Booked Solid

What if your salon could maintain a bustling schedule year-round without succumbing to the myth of the slow months? This episode promises to equip salon owners with transformative strategies to not only fill appointment slots but also cultivate lasting client relationships. Drawing from insights by salon experts across North America, we'll unravel the secrets behind transforming a mere client list into a devoted clientele. Using a nine-step formula that includes a welcoming experience, comprehensive consultations, personalized services, and effective follow-ups, discover how you can turn your clients into raving fans, much like the passionate followers of iconic brands such as Apple.

Forget the pricing wars! We'll explore how offering value-driven upgrades like complimentary hair treatments can boost client retention and profitability without cutting into your margins. Learn the importance of building an email and SMS list to keep past clients engaged and why training your team on rebooking techniques is crucial. By weaving pre-booking into the guest experience from the start, you’ll create a unique client journey that fosters loyalty. Plus, we’ll highlight the power of personalized consultations over convenient at-home products like the CREA clip, emphasizing the irreplaceable value of personalized transformations. Tune in to uncover the strategies that will keep your salon thriving with a loyal and consistent clientele.

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Chapters

• 0:22 Salon Owner's Formula for Consistent Clients
• 14:59 Maximizing Client Retention and Profitability

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:22

All right, today we have a special episode for you. It's going to be booked solid for good, the salon owner's formula for consistent clients. And if you think about it, have you ever had a fully booked schedule for your salon company only to see it vanish overnight? You know, people start popping off left and right, canceling, and you're like, oh my gosh, what are we going to do? And so in today's episode, we're going to reveal some secrets that will really help you become stable, because, as salon owners we've all heard it before People will say the myths of all the J months are slow. Not quite, they don't have to be, or this time of year, february, is the least productive time for us. And so we're going to give you the secrets that will help you get booked solid for good.

Speaker 2: 1:12

Yeah. So if you are excited about this, you are in the right place. You know, because we. One thing that we know is when we talk to hundreds of salon owners specifically across North America and really this is worldwide you know one of the biggest challenges that salon owners do face is inconsistent bookings. You know, and helping getting new people on their team booked and you know really, just overall, what the impact productivity has on a salon company is huge, and so today we want to dive into the formula that really keeps those clients coming huge. And so today we want to dive into the formula that really keeps those clients coming back. You know we want to talk about those referrals, getting them flowing and getting that revenue growing, and so let's dive in.

Speaker 1: 1:56

Yeah, all right. So let's first talk about the myth of being fully booked. You know why being fully booked isn't enough? Because if you don't truly have a system, it's temporary success, and so that's what we're going to reveal to you today. Is that system. You know what I see, what we see a lot of times working with salon owners as they focus on feeling slots instead of building relationships and a reputation. One of our great coaches, russell, always says you know you got to dig the well before you get thirsty. And so I think, as salon owners, sometimes we forget that as we're just so busy trying to get white space filled that at the end of the day, we forget we are in the relationship business. So we know that there's a big difference between a client list and a loyal clientele, and then how we market to that is really going to set us up for success.

Speaker 2: 2:50

Yeah, you know, I think that's huge, jen, because, like you mentioned, it truly is the biggest mistake that swan owners make, and and that's when they just focus on filling that time instead of building that relationship. Because your goal isn't just to get busy, you know, um, because if that's your only goal, first of all that just that just feels so unsatisfying to even say out loud. You know, like busy actually is one of the the yuckiest words I used to. You know, talk to somebody on the phone fairly often and they would say did, did you have a busy day today? And I would get the ick right away when they would say busy, I'm like, oh no, I hate the word busy. You know, because truly like there's a difference between you know being busy and then you know accomplishing things that make you feel great. You know, like I would much rather have a productive day. Um, sure, it's okay If there's a lot of things going on, um, then have a day that's busy where I didn't feel productive at all, and I think if you're a salon owner, you can relate to that definitely on some level.

Speaker 2: 3:50

But you know, same thing with our stylists. You know we want to help stylists, service providers, anybody on our team. We want to really help them create that predictable demand on their services and on their time, and so we know, you know, that there is a three part formula to really staying booked solid, and you know, when we reveal this to you today, this is going to be an incredible opportunity to take back to your team, um, to really work on. You know, hey, like our whole goal here isn't just to get book solid. Of course we want that, but we really want to grow our relationships and build our reputation and and and. In exchange with that, what will happen is our demand for time will be really high as well.

