Tonight’s tip is about combating the Do-It Yourselfers. Every since Gelish showed up in Sally’s it seems every month there is a new company offering a consumer version of their professional product. Seems we have discussed this to death without gaining any more insight to the challenges than we started with. This past week I saw a post by my friend Jayne Morehouse president of Jayne and company, a full-service brand communications agency for beauty companies and salons. In her new column Beyond Your Chair in Stylist magazine she tackles this very issue of the do it yourself market segment that seems to be growing daily. Personally I have had several conversations with manufacturers behind the scenes and this problem is not going away soon. So what’s a beauty professional to do? Jayne is blunt and direct to the point. You simply cannot compete based only on your hands and your tools. “You must compete on how your hands and your heart use those products to create beauty in your clients lives.” Have you ever gone to an art fair and seen a beaded work of jewelry for an exorbitant price? Yes we all have, and I bet you thought just like me, well I could do that at home for a lot less. Do I? No. So what I’m paying for is the artists interpretation of how the gems are artfully displayed into a work of art. That my friends, is what we do. They may have the tools and maybe with some training can give themselves a decent polish job but will they have works of art? I don’t think so. Why not? Because they don’t bring the passion and the love of the craft to their work, to them it is a chore, to us it is a passion. As Jayne continues in her article, “What they cant’ find is someone who applies this color with caring, kindness and empathy. Someone that listens and focuses only on them for the entire service, you are “present and in the moment” where no one is more important than your client. That’s what we can do that no one else in her world can. Make it her special 30-60 minutes filled with positive and professional conversation and focused on what you have planned to make her feel special and alive for those minutes. Jayne’s recommendations are similar to what we have offered here on Nail Talk Radio with a few twists. Start with a conscious conversation each visit asking how their nail style, color and or art worked out and offering something new that you have been thinking of since their last visit just for them. Listen and make recommendations according to her wants. As you begin to offer new styles and trends they can’t just anywhere your clients begin to trust you more and more to the point where they will just say Whatever you recommend I always love. Be available and accessible and connect any way that is easy for your clients. Some want email, some like text, come still want a phone confirmation. Connect in a way that is convenient for your clients, not for you. Share information and don’t be afraid to educate your client. The more they know the better decisions they can make. Will you lose a few to these at home products? Yes, I personally have lost a few but I also have gained many more in return by always pushing myself to learn new techniques, have the latest products and tools and traveling for education or fashion week to show my clients I am on top of my game. Don’t let your thoughts focus on what you are losing or you will lose more. Focus your thoughts and efforts on gaining a more sophisticated client that understands your value and wants to treat herself to the professional that you are.
See Jayne's full article here
Beyond The Chair
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