141: Fear of Selling Retail

In today's highly competitive world, the ability to sell haircare products is a critical skill for success. Unfortunately, many stylists struggle with the fear of selling, often feeling uncomfortable or pushy when trying to make a sale. Overcoming this fear is essential for not only the stylists success, but also the success of the salon. In today's episode, we will discuss five ways to overcome the fear of selling.

1. Shift focus to the client's needs: Encourage hairstylists to view selling not as a pushy, self-serving process, but as a way to help clients achieve their desired hair goals. By prioritizing the client's needs, hairstylists can feel more confident and comfortable making product or service recommendations.
2. Provide product knowledge training: Offer hairstylists training on the products they use and sell. Educating them about ingredients, benefits, and how the products work can help them feel more confident in their ability to make recommendations to clients.
3. Build rapport with clients: Developing strong relationships with clients can make selling easier and more comfortable. By building trust and understanding the client's needs, hairstylists can make more informed recommendations and sell with more confidence.
4. Use visual aids: Utilize visual aids like product displays and before-and-after photos to demonstrate the value of products and services. This can help clients visualize the results and increase their likelihood of purchasing.
5. Celebrate successes: Celebrate when hairstylists make successful sales, no matter how big or small. This recognition can boost morale, increase confidence, and motivate hairstylists to continue selling in the future.

Bottomline, if your client isn't buying haircare products from you, their trusted stylist or salon, they are getting them somewhere else. Usually they run down the street to Target, or they will order online...but regardless, they want the magic potion. 

Be different. Be the one that gets excited about what you have to offer...which are solutions to their hair concerns. 

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Website: www.danisekeilitz.com
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Transcript

