A well-made, brightly colored bow or bandanna is one of your best marketing tools. The eye is naturally attracted to bright colors. No matter how beautiful the grooming, a pet will attract attention faster if it is sporting a bright color.
Applying bows or bandannas as a finishing touch on a fabulous groom is a sure way to generate interest. Interest, that is, in you, the person who got that animal looking so fine in the first place.
The number one sales tool for any business is referrals from word of mouth advertising!
I learned this when I was very young, with our family’s first dog. When we traveled, we’d send our Golden Retriever to a local kennel. Upon picking her up, she’d always be freshly bathed and wearing a simple piece of felt fabric attached to her collar in the form of a bow. The color would change with the seasons, but this simple bow was there every time.
In our small community, everyone walked their dogs. As we stopped and chatted, people always noticed the felt bow. That was the opening we needed to share the name of the kennel and how wonderful their services were. If that basic little bow was not there, the kennel name would never have been mentioned and a marketing opportunity missed.
I carried this lesson over into my grooming business. No dog ever stepped out of my salon or mobile van without a bright finishing touch. (Unless a client requested “No Bows.” But that didn’t happen very often.) The bows were always subtle and very tastefully made.
Successful people know paying attention to minor details is critical. Bows and finishing touches are part of the entire service package.
Making attractive bows does require some finesse. It takes a bit of time to learn. But once you figure out a method that works well for you, you will be limited only by your own creative spirit and time.
Many professional groomers and stylists use down time to create bows. They use this time the same way that many people use knitting or crocheting to relax. However, if basic bow tying just isn’t for you, there are many companies that specialize in wonderful, ready-to-use bows. I encourage you to use them!
There are thousands of ways to market yourself as a professional pet groomer. The number one rule of any marketing campaign is to capture potential clients’ attention in a fun and tasteful way.
Choosing to accessorize a freshly groomed dog with a bow or bandana is a highly successful marketing opportunity. Adding a spark of color to a pet can be the perfect way to get owners talking about your pet service business.
