Top Tips for Business

Booking Tags

2010-08-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

Booking tags should be used to track walk-in clients. While we use an array of tags when booking clients, some of the most commonly used tags are:

NEW New Client - the client goes to the next person on the walk-in list

FA First Available - the client does not have a stylist preference; goes to the next person on the walk-in list

LR Level Request - the client wants a specific level; goes to the next person on the walk-in list at the requested level

Betty Daniels, Owner - Haircolorxperts of Parker

Wow Moments

2010-07-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

Create a "Wow Moment" each and every time clients have contact with you. Follow a Needs Analysis System where you find your clients needs. Fulfill those needs and add value to their experience. A "Wow Moment" starts from your website, social media, phone reservation and the moment a client enters your facilities to the moment he/she checks out. The "Wow Moment" should continue with your thank you notes and follow up systems.

Bella Shahmoradian -
Author of Bella’s Secret- the Five Pillar System to Become a Master Hairdresser
Owner/president of Bella Nella Salon & Day Spa

Communication Is Key!

2010-07-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

Just as in any relationship, communication between a leader and his or her staff is key. Make sure your staff meetings run smoothly on a set agenda and don't routinely transform into gripe sessions. Earn your employees' buy-in by assigning them responsibility for developing different components of each meeting. And, end each session on a positive note by acknowledging stylists who have gone above and beyond to help a guest or one another.

Stacey Soble - Editor in Chief
SALON TODAY Salontoday.com

Set the Path Forward

2010-06-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

Set goals and develop a company vision, mission, MOTTO and values. This aligns the team and also is VERY helpful when counseling poor performers or at the same time recognizing great performance. These are the guiding laws that govern decisions and monitors performance. Goals that are not monitored or if the team is not held accountable will mean nothing - Make sure when you set a goals they are achievable and that you celebrate success!!!!

Lynelle Lynch, President - San Diego Beauty Academy

Business Building Techniques

2010-05-13T17:51:00.000-07:00

Begin having frequent staff meetings and collaborate on business building techniques used by others that you work with. Every salon has success right inside. Get the top booker to explain how they do it. Pair the weakest with the strongest and let them work next to each other. They can learn from what they hear and see. Do the same with retail sales. Share the ways that the top stay on top.

With cross marketing other services, know who the salon leaders are and copy them. Your staff becomes a resource to each other and by sharing dialogue that works, we all win.

Geno Stampora, Stampora Consulting Inc. www.genostampora.com

Shelving Strategy

2010-04-14T13:51:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder why every single store in the mall has a focal table right at the front of the store? Tables sell 3 times more product than a shelving unit does. We are trained to shop the tables in a store because we think that is where the deals are. In a salon, we tend to put all of the product on a shelving unit, out of the way where a client may just walk past it. Set up a table with one single promotion on it; make sure the table is at least 30"-36" high. Smart Fixtures® offers great affordable retail tables to display promotions – check them out at www.smartfixtures.com

Cheryl Fernandes, Retail MD Manager SalonCentric

Who Are You?

2010-03-11T14:29:00.000-08:00

The most basic thing to know for every stylist and salon owner is what makes them a better choice to visit than anyone else. When I meet hairdressers, I ask them "Why would someone come to you and not the salon down the street?" Most cannot answer quickly and clearly. My advice: create an "elevator pitch" - a 10-word or less explanation of what makes you or your salon the perfect fit for your clients. When asked by anyone, you’ll be ready!

Cory Couts – Founder – salonfixer.com

Weed Out Your Inventory!

2010-02-12T10:51:00.000-08:00

OPERATIONS:

Inventory is expensive to carry, especially with credit as tight as it is now. Identify those products that are not selling and concentrate your inventory investment in fast-moving items. As you “weed the garden”, consider adding new items to your product mix that can boost your take-home product sales. Look at your take-home product sales as a percentage of total sales as well as total sales….this percentage should be increasing as you trim slow movers and add newer faster-selling items.

Gordon Logan, Sport Clips

Top Tips - Education is Critical

2010-01-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

Continuing to learn and grow, from classes, seminars, and workshops, keeps me from getting in a rut or worse getting stuck. Gaining more knowledge, keeps me flexible, open minded, and gives me an edge. This matters from the creative aspect and keeping on top of my craft as well as on top of my game for business with ongoing education for topics relating to growing my bottom line.

Rusty Phillips, Owner, Belle Epoque

Top Tips - Who's Kidding Who

2009-11-11T14:31:00.000-08:00

Recently HairDesignerTV conducted a poll. One to the stylist and one to the consumer. The number one reason a stylist believes they lose their clients is because their client will not let them try something new. Client's number one reason for leaving a stylist is because they were looking for something new. Open up the line for communication in a salon through customer satisfaction polls and encourage your clients to try different stylists in the salon. This way clients will stay in your salon and won't feel uncomfortable going to a new stylist.

