Don’t Be Afraid to Sell Your Clients Good Shampoo
Fanola’s Botugen Hair System
Retail is one of the best ways to maintain and grow your salon without working yourself to death. That sounds like a commercial sell: “make big easy money now!” kind of thing. But the truth is that a lot of talented stylists are already working themselves to death while their salons remain financially stagnant because they’re unwilling or unable to sell the hair treatments on their shelves. It’s tough for some to think about selling retail when they’re so focused on refining their craft. Hair styling is an art, and money always complicates art. In this case, though, salon retail directly supports your art and helps your client’s hair stay healthy. Artist or no artist, it benefits everyone when people walk out of the salon with a bag of quality shampoo and treatments.
Educate Your Staff
No brainer. The more someone knows about a product, the better equipped they are to sell it. Every stylist should know not only what’s on the shelves, but how and when it should be used. Any one of the stylists in the salon should be able to recommend a product off the top of their head when a client complains about a certain characteristic in their hair.
“My hair is impossible to brush after I wash it.”
“Have you tried this after shampoo treatment? Its active ingredient is unicorn sweat which magically hydrates and oils your hair and makes it smell like a field of spring flowers. That should make brushing a little easier.”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I need. Here’s all of my money.”
This is part of what John Harms calls “creating a culture around your retail products.” Clients want their hair to be manageable and look good and they know you’re the expert on that. If they like the way you take care of their hair they’ll trust your expertise on what products they should be using on it at home.
Think about Visibility
Obviously you need your clients to see what you’re selling, but more importantly, you need them to see it at the right time. Keeping your shelves near the checkout is one of the best places, but with the rise in mobile and tablet use (something we’ll get into next), clients don’t always pay at the checkout. Make displays in the waiting area, preferably with reading material to go with it. If a client can see an interesting product while waiting and then pick up a pamphlet about it, they’re far more likely to ask about it. And when you’re having promotions for products, make sure you put signs up where they’ll be visible from the styling chair.
Make Good Use of Smartphones and Tablets
Tablets and mobile apps have a become an integral part of tons of businesses. For salons, the tablet has become a great way for clients to make payments and schedule another appointment. That’s all great, but there are so many different ways tablets can help salons, especially big salons. You can get programs that let you create whole profiles on your client’s hair, which a receptionist could access to see what products you’ve recommended. This way, everything they’ve bought and used can be tracked, letting you not only see what’s selling, but also what is or isn’t working for the client.