

How to encourage pre-booking to your clientele

When do you ask your clientele to book their next appointment? It shouldn’t be at the end of an appointment, when both you and the client are already thinking of other things. Instead, you should bring up the idea of pre-booking with your clients while you’re still with them.

How might you discuss the benefits of pre-booking? Here are some suggestions:

  • Discuss how your business operates and why it’s helpful for you
  • Focus on the benefit to your client – how they can book the best time earlier, and not have to worry later on
  • Share with them why you want to keep them as loyal clients

The idea of pre-booking might not come naturally to some of your clients, and if you want to really train your clients to practice booking behaviors that benefit you greatly in the end, you might want to consider incentivizing them. For example, you could offer small incentives such as $5 or $10 off their next service if they pre-book, or add on an extra service.

Adding online scheduling to your Facebook page

Another way to encourage pre-booking and build a more consistent schedule for your business is to add scheduling onto your Facebook page. This is a Full Slate feature that you can quickly set up. Just add the Full Slate application to your business’ page, and clients will be able to select from real-time openings synced from your Full Slate appointment ledger.

  • Step one: click on the Web > Facebook tab in your Full Slate account
  • Step two: Select the styling you want
  • Step three: Click the link to add to your page
  • Step four: Verify with Facebook

You’re done! A new tab: Schedule Now, will show up in the navigation of your Facebook page. This tab will list your services and your appointment availability. When clients schedule through Facebook, the appointment confirmations and alerts work the same as if they scheduled from your website.

How to encourage clients to schedule online

There’s an overwhelming movement towards clients booking and requesting appointments online, so offering online booking shouldn’t require much convincing. However, there are definitely ways you can alert your clients that you now offer online booking.

  • Send an email to your clients announcing your online booking options, with an easy link to your online booking page. Full Slate offers a ready-made email template titled “Client Invitation” to make this an even simpler process.
  • Mention online booking as an alternative to, or way to, pre-book – this can be added to the conversation you have about pre-booking during your client visits
  • Update your voicemail to let clients know that you offer online scheduling, and it is a quick, easy way to schedule their next appointment. Be sure to mention your website or that you offer online scheduling on Facebook

These are just some of the ways you can encourage pre-booking to your clientele, and pave the way for a more robust business plan for your salon, spa, or small business. For more tips like this, visit our blog at http://blog.fullslate.com/.

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Why Embracing Online Booking Will Lead to More Clients

If you’re a salon or spa who has yet to embrace online booking, you’re definitely leaving new business on the table.

According to a study conducted in 2015 by online marketing firm Yodle, 60% of those surveyed wanted their local businesses to provide online booking. One-third of customers said they expect online booking now from businesses, while another third said that it would make a business stand out from among competitors.

So let’s examine a few of reasons why embracing online booking will lead to more clients.

Online booking allows clients to book outside traditional business hours

The amount of people booking outside traditional business hours has increased year over year, and now over 42% of online bookings happen after business hours. The majority of customers asked in a recent book stated that they would choose to book online rather than scheduling an appointment by phone. Thus, allowing your clients to book outside traditional business hours gives you the ability to book more appointments and reach new clients.

Online booking allows clients to book from their mobile phones

Do you own a smartphone? Did you know that according to a 2016 Smart Insights poll, over 80% of internet users do? So with more people spending a large portion of their time on their phones, offering online booking at your salon or spa helps you reach these clients immediately. You’re more likely to get appointments if you give your clients the ability to book services on-the-go, and directly from their phones.

Online booking helps you stand out from your competitors

If you offer online booking for your clients, you will be one of the forerunners in the industry to offer such a convenience to your clients. As the Yodle study confirmed, your clients will not only appreciate the ability to book online, but will likely choose your salon or spa over one that does not offer online booking. If you choose an all-in-one software such as Full Slate, your clients will be able to search for appointments and book them directly from Google, as Full Slate is a preferred partner with Google’s new appointment scheduling platform: Reserve with Google.

