Top Ten Things Your Clients Want

       Speaking to a colleague the other day I shared with her the fact that I had never been a beauty consumer. Well never spent my own, grown up money on beauty. Getting into this business so young it was hard for me to understand the value in what we do and to understand what drives beauty consumers in their choices. Then I saw this article in Inc magazine about a week ago that had some interesting thoughts I wanted to share. Before you market to your clients you really need to figure out what it is they want, not what you want to sell them. Coming at your marketing from the perspective of filling a need or want makes a whole lot of sense. I've taken what Inc says, and applied it to beauty world.

1. Bring New Perspectives and Ideas. If clients could do their own, hair, skin and nails as well as we do, we would be quite simply, be out of business. We must consistently seek out new solutions to beauty challenges in the form of new services and cutting edge products. Stay ahead of the beauty curve.
2 Be Willing to Collaborate. No matter how much expertise and skill you have clients do not want to be SOLD, even if it's fabulous. Today clients want to be part of the process. A partner in their own success. Be a good listener and responsive in your approach.
3 Have Confidence in Your Ability to Achieve Success. In other words, be awesome and believe in yourself and the products you use and sell. Clients can see right through skepticism and doubt and will lose faith in a hurry. Confidence in your ability and passionabout your products is contagious.

 

4. Listen, Really Listen to the Customer. How many times do you notice that someone in a sales or service transaction has listened only long enough to find a break in the conversation only to launch into their sales pitch. No regard for what it is you have said. Annoying isn't it? Don't do it to your clients. Be patient, forget about your goals and listen to what the customer's needs are because after all, isn't it really about them?
5. Understand ALL the Customers' Needs. Connect the dots between what you offer and the end result. It's not a pedicure, It's an I'm taking the time to relax and rejuvenate my soul and do something just for me because I'm worth it statement. Get to the emotional connection, the personal need being fulfilled.
6. Help the Customer Avoid Potential Pitfalls. With all the media attention focused on nail world understand clients are more aware than ever of risks. Don't avoid this area, be on the offensive explaining your expert knowledge of risks and offering what solutions you have in place to make sure these don't happen.
7. Craft a Compelling Solution. It is not enough to have the product or the service you must create a compelling reason why you have the best solution for them. Competition is tough, make sure you can explain, in detail why your solution to their beauty challenge is better.
8. Communicate the Purchasing Process. Don't dance around issues like price, availability, discounts and the like. Clients want straight talk, not smoke and mirrors, no surprises, no last minute additional costs.

9. Connect Personally with the Customer. Clients want to do business with someone they have a connection with and someone they trust. There is a direct correlation with amount of money they spend and their trust in you.
10. Provide Value that's Superior to Other Options. Last, at the bottom of the list, literally is price comparison. If you can't prove to the customer that spending money with you is the best business decision they should rightfully buy from someone else.
Look deeper into your client relations and selling process. Adding a few of these ideas will most certainly increase your bottom line and make you a better marketer.
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Retention Marketing

      What is great marketing without great retention? Do you know your retention rate? Out of 100 new customers do you know how many are still coming in one year later? Do you know the industry standard?
Unfortunately the most recent statistics posted online have the average retention rate at about 30 percent. So 30 out of that hundred stayed on as a client, worse yet that's 3 out of 10. Not such a great rate. So with social media, rewards companies and gurus praising electronic marketing and push notifications why are retention rates still this low? How on earth can you move the needle and get a larger percentage to stay loyal to you? Basically you need to quit pushing your agenda and start listening to your clients. Salon loyalty is not what it used to be. I have to blame GroupOn for that, well some of that. Their ridiculous service discounts offered your guest the opportunity to try out another salon, basically about the same caliber as yours, let's be honest. There is a certain sea of sameness among mid-level salons out there. Actually all levels have about the same feel and experience. So what is it you are truly doing to keep your guests coming back, remaining loyal. A Facebook contest? A discount for a last minute appointment? I read an interesting article over the weekend called Need a better enewsletter? Think like a drug dealer on Inc.com. While I don't advocate we drug our clients, although there are those few.. the point was to make them addicted to your content so they can't wait for their next fix. Is your salon and service addictive? You need it to be so they wouldn't even think of going elsewhere. How do you create addictive service? Well there are quite a few strategies that help prevent your clients slipping through the cracks and finding another dealer.

      Be current. You truly need to be up on the latest trends. Do you have to buy the master kit at every show? No. Don't send me hate mail, but you can find most of the new trends at the hobby stores. Once you see if it is a trend that works for you, then you can invest in the master professional kit. Keeping current is also reading the latest nail blogs, trade magazines and listening to Nail Talk Radio. And if the quality of your work is poor, they won't be back, end of story.
Check out what the competition is doing. Maybe not next door but across town. Shankman states in his article" No matter how good your business is, if you’re not monitoring your competition, you’re losing to them. Those who don’t learn from their competitors are doomed to be eaten by them." The only way to really find out if you are better is to be on the same side of the service as your clients. One of my best additions to my basic service was to add heat mitts, when I was offered these at a discount salon and yes, it is still within my 30 minute manicure service.

      Follow up with each and every client. If you are going to use a rewards program Keep it simple sweetie. If they have to rack up points in the hundreds of thousands, really? Mine is simple. I hand each client referral cards. The new client gets 15% off their first service, my current client gets $5 off their next service. Appreciation goes a long way. Follow up each new guest visit with a phone call or a thank you letter. Keeping in touch with clients "just because" is a great way to build a relationship of loyalty. Building loyalty is going above and beyond, with the economic climate what it is most everybody is nice, listens and offers a technically good service. You must go way past what is standard. Tune in next week for more ideas on going above and beyond standard to outstanding.