13 Methods High-Growth Salons Use to Acquire and Keep New Clients

New guests are a key component of every salon’s growth and success. We sat down with Mary Cromeans of A Robert Cromeans Salon to discuss customer acquisition, branding, and her advice from 25 years in the industry.

Together with Robert, her husband, Mary owns three salons: two in San Diego and one in Oklahoma City. She’s passionate about everything having to do with salons, and has a special interest in coloring techniques, as manifested by her exquisite pink hair.

After 25 years of working in salons, Mary has learned the importance of keeping up with the times and staying open to the technological developments that help businesses flourish in the hair industry. For Mary, tools and tactics that are new and different wind up making her salons better. The challenge is discovering what’s new and different, then putting those methods into practice.

Below are the methods Mary’s salons use to acquire and keep new customers:

Guest Acquisition

Mary says the salons most frequently employ word-of-mouth advertising, online reviews, and social media to find new customers. Each of these approaches requires some finesse and strategy to attract new clients.

1. Word-of-mouth advertising

While salons could ask any of their guests for referrals, Mary thinks it’s most effective to approach those guests whose hair she loves doing. As a stylist, she hopes to discover more clients who have hair and attitude like her own favorites. Getting these types of new customers makes business more fun for both clients and employees.

When she has conversations about referrals, Mary tells her guests that she specifically wants to find customers like them. She asks them to send in friends and family who would benefit from the salon in the same way they already have. This demonstration of trust and affection has been bringing Mary new clients for the past 25 years.

2. Online reviews

Despite facing a few unexpected closures over the years, Mary’s salon has maintained a steady stream of customers. She credits much of this consistency to their Yelp reviews. A Robert Cromeans Salon averages between 4.7 and 4.9 stars on Yelp, but Mary believes their success with online reviews comes from the quality of the feedback, not just the star rating.

Her salon doesn’t just request reviews from guests, but asks them to share what made them decide to be loyal customers. By regularly asking guests to post their heartfelt opinions of the salon, Mary’s business keeps their online reviews current and informative. When guests describe the details of their experience at A Robert Cromeans Salon, they’re essentially giving away a smile to prospective customers.

3. Social media

Earlier in the interview, Mary mentions that she tries to get referrals from her favorite clients. When she posts on social media, she follows a similar format. For instance, on Instagram, Mary likes to share photographs of the type of hair she loves. This approach allows Mary’s passion to inform her social media presence and spread to potential customers.

Likewise, if she encounters a person whose hair interests her, Mary shoots a quick message and asks the person to contact the salon. This proactive, organic way of interacting with social media users builds the salon’s reputation while also letting Mary control the clientele that frequents her salon. She also uses hashtags to localize her posts and focus on connecting with people in San Diego and Oklahoma City.

4. Brand Image

A salon’s brand image involves a consumer’s perception of your brand, regardless of whether or not they plan to visit your business. Brand image includes your personality, voice, and positioning on the market. Mary Cromeans tries to promote and perfect her salon’s brand image on social media accounts and the salon’s website.

Before and after photos

Mary is careful to share both before and after photos when she’s posting on social media sites like Instagram. Because she’s enthusiastic about hair coloring techniques, Mary mostly builds a brand image revolving around colors on her account. She finds it’s important to show her clients’ faces in these pictures, even if they’re wearing a mask, since the work she and her stylists do inspires happiness in their eyes.

5. Website

While Mary’s social media accounts display some of her specialties, the website for her salon takes a broader approach. The design is meant to show that they have something to offer almost anyone in need of a new hairstylist, regardless of budget. The site portrays a brand image with five general areas of emphasis: hair type, texture, and length, as well as gender and ethnicity. Working in tandem with social media, the website supports Mary’s salon’s attempt to reach a wide audience.

6. Cancellation policy

A Robert Cromeans Salon has always maintained a 24-hour cancellation policy, which states that day-of cancellations are charged 50% of the service fee and no-shows are charged 100%. The salons have recently reinforced this policy to better protect their schedule and ensure availability for committed guests.

This approach helps keep the appointment book filled with clients who value their time with the stylists. Mary notes that new clients should approach their first visit with intention, as the stylists are dedicated to their craft and eager to deliver an exceptional experience.

7. Emailing

Mary explains that her salon makes sure to email new guests before their appointments with helpful details about what to expect. Email is an ideal channel for sharing this type of information because it supports longer, more thorough communication.

Unlike calls or quick texts, emails can include templates, images, and clear call-to-action buttons that guide guests through any steps they need to take. The salon now asks customers to complete a brief form before their first appointment to ensure everything goes smoothly when they arrive.

8. Electronic forms

Electronic forms allow salons to gather and store information digitally, saving stylists and front desk staff from time-consuming paperwork and manual filing. A Robert Cromeans Salon now uses a digital pre-appointment form from Weave to collect key details from guests before they arrive. The form includes a few brief questions about the guest’s background, preferences, and recent activity to help the team prepare for the appointment.

9. Consolidated communication

Thanks to Weave, Mary and the rest of the stylists in her salon don’t have to bounce between devices or interfaces while communicating with customers. A combination of hardware and software tools, including VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phones, business texting, and our Email Marketing tool, lets Mary’s salon take care of all their communication from one place.

10. Curbside waiting rooms

Mary’s salon has introduced a curbside check-in process that makes arriving for an appointment simple and stress-free. When guests pull into the parking lot, they text the salon to let the team know they’ve arrived. Once a stylist is ready, the guest can head straight back for their appointment without waiting in the lobby.

This streamlined approach helps reduce crowding, speeds up the check-in experience, and gives customers a smoother, more personalized arrival.

Advice for hairstylists and salon owners

As the conversation comes to a close, Mary shares her big-picture advice for stylists and salon owners looking to strengthen their reputation, attract more customers, and increase profitability. She offers three key insights for entrepreneurs in the salon industry.

11. Embrace opportunities

Mary has found success over the last 25 years by saying yes to opportunities. These opportunities tend to build on each other, and fear proves to be an obstacle for stylists looking to progress in their careers. If opportunities don’t present themselves, Mary encourages ambitious stylists to find their opportunities.

12. Find the right people

Mary also believes that it’s best to search out people to learn from and work with. This piece of advice echoes her thoughts on discovering new guests. Mentors and peers with experience and common values not only push you to succeed as a stylist, they let you enjoy the ride.

13. Never give up

Running a salon always comes with challenges, but Mary Cromeans believes the beauty industry is as vibrant as ever. She encourages stylists and salon owners to constantly look for creative ways to move through obstacles and adapt to whatever comes their way. This mindset has helped her three salons continue to grow and reach new levels of success.