praise

A sign large posted in one of the salons I used to work for said:  "Don't talk about yourself.  We'll do that after you leave." 

Oh, I hated when my shift there ended.  Because I had witnessed the gossip and newsy ventures into the life of those not there to defend themselves....  Clients, staff and their offspring were not safe!  BEWARE!

Can you imagine?  So, you can be assured the salon is now a parking lot of an assisted living center so the drama does not live on, but the legacy of how that made me feel about going to work there does.

The owner was a specialist with years of expertise and so much to teach me.  Her aged mother would waddle in and review my work even as I was applying hairspray.  Sometimes she was not very appreciative of my efforts, and did not hesitate to correct me even if the client was still sitting there.

The lessons learned at that little nail shop shaped how I ran my own little full service salon a mere mile away just a few years later.  I know for sure that when the old ladies heard I was attempting my own shop they slapped their foreheads in disbelief.  I had learned much about what NOT to do and was now giving my best for the best place to rent/work ever!  I had much to prove, eh?

It didn't take long for me to realize that our staff there would work ten times harder for a compliment than they would for a dollar.  Don't misunderstand here, we all have bills to pay.  But make no mistake, we love this job because we love to make someone happy and its a bonus if they actually turn around and say to us "Thanks, I really like this!

Praise! Praise! Praise! This will only reinforce practice, practice, practice! and make your team even stronger and talented.

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Whether its for a well executed service or a noticeable effort to improve their talent, don't forget to pat them (and yourself) on the shoulder for a job well done.  Just in case the happy face going out the door gets missed in the traffic.

Dress for success

I occasionally shop at a certain store here in town that specializes in natural remedies and organic food. The workers there reflect the store specialty by generally being very "granola" in their appearance in both style and cosmetics.

So I was surprised to be greeted by a familiar face with her newly shaved head with a heavy side fringe dyed Royal Purple that practically screamed "hello" at me. Wow! Apparently, her fiance is a few hours away from graduating from a local Beauty School and has been playing in the paint pots of hair color. As we discussed him and his talent, I found myself thinking  something like "No matter how talented, that person might be, if my hairstylist stood above me in rainbow colored hair, I doubt I could take anything they said seriously, let alone trust them to dig in. ( -- Unless you get me on that not-so-rare-anymore day when I'm game for just about anything that may cause my mother to wince and my husband to think I have gone out of my mind. Just for the heck of it. And then the next day I'm pretty glad the moment has passed.)

Which brings me to my point today. What does your personal appearance say about your desire to succeed? Do you wear on your head and on your body the look that will attract the kind of clients you want to work for? If you had a job interview today, would you get the job? (Technically, every client who sits down for you is your boss.)

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As a color educator for a major company, my supervisor insisted that I never pack or wear jeans for any travel or appearances. As a representative for this company you were expected to always look the part, showcasing your very best appearance at all times.

 

Another place I worked had this dress policy: If your old crush from high school walked in the door today, would you greet him with "I'm All That and a bag of chips!" confidence or would you be looking for the nearest exit, hoping to not be recognized? If it is the latter, why do you come to work looking like that?

One of my first mentors ever was a girl who came to work in torn jeans, flip flops, no make up, and absolutely straight hair. Her clientele? You would not believe it based on the advice I written so far. The shop's most glamorous, big hair, and if I may say big spenders were all in her chair. And they all left looking like a million bucks-- hair teased and sprayed into perfect clouds of famous fluff. You could wait MONTHS to get your turn in her chair. What??? She will assure you that she DID THE DRESS FOR SUCCESS THING for years while she built her clientele. She carefully dressed each morning in super firm bangs and high heels to collect her glamorous and high paying clientele. Once her talent and reputation spoke for her she relaxed her personal style and laughed all the way to the bank.

Think about your professional appearance  Are you wearing what you are selling?  Take care to be the kind of look you want your clientele to be.  Its as important as any ad you would pay for.



What is your success style?

Your the customer today.

What can you learn from watching other businesses?

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Recommends you do those unexpected things that make
clients remember visits with you.

I like to observe what other businesses are doing.  It interests me to see what they are doing to keep customers coming, and what will ultimately not be a viable money maker.  Sometimes it is so easy to spot and I leave the business thinking "If only they could see that, they would change it."

It makes sense that we do this for our own businesses.  Have a seat in your chair and think about being your customer right now.   What do you see?  Salon promotions, interesting products?  Hairy brushes and shampoo goobers?  (Wait..........  Okay, that little project has been totally bugging me for WEEKS now - and now it is done.  BTW, did you know that WD-40 and a dish scrubber remove spray paint off plastic?)

What are other businesses doing right?  What kinds of things keep your customers attention?

I like shake things up with something unexpected.  I came across an article in my American Spa magazine that stated August 10 is "National S'mores Day".  Who knew?  So I toasted up a bunch of S'more treats in my oven to share.  Random, but enjoyed smiles of delight all day.
 

If your were to give your self advice on one visual thing you could do to improve the view from your chair today, what would it be? 

 

Have you got five minutes?

Make a list and start checking these things off today!

Index Of SCHEDULE'em How To Videos

Okay, fans... here is a simple link to videos that will coach you how to use SCHEDULE'em.  Cut it loose, and try this out.

Weekly Standing appointments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXc1_U_bh3k

Make an Appointment In 30 Seconds Or Less

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wjW50O2jCU

Recent History Tab

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mj3rk0p-oA

Schedule Tab

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmGPJVZp34U

Emails Confirm, Remind, and Send Receipts!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4I6-yzlGH4

Instant Referral Program

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KiH9P4vtVk

Features of the Client Tab

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Idzj0GBCQ7o

Client Check out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C_NSuL2uuo

Hiring a good apple

Keeping your growing salon HAPPY is a daunting task.   There is no proff that I can offer, but it is my opinion that busy stylists don't have time to bicker and cause salon drama.  If they are busy with a client they don't have time to stir things up.

Get Rid of Bad Employees...FAST – Jack Welch, former CEO of GE always believed that 10% of your employees need to go. Bad employees affect the success of everyone on your team and your customer’s experience. They are cancer and you’ve got to rid the team of the cancer before it spreads.



That said, here are a couple of things that you can keep in mind to make your salon a great atmosphere for workers and clientele:

• Don't hire any new talent if you don't have work to provide them.  You and your team should be at full capacity before you go looking for additional help. Nothing will kill morale quicker than a team of people sitting around waiting for clients. The trick is to watch for and anticipate your next new hire. 
• Hire a Salon Assistant to keep things running smoothly.  That person's task may be full of menial things like clutter busting and folding towels, but if your staff feels that someone is there to support them while they are busy, it will help them do more customers with less fatigue. Hiring assistants is an excellent way to capitalize on another team member’s productivity.  The assistant will add volumes to any busy stylist's bottom line.  Consider an assistant for each high producing stylist.  Its a win/win for you and the stylist.
• When considering a hire for a licensed position do not overlook potential when the applicant does not have much experience or clientele.  As a salon owner I find it is much easier to teach skill than manners.  Hire someone with the disposition that will mesh with your current team personalities and you will find a happier result for the entire group, and a solution that will grow with you.

Impossible or I'm possible?

“Love what you do and the money will follow.”  The one thing I would add to that statement is this:  Get to work!  Passion without execution is just a good feeling.

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Don’t try to be everything to everyone. As far as your staff goes, not everyone WILL stay or even SHOULD stay with you. Just lead your team from your heart. Doing so will establish what is to be expected and then others can choose to meet that expectation or not.

Have you ever had one person wreck your whole day?
When was the last time you caved to something and learned from that?

I'M POSSIBLE.