Ready Set? 2013

 

     The year end review is always an interesting process. I looked at my blog post from last year and it was good, actually really good. As much as I am tempted to just repost it I had a little bit of a different angle this year. Sure everyone is asking what are your new years resolutions and I think that's where the trouble starts. Resolutions shouldn't be limited to one day or month a year. New years is actually one of the oldest holidays on record beginning with the Babylonians in March but changed to January by the Romans. January actually gets its name from Janus, the two-faced god who looks both backwards into the old year and forwards into the new. So we choose New Years as an opportunity to reflect on the past year and look forward to the year ahead. I take every January to asses where I am both personally and professionally. Did I move forward? Did I move backward? Did my goals shift or change along the way? Did I grow? As we set aside time to reflect on the past year look long and hard at your achievements and by all means celebrate them. It is so rewarding to check a goal off our list. Many times I find I have a few too many leftover resolutions at the end of my year.

      I used to beat myself up about that. But the thing that I have learned over the years is that hidden list. The things that weren't necessarily on the list that I achieved anyway. Those are the side benefits, the things that provide forward movement in spite of what may look like a non productive year. Was there anything Not on your list that you accomplished? Did you grow because of it? Forward progress is still forward progress in my book. Many suggest instead of setting goals try to become the person that already has achieved the goal. To act as if. What does a successful salon professional dress like? Act like? How do they spend their off time? Who do they have in their inner circle? What shows and classes do they attend? or teach? What are they reading, who are they learning from? Successful people leave a trail to follow, if you want to tag along. There is a plan, an actual structured way to achieve anything you may want. Instead of just writing down your goals write them down on purpose.  Choose all area of your life to achieve balance. Take the areas of BUSINESS FINANCIAL FAMILY LIFESTYLE MENTAL PHYSICAL SPIRITUAL and RELATIONSHIP. Write your three top goals in each category. Like for business you may want to Learn new skills, find a mentor, be a mentor, develop a mastermind group, take a class. Financial goals you may want to Start a savings plan, start investing, make a budget, pay off and cut up credit cards. Family goals you may want to begin “family days” , weekly suppers, visit family twice yearly, you get the picture. Make a top 10 list from each of these categories.



     Now here is the shift you have to make. You cannot WANT to do something or HAVE something, you have to BECOME what is necessary to attract what you desire. You can only have , be or do what is in equality with what you feel you are worthy of, deserve or have character in. Take your first goal and start your list. Ask yourself these questions Who do I have to become to achieve this? What actions would this type of person take? Then write down Step 1 Step 2 and Step 3 What other measures can I take to stay on course? How do I make sure these are SMART goals? SMART meaning Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time sensitive. Next Take ACTION. What can you do in the next 24-48 hours towards these goals. What can you do in the next 30 days? This is a great start to get you planning on purpose. With a specific action plan.  My wish for all of our amazing listeners is for 2013 to be the best year to come and with proper planning it will be! I'm finishing up details of sharing my goal setting plan so stay tuned.

Review, Review and Review

      Here we are at the end of 2012. Did it exceed your expectations? Did you achieve the goals you set out for the year? Did you fall short of them? Did you set any? As this year draws to a close it is the perfect time to reflect on the good the bad and the fugly. One of my August segments was called Plan, do and review. I recently reposted it on my blog because it is vital to your business to implement this process, or something very close to it. January 2012 you were ready to light the world on fire, or at least your business. That's that planning part. The dreaming, the fun. Then somewhere around February, March at the latest, the doing sets in. Do, do and do some more. Not as much fun as the planning is it? Lighting your business on fire takes work, work and more work. A little easier if you have a good plan, but still a whole lot of work. So finally, December, the busiest of times for our industry, it begins the process of review. We have a whole year of numbers and information to sift through and sort out. Only by reviewing the year's history can we get the real story. Here's a few things to think about when you do your yearend review.