Online booking decreases no-shows

All salons and spas struggle with no-shows and unconfirmed appointments, but online booking offers your clients a quick and convenient way to contact you, which increases confirmations and decreases no-shows and late cancellations. And with a software like Full Slate, you can even offer double-booking if you want, for those downtimes between long services.

To find out more about how online booking can help your salon or spa increase its revenue and attract more clients, click here.

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A Tattoo Artist’s Secret to Attracting Clients Like Crazy

If you’re a tattoo artist trying to attract new clients, you need to be able to leverage more than just word-of-mouth referrals and day-of drop-ins. For a tattoo artist always on the move, the ability to quickly check and be alerted to changes in your schedule is also a crucial feature, and any platform you look into should be flexible in what it offers and what it costs.

What is a tattoo artist’s secret to attracting clients like crazy?

It’s investing in a platform that offers everything from marketing assistance and convenient booking options for clients, to easy-to-use schedule management for the business owner.

Full Slate is the perfect platform for tattoo artists and others looking to attract clients like crazy. Not only does Full Slate help turn online advertising into new bookings, but it offers a robust range of features and add-ons that simplify the way you connect to and communicate with clients.

How to attract clients like crazy

  • Offer online booking – let clients book online on your website, through Facebook, or the Full Slate booking page. And NOW booking is easier than ever, as Full Slate is one of the partners for Reserve with Google. Clients can search for, “A tattoo artist near me” and complete the entire booking process from within Google’s interface – instantly broadening your ability to reach new clients.
  • Automated appointment reminders – send automatic reminders to your clients via email and text to decrease no-shows or late cancellations. Keep your schedule full and spend less time manually confirming clients.
  • Accept credit card payments – tattoos are often not a spur-of-the-moment decision, so drop-in appointments are not as reliable as ones you book further out. Full Slate offers you the option to collect credit card numbers, a deposit, or full pre-payment to secure online booking
  • Collect client reviews – Boost your online reputation by asking happy clients to leave a review. With Full Slate, you can automatically collect feedback with the option to publish your ratings and reviews on popular social sites

Not a tattoo artist? Not a problem!

Tattoo artists aren’t the only ones who benefit from the strength of Full Slate’s features. Other entrepreneurs who benefit include: massage therapists, hair stylists, mental health counselors, photographers, auto centers, naturopaths, chiropractors, acupuncturists, estheticians, tutors, music teachers, personal trainers, and fitness instructors.

To learn more about Full Slate, visit: fullslate.com – and activate a free trial to see if it works for you!

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5 Reasons Why Full Slate is the Best Appointment Scheduling Software

If you’re a small business looking to grow your client base and stand out from the crowd, you need an appointment scheduling software that works as hard as you do. Thousands of small businesses place their trust in Full Slate, and so we wanted to present 5 reasons why we think Full Slate is the best appointment scheduling software for your business.

Reason No. 1: Full Slate offers online scheduling

If you’re goal is to book more appointments, you need to make booking a simple and convenient process for your clients. With Full Slate’s online scheduler, your business accepts appointments where your clients and prospects already are: online. If you don’t have the option for online scheduling, you may be missing out on new revenue!

Of course, you can still make appointments over the phone or in person, and add these into your schedule in Full Slate, so that all your appointments show in the same place.

Reason No. 2: Full Slate doesn’t tack on extra transaction fees

With Full Slate, you have the option to require clients to put a credit card on file, make a deposit, or pay in full when they schedule online. Full Slate integrates with several popular payment solutions so that all transactions are secure, and—unlike some other platforms out there—we don’t charge transaction fees or take a percentage of your sales.

Reason No. 3: Full Slate offers a feature-rich platform that’s customizable to your business

Full Slate scheduling software does it all. From automatically sending personalized emails on your behalf that drive repeat business, reviews, and referrals; to allowing quick online booking and accepting credit card payments and deposits—you’ll be able to customize your experience to perfectly match your business’ needs. Do you have multiple locations? No problem. You can share business hours and staff, and coordinate work across multiple offices. You can track client info, appointment history; and email correspondence all in one place; and you can even sell gift certificates and packages… plus so much more. For a full list of features, click here.

