Things That Must Change to Make
Stylists and Salons More Successful!

Many salons continue to struggle. We hear from some almost everyday. The most common things we hear are:

• Need sales to increase.
• Want more new clients.
• Can’t find a good stylist.
• Need to hire a stylist with clientele.
• An assortment of problems with staff; from coming in late, to wanting to leave early, not getting enough referrals, poor appearance and poor attitude.
• Need to decrease my color cost.

Here’s our view on what needs to be done to make salons more successful...

Get educated
Running a salon as a business is much different than doing hair. However, just like doing hair and color, there are techniques and formulas to follow. The "business" part is pretty easy. It’s managing th e"people" part that’s more of a challenge. Get involved with a program that provides tried and proven Systems and with a Coach that has lots of experience. Call us to discuss ours.

Stylists must focus on "professional development"
There’s a belief out there that if you want to make more money or get stimulated, then take a cutting class. A technical class is not going to do it for most stylists. It’s time to focus on “professional development”. Is communication important to being a great stylist? How many of you have taken a class, read a book, or listened to a CD on communication? There aren’t many hands up out there. In order to grow, you MUST work on the things you’re most uncomfortable with!

Figure out why sales were up, flat or down last year
If your sales and income was up, flat or down last year do you know why? Have you looked at home many new clients came in and how many came back? Do you know your new client referral rate? Do you know how many existing clients didn’t come back? Do you know how many clients reserved their next appointment? These are all warning signs. It’s like your gas gage. Your gas gage lets you know it’s time to get gas before hitting empty. These other “gauges” do the same thing for your book and business!

Use your salon software
A show of hands, how many of you bought salon software and only use it like a cash register? How many of you print out all the spiffy reports and really understand them? Just like you do an analysis of a clients hair when you have to do a color correction, these reports are giving you an analysis of your business and each stylist in it. Learn to understand them and you’ll be amazed how things will change.

Track critical information (Let us teach you how)

The most critical information you need to constantly be aware of is:

• Rebooking
• Total Number of New Clients
• New Client Referrals
• New Clients from Advertising
• New Client Retention
• Existing Client Retention

These are the things that increase visits and adds to your client base. Not knowing your results is like doing color with a blindfold on! It’s a disaster waiting to happen!

Educate your clients
Clients need you to educate them about their hair. Things like how much it grows, whether they have straight or curly hair, oily or dry, what ingredients to look for in products that are best for their type of hair, what ingredients to avoid, how to blow dry their hair, how to get an appointment on the best day and time for them…. The list could go on and on.
The question is; “Do you know the solutions to those common client questions and problems?” If not, take one of our classes!

Put your clients first
How important are your clients to you? Most of you will say “very important”. So ask yourself this; If they’re that important how often are you late for them; how often do you rush on them because you’re late; when’s the last time you made a suggestion to them about a different hair style or color?
If you’ve been a stylist for more than 5 years, what you do has probably become just a “job”. Customer service and knowing what it’s like to be a client has left your mind. It’s become about getting one done to get to the next one. It’s become about the money. You’re getting bored and your not making the money you want. It’s not too late. Put your client first!

Get a service at another salon
A quick way to be reminded of what it’s like to be a client is to go to another salon for a service. Go to a salon in town and get a color and cut. Hear the gasp out there. You’re very nervous! That’s how a client feels. So just go get a shampoo & style. See how you’re greeted and treated by everyone. You’ll learn a lot!

Here’s What Salons Had to Say

We asked salon owners & stylists that are clients or are signed up for our on-line newsletter for their thoughts on this topic. Because of the large number of responses we weren’t able to print everyone’s ideas. Thanks for everyone that participated!

Stop taking clients for granted. You’re existing clients are more important than your new clients.

Pay close attention to what is really going on in the salon. Sometimes we have blinders on because we don’t really want to address what might be going wrong .

Understand the business end of things. Numbers never used to be my thing but once I learned what to look for and how to use the information, I didn’t feel like such a dunce. I actually have been able to help my salon and staff grow!

Stop eroding our value. The "get em in, get em out" mentality (in my opinion) drives our value down, which ultimately means you can't charge as much. It also erodes our professional image, which is another reason people don't want to pay a lot for a haircut. They don't see us as professionals.

Act and present ourselves as professionals. Don't dress like a cheap @#!*, chomp on gum, talk on the phone while working on a client, etc.

Hairdressing needs to be seen as a career, not just a job!!
Hairdressing need to be seen as Professional Career, not just something you decided to do because you weren't the "college type" and you like to play with play with hair.

Use and prescribe superior professional products. What we have to offer should not be able to be so easily duplicated by products that are available in the SUPERMARKET or PHARMACY. Professional product companies need to create lines that are more unique and more complicated to use. Products that anyone can throw on a head is counter productive to this profession. Easy to use products has resulted in degrading of the methods and techniques of the trade.

Hairdressers are stereo-typed as chatty, gossiping, gum chewing airheads. We need to all step it up and show the world that we are professional, well educated, creative , hard working smart women and that we are way more than just a pretty face with a pair of scissors and a water bottle in our hands.

We wear many hats which is why we are so amazing !!! We are artists, technical stylists, chemists, therapists, comedians, secret-keepers, nurturers, caretakers and magnificent multi-taskers. I am so proud to be in this Industry. I get to go to work everyday and make people smile while building up their confidence and helping them be the best that they can be and at the same time, making them look beautiful on the outside and feeling beautiful on the inside. Who else gets that reward everyday at their job. I often hear my clients say, Mikki my hair looks great and thanks for the therapy session too !!! I love my career !!!!!!!!!!!!