Tools, education, technology and trends can make or break your business. Keeping up can make the difference between staying in the game and getting left behind. The core requirements for any successful salon owner or stylist are the same as they have always been: you need the right knowledge, the right skills, the right tools, and the right attitude.
SMART SALONS & TECHNOLOGY
One of the biggest trends in the world of hairdressing is everyone wanting to receive information on mobile, from SMS notifications, to flexibility with online booking. Make it easy for clients to be notified or book their next appointment through their preferred communication platform is here to stay. It is worth the investment to use a client management platform that will allow you the most flexibility in communicating with clients. Empower clients to book, even when they are out and about.
Another area in salon technology is in support for stylist and salon owners during the consultation process to manage client expectations. This is the critical step in client communication and not just delivering their expectations, but exceeding them. This is where you WOW your clients! Technology helps with quick access to digital pictures of desired results all the way to product cost apps for chemical services. The point is to be honest and transparent regarding achieving results and the costs to get there before the service begins.
Messenger is not a sales tool for your salon/chair, it’s a buying tool for your clients. The open rate in messenger is dramatically higher than emails. Utilizing the power of messenger bots in your Facebook postings will drive engagement and start ‘chating’ with potential clients. We live in an instant response culture that increasingly demands rapid response time from service providers. Don’t get left behind, harness the opportunity of messenger marketing in your business.
UNDERSTANDING YOUR CLIENTS
Salon services may be about visual transformation/enhancement but the real growth nugget is how you make people feel. Understanding value versus value added, customer experience versus expectations, and how the little things add up to ‘Yup, I’m coming back here again!” The point is not just how good you are, or what you know, but how you deliver that from the customer’s perspective is most important.
Your clients want to be empowered through education to help them follow through with an at home regieme. Sharing your knowledge in a tangible way is far more effective than building a wall of ‘expert’ and client. Help them with tutorials on product application, best care practices, how to blow dry etc..
Here is a BIG one – Baby Boomers matter to your business. They hold 74% of all the wealth in the country so seeking to embrace and understand what they really want will benefit your bottom line. Think ‘anti’ aging for your 50+ clients.
SERVICE PROVIDER PLAYBOOK
Those who do it well will continue to do it well. This has nothing to do with how big or small your business is. Leadership is the crucial difference between success and struggle. Flexibility and communication between leader and team continues to be the determining factor in business success. Creating a win/win for staff and salon management will be a key driver in growth. Education is instrumental for a high level of client retention, which is key to stylist and salon success.
SALON CULTURE – HEART MATTERS
A growing trend in the beauty industry is better workplace culture. Creativity and innovation thrive when a team is empowered with knowledge and skills to have fun with their craft and feel valued. Creating a strong yet honest culture happens when managers/owners are available to their team and invested in an open door policy for new ideas. Teams will follow leaders who have a believable vision that allows full participation from everyone. A successful salon has a strong culture that will shine through in the way clients are treated
ETHICAL PRODUCTS
Products are becoming more ethical and sustainable. We are seeing higher percentages of natural ingredients, vegan free, cruelty free, and how quickly these new formulas bio-degrade in our waterways. We are recycling more and asking more questions about how companies treat their people and make the world a better place. Consumers are demanding more ethical products and want to participate in solutions instead of being part of the problem. This movement will intensify through the coming months and years. Are you meeting this demand?
Speak with your Icon Salon Consultant about implementing any of these trends in your salon or chair rental business. We love to help you GROW!!