 

      Look close and hard at your yearend expenses. How much did you spend on nail supplies? Were your purchases cost effective? If you calculate how much you will need each year of specific products and buy in bulk, or maybe only on special you can dramatically change your margins. How much can you save? If your product costs average one thousand dollars per year and you can save 20 percent, that's $200 dollars. $2000.00 per year could be a $400 dollar saving. Think about every purchase you make and try to never ever pay full price. If you have nail tech friends in town how about purchasing in bulk, splitting the orders and sharing the expenses? Form your own buying club and save big. Examine all business expenses. Insurance, rent, phone carriers, even credit card merchant services. You need to take time in the slow weeks ahead to dig for the best deals and rack up more savings. Get several estimates for each service and compare costs. Take your findings to current vendors and see it they will match pricing or risk losing your business. I for one am going to encourage all my clients to write checks this year. I know credit and debit cards are convenient for clients, but they end up costing us money. Many ask me if I care which payment they use and in the past I have said it doesn't matter. Well you know what? It does. 2-3 percent on seventy thousand dollars is over 2 thousand dollars. I don't know about you, but I'd rather keep that two grand thank you very much. Or I may introduce a 2 % credit card fee. Looking forward at the fiscal cliff, we've got to build some wings people.

Take a long hard look at your service menu and current pricing. Have your costs started eating away at your margins? If you have not had a price increase last year, don't wait any longer. Think about introducing some express services or mini services clients can alternate in-between the full price services, but make sure they are Mini. Don't just give away the full service because you are worried your clients might cut back. Keep them totally separate protocols. Look at areas that have been super successful and expand on those. Pedicure services on the rise? Look into reflexology services and charge by the minute. What better way to relax and pamper your clients than extended foot massage? Last but not least if you're not sure what your clients will gravitate towards this coming year why not ask? Survey Monkey is a quick and easy way to figure out what areas to invest in for the coming year. A simple survey of your clients will tell you exactly what you need to know and believe me just when you think you know, the results will surprise you. I hope you all had a fantastic year and my tips have helped you this past year. I am looking forward to 2013 with added commitment to expanding my business to helping you grow yours.

Each One Reach One

 

      We are in the greatest profession in the world perhaps in the greatest time ever. If you think your job is just to paint nails, you are thinking way too small. To borrow a mindset from Howard Schultz, founder of Starbucks I believe we are in the people business serving beauty. How did Starbucks grow so fast and become so successful? He built community, a home away from home, where the baristas know your name and even your regular order. We have this opportunity at our nail tables. To be that home away from home. To connect with our clients, an escape, even if just for an hour from the jungle of their everyday world. To be that positive voice, possibly the only positive voice in their life.
There is a deep connection clients form with their beauty providers. Dr. Lew Losoncy is a psychologist that has been working with Matrix for many years. Living in Cleveland, the birthplace of Matrix, I was lucky enough to hear his very first presentation in the early eighties. As a clinical psychologist Dr. Lew became fascinated with the connection between hairdressers and their clients. When speaking with a patient one day he asked her if she had taken his advice from the last session. She told him no, my hairdresser didn't think that was a good idea. This completely changed the course of his life's work. Why is it that a person would pay him hundreds of dollars for a session yet follow the advice of their hairdresser? He discovered clients will tell their beauty professional things they wouldn't tell their therapists. We create a physical bond with clients, a safe haven. We are the only profession that touches clients, in a positive way.

      Clients feel secure in telling us things because usually we don't know who they are speaking about and there is no judgment. We are like the best friend that doesn't have to be caught up each visit, we follow their life struggles and triumphs week by week, month by month, year by year. I have been with clients through their weddings, the birth of their children, the death of a spouse, the promotion at work, the birth of grandchildren, there aren't too many situations that haven't come across my table. It is an opportunity to be a "Day Maker". David Wagner, author of Life as a Daymaker also became well aware of this connection. I had the good fortune to see David speak at a show October 2001. When the world was still reeling from 911 thousands of beauty professionals gathered in Minneapolis to carry on. How timely his message. David shared a story of a woman that came into the salon for a blow out. He was a bit surprised to see her in-between her 5 week usual appointment and asked her if she had something special going on but she insisted she just wanted to look special that night.

