To allow you to truly see through the eyes of your clients, define personas instead of market segments. Whereas market segments are defined as a group, personas are treated as individuals or "characters," with actual personality attributes.

Take into account both demographics and psychographics: what does the person do psychologically as part of their buying decision process?  To answer these questions, conduct traditional market research, and talk to your clients, vendors, and especially your therapists. Because of the one-on-one interaction, your therapists will have a good sense of who the client is. Front desk personnel, and even spa attendants may have valuable input as well.

Craft a detailed profile for each persona. Bring them to life.  Include a name, family, needs, and desires. Also consider number of spa visits per month, level of spa sophistication, travel habits, and personal care program.

Some Examples:

First-time Fran: Spa “virgin”, hesitant, needs support to “learn the ropes”

Savvy Sally: Spa veteran, knows the ropes, demanding, likes to develop a relationship with her day spa therapists. wants to be rewarded for her loyalty

Commonsense Ken: Repeat visitor but needs to learn everything about a new treatment or product before making a purchase. He is methodical and logical in all decisions.

Once you have defined your spa client personas, you can devise a custom-designed marketing strategies for each one of your segments. Promotions targeting attitudes, beliefs, and spending patterns will yield greater results than one based on more than gender, age, and income.