Speaker 1: 4:40

Yeah, I love that. You know our greatest opportunity you said it, lindsay is just turning clients into those raving fans. So imagine the brands that you love to be part of that you want to know the first thing that they launch, like Apple. Or you know a restaurant that you love. You know if they have a special you want to know or an event you want to be part of that. And so, like, how can we translate that back into the salon space?

Speaker 1: 5:04

And you know, for most businesses it all begins with that sales process. And what we know is that you know sales is exchange of goods or money, and then process is a series of steps with an expected outcome. And so when we don't have this sales process in place, guess what? Our team makes up their own process. And so, like the, the feeling has to be consistent, just like if you, when I went to Chick-fil-A actually the other day and they didn't see my pleasure, I was like, well, am I at Chick-fil-A? What's happening? Am I at McDonald's? And so it kind of threw me off for a second.

Speaker 1: 5:37

And it's the same same thing as we've got to have that nine step sales process. You know the welcome, the tour, the consultation, that diagnosis, the service, the prescription, the maintaining results, the checkout and the follow-up. And if you haven't had the opportunity to listen to our nine step sales process, if you want to check it out on our podcast because that will help you. You know, have those conversations. But that is going to be one of the consistent ways to really get you your productivity higher, because when people start making up their own processes, there becomes that great disconnect and when a guest comes in, the experience should feel the same, whether they see Jen or whether they see Lindsay, like they've got to have that consistent experience every single time.

Speaker 2: 6:24

Yeah, jen, I love you know. My key takeaway of what you just said was you know, when there's a lack of that nine step sales process, everybody makes up their own, you know, and so that's definitely happening if you don't have something in place right away. So let's talk about number two of the three-part formula for staying book solid, and this is creating that referral machine. We want this to run just on autopilot, and so what we know is word of mouth is still the most powerful marketing tool that we have at our fingertips all the time, tool that we have at our fingertips all the time. And you know, when you work on engineering it for your salon company, that is when you know, I mean it just unlocks so much potential income for everybody inside of you know the whole entire team, and so you know you really want to create those easy, shareable moments that make clients want to talk about you. You know whether it's like a small little um sign. You know that you put on the station when they come in, like welcome back, jen. Or you know, um, just something that just kind of gives them that memorable moment. You know even just if we've got a coffee shop next door to us, so sometimes people will bring their own drinks in because it's a fun little local place and just even offering to reheat it for them doing some things. You know, just thinking, going above and beyond, like it just makes people want to talk about you. So, like, how can you do things, you know, that serve your guests but that make them want to just talk about you? You know, and so you know, this is really the one strategy that can turn first-time guests into repeat clients and referral champions. You know. So when you, when you look for those easy shareable moments, that's what, that's what creates that um, autopilot referral machine. Um, because people just love it so much. You know it's. It's like Jen mentioned all of your favorite brands and stuff that you love going to.

Speaker 2: 8:32

Maybe you have a favorite restaurant or, um, you know, think of your favorite place that you like to go to in your town. I'm sure you know, if there's somebody new that comes to town, um, you can't wait to tell them about it. You're like, oh, you gotta go check out this place. They have the best tacos. Or you gotta, you know, go to this place.

Speaker 2: 8:50

You know, become that person in the beauty industry. You know, when people are like I don't. I need to find, you know, somewhere to get my lashes done or somewhere to get my hair done, or you know, whatever that is, become that place and become that place, so much so that it's not just when people are moving to town that they're looking to talk about you. They're like, wow, I just went in and, you know, got a fresh, new color and, man, I feel like a totally new person. You've got to go check out, you know, salon XYZ, that that is what we are looking to create, that type of, you know, a relationship with people to where they just can't wait to brag about you.

Speaker 1: 9:30

I love that, uh, you know, um, and I think this is also a huge opportunity to salon owners to have these conversations with our team too. That's why that sales process is so important, so that people have some give them something to talk about. You know that song, and so I think the other thing is too is there's a difference between just handing out referral cards to clients and then enrolling and persuading for them to see the benefits for them and the client that they're going to be referring. And so you know, you know, at salon celebrations like having some role playing with your team, you know, to get into that habit because at first when they ask for referrals it can feel kind of unnatural for them, and so to get into that and build that habit of asking for referrals. But the most important part, just like Lindsay said, is you've got to give clients that wow factor for them to want to transfer you know, the information that they have about coming to your salon to someone else. So I love referrals, it's a staple to stay.