David Wagner/Daymaker

 

      He writes, during their time together he gave her a great scalp massage, shampooed and styled her hair, laughed and joked and at the end she smiled radiantly and gave him a hug goodbye. A few days later he got a note from that same client. She shared with him that the reason she wanted her hair done that day was because she wanted it to look good for her funeral. She had planned on taking her life that evening. Without even knowing what she was going through David gave her hope that things could get better. She checked herself into a hospital and got professional help. The note was to thank him for caring even though he didn't know what she was going through. Never underestimate the effect you have on your clients. I take this opportunity very seriously. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say my work is my ministry. I know every person put across my table is there for a reason. Many I may help and lift up, but just as many help me. In light of last weekend's tragic events we need to pause and understand we are all interconnected, woven of the same fabric of life. We share the same challenges of the human condition. We joke at times that we are their therapists but it is no joke. I encourage everyone that is blessed to be in this industry to take pride in the fact that we have the power to be a "Daymaker" to lighten another's load. You never know the ripple effect you will have in another's journey.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world, indeed it's the only thing that ever has."
-Margaret Meade

Tribute to a Legend

    

       Unless you live under a rock, you know that this country lost an amazing visionary this week. Steve Jobs has been eulogized all over the internet. I have to say I am not an Apple, or Mac user but I do love my ipod and itunes, so I do understand the genius that is Steve Jobs. People did not buy the Apple brand, they joined it. They knew they were a part of something different, special and they were following a true leader that was changing the world. When he resigned from his post at Apple a few months ago my niece posted his commencement speech given in 2005 at Stanford University. If you haven’t had the chance to watch it I highly recommend it. It may be the best 15 minutes you ever spend. Many of the quotes and life philosophies you have read this past week came from this speech. Quotes like “You can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backward. You have to trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever.” Many of you with a few more years on you can totally relate to this one. The journey makes so much more sense once you have traveled through it. I know looking back I see some choices that made no sense at the time led me to where I was supposed to be. Understand and believe in something larger than yourself.

     Here’s another great quote we should all live by.
"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it."
So many of us have a love for this industry, we share it every week on NTR every day on Facebook. Keep learning, growing and striving to be great and amazing things happen. Steve remained very much a hands on leader and his passion was infectious.

 

     Another area Apple stood out from the crowd was their customer service. Apple’s customer service was second to none. It truly was what built the company because of Steve’s focused attention to the details. He states,
“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected." He was relentless is his pursuit of excellence in his products. Pushing those around him to the brink until they had breakthroughs that would become the next big thing. Where does your customer service rate? If you don’t have raving fans like Apple then you’ve got some work to do.

   Lastly he shared the best advice of all, in my opinion.
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary." The world lost one of its greatest innovators but his spirit will live on every time anyone pursues their life’s passion with no compromises. Full on Steve style.
(originally posted October 11, 2011)

Plan, Do and Review

 

      This week finds us in the last month of summer, well into the second half of the year. At this point it is a good time to evaluate where you are in your marketing plan. You remember that marketing plan where you decided I’m going to speak to three women’s groups, do a living social deal, hand out twenty business cards per week, put together a client appreciation event and encourage my clients to bring a friend. All that and then some. If you are ahead of schedule, lift your right hand over your head and pat yourself on the back, job well done, If you are not on target, Why not? Have you committed your marketing plan to paper? Do you dedicate a few hours each week to working on your business instead of IN your business?
      Here is a little tip for staying on track. It’s called Plan, DO and Review. Simple really. You must have a plan in place for your marketing efforts to have any consistency. Working on your plan is a very small part of the process so sit down later tonight, or tomorrow and choose a few things that you will commit to each week. Next is the doing, ah yes this is where it can all go so terribly wrong. You can have an extreme case of excusitis. I had to work on my day off, I got distracted by my kids, the sun was in my eyes, the dog pees on my marketing plan. Just stop, stop making excuses and PLAN your marketing events by planning your days. Get up first thing and do something healthy for yourself, eat a healthy breakfast, take a walk, or a run.

