Is it only the famous hairstylists that earn the big bucks?
Listen to this scenario.
I was in need of a hair cut and went in to a salon that I had never been to before, and I met a young stylist that showed me the way to her chair and we began to talk and exchange greetings. Everything was fine initially and then she started asking me what I wanted in a cut and then I started to see her lack of experience in providing good customer service.
Through-out the process of her cutting my hair I asked some basic questions, like:
1. How do your customers find out about you right now?
2. What's the most efficient way you have for getting new customers?
3. What's the amount of your average sale?
4. What are the three biggest headaches you're having in your business?
5. How long have you worked here?
6. How did you get your start?
7. What are your targets for your business?
8. What aspirations do you have for yourself?
These questions reveal a lot about the person that I'm interviewing.
And this is the decisive part of the whole process of knowing what makes the difference between an average hairstylist and one that wants to excel and build a real business.
This young hairstylist was doing the same as all the other stylists were doing in this salon ... coming in and putting in their time and whatever moola they made that day ... that was their pay. The mentality that she had (dictated by how she handled me) was get as many women in and out of your chair as fast as you can.
(This will equal great frustration: doing the same things and wanting different results)
“Do you want me to book another appointment for you?" She asked, as I gave her way too much for the haircut that she did, “No” I said and that was that.
Nevertheless, let me say that I'm not opposed to paying a little extra moola if the service is better than normal. And that is something that you should memorize and etch into your mind forever.
People understand value based on what everyone else is giving them, so when you give more than they've ever gotten before ... guess what ... you have completely impressed them.
Good customer service will have your customers follow you where you lead them; and now you are starting to build a loyal clientèle that only wants to do business with you.
Think about it with all the times that you have to buy something for yourself, don't you want exceptional service? And when someone supplies it to you, you think WOW, that's great and you remember it and the person that helped you get what you were after.
So the lessons for hairstylists are:
1. don't be like all the other hairstylists
2. the customer actually thinks that you should be taking good care of them
3. go over the top, it's not hard to do today because nobody does it
4. study good customer service strategies and integrate them into your business
5. don't rely on the salon to bring you your prospects, be proactive ... you are responsible for what you accomplish
6. be exceptional in all that you do
These genuine practices will guarantee you success.
How's that for a statement?
Let me say this ... there's no magic pill, and you don't always feel like going the extra mile, and every day is not an “A” day. But if you will train yourself in these areas you can expect to grow your business to an amazing position.
Knowing that most stylists earn between $30 and $50K a year should be incentive for you to want to earn $80 to $100K a year.
Can it be accomplished?
You bet!
But it's not going to fall in your lap; you will have to 'just do it' everyday.
You might not believe this, but most hair stylists under-serve their customers. And if you’d
like to know how to increase the loyalty of your clients especially in these challenging times visit: www.stylin2succeed.com
