So You Want Success?

 

       The question often comes up on social media on how to grow an existing business or launch a start up. Everyone has great advice, that helped them and it’s all good. But in order to grow fast, and purposefully you must build with intense focus. I listened to a Success webinar on Friday night, yes those of you that know me well know I am that dork. Well to be fair it was the last day it was available so I really had no choice. Darren Hardy took 6 years of interviews with top entrepreneurs and boiled their success down to just a few principles. I thought I’d share a few of them with you tonight.  You must narrow your focus and think big. Keep your eyes and ears open because everyone around you is a mentor. I have marketing ears; I hear messages all around me that I can use in some way for my business. The size of your success will be the size of the problem you are willing to solve.  Second, Invest in your people, and it you are an independent that means you still need to build a team. Surround yourself with the right people, those that will keep you in check, not just in love with yourself.  Good people tell you what you want to hear; great people tell you what you need to hear. Build a team around your deficits, your company is only as good as the people in it.Third,  Have a game plan and maximize your team’s strengths.  Multiply your capacity through team.  Push yourself, we are all best under a bit of pressure. Be tenacious and be willing to work like hell. Getting the most out of your work day is more about saying no than saying yes, focus is about saying no. What is the most important point of impact for your business? Is it social media, networking, word of mouth? You must know what the best thing is to focus on to move your business forward. Prune your life and delegate the rest to someone better than you.  Fourth are you failing enough? From every failure comes great lessons. Learn from it, come back and start again, or as Richard Branson says “Screw it let’s do it “.  If you are only succeeding you are not taking enough risks and this is where you really learn to fly. When you think it’s time to bail is where the greatest opportunities exists.  Failure is part of the pathway to great success and you’ll be in great company. Get out of your own way, out of your comfort zone. Break barriers and don’t be complacent. Knowing you have room to improve will keep you hungry and hungry people succeed. Learn from others and get better. Be greedy in acquiring knowledge. 

 

     Warren Buffet says: Investing in yourself is the best thing you can do. What skill, if you knew it, would make your business skyrocket? Go learn that skill and invest in your growth. Fifth Did you know that distractions are the number one threat to your business? It costs us as country $650 billion dollars in lost productivity. We are constantly fracturing our focus, so much so there is a new term for it. It’s called Digiphrenia,or digital chaos. When we are overwhelmed we are in danger of convenient distraction, oh let me just check my email, again or see what’s happening on Facebook. Learn to control your attention and put a filter on what you let enter your head. Find a few things that matter and learn to grey everything else out, again prune your digital world.  And last but not least you need a proven strategy, daily, weekly,  monthly strategies to stay disciplined and sustain your passion. Jim Rohn said success leaves clues so study business, study successful people. Hire a coach; work with a mentor and focus on your productivity. You can only grow into your goals by investing in yourself. If you haven’t read the 4 hour work week I highly recommend it. While all the principles may not apply directly to our day to day business the practices certainly apply to our entrepreneurial mindset. Focus focus and more focus will create amazing productivity and that’s smart marketing.

Americas Beauty Show Day 1

     Young nails was rocking as usual. I got a quick hot tip from Melissa DeLaCruz.  Purchase Young Nails buffers. At the end of your gel service, with a soft gel topcoat go ahead and buff to a higher shine, retail to the client and encourage her to buff the shine back into her nails in between her nail appointment.  She becomes a walking advertisement for your work with her super shiny nails and you have a new retail client adding extra dollars to your bottom line.

     Who says people aren’t talking about Nail Talk Radio. Our long time listener Traci Wilcox shared a funny story with me. One of her guests got a gift certificate at another salon from a friend and during her visit she was talking to the nail tech all about Nail Talk Radio and all the other products on the market besides the one brand she was using. Sad her client seems to know more about the industry than this tech did. Happy Traci is sharing the nail talk radio love. Hillary Fry a regional Educator for LaPalm Spa Products was named  2014 International Nail Technician of the year 2014 stars winner so a big shout out to her.

 

I also chatted with Gel II owner Michael Le about their brand new easy soak off formulation. Gel II is great for any sensitive clients that may have allergies. All gel polishes are not created equal. There are no solvents in Gel II it is pure gel, that stays put with no running.  The new easy soak off formula soaks off in under 6 minutes and wrapping the hands in a warm towel speeds it up even further. He also gave me a sample of a prototype no cleanse Top coat, same quick soak off. Their Polish II professional polish is also great for stamping.  He sampled me a few so I’ll be sure to post photos.