Reason No. 4: Full Slate syncs to QuickBooks and Checkout

No more switching back and forth between your scheduling software and accounting software, because Full Slate readily integrates with QuickBooks Sync, so you never have to manually double-enter data again. Plus, Full Slate also works with Checkout, so that you can collect payment and record them from within Full Slate and your transactions automatically upload to QuickBooks Online.  For more information on acquiring QuickBooks Online for your business, please visit https://quickbooks.intuit.com/online/

Reason No. 5: Full Slate offers unlimited appointments for a flat fee

At Full Slate, we know that your business is going to grow—and we don’t think you should be punished or charged for more appointments. That’s why we offer unlimited appointments at a flat monthly or yearly price, so that you can focus fully on growing your business, and not worry about tacked on fees.

There are just 5 of the reasons why Full Slate is the best appointment scheduling software for your business. But don’t take our word for it – you can try Full Slate for free! Sign up for your free trial by clicking here.

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How to market your salon or spa during the holidays

It’s the holiday season, and if you’re a salon or spa owner, chances are, you’re searching for a fresh new way to build your business not just during the holiday season, but well into the new year.

So we wanted to spread a bit of holiday cheer by giving you a few tips on how to market your salon or spa during the holidays.

Most salon and spa owners rely on the holiday season to help meet revenue goals for the year, and while online spending has increased year over year, that doesn’t mean that brick and mortar salons and spas must lose business.

Gift Certificates for Friends and Loved Ones

The holiday season is a great time to remind your current clients that your salon or spa is a wonderful gift for family and friends, or even a self-treat for services they’ve held off getting earlier in the year. According to the National Retail Federation, 62% of gift recipients say they want gift cards, making them the most-requested holiday gift item.

Some tips for selling certificates or gift services:

  • Set up a display near your salon entrance that showcases your gift certificates and mentions an intriguing fact like the percentage we shared with you!
  • Add table toppers at each station that provide the same information
  • Send a specific email campaign promoting your gift cards

Gift certificates are a powerful tool for your holiday marketing strategy. According to 12monthsofmarketing.com, 41% of customers who try a business for the first time did so because of a gift card. Plus, 55% of those redeeming certificates return more than once to use the whole amount to them on the certificate, thus driving more chances for revenue to your salon or spa!

Holiday-Themed Social Posts

Tap into the happier, more accepting mood of your clients and post and send holiday-themed promotional emails, a newsletter, or social media updates. Don’t just hard-sell your salon or spa, but provide fun images or articles that have to do with the holiday season, a certain look, or a how-to for holiday parties or New Year’s activities. The holidays are when many people are on vacation, and on their phones scrolling through pages and posts more, so use that to your advantage!

Encourage Pre-Booked Appointments

The holidays are a busy time; so when your clients arrive for their normal appointment pre-holiday season, don’t forget to ask about any special events they might be attending for the holiday season. If they need hair or makeup done for these, encourage a special holiday appointment for that occasion. Coupled with automated appointment reminders and the Full Slate scheduling system, you can not only make sure your clients have everything they need for their events; but you can make sure they remember their upcoming appointments, and help you both enjoy the holiday season stress-free!

For more information on Full Slate, and how it can help you his holiday season, visit www.fullslate.com.

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Pick your present this season – Full Slate appointment scheduling software

Pick up a present for yourself this year and try Full Slate appointment scheduling software for free. Enjoy its benefits all year long, and grow your business!

Full Slate offers you everything you need for a busy schedule, to help take the stress out of scheduling. Whether you’re a salon or spa, fitness instructor, or other small business owner, Full Slate will work for you.

Book more clients

Accept appointments online—from your website, dedicated booking page, Facebook, or email—and drive more traffic. Easily manage your schedule, and make it easy for your clients to book more.

