Zing’s Adrienne Varga Looks at Nine Sure-fire Tips for Creating a Highly Profitable Salon Business.
Why are some salons profit-turning gold mines while others just plug along at a mediocre pace? As a salon owner, it’s easy to blame your profit levels on circumstances out of your control: the current economy, your not-so enthusiastic team, the swanky new salon that’s opened up in the same suburb.
The truth is, the success of your salon is in your hands. You have the power to step up and transform your business bottom line from mediocre to money-making.
It’s easier than you think.
LET ME SHOW YOU IN NINE WAYS;
1. Know that you are the problem and you are the solution
Who will bring together all the moving parts of your salon profit makeover? The answer is simple. Yes, the answer is you, the salon owner.
At Zing, we believe your success always comes back to three components: Time, Team and Money.
Invest your Time to train your Team and the Money will show up!
Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? But most salon owners are missing the Time to Train part because they’re busy being busy instead of realising that it’s holding them back from being profitable, causing them to burn out and feel stressed.
Every one of your team members depends on the information they receive from you. It all comes back to your leadership, your way of communication, consistency and also the time you spend with your team to deliver the information you want them to follow.
You need to make a commitment to focus on leading your team.
2. Understand your client journey
What kind of client journey are you offering?
Think about it for a moment. Grab a pen and paper and write down some key words.
What’s the first thing a client experiences when they open your salon door?
Do you have a system for how to greet a client, what steps to take before and after they’re seated?
Do they linger in the waiting area or are they taken to a station or treatment room?
When are you offering a beverage? What kind of beverages?
How do you proceed to and through consultation? How do you plan next visit? How do you see your client out?
Your client’s experience depends on the ability of your team members, their skills in consultation, the customer service they provide and their capacity to give every client a wonderful experience and the outcome they came for.
Getting it right translates into client loyalty and fantastic retention rates.
You need to understand the journey in your salon so you can step up and make sure it’s an exceptional experience
every time.
3. Plan with your whole team
Together with your team, create scripts, systems and maps that embody the client journey you imagine. Involve everyone so they feel connected and valued as part of the solution.
Work on your client journey weekly – until it’s done.
4. Perfect the consultation
Train your team to solve your clients’ challenges and your business will turn into a profitable gold mine. Teach them how to ask the right questions to find out what each client really needs.
Anyone can give a client what they ask for. The secret is finding out what they really need, understanding what problems they’d love solved and making suggestions based on the professional consultation. Talk about possibilities and options, not just how you can achieve the same outcome they’ve had before. Recommend products and services, and chat through maintenance and rebooking.
Do it every time, with every client – no exceptions.
5. Role play until it’s right
Practise until it’s second nature. I tested role playing and practising with my own team and it took us 8-10 weeks to get it right.
It’s awkward in the beginning but trust me, after the second session when everyone feels supported, it becomes fun.
And, in the end, everyone wins. Knowledge is power.
Practise weekly – until it’s right.
6. Pump up your team’s product knowledge
Make it fun. Learn three products a week. All of you, together. Then find one key ingredient you’re excited about, learn everything you can and share it with your client.
Make it part of your salon’s weekly team training – forever
7. Tick off weekly team meetings
Share your vision with your team, get them involved and invite them to make suggestions.
Delegate tasks to each team member based on their personality and strength. Set goals together to help business growth.
Importantly, don’t forget to celebrate together: the big achievement and the small wins.
Tick these meetings off weekly – every week.
8. Schedule one-on-one meetings
These are a must! For best results, have them outside your salon, maybe in a nearby café.
Help each team member set their goals and monitor progress towards achieving them. Identify any problems that need solving.
These are two-way forums.
Again, these are a weekly, non-negotiable fixture
9. Strive for consistency
Consistency is your number one ally in salon training and meetings.
Schedule them regularly, stick to a format, plan what you want to cover and keep doing it over and over. That’s how you get results.
It’s true: practice makes masters, not just of your team but also of you. The more you practice and stick to your ‘playbook’ the more successful you’ll be in leading your team.
With consistent training and leadership, your team has the resources to deliver exceptional client journeys, every time. That’s where the money magic happens if you’re willing to do what it takes. You can and will create that highly profitable salon business you’ve dreamed about.
For more salon wisdom email ZING Coach Adrienne Varga adri@zingcoach.com.au or visit www.thezingproject.com.au
“The truth is, the success of your salon is in your hands. You have the power to step up and transform your business bottom line from mediocre to money-making.”