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The
Missing Brochure!
It's difficult to find
a good reason why so few grooming business fail to offer new
customers, or regular clients, a promotional brochure. There are
few service businesses that don't provide one. Our guess is that
90% of grooming businesses in the U.S. do not offer a brochure
because they have never seen one, and we often copy what others
are doing, or not doing, instead of inventing better ways of
operating a grooming business through management.
What beguiles us most
about the absence of this most important tool is that groomers are
always quite busy throughout the work day. Many groomers not only
groom, but answer the phone and tend to intake and outtake of pets
as owners arrive, and try to stay on schedule. In one word,
stress!
Not having
receptionists to do most of the intake/outtake is another
management story, so for now let's focus on the missing brochure.
Covering "all the hats of job positions" is the leading
cause of stress in pet groomers, and guess what? Having a brochure
is a strong dose of good medicine to reduce such stress.
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Nearly all of the
similar questions new customers ask should be answered by the
content of a well-designed and well-written brochure. That means
the busy groomer doesn't need to repeat over and over again the
same promotion, but simply say, "Please take a seat and
review our brochure, and I will be happy to answer any other
questions you may have about our client and pet services."
Busy groomers also
performing client reception work know that the telephone often
rings right when you are talking to clients, and there is simply
no way to remember all that you have said, or not. And you should
have a lot to say about your business as you will learn later in
this short article.
What else makes a
great brochure as important as your scissors and clippers? A truly
professional pet grooming brochure sets you aside from comparison
to tens of thousands of grooming business without a brochure. They
are not only a client relations tool, but a marketing tool. You
can canvas specific neighborhoods hanging your brochure on
doorknobs and post them on bulletin boards. You can introduce
yourself to veterinarians and other pet professionals and ask them
to refer business to you leaving them with your business card and
a supply of brochures. Everyone knows that groomers get most of
their business by referral, and what a convenient and thoughtful
way for you to help your clients refer more business to you by
letting them take a supply of brochures for friends, family and
co-workers.
A great brochure will
mention your standards of operation, safety and supervision
programs, client services as well as pet care services, hours and
days of operation, your grooming background, staff policies and
procedures that affect pet owners, and much more. The best way to
design one is to look to the industry for a model. Well, there is
actually one written by Madeline B. Ogle and Joy Haas, a Stanford
University English professor. Fortunately Maddie published a
generic version of it in her book, From
Problems to Profits. PetGroomer.com and Find A Groomer, Inc.
actually sell an inexpensive version of this brochure for grooming
business owners following The Madson Management System in the
book. You can also use the model in the book to create your own
too for personal use only. What a time saver! What an important
impression to make on all new customers, and to earn their loyalty.
Think about the time
you will save too, and how much less stress you will have worrying
about grooming pets and at the same time trying to answer and
convey the important information about your business and services.
Do you and your staff a favor and find your missing brochure. You
will be glad you did!
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