Reduce no-shows

Your time is valuable, so make sure clients show up for their scheduled appointments by setting up automated email and text reminders. You also have the option of requesting deposits, or paying full online prior to appointments. Full Slate integrates with several popular payment solutions, and doesn’t tack on any extra transaction fees.

Stay connected

With Full Slate, you can send personalized emails to your clients, that drive repeat business, online reviews, and referrals. Don’t struggle with what to say – our pre-written, professional messages give you a great starting point, but also are completely customizable to fit your business.

Want the full picture of what Full Slate can do for you? Check out our website at http://fullslate.com/, and sign up for a free trial today.

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This Thanksgiving, Thank Your Customers!

As a small business owner or entrepreneur, you might spend a lot of your time deciding what to focus on based on ROI and perceived value, but sometimes, you need to stop and remember that it’s your customers that really count.

So as we approach this Thanksgiving, we wanted to share a couple simple ways you could thank your clients.

Send a handwritten note or card

It’s always nice to receive a handwritten note or card, even a short Thank You, and these can be sent quickly and cost-effectively from a host of places (Staples, online card printing sites); and they go a long way.

Give a freebie

Sending a personalized gift is a great way to not only express your gratitude, but also create a lasting impression with your clients. A gift can be personalized to your clients to show your connection with them, or it can represent your business in some way. Some ideas are: logoed mugs, keychains, or bottle openers. It could be a notebook, or even something like a free muffin that week for customers. You could also go as elaborate as sending a entire goodie bag, it’s up to you!

Offer an upgrade

Depending on the type of business you run, you can also offer an upgrade as a Thank You for your clients. If you’re a technology start-up or business, you could offer an upgrade to the next level of your service; but even if you’re a bakery or entrepreneur, you could offer an upgrade to your services, or a coupon for a percent off (or entire price cut off) as a Thank You gift.

Create a social media Thank You video

You don’t need to be a videographer or stellar actor to shoot a video on your smartphone and upload it to social media, or send it out in a dedicated email. This is a great way to thank you customers with a 30-second shout-out, or thank you statement that you can share on your website, on Twitter, and on Facebook. You can tag the customers you want to show it to, and it doesn’t cost a dime!

Host a Customer Appreciation Night

The holidays are always a good time to host a party or celebration, so if you have the budget, you can always host a customer appreciation event and invite your VIP customers to it as a Thank You. This is not only a great way to bond with and spend time with your clients outside the work environment, but it also gives your client the opportunity to network, and allows them to see the diverse group that you work with. A customer appreciation night doesn’t need to be a huge event; it can range from a casual get-together at your local coffee shop or a networking event at a rented restaurant. You can introduce upcoming upgrades or products, hold a raffle, or even provide hors d’oeuvres and drinks for a cocktail party feel.

If you’re looking to invite your current customer list to an event, do you know how to easily email the group? Full Slate offers the ability to keep email correspondence in one place, and you can keep track of all your customers in its database. Try Full Slate for free by clicking here.

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An Easy Choice This Election Season – Get Full Slate for Your Business!

This Tuesday, the U.S. will choose its next President, and we won’t even go into that today – but if you’re looking for an easy choice this November, we have one for you: Get Full Slate for your business!

Full Slate is a comprehensive appointment scheduling software that helps small businesses with everything from appointment scheduling and reminders, to credit card payments, class sign-up, staff scheduling, client reviews, and more.

Not only does Full Slate help take the stress out of scheduling, it also syncs with QuickBooks, allowing your scheduling software choice to communicate seamlessly with your accounting software. You can record payments and give up manually entering data!

This QuickBooks integration is so important, we wanted to go into a bit more detail today. Two of our most Frequently Asked Questions about this process are:

Can I Sync My Client Contact Info with QuickBooks?

The answer is: yes! With QuickBooks Sync, your client list is shared, so clients within Full Slate appear in QuickBooks, and vice versa. This means all their contact info, including name, email, phone, address, and any client notes.

