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Which Came First - The Chicken Or The Egg: Client Edition · Salon Success Secrets — The podcast for salon owners who are done hustling harder and ready to break their revenue ceiling.

• 0:33
  Speaker 1: Today we are talking about an age old question, that is, which came first the chicken or the egg and we were diving into this looking at it from a viewpoint of clients.
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: You know, one of the number one things that we hear inside of our industry when people salon owners are looking for help.
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: One of the biggest things that we hear all the time is I need more clients.
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: And so today we are going to be diving into which came first the clients or the process that serves them and really diving into see like, which was it that came first and what is it that we should be focusing on as salon owners inside of our companies next, yes, I love that you said that, because I was just actually in a growth session with the service provider and the same thing, like I just need more new clients.
• 1:20
  Speaker 2: I just need more new clients.
• 1:21
  Speaker 2: I'm like, okay, let's pump the brakes, let's take a look at your retention, because that's going to paint us a story about your guest experience and then we'll know if you truly need new clients or we just need to elevate the experience that you're already doing with the clients that you have.
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: And so it's a really big awakening for that service provider to be like oh my gosh, yes, I didn't realize I was missing some of the sales process that we have in place, which we're going to talk about today, to really help elevate my income without actually having to see new clients?
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: Yes, and I think you know it's kind of a shocking statistic when you know that only 25% of new guests are retained when they visit a salon company for the first time.
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: 25%, so that means two out of every 10 new guests that come into your salon are most likely sticking around, and you know so, hey, that means you you got 10 new clients at some point but you only kept two of them, and so it's a really great metric to really pay a lot of attention to.
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: And it's a really great thing, like you just mentioned, to talk about during those growth sessions with a service provider, so that you can come up with those strategies to really elevate the experience it is that they are creating.
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: And so I'm excited, too, to dive into this sales process today too to see you know kind of what it is that they are creating.
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: And so I'm excited to to dive into this sales process today too to see you know kind of what it is that you can uncover.
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: You know that might be holding you back from maybe taking that two and making it a four or making it a five or six, or or.
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: Ideally, we would all love to keep 10 out of every 10 new guests that we see.
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: But what this can really do for our numbers is huge inside of a salon and it boosts morale.
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: It just makes life so much easier.
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: So I'm excited to dive into this topic today.
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: Yeah, Awesome.
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: So let's talk about the sales process.
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: So when you if you have a sales process in your salon, you're probably following along, but like a sales process if you know the word process it's a series of steps with an expected outcome.
• 3:20
  Speaker 2: So a lot of times we don't have a sales process, we're missing some elements in the sales process.
• 3:26
  Speaker 2: Our service providers actually create their own process, and so that's why it's really a huge opportunity to get crystal clear about hey, this is what our sales process looks like.
• 3:37
  Speaker 2: It's non-negotiable, and this will help us with all aspects of the business with growing average ticket, with increasing retention, with new guest retention like retail sales.
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: All of that because the sales process helps the service provider to know okay, this is step one, this is step two, this is step three, this is step four.
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: And it helps to lower their resistance to oh my gosh, what do I do next, what's the next step, what's missing.
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: And so we're going to go over that today so that you know, at the end of the day, you'll know which comes first the chicken or the egg.
• 4:08
  Speaker 1: Yeah, I love that, jen, and you know, really, even just thinking about like, hey, you know, we're just trying to create an environment where people want to buy, and that's truly what the sales process does is it helps aid in the creation of the environment where people want to buy.
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: So we're never going to be convincing anyone to buy anything that they don't want or need.
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: You know, this is just an idea of how do we create that environment to where it is that people want to buy, they want to spend their time, they want to come back to, and so when you're crystal clear about what your sales process is and, like Jen mentioned, it's non-negotiable that's when you really start to see those numbers increase.
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: You know, because, you know again, we never want to get, you know, really super connected to the outcome of whether they buy or don't buy.
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: We really want to get connected to what is the environment that we're trying to create, so that people do feel like they really want to purchase more things.
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: And if we notice, hey, our numbers are low in a certain area, um, you know, maybe they're low in our rebooking, or maybe they're low in our retailer, whatever that is, then we can look at like, how do we influence that environment to make it even better?
• 5:17
  Speaker 1: So let's go ahead and dive in and take a look at what are all of the environments that it is that we're trying to create during this sales process.
