Thank you to everyone who joined last week’s Spa Associate webinar! We explored simple, proven strategies to engage guests, elevate the experience, and boost gift card sales during the holiday season. The session was packed with tips to help you shine in every client interaction.
đź“š Missed it or want to share with your team?
The recording and slides are now available in FranConnect under:
Library > Webinars and Events > Spa Associates.
This holiday season, our Field Training Team is hitting the road! We’re hosting in-person training sessions designed to help you and your team boost gift card and membership sales during the busiest and most rewarding time of the year.
🔍 What You'll Get:
This year’s Black Friday BOGO Gift Card Offer is getting an exciting upgrade — it’s now available online for both members and non-members. Guests can purchase digital gift cards during the Black Friday period and receive a $50 Bonus Card automatically, sent right to their inbox after checkout.
It’s important that your team understands how the offer works, including the difference between purchases made on individual spa webstores versus the corporate webstore. Review the full breakdown to ensure everyone can confidently answer guest questions and maximize this year’s biggest sales event.
Our 2025 Hand & Stone Annual Conference kicked off this past Sunday through Tuesday in Las Vegas! We’re excited to bring together franchise owners, spa leaders, and corporate team members for three days of learning, inspiration, and connection. Safe travels to everyone joining us — we excited to celebrate another incredible year together!
Reminder: Corporate offices will be closed next Tuesday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day.
Invoca call reviews are a powerful way to ensure consistency and capture every booking opportunity. By listening in, you can confirm your team is asking the 5 key questions, following protocols, and making the most of every lead—especially during high-volume times.
As we head into the busy holiday season, strong phone performance is key. Make sure your team is ready to handle higher call volumes, offer alternatives when slots fill up, and turn every inquiry into a booking.
LEARN MORE-Samara Gilman, Franchise Business Consultant
Hand & Stone values your opinion. You will receive a survey from Franchise Business Review (FBR), an independent research company, asking for feedback on how well we’re serving our franchisees. This is your opportunity to share with us what we’re doing well and what we could be doing better. It is important to us that everyone is included, and we are looking for honest and constructive feedback that will help further the success of our franchise system
What to expect?
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Franchisee Resources
Conference Information
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Pre-Sales Best Practices
Q4 Event Guide
Q4 Chainwide Contest
Manager Webinar Recording
Manager Webinar Slides
This year, we’re introducing a new way for guests to participate in our Black Friday Gift Card Offer — it will now be available online for both members and non-members.
Below are the key details to ensure your team understands how the promotion works and can confidently answer guest questions.
When a customer purchases an online gift card during the Black Friday period, they will earn a $50 Bonus Card.
It’s extremely important to listen to phone calls in Invoca, as these calls are directly tied to your marketing dollars.
Listening to these calls allows you to inspect what you expect by ensuring your team is handling inquiries effectively and following key booking protocols.
When reviewing calls, focus on whether your team is asking the 5 questions, which are designed to ensure clients are booked correctly based on their membership status and payment method:
1. ​May I ask who I’m speaking with?
2. How are you today?
3. Are you a member with us?
4. Have you been to Hand & Stone before?
5. Will you be coming in on a gift card?
As we kick off Q1 2026 marketing plans, we’re entering one of our most opportunity-rich seasons for a high volume of prospects where we can turn first-time visitors into loyal members. Our Q1 marketing strategy is designed to maximize these moments—boosting conversions, expanding our gift card reach, and celebrating our valued members along the way.
2026 MARKETING CALENDAR We’re following one of our strongest gift card sales seasons, which means new guests will be walking through our doors ready to redeem. It’s the perfect time to showcase the value of membership and help them experience the benefits firsthand.
Choice of One, Spas Cannot Offer Either Or (Non-member, In-Spa)
Free Facial Promo Card with New Membership (12-month expiration)
$75 Promo Card with New Membership (12-month expiration)
No Offer
Window 2 strategically overlaps Window 1 to maintain momentum without interrupting membership conversion efforts. While Window 1 focuses on driving new memberships through conversion incentives, Window 2 shifts emphasis to boosting gift card sales—targeting both members and non-members. This staggered approach ensures continuous engagement and sales activity across distinct goals, preventing any pause in conversion while maximizing gift card distribution during peak season.
With the added focus to increasing gift card unit sales year-over-year, our approach is to make gift cards more appealing to new guests, while still offering value to our loyal members.
Choice of One (In-Spa & Online, Member & Non-Member)
Buy a Gift Card, Get a $25 Promo Card (6-month expiration)
No Offer
Optional Add-On: Consider adding a Gift with Purchase (GWP) to in-spa gift card transactions to elevate the gifting experience and drive higher-value sales.
*THIS OVERLAPS WINDOW 1
March is all about appreciation and balance—rewarding our members while creating excitement around retail and service mix.
Our Double Discounts initiative adds urgency and value, encouraging members and guests to stock up on retail favorites. Meanwhile, our facial enhancement promotions are designed to shift some demand from massage to skincare, relieving booking strain while empowering our LEs to upsell and shine.
March 1 – 31 (Members Only, In-Spa):
Multiple Choice
$10 Off Exceptional Facial
Double Discount on Retail: 20% for Members, 10% for Guests
No Offer
Please be on the lookout for the Opt-In survey coming on November 11th. Please complete the survey by November 21st at 5 PM PST. Please ensure to not fill out the survey until you have your final selections to avoid changes.
Q1 sets the stage for the year—by converting high-volume guests, expanding our gift card reach, and deepening member engagement, we’re building a strong foundation for sustained growth and loyalty. Let’s make every guest experience count and turn new faces into lifelong advocates.
Start Light, End Urgent
Early in the promotional window, guests receive lighter, educational content focused on awareness. As each campaign progresses, message frequency and urgency increase to encourage timely bookings and purchases.
Integrate SMS Strategically
SMS messages are reserved for high-impact moments, typically within the final 48 hours of each promotion, to reinforce urgency without adding weekly volume.
Maintain Brand Voice
Communications will reflect the Hand & Stone tone — calm, confident, and persuasive, never aggressive. Messaging remains direct about timing and offers while staying true to our brand’s sense of care and relaxation.
Early Weeks (Nov 1–17):
~1 email per week → builds awareness without fatigue.
Mid/Late Presale & Launch (Nov 18–30):
2–3 touches per week per audience (email + SMS) → stronger calls to action as offers approach expiration.
Holiday Run-Up (Dec 3–23):
Return to ~1 email per week until the final 72 hours, when cadence increases again to close the window strong.
View Comunication Cadence HERE