Before you sync, it’s also a good idea to backup any client information within Full Slate, which you can do under CLIENTS > LIST.

Can I Sync My Payment Transactions to QuickBooks?

Again, yes! Full Slate will automatically sync your payment transactions entered via Checkout each time you save a transaction. That means that when you open QuickBooks, your transaction should immediately show up.

If you go the opposite direction, and change something in QuickBooks, such as modifying a sales tax rate, you’ll need to go into Full Slate’s menu SETUP > QUICKBOOKS SYNC and click “Synchronize now” to see those changes reflected in Full Slate. You also may need to refresh your browser.

Note: transaction sync works one-way from Full Slate to QuickBooks, so any transactions recorded or modified in QuickBooks cannot be synced to Full Slate.

To read more about the QuickBooks Sync and Checkout integration with Full Slate, click here.

To try Full Slate for free, sign up for our trial! No credit card is required, and there’s nothing to install! Plus, we offer free setup and support. Check it out: https://www.fullslate.com/try-free-online-scheduling

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Add a 'Book Now' Button to Your Facebook Page

Facebook recently made it easy to add a “Book Now” button to the top of your Facebook page. This is a great way to let visitors to your Facebook page know you offer online scheduling and convert them to paying clients. It’s also an easy way for your existing clients to book online with you.

Facebook Book Now

Follow these instructions to add the Book Now button to your Facebook page:

1. Click the “Create Call-to-Action” button near the top of your Facebook business page.

2. Select “Book Now from the drop-down menu.

3. Go to your Full Slate account and copy your landing page URL under Web > Landing Page.

4. Return to your Facebook page and paste the landing page URL into both the Website and Mobile Website fields.

5. On the following two screens, select “Website” from the drop-down menus. This is the default option.

6. Click Create to complete the process and post your new Book Now button.

The Book Now button will be displayed on the web AND on your Facebook Mobile page, so new and existing clients can book from any device.

If you have any troubles, please contact support and we’ll be happy to help.

 

Building a Profitable Practice with Online Scheduling

Clinton Power, an online marketing coach and social media consultant in Sydney, makes a compelling case for online appointment scheduling in his article, “How an Online Appointment Scheduler Helps You Build a Profitable Private Practice.” Clinton uses Full Slate in his counseling practice and regularly recommends Full Slate to health care professionals he advises.

Here’s a great excerpt from the article with myths and facts about online scheduling:

Myth: You will lose control of your diary as clients book appointments whenever it suits them.

Fact: I have total control over my online diary. I only offer the best times that suit me, I don’t let clients book less than 24 hours in advance. I don’t let clients book more than 2 weeks in advance. I can block out all days and weeks when I don’t want to work or will be on holidays in the future.

Myth: Clients don’t want to book online.

Fact: 90%+ of my new clients now book online through Full Slate for the first appointment.

Myth: You won’t have control over which clients you see.

Fact: All appointments go into moderation and I only confirm an appointment online after speaking with the client and screening them for suitability.

Myth: Online appointment schedulers are expensive and you shouldn’t need to pay when you can book clients for free.

Fact: Full Slate paid for itself for 2 years in advance after I came back from 6 weeks holiday and 7 new clients were waiting in moderation for me to confirm. (Best post-holiday present EVER).

Myth: It’s time consuming to have to add times to an online appointment scheduler as well as your main diary

Truth: I have the client’s next appointment booked in and confirmation email sent before they get to my front gate after leaving my office.

Myth: Online appointment schedulers don’t reduce no shows.

Fact: I’ve had not one no-show for an appointment in the last 2 years thanks to the automated email and SMS reminders that are sent 24 hours before the appointment.

Myth: Online appointment schedulers are not secure or confidential.

Fact: Full Slate actually uses the highest level of encryption commonly available on the Internet today.

Myth: An online scheduler doesn’t really add value to your business.

Fact: Research suggests that businesses that take online bookings can increase their growth by 30%. I found that my business increased by 46% in the first 12 months of using an online appointment scheduler.

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