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: Awesome.
• 5:26
  Speaker 2: So your first step is going to be the welcome step, and so this is where you want to get crystal clear about like, what does the greeting look like when someone enters your salon?
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: You know, is there a uniform branded saying that you say, or exactly what does it look like?
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: Where does the guest go?
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: What does the client or guest, what does the client do?
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: What does the client see next?
• 5:46
  Speaker 2: And so you want to have this process like actually written out and you'll start to pay attention as you go into businesses too is like when you walk into a space like oh, I really love this or this isn't resonating with me, and so, like, really working with your team, is it like do you say welcome back?
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: When you get, when a guest comes in, do you say how's your day going?
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: Whatever it may be, you just want to make sure that it's streamlined and then it's uniform so that somebody feels that warm greeting.
• 6:11
  Speaker 2: Because, you know, someone said to me the other day they said I learned this from a mentor.
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: They were like you know, a lot of times we're trying to be like different, we're trying to stand out, but really, at the end of the day, it's not always about being different.
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: It's about making that connection, and so when you have that great welcome entrance, it really helps to create that connection between the salon and the clients.
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: I love that, jen, because when you are able to create that connection, that does just wow people for sure.
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: You know, and I think we've all had a good or a bad experience with a welcome, when we've gone in somewhere and you know, I think, not to pick on nail salons, but you know they, they can kind of come with, you know just some.
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: You know a typical experience could be you walk in and they just say, you know, pick out your color or whatever it is, and you're like, well, I'm actually here to get a gift card, can I do that?
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: You know it does not create the environment where you want to buy, you know, and or they are like, do you have an appointment?
• 7:06
  Speaker 1: And you're like, well, no, can I just walk in?
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: You know, and so just really, you know being cognizant, like when you have that experience versus wow, the difference is just incredible.
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: So once you nail that welcome and you're crystal clear on what that looks like for your salon company, the next thing that you want to really think about the environment is the tour.
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: So you know, anytime somebody new comes into your space, you really want to, you know, set the stage for making their experience comfortable.
• 7:40
  Speaker 1: It doesn't matter if you are in a 200 square foot space or a 20,000 square foot space.
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: You want to make sure that that new client, you know, understands kind of what's going on and what's in it for them.
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: So you know, an old school tour would have been all about showcasing you and who you are and who the salon company is, you know.
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: But now what matters most is helping make that guest, that client, feel comfortable and it's just going to set the stage for their whole experience.
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: So you want to show them around your salon space.
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: You want to point out like, hey, this is our volume and lengthening wall.
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: If you have ever thought that you might enjoy more volume or length in your hair, this is a great thing that we could kind of dive into during your experience with us today.
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: You know, show them the amenities, let them know if you have like chargers or medicine or you know anything to make their experience better, and let them know how they can get that, where it's either located or who to ask.
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: Introduce them to a couple of people on the team.
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: Let them know, hey, things are a little different here.
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: You're going to notice we do work together as a team, you know.
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: And so I think pointing out a few things like that really helps lower people's resistance.
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: Uh, when they come into this space Cause you know that's the hardest thing is coming into the space for the first time and once they already start to feel relaxed, then they're going to be more likely to take on the information that you're trying to help them with when it comes to solving their hair, skin, nail, whatever problems it is that they might be experiencing, that you're trying to help them elevate.
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: So so get them really acclimated to the space during that tour so that you can create an awesome environment for them.
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: Yeah, awesome.
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: And so the next step of the process is actually going to be the consultation, and I think this one, they're all really huge.
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: This one really stands out to me because, like you know, clients sit in the chair and they look around the salon and they see maybe stylist or service provider a like asking a lot of questions, giving a great consultation, and then their experience is like wow, my service provider asked me one question and got started right away.
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: And so you want to have some kind of uniform, like maybe it's two or three questions that's asked during every consultation and maybe those change monthly, so that you can really find out what's most important to the client.
• 10:01
  Speaker 2: Like what can we really help you with today?
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: What are your biggest challenges so that we can make you an offer?
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: Someone says, like an offer you don't make is one they can't take, but it's hard to create an offer if you don't even know their greatest challenges.
• 10:13
  Speaker 2: And so, like really diving into your consultation process and making sure that the team is clear about, hey, what's most important to learn from the client?
