Nobody can deny that 2020 has been an unusual year to say the least.
It’s been a tough one for many business owners.
Tougher still for even more salon owners.
There are many hair and beauty business owners who are low on funds, low on bookings and desperately low on morale.
So with that in mind let’s take a look at how asking yourself some pertinent questions might unlock some of the answers – and clients – you’re looking for.
1. Am I making the most of every enquiry?
Recently I contacted a builder about having some work done on our home.
There was a lot of work required to remodel and extend and we’d invited two companies to come and tender for the work.
One of them quoted us upwards of £75,000 to do all of the work. Without knowing their margins I’d still assume that this would be a very profitable job for them.
How many times do you think they followed up with me to see if I wanted to proceed?
Not once.
Seriously.
They’d paid to generate the lead. Given their time to come and measure up and then work out the estimate. Then they left it up to lady luck to see if we wanted to proceed. Unreal.
You simply must be making the most of every single enquiry you generate.
That means following up multiple times until you reach the client – and across different forms of communication if appropriate too.
It’s not harassing a client if they’ve asked you to contact them, so don’t give up if you don’t get them the first time of asking. People are busy. We are all busy. Therefore a few timely nudges may be required to get them over the line.
By way of a bonus tip why not go back over all of your enquiries from the last few months that you never managed to get hold of? There are probably a few appointments still sitting there waiting to be converted.
The same goes for conversations you have on social media or email. If someone expresses an interest in something you do then why not reach out directly to find out if they’ve any other questions or if they’d like a chat with you about it?
This is something so simple… and yet so powerful too.
2. What has worked well in the past?
One of the smartest things a business owner can do is track where their successes have come from.
Ultimately, success (and failure) leave tracks.
This means that if something has worked well for you in the past then there’s every chance it will work well for you again.
You don’t need to continually reinvent the wheel with your marketing.
If you did a wildly successful leaflet drop a few years ago but have not done one since then you’re most probably missing out on a lot of business.
So many business owners become distracted about the latest ways of reaching clients; trying to figure out the TikTok algorithms or obsessing over how to monetise their Instagram stories.
Whilst it is a smart idea to test new marketing channels, it’s also a super smart idea to make sure that you’re continuing to do what’s worked well before.
In the same breath it’s worth suggesting that you also make sure that you’re keeping in regular contact with all of your current and previous clients.
If someone has been a client of yours in the past then they are far more likely to become a client again ahead of someone who has never heard of you as they know you, like you and trust you.
So many salon owners don’t do a good enough job of inviting clients back in to see them with more regularity.
People are busy and therefore we need to make it easy for them to do business with us. Most of the time that will involve reaching out to them first.
Don’t leave it up to your clients to get in touch with you.
As business owners it’s our job to remind them to do business with us; it’s not their job to remember.
3. What would I do if my life depended on filling my diary for the entirety of next week?
I’m not always sure that business owners are doing everything they can.
How would things change for you if you simply had to book X number of appointments to keep your doors open?
Would you still be binging on Netflix? Still be watching TV every evening? Still starting work at 9am and finishing at 6?
Or would you be getting up early to work on yourself and your business?
Personally chatting with every client you’ve ever served?
Working out new ways to better meet your clients’ desires?
The simple fact of the matter is that everything you’ve done up until this point has delivered you to where you are right now.
If you want to get somewhere different then you’ll have to start doing a few things differently… whatever stage you’re at.
The place to start is with the easy things; the small tweaks which when compounded make a big difference.
What would happen if spend 30 minutes every morning on the phone chatting with clients you’ve nto seen for 8 weeks?
How about about another 30 minutes reaching out to your best clients via email to see where they are at with everything?
Or going live to your social channels once per week?
Now imagine where you’d be if you did just those really simple (and free) things every day for the next six months.
The good news is that there are salon owners who are thriving right now.
Those who have had record months since reopening again.
If they have achieved this then you can too.
Nothing is impossible.
Work out what works well for you and do more of it.
Be consistent.
Be laser focussed.
Don’t stop until you get where you want to be.
For whilst these are indeed tough times for many there will be better days to come. A period of growth follows a period of recession as sure as night follows day.
This time right now is equipping you to be a better business owner. Learning the lessons you need to push yourself to the next level. This is all part of the process.
Trust it, embrace it, thrive in it.
Ryan Power is a salon growth coach, marketing nerd and co-founder, along with his wife Hollie, of coaching community Salonology. He also eats way too much hummus.
