Nov 11, 2008
As I travel around the world speaking about beauty salons, I get to visit hundreds of different salons every year. One of the most common questions asked of me is, “how can I establish a point of difference over my opposition?” Owners discuss new equipment with me, they talk about different product brands, varying their services, changing their price menus and even redecorating the salon. Now all of these things may help you to achieve a point of difference in the short term, but sooner or later your opposition will follow and you will be searching again. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do all of these things regularly, it’s just that I have discovered a cheaper, easier and longer lasting way of being significantly different to everyone around you.
You see, nearly all of the salons that I visit perform a “good” service. On average I am satisfied that they served me well. But the point of difference I am talking about is when a salon is anything but average and they serve me with extraordinary excellence and expertise.
I believe that the greatest point of difference we can establish in this industry is being recognised as an expert. That’s right an expert – Someone who is perceived to have greater knowledge, experience or skill.
The best part is that it doesn’t take a lot of effort to walk and talk, act and sound like an expert. The primary difference between a salon of excellence and an average salon is their attitude. I firmly believe that the vast majority of our customers want to be directed in their skin care. They want their therapist to sound confident and be up to date with the latest treatments, technology and information. It’s our role as professionals to inform, educate, direct and nurture our clients, assisting them to improve the look and feel of their skin. So here’s how it can be done:
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Nov 3, 2008
Over the past few months I have been all over New Zealand doing a series of retailing seminars. An integral aspect of my message is the importance of conducting a thorough skin analysis for clients as part of the retail sales process. The obvious connection is that by telling and showing the customer what the condition of their skin is like, then they will want to buy the products you recommend to improve it. However, I believe that by conducting a skin analysis you are actually doing and saying a whole lot more.
Let me explain…..
Become an expert.
Beauty therapists are experts in the skin. There are very few people in your community that know more about the condition and care of the skin than you do. Certainly we know that our customers don’t. They don’t know the difference between dry or dehydrated skin, what is healthy oil flow or not, they have no idea what is causing their acne and they turn to us for help. This makes you an expert. One of the easiest ways to demonstrate your expertise is to conduct a full diagnostic skin analysis. It immediately places you in a position of expertise and control.
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Sep 9, 2008
Now anyone who has sat through one of my seminars or utilised my salon consultancy services will know how big I am on planning. Very few small businesses are just instantly successful. Success usually involves some carefully thought through planning.
We have all driven through a new area believing we know our way and wasted time taking wrong turns. The smart thing to do would be to stop the car, look in the street directory and arrive at your destination via the easiest route. The problem is that we all think we know where we are going, we are in too much of a rush to stop the car and using a directory is such a hassle. The same analogy can be used in business planning. We know pretty much what we want to achieve in our heads, we get so busy working in the business and producing a plan is too difficult. Well it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few pointers to get your planning started whether you are a new business or have been established for years.
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