Become a Coach 
Imagine a take-away that’s good for you. One with zero calories, no fats and no sugar. It doesn’t matter how much of this take away you enjoy, the more you indulge, the healthier you look and feel. By Lisa Conway.
LET ME EXPLAIN. Last week I was feeling exhausted. I was at the tail-end of a couple of very large projects that I’d been working on for months. I needed a pick-me-up and some serious ME time.
So I stood in front of the mirror and made a list of all the take away’s I needed.
The first one was to “take away” the lines on my forehead so I made an appointment for Botox. Next was taking away the hollowness around my mouth so while I was with my cosmetic nurse, I got her to take that away, too.
I also needed to take away my 50-year-old eyebrows and replace them with the stunning ones I took for granted when I had them in my thirties.
In order to do that I had to take away the grey hairs by tinting them, then take away the unwanted hairs and shape them. I used a threader for this, and while she was there, I got her to take away the peach fuzz on my entire face.
Finally, I completed my eyebrow transformation with cosmetic tattooing – to take away the sparseness, of course!
Next, it was my eyelashes’ turn. I decided to take away their natural mousy-brown colour and replace it with a rich, glossy blueblack. Sha-boom!
I outsourced my next take away to two people, a fabulous Chinese massage therapist and my osteopath. Between them, they managed to take away the pain in my neck and shoulders. (Writing a book leaves you with some serious upper body creases to iron out.)
There was no stopping me – I was on a take away roll of epic proportions! A deep peel, micro dermabrasion and oxygen facial soon did their magic, taking away all those fine lines I don’t need over my face.
Last, but by no means least, I indulged in a spray tan to take away that Melbourne-in-winter skin colour and replace it with a beautiful healthy glow. Sigh. I’m in take away heaven…and there’s not a kebab in sight.
I told you I needed a lot of take away! In the aviation world, it’s called a D-Check. That’s the term used when an aircraft is grounded for an overhaul. That was me last week – deep in D-Check. One fast week of downtime and I look amazing. What really counts is that I feel amazing, too.
So…what has my take on take away got to do with your beauty salon? I want you to understand that all the take away I did last week tells a story you can present to your salon clients, to engage them in considering they’re worth spoiling and deserve to be pampered.
“Take away” is just a different way of delivering something we already know to be true. Have a think about all the items you could add to a take away menu for your salon: freckles, blemishes, age spots, scars, redness – and an entire section on unwanted hair.
I invite you to take away my take away narrative. Re-shape it to fit your salon and re-tell it to your clients as part of that “suggestion” conversation you need to be having with every client, every day.
Share my story with your clients. Give it whatever positive spin works for you and your business. Maybe you can work with this angle: Everyone is busy; being busy can be a trigger for all sorts of action. Many people turn to food (that other take away) to relieve stress when they’re under the pump. They get a small, short-term win. In contrast the look-good, feel good benefits of the take away I describe above lasts for days, weeks or maybe even months. And they’re guilt-free.
Try selling your clients the hair and beauty take away instead of the fast food one. It’s an easier tell-and-sell when you consider all the benefits a client can gain from your skills, your team, in your salon.
Showcase to each client how you’re the take away expert. Tie it all up with a ribbon called “exceptional experience” and you’ll soon have them lining up for their own “take away” fix.
For more salon wisdom, email me at lisa@zingcoach.com.au, visit my website, find my video tips on YouTube or read my book The Naked Salon, an essential guide to time, team and money. And look out for my follow-up title: Your Salon Team. www.thezingproject.com.au