      Do not, I repeat do not turn on the computer just to check in. Once you tune into the world you have become re-active, not active. Plan your to do list and begin it before you get sucked into the vortex of the internet. This way, you have no excuses, oh I had an email I had to address, then I had to watch this video, then I clicked on the manufacturers website and on it goes. Sounds familiar? To me too! I get sucked in as well on occasion. If you plan and do, that right there is half the battle, three quarters really. Then there is the review part. Which is where we are today, staring at the first 6 months of the year wondering why we are not further on down the path of success, Or maybe, for you, further. Either way taking time to review where you are at this halfway point can recalibrate you back on course to finish the year strong. Take a look at the events you attended, the marketing efforts you have made. Have they resulted in new business? Do you track it? Do you have a system?

 

      I can recommend a simple excel sheet with the listing of all your activities and results. Keep this on your work computer or print it out if need be and mark it each time you have a new client. It is the best way to find what is actually bringing new clients in the door, the numbers don’t lie. Most businesses have the largest number of new clients from referrals. The internet might be next for you, and event, you get the picture. If you find an event you spent a lot of time and money on did not pan out to a single new client, then you know what you have to do, either ditch the idea altogether or revamp it to draw more clients. If you keep doing the same things without tracking results your results won’t change. Keep an eye out for new promotions all the time. Rhonda from the Purple Pinkie is having a photo contest on her website encouraging her clients to show where their glitter toes have spent the summer. What a fun idea that I’m sure has resulted in a few more clients for Rhonda. Plan, do review. It keeps you from going to far off course from your ideal marketing path. Once you find out which of your efforts bring in the most clients, just wash rinse repeat. Over and over.

(originally posted Aug 9,2011)

2013 Looking Into the Marketing Crystal Ball

 

      Combining art and science. We do it every day in the salon but how many of us practice this combination for marketing? We need to look at the art of marketing, the creativity, the content, the pretty pictures on Instagram with the science of market research. I research marketing all the time. I read and Google and download multiple reports, webinars and podcasts to find information that will be valuable to our listeners. Marketing trends and predictions for 2013 are getting posted this time of year. While many do not relate to our business one trend has peaked my interest. With the new world of online marketing where your clients are in control of educating themselves on your products and services your marketing job has shifted from how to find new business to helping new business find you.

          Inbound marketing is a growing trend that reaches out to these clients. Inbound marketing is about creating informative, interesting and even entertaining content to clients that may not even realize they need your products and services. Once you draw them in, they just might take the leap and go from a reader to a client. When potential clients are just passively cruising the internet to be entertained or educated they let their marketing guard down and you can begin to build an actual relationship. Unlike interruption/ outbound marketing like email blasts, Inbound marketing can make its mark with problem solving. Different types of content can be integrated into your content packed Inbound marketing.

      Types of content can include Articles, Blog posts, Books or eBooks, case studies, demos, live streamed events, videos, press releases, and images. Let's not forget if your content is found valuable enough your readers will be compelled to share it as well. Remember your content developed for inbound marketing should always focus on clients challenges and concerns over your product or service especially in the early dating stages. They're still trying to get to know you after all. A few more predictions worth noting? Social and content will impact SEO even more. There is now an overlap between search, social and content. Static social media campaigns will fade and real time marketing will give marketers the advantage of real time communications to grow business. Pop up events have clients engaging real time with spur of the moment salon parties and promotions. Engage your clients when it's convenient for them, not you. Social media is integrating all platforms from Facebook to Twitter to Pinterest and client data from these interactions will better drive individualized marketing messages. Determining which messages resonate with which clients will lead to better conversion of targeted offers.