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: I love that.
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: And you know, once you've nailed that consultation, the next step would be diagnosis.
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: You know, and this is where you really want to provide a clear diagnosis based on your consultation and start to offer those solutions you know, and so what this is going to do is it's going to build confidence in your expertise and show that you understand their needs.
• 10:45
  Speaker 1: And so you know, really, during this diagnosis phase, you know, this is where you really, you know, want to view yourself as a hair doctor, a skin doctor, whatever that is like they are coming to you because they want solution.
• 10:58
  Speaker 1: So imagine if you went to your doctor and you said you know, like, hey, I've been.
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: So imagine if you went to your doctor and you said, you know, like, hey, I've been experiencing headaches and backaches, and you know whatever ailments.
• 11:08
  Speaker 1: And your doctor was like, okay, cool, let's go ahead and get started.
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: Have you been watching any TV shows lately?
• 11:15
  Speaker 1: You're like, wait, what?
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: Like did you hear what I just said?
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: You know, and so, really making sure that you are super present during that consultation so that, when you get to that diagnosis, you're able to give them a clear diagnosis and help offer solutions.
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: You know, um, and, and really taking it seriously, starting to kind of build out like, hey, you know, with that diagnosis, like here's some of the products that we're going to be talking about that can really elevate your overall look.
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: You know you mentioned frizz was one of your biggest hair concerns, and so you know we do have a few permanent solutions and then we have some daily solutions as well, and so we'll go over some of those daily solutions during your styling process today.
• 11:59
  Speaker 1: But I did just want to let you know hey, we offer XYZ solution.
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: You know that you could do once or twice a year, based on your particular needs.
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: That would also help aid in your frizz, you know.
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: So just creating those offerings so that people know that it's available.
• 12:14
  Speaker 1: I think you know, one of the biggest problems with diagnosis is that not enough people provide enough solutions to people, because they really get stuck in their head about well, this costs money.
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: Well, yeah, everything in the world costs money and just because, like, you're preventing them, just because you're, you know, not telling them about the solution doesn't prevent them from buying it.
• 12:34
  Speaker 1: It's not your job to worry about anybody's financial situation.
• 12:38
  Speaker 1: It's, you know, your position to offer them a solution and then let them decide what it is that they want to address most.
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I love that.
• 12:49
  Speaker 2: So after the diagnosis is going to come a step five, which is the actual service.
• 12:53
  Speaker 2: And so this is where you want to pay really close attention to detail.
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: You know, like what are the connection points that you're making with a client during this time?
• 13:01
  Speaker 2: Maybe it's the heart Does everyone use hot towels?
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: Maybe there's a certain neck points that you're making with a client during this time, maybe it's the does everyone use hot towels?
• 13:04
  Speaker 2: Maybe there's a certain neck massage that you perform, or makeup touch up at the end of the service.
• 13:10
  Speaker 2: And so the more consistent you can be with every service provider you know, the greater outcome of you will have.
• 13:17
  Speaker 2: And so, like you know, it's so crazy.
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: It's like sometimes somebody will see one service provider and maybe you've seen this or experienced this.
• 13:23
  Speaker 2: Somebody will see one service provider and maybe you've seen this or experienced this.
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: They'll see one service provider and they're like blown away because they got a neck massage, they got a makeup touch-up, and they see another service provider and they didn't get any of that and what happens in that moment?
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: It breaks trust with the entire salon company.
• 13:35
  Speaker 2: And so really, you know talking to your team about, like what are your non-negotiables when it comes to service standards and like how can we really make clients feel pampered and well taken care?
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: I love that, jen.
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: That definitely would create a lot more trust.
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: And that next step, after you've nailed the service, is the prescription stage, and so this is where you recommend the right products or services to maintain their look at home, and so this is truly what matters.
• 14:07
  Speaker 1: Yes, you can give them an amazing style on the day of their visit, but if they don't understand how to maintain it until their next visit, you know that's they're not going to love their look as much, and so making sure that you gather the products to have them easily accessible for them to take home with them, and then explain how to use each one properly, you know, because sometimes we forget.
• 14:28
  Speaker 1: We know you know, to get the best results, how to hold the can away from the head, but the guests might not know that you know we know how much product to use, how often to use it.