We spent some time at the Famous Names booth with our friends Jim and Linda Nordstrom where Linda was demoing their amazing new IBX treatment. She shared this exciting new technology and how IBX is truly revolutionary because it does not bond to the keratin in the nail, it bonds to itself forming a protective shield within the natural nail. Understanding the clients nail health should be our number one concern, this product truly is a game changer.

 

     Then it was off to Cuccio and our friend Elaine Watson. Their new pastels were already sold out, she definitely underestimated the popularity. Tony’s motto for 2014 is nail techs should not have to buy polish so whenever you buy a Cuccio Veneer you get the polish for free. I like the way they think. She also shared their new liquid art Nail Sugar with the super cool lighted wand. No more sprinkles everywhere this all in one glitter party just takes one stroke for super blingy nails.

 

     At the end of the day Braden and I sat in on the ABS trend panel to listen to CND’s Jan Arnold. Excited to be a part of the panel Jan shared nails are now the hottest fashion accessory. Nail techs are not just grooming nails anymore they are now adorning nails. Fashion forward nail design brings out a womans alter ego and put a punctuation mark on the total look. She showed a highlight reel of their runway work over the years and their summer collection.

 

Are You a Customer Service Super Star?

 

     Let's talk about something often overlooked by professionals, yet never overlooked by the client. Customer service, or in our arena, client service. Many a tale is told about horrible service, yet you will be hard pressed to find stories about great service.  Since we are in a service business this should be a top priority in our tool box. Don’t bother marketing yourself to the masses if you don’t have exemplary client service.  I attended a class given by a gentleman from the Ritz Carlton hotel chain several years ago in Orlando on customer service. The Ritz Carlton is legendary for their customer service and he had great information to share. Why then if great customer service is so important do we have such a hard time finding it? With the onset of social media customer service horror stories are only a click away. So many rant over poor customer service but rarely rave about good customer service. So what are the key ingredients to great customer service?  Anticipate needs. Don’t just respond to them. If you know what your client likes to drink why not have it ready for her when she arrives for her appointment? If you know her favorite shades why not pick up ones at the store or the latest show and tell her I thought of you. Everyone likes to feel special and anticipating your client’s needs is a huge advantage in today’s busy, take a number and wait your turn business world. If you know there is a special event coming up for your client why not offer to get their appointments on the books before they get shut out, or you end up working extra hours. Also if you know you will be out of the salon during one of their appointment time’s look ahead to accommodate their appointment so they are not scrambling at the last minute. If your salon allows, why not offer a glass of wine after a long grueling day? 

   

      Clients so appreciate the little touches that make their visit an experience. If problems arise work diligently to find the best solution possible, even if you have to go a bit out of your way. Taking care of a problem swiftly and compassionately turns the problem into a great customer service experience. Sometimes it’s as simple as asking What is it you would like to have happen here? If there are mistakes such as in booking or miscommunication in pricing, own the mistake upfront. Don’t avoid it, deny it or try and bury it. Oftentimes when I have a problem arise I automatically assume the mistake was my fault. Saying I’m so sorry I must have miscommunicated or made this error myself, let’s look at possible solutions together. Many times the client will actually realize it is their error, but because they were not put on the defensive from the onset they are much more agreeable in finding a resolution. We all just want to be heard and understood, our clients are no different. When you go above and beyond your clients expectations, clients tell others. It is the backbone of client referrals having great customer service. BE a story they want to share that sheds the best possible light on your salon. It’s not hard to deliver great customer service but it is a decided practice. You must be present, so your client senses you truly care about them and the service you are providing. Make them the star for that half hour or hour service. Encourage them, compliment them and don’t forget to thank them, after all without them there is no us. Continuing to strive toward excellent customer service is smart business and smart marketing.

Are You an MVP?