1:31

Do you have stylists working for you in the salon who are scared of selling retail products? Or maybe you are a stylist that just doesn't want to sell books, you came out of beauty school and you said, Hey, I'm a hairstylist, I'm not a salesperson. Well Hate to break it to you. You are a salesperson. And unfortunately, many stylists struggle with the fear of selling. They often feel uncomfortable or pushy when trying to make a sale. Overcoming This fear is essential for not only the stylists success, but the salon success as well. In today's episode, we will discuss five ways to overcome the fear of selling. Well, hey there. This is Danise. And this is the Salon Ownership Made Easy podcast for salon owners who are searching for simple solutions to their everyday challenges. I've owned several six and seven figure award winning salons in my 30 year career. With so many changes happening in our industry these days, it seems like salon owners need a shoulder a hug and a big dose of reality. Think about it. We didn't learn how to be successful salon owners and beauty school. So why don't you let me share what has worked and what hasn't worked for me over the years. You do have what it takes to be amazingly successful. So let's do this. I'm excited. You're here. Well, hey there. Welcome back to today's podcast. Today, we're going to talk about something that wow is really, really a hot topic because I'm hearing all kinds of things like get retail out of Salon space. People want to buy it just online. I gotta tell you, I mean, yeah, online shopping is convenient. I do it. I do it every single day, my goodness, almost too much. And it is convenient. However, nothing will take the place of going into a store. touching, feeling trying. I mean, that's why Ulta is so successful. Isn't that just a wonderful place to go and just try all the colors and ask questions. So you have to become just like them, just like the oldest just like the Sephora as you are the beauty destination for your guests. Okay, so let's talk about five different ways of overcoming the fear of selling. First of all, you need to shift your focus to the client's needs, you need to be the solution, you need to provide the solution to their haircare concerns. That's all you're doing. You need to tell them what you are using every step of the way, and why you are using it. Let them decide if they want to purchase it. For example, when you're taking them back to the shampoo bowl. Tell them what type of shampoo you're using, and why you're using it. Maybe they complain that their hair was frizzy in the consultation. Maybe that frizz is a problem. Well, if you have a shampoo and a conditioner that's designed for smoothing the hair cuticle or helping with frizz, you need to tell them that in fact pick it up and show it to them while they're laying in the chair and tell them the reason why you're using this is because you told me that you had a problem with frizzy hair. So today, we are going to use this shampoo and conditioner that's supposed to help with frizzy hair. Okay, that's all you have to say you're just planting the seed after you shampoo their hair, you could talk about the smell, you could I mean, but you don't have to. All you're doing is telling them what you're using. If they comment about the smell, if they comment about how great it smells, that's just icing on the cake. Okay, you're done shampooing, you take them back to your chair? Do you put something on their hair? For prep for cutting? You need to tell them what it is and why you're doing it? Does it shut down the cuticle? Does it detangle the hair does it add protein to the hair, whatever it does, what I've always taught, is, whatever you're using on them at your chair, you take that you show it to them, even if you're having a conversation, you're gonna say excuse me Hold on a second, this is really important. I'm using such and such spray on your hair because it's going to detangle your hair, it's going to put the protein back in your hair, whatever does, okay, tell them what it does, how to use it. And then what you're going to do is you're going to set it on your styling station right in front of them with the label facing them. Okay, so it's going to be right in front of their face. Kind of. Okay, so what what that does is it if they're seeing that maybe it's detangling if they liked the smell, they might just pick it up and look at it and read about a little bit more. See you don't even have to know about the product. Okay, so you go ahead and you're cutting the hair in May Maybe they want volume in their hair. And during the consultation, you have talked to them about that. Well, whatever product you're going to use on their hair for volume, you tell you show it to them. Before I style your hair, I want to tell you what I'm going to use on your hair to style your hair, because you told me, you had concerns that you couldn't get enough volume at the crown. So today, we're going to use this root boost at a Dida, we're going to spray it here, we're going to pick up the hair, show them how to use it, and why you're using it. Got it. And then all you have to do is sit it down right beside the other product facing them. Okay, by the end of the service you should have anywhere between two and I wouldn't say more than five products because you don't want to overwhelm them, two to four products on your station facing them. And if their hair comes out, and they're loving it, you better believe they're going to want that magic potion that you just put on their hair. But here's the hard part, it's up to you to remember to take them up to the front. And we used to say that say this for our new stylists who didn't have the confidence and I get it, it's a whole confidence thing. And you have to practice this to get better. So we would just say, you need to at least show them where it lives on the shelf. And you can even say in case you don't want it today, you will know where it is when you come back into the salon, and you won't have to hunt for it. That's about as easy as it gets. But really what you should do is lead them up to the salon. I'm so glad you loved your hair today, whatever I want to just show you what I used on you pick the product up, put it in their hand, you want them to claim ownership of this product, you want them to look at it, feel it, make it there. So or if you don't feel comfortable with that, at least pick up the product and you're holding it, you walk them up to the front desk where the receptionist is going to be you set those, let's just say it's for products on the desk, you say it was a pleasure meeting you it was wonderful to do your hair, if you have any questions, whatever you finish it out, can't wait to see you next time, the receptionist she's going to finish up and make your next appointment for you. I can't wait to see you. Those products are just sitting there. Now it's up to the receptionist to finalize the sale. And she could just even say, which one of these will you be taking home today? Or are you interested in taking these products home today? Usually you don't want to ask a yes or no question because it gives them the opportunity to say yes or no. Usually you want to have open ended questions like which one of these Did you really love today, they could take it home with them. It's actually been a proven fact that if you and I could get these facts wrong, I mean the numbers wrong, but bear with me here, you'll get the general idea. If you put one product up on the desk, there's a 5050 chance that that person is going to go home with that product because it's either yes or no. If you put two products up there, there's more than a 5050 chance that they're going to take one of those products, at least, if you put three products up there, you've even got a greater chance it's like 75%, that they're going to at least take one product if not two. But if you put four products up there, I think that almost becomes overwhelming for some people, and it actually goes down. So really three, three is your magic number. Okay, so if you can get, I don't know, a detangler a styler and a finishing or shampoo conditioner and a styler, you know, just keep it like that. I mean, it's pretty easy. You just have to get it in your mind that you're just offering solutions to their haircare needs. They come into you, they have challenges, and you're sending them home with solutions. It's the same as it when you go to a doctor, right and you've got a sore throat and you're like