Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Prepare for Success!

 
     So today's tip comes once again from a status update on Facebook. My friend LisaMarie Santos posts a motivational journal entry every morning and today's was especially timely. It was a devotional that spoke of taking time in the morning to meditate and pray. Quote" Rein in your impulse to plunge into the day's activities. Beginning your day alone with Me is essential preparation for success. A great athlete takes time to mentally prepare himself for the feat ahead of him before he moves a muscle. Similarly, your time of being still in My presence equips you for the day ahead of you. " Are you taking time to plan your day? Quieting the chatter in your mind and placing yourself in the right frame will make a huge difference in your productivity. I took a class over 10 years ago on planning. It was a brotherhood of the planner class , also known as Franklin covey. The content was so valuable I remember details of it to this day.
     What else can you do to prepare and better plan your day? Look at your schedule the night before. Think about opportunities in your schedule. Do you  have a few open spots? Remember every minute counts in the salon and once those minutes are gone they can't make you money. Think about what add on services or upgrades your client might appreciate. Can you upgrade a basic service to a spa service? Maybe they would like a toe polish change to match their new nail polish. If you have open appointments call or text those that you haven't seen in a while that you have an opening and would love to see them. You know, the ones that don't make a regular appointment and then want  to get in that day. We all have them. Believe it or not this really works and clients really appreciate that you were thinking of them. Look a week ahead and see if those clients might like to come in early. You will increase your productivity and have 7 more days to get that time rebooked. How are you preparing yourself physically? Do you stretch or work out in the morning? Morning activity gets your metabolism ramped up and will keep it up all day. Consider switching your workout to the morning. How are you fueling your body? Take time to eat a good breakfast, or at the very least a piece of fruit and a breakfast bar. I love Kind bars and they really keep you full for several hours. Eating a protein in the am will help too. Do you have time for lunch? Make sure to pack if there is no time to go out. I just heard you all say what lunch? If you are booked really tight consider packing several  smaller" power" snacks to get you through the day. Many health food stores have energy bites. Bite size morsels of sustenance to get you through till you can have a proper meal.
 
     No time at all? Keep cup of soups or protein shakes  on hand to put  in a coffee mug and sip at your station. None of us perform at our best when we're hangry. That is when we are so hungry we're angry. Also think about filtering what you let in your brain during the day. My friend Geno Stampora never looks at his emails or texts when he is teaching or speaking for the day. He says " Why would I let anything influence my mood when these people are paying me to come and educate them. It's just not fair to them." Any of that sound familiar? How many times a day do you get bad news and let it affect you and your mood? This is just plain smart thinking. Our clients come to us for a respite from their problems, the least we can do is be that for them. Now don't get me wrong, emergencies are another story, but rarely do we have something so important it can't wait till we have given our best possible selves to our clients. Preparing for your day is having a plan for success. Start with a better plan and you'll end up with better results. Have a great planning tip? Please share in the comments section :)
 

2 comments:

  1. Millie,
    I used a couple of your tips from this blog!

    I looked back through my appointment book for those clients who do not make standing appointments, or those that I haven't seen in a while. With a just a few simple texts and phone calls...they wanted an appointment right away!!! I was able to add 10 clients to my week!!

    I also bought some almonds and bottled water, to keep at my station. I freeze a couple of bottles, so I don't have to leave my station on busy days!

    XXOO!
    Anna

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  2. Awesome Anna!! So glad you took action..action Anna;-)

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