Imagine walking into your salon for the first time. How do the surroundings make you feel? Do you feel comfortable? Soothed? Or the opposite? Overall, how would you rate the ambiance of your business? Because if you aren’t hitting the revenue goals you’re after, you might want to consider whether your atmosphere is doing its part in customer attraction and client loyalty.

Here are 3 pointers on ambiance that can make a difference to the number of repeat customers to your business.

1. Use lighting to establish the mood.

This is a cost-efficient way of enhancing your salon enormously at an easy-to-afford price. Even if all you do is switch out harsh lighting for something with a mellow glow, the right lighting can create a relaxing atmosphere where a person feels like they can close their eyes and reclaim a bit of calm out of their busy schedule.

A professional interior designer can help guide you in how to use light effectively, but if that glow is what you are after, light should come from multiple sources, scattered throughout your space, both above and below, for a comforting experience.

If your budget is limited, there are resources online that can teach you about how to use lighting effectively. Check out this piece by Industville where 31 industry experts share their #1 top lighting secrets for creating beautiful spaces.

2. Give calm through understanding the power of scents.

Beautiful smells are a treasure trove of sensory delight that you can gift to everyone who walks through your doors. Scents play powerfully on emotion and can swiftly cut through stress and tension, providing a quick pathway to an enjoyable experience. Use diffuser reeds or an aromatherapy diffuser machine to create a sensory experience for your customers. Popular essential oils that provide a subtle yet not overpowering scent great for salons are lavender, marjoram, and lemon. Not sure what scent to pick? This article from Country Living discusses various aromas and their individual hallmark benefits.

On a similar but separate train of thought, your salon should have a comfortable air temperature that is neither too cool, nor too hot. And when you come across that one easily chilled customer, have lap blankets on the ready—a caring gesture that will soothe that customer who finds the salon a little breezy.

3. Play the part of a host.

This point is often overlooked, but your presence and the energy your staff imparts is part of the ambiance of your salon! Greeting clients in a friendly and welcoming manner is a vital aspect of creating an inviting atmosphere.

Take a hospitality course if you or someone on your team isn’t a people person. There are simple body language tricks that can put people at ease that are worth knowing and can help turn reluctant customers into diehard fans. For example, leaning forward or tilting your head to show that you are listening. Or using the person’s name a couple of times in your interaction with them.

Sometimes improving ambiance only requires putting on the attitude of a host and thinking about how to make the other person comfortable and enjoy their time with you. It’s a skill, and thankfully, skills improve with deliberate practice.