 

     I have to share something that stopped me in my tracks this week and as fast as I go that’s not easy. It's how to be an MVP by Kevin Durant. I watched the Youtube video of his acceptance speech and was blown away by his wisdom and heart. Here's a few things he shared.  Know who to thank. NO one gets to this status on their own.  First off he thanks God. Something many superstars shy away from. Understanding his gifts are just that, gifts.  He realizes basketball is just a platform for him to inspire people, and inspire he does. He came from humble beginnings, and felt trapped with no way out.  His original desire was to be a rec coach and help kids. He never dreamed he would make it to college, much less the NBA and certainly not the MVP .  He recognizes he had so much help, those that believed in him when he didn’t believe in himself.  With doubt came motivation and each time he fell he got back up. He’s been through the toughest times, but he’s still standing. He plays basketball because he loves it. It is his passion. He fell in love with the game the first time he walked into a gym.  He fell in love with not just the game, but also the people in the game. He thanks his team, that pushed him to be the best he could be. He singled out just about every player and I couldn’t help but notice his very real respect and admiration for their similarities but mostly their differences. He was always open to learning, even from the rookies. His teammates lift him up, both in his game and his spirit. They taught him there is never a point when you can stop getting better.              They called him MVP all along planting that seed. They respected him as a player and as a man. He went on to praise and thank his team mates sharing individual stories and wished he had a sharpie to put all their names on the trophy. He understands that when you’ve got people behind you, you can do whatever. He thanked them for making him look good, better than on his own and boosting his confidence when it was low.  It takes a strong man to admit he isn’t always right and he did, on national television.  He is also humble enough to admit he has bad days, and isn’t always the best example for the younger players but they are still there to push him to greatness, to elevate his game both on and off the court. By taking the time to get to know his teammates in work and life they inspire him as much as he inspires them.  Knowing they are watching him inspires him to be on point. They compete, but to be better to make each other better. It spoke volumes that every player was there to support him knowing they had a tough game the next day, and he thanked them for that. He thanked the organization, the owners, the coaches, the support staff and the fans for the opportunity and the support.  No act of support went unnoticed or was taken for granted.  But is got real when he thanked his family. He thanked his brothers for believing in him, and giving him the confidence to believe in himself. He thanked his grandma for making him peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and texting him after the games to tell him to stop getting so many techs.  And last but certainly not least he thanked his mom.  She had two boys by the time she was 21, the odds were stacked against us, he said. But she was there, pushing him, screaming at him from the sidelines of his games at 8 years old. She made them believe, kept them off the street, put clothes on their backs and food on the table even when she didn’t eat herself.  He said “You the real MVP.”  And last, thanked God again. If you want to understand what it takes to be an MVP in work and life, do yourself a favor and take the 26 minutes to watch this video. He is an amazing young man, an MVP on the court and off. Happy Mothers Day.

Watch the whole think here MVP

Mom's Special Day

    

      Yes mother’s day is this weekend. And hopefully you all have gotten your mother’s day specials out there already. But the beauty of social media is, it’s never too late. Mother’s day gift card sales should be second only to the Holiday season.  So how do you get last minute gift card sales? Post a contest on your business page every day.  Maybe things like do you live the farthest away from your mom?  Best mini me’s? Most deserving mom?  Why your mom is the best in 40 characters or less.  You can post different contests on different mediums. Instagram is more photo friendly for those doppelgänger photos.  Or why not post a favorite photo? I love those reenacted photos we have seen so much on social media. Facebook is better suited for a longer post, more story friendly. Maybe share a favorite memory, favorite meal or favorite vacation you shared. And don’t forget Twitter for why my mom is the best, in 40 characters or less.  Take photos of a Mom’s special spa basket of products and likes and shares are automatically entered to win.  Make sure everyone knows all posts on your social media sites will entered to win, and encourage them to share.  There are countless specials to consider and I always liked to partner with another area business to get twice as much exposure. Network with owners or managers to see if you can exchange gift certificates or products and services outright.

 

     

     Look to partner with a wine and beverage store so mom can get her drink on, because you are probably the reason she drinks anyway.  Offer a percentage off your services for every one of their customers to purchase for their mom and visa versa. Restaurants are always a good business to partner with.  Take mom to lunch and enjoy a free dessert or appetizer and Mom gets a free upgrade, or retail product or percentage off her service at your salon.  Local florists can be a good resource as well. Look around at all the area businesses and brainstorm with friends, staff, heck why not ask mom what her first choice would be. I had a contest years back where kids could enter their moms in a contest for a free make-over. Imagine my surprise years later when I moved my salon and found that letter. I was able to give that mom the letter that her daughter submitted, good thing because her daughter was now a teenager and I don’t think I need to say anything else on that.  Create mother daughter services that can be enjoyed together, whether it is a simple manicure or a half day of pampering. In some instances they are both moms and could both use their own pampering.  So take advantage of social media this week to blast your message across the miles for mother’s day smiles because that’s smart marketing.