      Be mobile or fall behind, again this message is at the top of the pile. in 2012 more people bought a smart phone than a PC, it is clearly where you need to be. Marketing on every level. Your receptionist should share the same marketing language as the stylist, as the owner. There is no separate marketing department anymore. In order to build long term relationships you've got to deliver a unified, consistent, human voice. Email will still a large piece of the marketing pizza, however it will have a more personalized look and feel. No more big blasts, more selective, relevant and targeted. Google trends see Inbound marketing taking over marketing automation. Unless you have a constant feed of new viewers your automated updates become annoying and put in the spam pile. Update your mix of Inbound real time and automated messages. Look for more content curation companies or "content marketplaces" that can provide a good mix of interesting posts in a saturated content world. Content crowdsourcing will also grow. Why not use your current clients to help share your message and generate new clients from their followers and fans. Last but not least Pictures will still be worth a thousand views. With all the buzz about content, visual platforms like Pinterest and Instagram will continue to grow as audiences want to digest content faster than ever. Take a look at your marketing hits and misses from the last year and take time in the coming year to make effective changes.
Research courtesy Hubspot

Master Your Career

      Zig Zigler passed away this past week. He was a mentor of mine. Even though I never personally met him I saw him live once and have listened to his cds and podcasts for many many years. A lot of my life philosophies have been impacted by this man. Many motivational speakers have recycled much of his material and woven it into their presentation, so you've probably been influenced by this man more than you know. Last month I had the opportunity to spend some time with another mentor of mine Geno Stampora. He gave me a few cds to listen to and give him my feedback. I have to say I have been listening to them several times a week this past month and they take me through a host of emotions. To say they are just motivational is really not enough. It was Mr. Zigler that said motivation is like deodorant, you have to do it every day or you start to stink. I agree, I have to listen to something inspirational every day. I have to share some Geno wisdom with all the listeners tonight.
1. Work Ethic. Do you have a great work ethic? Are you willing to do whatever it takes? It will have a direct effect on how much you make. Are you willing to give 100% every day. What about 100% most days and maybe 50% others. Don't think it matters? You won't notice a difference in a week. However, an interesting think happens over time. It will matter in month, greatly in a year, five six years down the road, wow a whole lot of money you could have had, should have had left on the table.
2. You have to have the look and act attitude. You have to look good, act good, smell good. You have to act like you know and if you don't you have to act "as if" until you do. I mean we've all gotten back from a show and put that new product on the very first client we could get our hands on. You know, with the cheat sheet in the drawer next to us.

3.  Study Time, do you practice what you do? Could you do what you do better, to add value to your market place? Are you watching videos? Reading a good book? Listening to cds? Help yourself grow.
4.  Preparation. Successful people are prepared. Don't disrespect yourself or your client, or the people you work with by being unprepared.
5.  Personal marketing. What are you doing to market yourself in the beauty industry? Quit waiting for the salon you work at to market you. It's not going to happen. You have to have a personal marketing campaign.
6.  Dialogue. How do you meet someone? How do you talk about what you do?
7.  Learn how to connect. Don't just make eye contact, look to see the color of their eyes. Have a sincere, human connection. When they talk, match their tone of voice and match their speed. People like people who they think are like them. For an hour, be like them.

8.  Have true client respect. We all have Those clients, let them go and refuse to go with them. Most of our clients are fabulous, but learn to respect them all.
9. Honesty. It is important to be honest, all the time. Once you lie to a client, you're done. Don't sell them things they don't need, don't talk to them about things they don't need.
10. Stay inspired. Who is inspiring you? Who are your mentors? Who are you reading and studying right now? You need inspiration every day. Listen to something inspiring, music, guided meditations, DVDs cds seminars, every day. Some days just suck. Change what you can change, leave the rest behind. Develop an inspirational calendar. Start to inspire yourself to be everything you can be. To do more and be more and have more. Life is happening in the moments, make every moment count.

11. Expertise. At what point will you become an expert at what you do? At what point can you say I am a master? It will make a difference in your world, your income, how people see you. Is there something you don't know, that if you did know would make a difference, take you to that next level. Are you branding yourself as an expert?
12 Consistency. You must be consistent. Treat every client like a new client. Treat every client like they matter, do great work, all the time. Commit to excellence. Take care of people.
Geno Stampora