Doctor, you know, what's your challenge? I've got this really bad sore throat, and they look at it and they go, Okay, see you next time. You'd be leaving, they're going up. What I mean, prescribe me something to solve my problem, right? It is the exact same thing in our hair salons. The exact same thing. They have a problem. You have the solution. Bingo, there you go. Because I can guarantee you, if they don't leave the salon with something in their hand, they are going to go somewhere else immediately and buy something. I guarantee you. They're either going to go to Target to Walmart to CVS somewhere and try to find a product that will replicate what you just did. And why would you want them to do that? Or maybe they go home and they're like, You know what I really liked my hair and You go on to Amazon? Do you really want that, then they're going to end up buying a product that you know nothing about. And then they're not going to be happy with it. And who are they going to blame? You don't blame you. And they didn't even take your product home with them. But, but they're going to come back and blame you in their mind because you're their hairstylist. Another way that you can get over being fearful of selling is to know your products. When you have downtime, read the back of your products, use the products on your own hair, find out what these products are for. And what's wonderful is if the salon owner would have product knowledge training in the salon, and I know I know, everybody's like, Oh my gosh, another PK class boring, actually, outside this used to love them, because we made them fun. Okay, we sometimes we would get excited and say, Okay, everybody pick their favorite product. And then you come up and you introduce why you liked the product. Or we would have like, have ingredients, okay, what what product has this ingredient in there depends on how picky you want to get, or what products has sunscreen in them for your hair. That's important to know, especially with the summer coming up, right. So being educated in your product line is not boring. It's It's bread and butter. And let me tell you, you need to know that the profitability of the salon you're working in comes from retail, the profitability and the success of the salon comes from how much you retail, we used to be the number one retailer nationwide for the brand that we carried. And I guarantee you, that was why we are so successful. Not only does it builds loyalty with your guests, when they buy products from you, it really really truly does. And if you don't believe that, you need to do a little bit of research. Anyway, it builds loyalty. When we sold product it afforded us to take the whole team, California for education, the only way we could pay for that was through retail, it made it so we could offer a 401 K matching, the only way we can afford that was through retail, I guarantee you, because if you look at just the services alone, and if it's a commission salon or team based or hourly wage, that profitability really on most salons is anywhere between three and 7%. Your salon owners not making buck come on now. And if you think so, I don't know what to tell you. Retail is where it's at the third thing, develop strong relationships with your guests. That makes it so much easier to talk about your products. I just remember when I had guests behind the chair and they would say so what's the new product? What's what what is it because they get excited too. They want something new? Don't we all? Come on? Don't we all have like at least 10 products under our sink in the bathroom? Of course we do. We're you know, that's what we do. So anyway, building strong relationships with your clients, it just makes selling so much easier. And you'll be more comfortable with them. Another thing we would do is a merchandise you know you're competing with Alta and with Sephora merchandise in your salon, make it look like you're in business to do business meaning do product displays you know about every four to six weeks change up your display because every time a guest comes in, you want it to look different. Actually you want them to say it always looks so different in here when I come in. So change up your displays. If it's seasonal, if it's you know, if you're thinking about sunscreen and haircare products or going to the beach or moisture in the wintertime those should be what your displays are. And also you could do before and after picture. So if you carry like you know like a frizz free shampoo and conditioner, take a picture and a lot of the product lines offer you pictures, you just have to print it out. But put a picture up next to that product so people can see what that result will give them if they use that product. You know, if they're sitting up in the waiting area, you want them to be looking around your retail area instead of at their phone. You want them to get excited about shopping in your salon. All right. And then the fifth thing and we used to I love this because I love celebrating anytime a hairstylist succeeds as a salon owner, you need to make a very big deal about when your stylists are hitting their retail goals. We would have contests and some men would change it up all the time. Sometimes at our huddles, I would just give out crazy little gifts and it could be anything I used to put them in like little brown paper bags because at one time you know how you as a salon owner you get all kinds of samples and and people wanting you to try their products and or if you're In the Beauty Supply, and they have that little like, place that you can buy like $3 items or something, I always ended up picking up I had a whole closet full of stuff at one time. And so what I did is I just put all those little trinkets and things individually in bags, and so it'd be like a grab bag. So if anybody for the month met, they're like retail monthly goal, they could come up and pick a grab bag. Sometimes it was a fingernail file, some sometimes it was a shampoo sample, sometimes it was a full size retail shampoo. Sometimes it was crazy things like memo pads, or whatever. But the thing is they never knew. So it kind of made it fun. I even put some Starbucks gift cards in there too. But that's a simple way to make it fun. And make it so it's not like oh, I know the contest, because then they don't see it coming. And plus it doesn't cost the salon owner a lot of money to do that. And it just increases your confidence and it motivates your team to want to do better. So bottom line, bottom line, if your client isn't buying haircare products from you, they're buying them from somewhere else, they're getting them some where they're not shampooing their hair with a bar of soap, they are not styling their hair with nothing. And in fact, if you think this, if if I'm wrong about this, you try styling your hair with no products, or try styling your guests hair with no products, take all your products away and see what happens. It's hard to do hair without products. It's hard for your guests to do their hair without the right product. And you just happen to be the professional that provides the solution to their haircare challenge. They want the magic potion, they want you to suggest to them and tell them what they need to use to look fabulous. Look, be different. Be that one person in your salon who gets excited about what you have to offer. Because it's exciting, isn't it, you are offering the solutions that your guests are looking for. Don't forget that we make a difference in every single person's lives. And, yes, it's their hair, but it's also how they feel about themselves. Think about it. We've got it right here in our four walls, and we're not utilizing it. If you truly want to be successful behind the chair, if you truly want to be $100,000 stylist or a million dollar salon as salon owner, you have to focus on selling retail you have to get over the fear of selling retail number one. That's it make it fun, because it is it's a lot of fun. And your clients will love you for it. I guarantee it. Anyway, I hope this helps. Until next time, stay awesome. Hey there thanks so much for listening to the salon ownership Made Easy podcast today. Would you do us a favor? If you got value out of this week's episode? Will you share it with your friends. And while you're at it, go ahead and leave us a review. That way more business owners like yourself will find us and we can help them with the challenges they may be facing too. Thanks again. And we'll see you next week. Take care