Vivienne Mackinder - Founder of Hairdesignertv.com

Top Tips - The Journey

2009-10-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

We believe that every new salon guest needs to know who we are and what we do as a "brand." After filling out their New Guest Profile Card, we take them on a "journey" of our salon. Salon team members recite the same script and emphasize certain key points with their dynamic personalities. We use comments like, "delighted" or "my pleasure" instead of "thank you" or "no problem". Get your salon team together and change the dialogue, it makes your environment fun. Take a virtual journey of Mikel's The Paul Mitchell Experience at http://www.mikel.us/

Mikel Sandoval, Art Director and Owner of Mikel's The Paul Mitchell Experience

Pricing, pricing, pricing

2009-09-14T17:42:00.000-07:00

Do all of your haircare and spa products that are for sale in your salon/spa have a price on them? If you answered no, ask yourself this... When you are shopping in a store, for example Bath & Body Works®, and you pick up a product and it does not have a price on it, what do you do? That's right, you put it right back where you found it! If you have salon software, you may have the ability to print labels for your products with the quick click of a button. Another option is that office supply stores sell pricing guns for about $20. The pricing gun allows you to price your items effectively and efficiently. Do not hand-write your price tags, consumers expect to see handwritten tags at a flea market or garage sale. Remember EVERYTHING in your four walls is branding your business.

Cheryl Fernandes, Retail MD Manager SalonCentric

Turn your break room into a learning lounge

2009-08-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

Too often, when clients don't show up for an appointment the stylists don't utilize this time wisely. It's easy to get exhausted and bored doing nothing, because waiting time can really drag. Use this space for re-energizing and learning. Put in a computer with Internet access. Add mannequins and tripods. Not only will this refocus the salon culture, but also owners will be ensuring that their talented team is keeping up with the latest styles and trends without setting foot outside the salon.

Vivienne Mackinder - Founder of Hairdesignertv.com

Hire Slow, Fire Fast

2009-07-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

People interview well. They are bringing their 'A' game and intend to deliver a great performance. So you see the best. To slow down the hiring process we have a three part interview cycle where they interview with me last. We give tests and scenarios and role plays and every opportunity to find the 'real' candidate that is authentic, smart and resourceful. So slowing down has helped us eliminate those individuals who appeared great on the first interview but showed less promise as time went on.

On the firing side, when it is over, I know. I can find a million reasons to keep someone on staff but it is usually not the right reasons. I have learned through many difficult situations to assess and analyze with my head and business goals at the forefront. And to lean on my core values. So if they are a pear on my apple tree, then they are terminated. I need apples on this apple tree.

Jill Kohler, Co-Founder of Kohler Academy

Rebooking - Scheduling life's priorities, hair comes first.

2009-06-13T15:31:00.001-07:00

Rebooking is the quickest way we can uplift sales and create better walking adverts. Our clients who rebook before they leave make 50% more visits per year than those that wait to book from home, but most stylists hate to think they are pushy sales people.

This needs reframing. We are professional advisors in this client relationship and must take the lead. As such, if we offer any less than the client needs, we are failing in our duty.

We look at 3 stages:

1. Consultation - Questions like: "When did it stop looking its best?"

2. Reinforce - Statements like: "I'd like to see you in six weeks time to be sure we maintain your style".

3. Reception Staff - Questions like: "Is it 5 or 6 weeks for your next appointment?"

Michael van Clarke, Owner - Michael van Clarke

Up Your Advertising!

2009-05-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

Today many companies are cutting back on ad spending due to the economy. Wrong decision! Today more than ever progressive aggressive companies of all types, including and perhaps especially salons, should hold their ad budgets or even increase them to build their brands at bargain-basement rates. Ad volumes are down in all types of media…print, radio, TV and even Internet…and this is translating into lower rates and therefore better cost efficiencies for advertisers. Take advantage of these lower rates to get your message out to consumers who are still buying, but more selectively.

Gordon Logan, Founder/CEO - Sport Clips

Team Up With Vendors

2009-04-01T10:23:00.000-07:00

Every vendor has the potential to be an ally. In some cases, it requires creative thinking, but there is always one thing in common. You both want more business – not less. We’ve done this in many ways, for example: cross promoting with the person who caters your coffee and snacks – we feature them in the salon for discounts on our catering and they keep flyers in their store.

Danny LeClaire, Owner - Studio DNA

Never Compromise Your Education

2009-03-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

At TONI&GUY we believe that our education program is the reason for our success. We have high standards and hold all of our trainees to those standards. It doesn’t matter how much experience a new hire might have in the hairdressing industry prior to joining our company, we always make sure that they can cut or color to our standards before testing them out of the basic program and allowing them to take our clients. Our clients choose us because of our high standards and we have to make sure that we exceed their expectations every time.

Debbie Webster, Executive VP-Salon Division, TONI&GUY