Where You At?

     So we are at the end of the second quarter, which also means one half of the year has gone past us. Do you know where your numbers are?  Are you on track to meet your business goals for the year? Did you set any business goals? Some say to add 33% to your annual figures from last year and push toward that figure. So if you did 50 thousand in revenue in 2013 you should be on track to hit 66500.00 Maybe 30% is too lofty. Maybe some of you will do well this year to stay the same and not go backwards.  Each year you truly should be able to grow your revenue. Even if it’s by reducing costs. Could you downsize to a smaller suite and cut your overhead considerably for the rest of this year? If it makes sense, why not? Don’t be married to a space that you are only hoping to fill. Get real with yourself and your numbers. Don’t stay in a space that no longer suites your needs. Let go of ego, or whatever it is you are holding onto and make the right move. It’s also time to reevaluate every fixed cost in your business and see if you can cut some of those as well. I am looking at encouraging all my guests to pay with cash or check so I can eliminate those pesky charges from my merchant service account that add up over the year. Do you have another area business you can share Wi-Fi with? Another nail tech in town you can split bulk purchases with? Each dollar you carve off your expenses is another dollar in your pocket. Can you consolidate clients into 4 days instead of 5 and save on utilities? Or rent if the case may be? 

 

      Ok so if you are not growing, you have to ask yourself why not? Are your marketing efforts not as effective as they could be? Are you tracking how new people find you? Each person in your chair is a window to at least 100 other people. 250 if they are on social media. If you are not getting referrals you must ask for them.  Word of mouth is a great way to get new clients. Ask for testimonials, ask for Yelp reviews, ask ask ask. Some will, some won’t, so what, move on. Remember it’s all in the asking. Try something like “You know you are one of my favorite clients I truly enjoy and I’m sure you have a lot of wonderful friends I would love to service as well. Would you consider sharing a few of my referral cards with some of your contacts?  Let them know there is something in it for them as well. I automatically reward my client with 5 dollars off her next visit. I don’t keep track and wait until she reaches some unrealistic amount. I reward on the spot. For the high referrers, why not comp an entire service? Appreciation goes a long way.  I heard in relationships women only want three things. Attention, Affection and Appreciation. Our clients are no different.  Most of my clients enter with a smile and leave with a hug.  Figure out which marketing efforts are resulting in new clients and wash, rinse, repeat.

 

     Is it time to up your game? Are you keeping current? Are you able to offer the newest services that can add on service and revenue dollars? Think about what service, if you offered it could up your ticket prices. Think about this, if you ad reflexology to your menu, you probably need education in it right? Well where is that money going to come from Millie? Tell your clients I am going to be offering reflexology in the fall, the first 10 clients to pre-purchase two $50 sessions can take 20% off. So 80 times 10 is 800 dollars right? There is your education fund right there. Plus once those clients have been serviced the rest is all profit. Change it up; look for opportunities to serve in a new way. Read back through some of my blog posts for inspiration and motivation. Make sure the next half of 2014 is your best ever.

Snapchatting Your Story

     We’re always looking for a way to be on the cutting edge and stand out from the pack. I just listened to a salon business podcast about using Snapchat to grow your business. If you have teenagers you already know this social media darling. It has been around since 2011 and like all other platforms high schoolers were the first to use it. Within the last year, like other outlets, businesses have picked up on this unique platform to be able to interact with clients in a much more personal way and offer behind the scenes, in the moment content.  It has become a great way to share your salon story. So you send a photo or video that disappears within 1-10 seconds and once the viewer gets it they can choose to share it respond to it or not. The time sensitive format tends to create a sense of urgency within the viewer to react quickly as snaps only have a 24 hour life span. It is promotion in the moment.  

 

      Integrate Snapchat into your other social media channels to inform people about current events. There seems to be an increase of use in the evening hours and on the weekends. There is also a peek after lunch, when people are hitting that wall and disengage from work to check in with social media for a break. You can set up a series of Snaps, say a gel polish application or nail art in the moment and at the end include a special offer with a code to be used or booked within the 24 hour period. This encourages clients to check in regularly. You can build in promotions or simply inform and educate. Snapchat is a much more personal way to interact with clients. Very few beauty professionals are using Snapchat so you will get a lot of traction becoming an early adopter. Like any other channel you must go all in and devote the time, at least a few months to build a following and to gain interaction. Have fun and you will soon learn what Snaps outperform others. For salon owners with staff , have several staff members Snapchatting your salon at the same time. One person doesn’t have to run it and your clients are getting many different views of what is happening in your salon. Because this is such a visual business it is a great outlet to be using and sharing. It recreates that personal interaction without having to be in the salon. It empowers users to be creative and clients feel that special connection. It’s building relationships, always the goal. Let go of that traditional fear of social media postings and create conversations in a more organic fashion. Content can be constantly created through photos, which get the most engagement. Set up a Snapchat account with a user name and email or phone number and drive people to Snapchat from your other social media sites.

 

      Post things like don’t miss Snapchat Saturdays on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and maybe share things like favorite nail art of the week or best nail restyle. Snapchat events to personally connect with clients that could not be there to make them sure not to miss the next event. Let people k now you are sharing unique information and specials on Snapchat. Gauge your Snapchat success by client response and visits unique to Snapchat offers. You can also track shares and views. Even though the Snapchat demographic is mostly 17-25 it is reaching into the 30 somethings evolving like other sites. You may need to share with your clients how to use it, but then you have empowered them to adopt the new technology and stay on trend, and doesn’t everybody want to keep up? Research also shows early adopters of technology are generally a stronger financial demographic. So take the time, give it three months at least,  have fun  and you can really build your business on Snapchat, cuz that’s smart marketing.
Listen to the podcast here
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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