I've been without inspiration for a long time to write a blog. But lately the most common problem I've noticed in salons is this one in the title. I'm going to share with everyone how to get out of situations when it seems like everything is lost.
Everything I write is from personal experience. From the experience of a lash technician, a salon owner, a brand, an international company. I write as someone who has been through all those scenarios that the vast majority only fear. What do you do when you are forced to start over? What do you do when you notice that your number of clients has drastically decreased?
Let's start with the first lockdown!!!
What have we learned?
Lesson number 1.
You don't attract people with price!!!
Unfortunately, after the first corona episode, many people started to frantically lower prices. As I said then, this is leading us to ruin in the long run, and now the results are visible.
The number of clients in salons is drastically decreasing.
This reduced number is not due to the high prices in salons. It is due to a combination of fear, unemployment, insecurity, uncertainty, and worries about the future. Clients have a lot of worries, just like us, and it is understandable to expect that this will affect their desire and willingness to receive treatments.
Offer your clients a discount, not a permanent reduced price. People need to learn to accept the value of the treatment you offer. I say VALUE , not price. Why?
Because value is what you need to compete with your competition on.
Value is measured in FEELING , and price is measured in MONEY .
Clients want to feel good. They want to FEEL a change after they leave your salon. This is measured in increased confidence, happiness, satisfaction, positivity, good vibes... that's what you want to give them.
You don't want to give them cheap nails or lashes in 45 minutes, only to be out of the salon faster than they came in. If you think you're building a clientele here, you're wrong.
Do you want to have 50 clients who come only once or 10 clients who come back month after month?
This is precisely the key to stable and long-term business. Successful salons make long-term plans, ready for initial losses and patient in waiting for long-term realization.
Nothing comes overnight, including your ideal client.
I say YOUR IDEAL client! Yes, because every salon has ITS client and they are not the same for everyone.
Come up with a program for your salon offering. Combine treatments that can be offered together and packages that will be more affordable.
If you are introducing a new treatment to your offer, have pictures ready that you can show your clients. Do a free patch test for them. For example, "henna brows". If you have clients on other treatments, for example on their nails, you can do a patch test for them while their nails are drying in the lamp. And for the next 10 days or so, the client will observe the color you applied to her skin. She will love it and will probably ask for that service herself for the next treatment. Don't "rape" your clients with stories and sales. SHOW them right away what they will get. In this case, they will get an extra 10 minutes of sleep time every morning, because they won't need to draw their eyebrows. THAT is the VALUE I'm talking about.
Inform clients about novelties. Contact them directly. NOT through facebook. Each client is a story in itself and deserves to be addressed individually. Create a Whatsup group for customers or send everyone a message about new products, services, prices... Or simply check from time to time how satisfied they are and if they have any comments.
Contact clients who have stopped coming, send them a survey. Find out the reason why they are no longer coming.
Feedback is a more important thing in business, because that's how you'll know how to fix specific mistakes. Insist on it. Call clients. Don't be afraid to ask and talk.
Examine your behavior with clients - maybe there is a problem here. Are you intrusive or perhaps not interested enough. In any case, what repels every client is INSURANCE . If you do not position yourself as a professional, then no one will even perceive you that way. This role sometimes requires a small dose of aggression and a firm stance. But, imagine yourself in the client's situation. Wouldn't you like to come for a treatment and feel safe in the hands of someone who claims to know exactly what they are doing?
I don't know if you've noticed, but " branded " salons still have busy schedules.
That's right.
Salons that work with a certain brand that has already established itself on the market have a clientele that happily returns and does not complain about the price.
Hair salons are the best example. Although Kallos also made a turning point in this matter precisely due to the fact that the brand is known among a wide population - Clients who feel safe in salons that work with our material. We have been working on marketing and international recognition for years, not only among lash artists. And this was exactly our goal. Setting the standard for salons that use our name. With this, we raise the overall business of both you and us.
Use all the promotional materials you can and add that " branding " value to your salon and reach new clients.
For 2021, Kallos came up with a new concept of partner salons that we will help grow and develop their business.
Always be smiling, nicely dressed, make-up on and represent your job with both your name and appearance . Your job is to convey positive energy, and you can achieve this by "lifting" yourself up a bit with some little things. We all know how much better we feel with a little blush or lipstick on our lips and a good hairstyle.
When we talk about eyelashes, the ratio of material consumption to the price we keep is more than ideal. No one can say that eyelashes don't make a good profit. BUT you can only do that if you set the RIGHT price and value all the money and effort invested, everything that has led you to become good at your job. Anyone who thinks they can do it cheaper, I definitely recommend that they try to take two tweezers, break their back a little and make a quality set of eyelashes.
Reduce unnecessary expenses that do not bring you any change or profit. Invest in quality and concrete things.
For example, invest in a quality lamp or bed, not in expensive wallpaper or decoration in the salon. There are many cheap secondary things available today, but what is primary and what directly affects the number of clients, are the things that need to be invested in. If a client "gets stuck" on your bed every time, she does not enjoy the treatment and it loses VALUE . If it is crowded and noisy every time. If it is too cold or too hot. If she has to wait every time. If you talk on the phone. If you never have an appointment that suits her because of work. If... If.. There are a lot of them... Little things that mean EVERYTHING. And they are FREE. Just pay attention to them.
What lies ahead for us in the coming months, no one knows...
But take advantage of the situations we've been through so far and don't repeat the mistakes.
If the worst-case scenario comes to pass, don't panic. Be rational and calm, nothing smart comes from haste. Clients are born every day and there will always be more of them around us.
I recently went through a situation that I won't talk too much about. I'll just say that I helped a salon go from 0 clients in the post-lockdown period to almost full capacity in just 3 months.
All you had to do was be patient and stick to the plan and specific steps. Nothing is impossible. This is another project that will be launched in 2021... We'll talk about this when the time comes.
Now it is important to take care of your existing clients. Also, self-isolation is not a shameful situation and should be communicated to clients in a timely manner. The time is such that we all have to adapt to each other and that is okay.
In short - everything comes down to the primary thing - CORRECT COMMUNICATION - the basis of good business.
Who made it to the end... Welcome 😉😉
I'm linking you to our new KALLOS PLANNER 2021. Inspired by Frida Kahlo. You've probably already seen it. If you haven't, you should!!!
I want everyone to FILL IT INTO THE END . So that no page remains blank. And to enthusiastically enroll as many clients as possible.
Will you find yourself in a situation where you have to start over?
Maybe yes.
Can you do that?
ABSOFUCKINLUTELY !!! 💋
Xx
Martina Kallos
For all questions, suggestions and advice, please contact us at info@kallosprolashcollection.com
Xx
Martin
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Essential liquids in the life of an eyelash artist 💁🏽♀️