• 14:40
  Speaker 1: So really going into those details during the prescription stage is huge, so that they feel empowered when they get home to recreate their look, whether it's their hair, it's maintaining their skin, whatever it might be.
• 14:53
  Speaker 2: Yeah, awesome, and then I love that.
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: And the next step of that is, too, is going to be maintaining results.
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: So this is where you really want to create security in your business, and so what that means is making sure that the guest knows when they need to come back.
• 15:07
  Speaker 2: You know, if the guests call and say, yeah, I think it's been six weeks, six time for me to come back in, that's a fail.
• 15:13
  Speaker 2: We want to be able to educate that client to know, hey, to maintain your look, or on this hair journey or the skin journey, this is what needs to happen.
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: I think it really helps to create consistency.
• 15:24
  Speaker 2: It helps to build long-term relationships as well, because you know, like, let's say, you have 100 hours in your salon company to sell for the month and your pre book is only 30%.
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: Well, that means probably the next month you're going to have to feel 70% of the hour.
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: So if you had 100 hours, I'd be like 70 hours you're trying to find clients for, and so there's so much impact and creating that long term relationship because when clients do reserve their next visit, it shows loyalty, it shows a brand that's really creating a space for loyal clients.
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: Think about Apple.
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: People are in line to get the newest, latest, greatest technology.
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: We want to create that same experience in our salon, so they're always coming back wanting something new.
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: I love that.
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: And the next phase, then, would be the checkout process.
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: And so we love to use the love checkout process, um, where you know the L stands for.
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: Listen, you know.
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: Ask them what was the best part about your service today or about your experience today, sorry, and you know, just listen to what their experience was like, because that can really help.
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: You know're like I just loved that you greeted me with my favorite drink.
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: Already, knowing what stands out to people can help take your great team and make them even more excellent.
• 16:43
  Speaker 1: And so listen, then offer products.
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: So go over the products.
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: Make sure that they are taking the prescription home that they need to verify.
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: Their next appointment with them is the V, so getting that next reservation set up and then exchange of you know, money and gratitude at the end, you know, and making sure they know, hey, if there's loyalty points involved, they received those, you know.
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: And just that you're grateful that they chose you, so that when you go through that love checkout, it just makes it're grateful that they chose you, so that when you go through that love checkout, it just makes it beautiful every time and they know what to expect.
• 17:18
  Speaker 2: I love me, some love checkout, awesome, all right.
• 17:21
  Speaker 2: And so the next step is going to be the follow up, and so this is where you really want to have a system where, like, if it's a new client like that, you're doing maybe a follow up call with the script to make sure that their experience was exactly as they expected.
• 17:34
  Speaker 2: This is also a huge opportunity for like a 30, 60, 90, 180 day plan.
• 17:39
  Speaker 2: Like if the client hasn't been in 60 or 90 or 180 days, however many days it may be, like you have like a email blast that you send, or a way to communicate with them or still help them see the value, so that, in turn, that helps them be like oh yeah, I haven't been into salon ABC lately.
• 17:56
  Speaker 2: It's time for me to get back in there.
• 17:58
  Speaker 2: So you want to have that system laid out and you can automate that system a lot of times so that you don't even have to think about it.
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: Yeah, so good, you know, and you might be thinking, wow, all of this is amazing.
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: What next?
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: Well, the next thing is is this is the beginning of the process for you.
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: So you get to, you know, work together to implement that nine step process.
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: And when you have that sales process really nailed down and everybody knows the agreement to win, that's when people can start winning.
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: It's just when there's confusion about, like, how do we do this, how do we do that, what do I say?
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: You know, that's where everybody makes up their own.
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: They do their own greetings, they do their own servicing, they do their own prescribing.
• 18:40
  Speaker 1: And so when you get really crystal clear and share that vision with everyone on your team, then during huddles and salon celebrations and things like that, you can work on implementing those and elevating them over time.
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: Yeah, awesome.
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: I'm shaking my head over there.
• 18:56
  Speaker 2: I'm like, yeah, this is good, this is good.
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: So you know, just just to reinforce what we talked about today.
• 19:02
  Speaker 2: It's not just about getting more clients, you know.
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: It's about serving the ones you have with excellence.
• 19:06
  Speaker 2: And so, if you loved this podcast, and be sure to share it with a friend, and we can't wait to catch you next week.