How to Build Your Salon Clients

Salon owners spend a lot of resources trying to build a client base and keep them coming back. It is a crucial element to business.

Salon owners spend a lot of resources trying to build a client base and keep them coming back.

It is a crucial element to business success.

Once you have attracted new clients to the salon the next job is ensuring your team has the skills to

•  Communicate effectively
•  Manage expectations
•  Impart knowledge and educate
•  Use products wisely and effectively
•  Create a great service and experience…

and that’s in the first 5 minutes…

Seriously… managing new customers who come to your salon and giving them an experience they want again and again is the name of the game.

6 STEPS FOR YOUR TEAM

Train them in the importance of client retention

Your team needs to make the most of their opportunities with new clients and it takes time and practice.

You know what they say…  fail to plan… plan to fail.

Schedule this as regular training and make it a priority now. If you want business success, it is the first step.

As the owner, you no doubt spend lots of time attracting new customers to your business and we all know how expensive it is to get new leads to take up your offers. Once you have them in your salon do you have any idea how many touchpoints it took to get them there… or how many people you marketed to, to get that one single person to make an appointment?

These figures are very interesting and you should share them with your team. They will never be dismissive with the phone or email inquiry again… or the new customer in the chair!!

First…

Check-in with your stylists.

They can be motivated by various things. Some want extra money, other recognition and benefits. Some just want the satisfaction of being the best and offering a great service.

Regardless, it is an important factor in-salon growth and their development as a fully booked and desired team member. 

Once you understand what motivates them to over-deliver to their customers, they will naturally do it from a genuine place that bonds the customer to your salon.

Now get a structure for them to deliver on all the following points. They need to be addressed at each appointment. With these simple tips and suggestions, your team be fully booked in no time.

Consultation

Without a great consultation, you are off to a bad start.

No doubt about it. Client consultation is the most important part of a hair appointment.

Get it right and you can more or less guarantee the perfect end result. However, if you don’t take the time to ask the right questions or, worse still, not listen to the answers, you could have a problem on your hands.

As a professional, it is your responsibility to get to the deeper meaning behind your clients wants needs and desires. Then help them understand what is possible and finally getting them to take ownership of the style decision.

Up-Selling

There will be additional services you would like to offer your clients while they are in your chair, but you don’t want to push them into spending more than they are comfortable with or sound to salesy.

You can tell the client about the service, then say, “do you have time for that today?” For example, if you are giving a client an all-over colour and want to suggest some part line foils you can ask… “do you have time for that?”

This way you have offered the service, given the client all of the information, and provided them with an easy out if they don’t want to make the investment.

Does your salon have service menu cards that customers can look over while they are waiting? Ones with a full treatment menu are excellent for starting the conversation.

It should be a non-negotiable step with your team that they offer a treatment with every service. Often they don’t take up much extra time and show the customer that you have properly assessed their hairs needs.

Ask, “Do you have time for that today?”

4 Connect with the client 

As a stylist, don’t forget that you offer something that some people may not get anywhere else. Make them feel special, pampered and cared for.

Give them an amazing hairstyle and then tell them that they look beautiful. Compliment their clothes and say how well they look.

If they leave feeling a million dollars you have taken a big step connecting and bonding with them and their sense of wellbeing.

Ask, “How do you feel? You look beautiful.”

5 Retail

It can be tough to ask clients to buy retail and many stylists don’t feel comfortable being overtly salesy. It’s a mindset thing and can be fixed!

Being an educator instead is the key. Be informative and share your expertise on the products you used to style the client’s hair that day. Then, be sure to ask the client if they have any questions. Show them how to use them. Talk about the shampoos and conditioners they had with their service.

This ensures that the client gets all of the information he or she needs to recreate the style and you will have encouraged the client to buy a product without feeling like you were pushy.

Ask, “These are the products I used on your hair, do you have any questions?”

6 Rebook/Appointment Conclusion

To ensure that your client leaves feeling well cared for, conclude the service with a recap of everything you did. The client will appreciate your knowledge and attentiveness and this will give them an opening to ask any final questions that they may have. First impressions are important, but so are final impressions.

Plan out with them what you see for their hair over the next few appointments. Talk about ‘Their Hair Plan’ then book them in. Rebooking is crucial for establishing an ongoing relationship.

Ask, “Let me recap what I did for you today and let’s get your next appointment booked in when are you free?”

Over To You

Developing customer relationships is one thing… running a profitable business is another.

We all know you can be the best hairstylist in the world but if you can’t connect and make a genuine contribution to your customer then they won’t refer you to their friends or come back for more services.

As the salon owner, you must train your team to be responsible for themselves, their customers and your business growth.

Create a training plan around these 6 elements for customer retention success. Get your team to write notes on each customer as they develop the habit of covering these 6 elements at each appointment. It’s all in the creating of a habit. Consistency will win every time.

Want some help making your salon profitable?

…or don’t know where to start to get your salon kick-started, book my free strategy call.