Speaker 1: 10:34

Another opportunity is the pricing and positioning strategy that commands demand. And so you know, we know that discounting to get booked can be a trap, and you know when you want to think about that is you know the power of value based pricing and we want to charge for the service. We don't want to charge for the service but for the transformation that we create, because when we create that transformation for clients, they want to transfer money to us. And so, instead of discounting services, think about what's the value I can add to the service so that the consumer feels like they're getting more. And so it's just like if I said I have a pair of shoes for $5,000 or I have a Ferrari parked out front that I just need to get rid of for $5,000. You're probably going to question the shoes that I have for $5,000, because not many people are going to want to pay $5,000 for a pair of shoes. But if I told you I have a Ferrari for $5,000 and it's in great condition and no tags, like you're good to go, like you're going to jump all over that because you know a Ferrari is worth way more than $5,000.

Speaker 1: 11:42

And so we have to think about how we're creating that and doing that in our services. What are the small details that we're adding? What are the value pieces that we're adding to the consumer experience that are going to want them to come back. Is it the color analysis? Is it the face shape analysis? Is it the hot towels? Is it the neck massage? And, like you can, you can put this in place all day long, but you have to be consistent with it every single time, because your branding and your messages affect whether clients see you just as another salon or the go-to expert. Another salon or the go-to expert?

Speaker 2: 13:18

Yeah, that's so powerful and such a great way to look at it. Like, how much value is it that you're creating? Do they know that you're the Ferrari or are they questioning if you're the shoes? You know, and so I love that. You know.

Speaker 2: 13:31

Another common booking thing that can happen is you know just some common booking pitfalls, you know. So let's talk about, like, how do we fix those common booking pitfalls. So you know, one thing that somebody might be doing that's listening right now and you know we have done some stuff like this in the past is, you know, running a promotion that attracts deal seekers but no loyalty. You know, this always makes me think to back in the day when Groupon used to be so big. I don't even know if Groupon's still around. I would imagine it probably is. I just haven't heard of it for a while. You know, I think you know Groupon used to be great at their sales. They would call you and, you know, act like they were going to get all these amazing clients for you, and then you realized, oh my gosh, these um, you know, discount seeking clients sometimes were definitely not the ideal match. They were, you know, really searching for discounts and they weren't looking for, you know, value driven service. Uh, not that they're bad people, but you know, you really have to be conscious of the type of person you're trying to attract into your environment. So the way that we fix this pitfall is, you know, instead of offering discounts, you want to offer value driven upgrades. You know. So really think about you know. Hey, you know we'd love to invite you in for a color transformation as a gift to you for a first time guest. You know we would love to gift you with a complimentary hair treatment with XYZ as the value. You know, just letting people know what that value is. You do anything like that, making it be something that would be an upgrade versus just, like you know, get $20 off your color this week.

Speaker 2: 15:31

I, you know, I see, um, a lot of stylists run promotions like that. You know, just from being in the industry for years. All of that pops up on social media and you know what stinks is that then the person who sits in your chair is just looking for a discount. So the next time there's a better discount, they're going to go find it there. It's like, you know, walmart. You know Walmart's whole branding purpose is they wanted to be the cheapest. And so, man, it's hard to be the cheapest, you know, and we would encourage you, if you're listening to this, do not be the cheapest. Don't ever try to win a pricing war. You will lose. There's somebody who's always willing to take less, and so where you can win is by offering those value-driven upgrades and really creating transformation for your guest.

Speaker 2: 16:19

I think pitfall number two is a lot of people rely on Instagram posts for bookings, so a simple fix for this would to be build an email list, build, you know, an SMS phone number list, um, you know, and then do a simple followup system to re engage past clients. So, you know, for us we consider a client lost if we haven't seen them in um 120 days. And so, at 90 days, we start to, you know, send out messaging like hey, we miss you. And then, at 120 days, we consider them to be lost, and so, um, then we really work to nurture that relationship to get them to come back in, because most salons usually have less of a getting new clients problem versus a keeping those clients that they get problem, and so so really looking, you know, for ways to re-engage those clients and keep them and deliver some value to them is is a great fix for that pitfall.

Speaker 2: 17:23

Pitfall number three is not training your team on how to rebook clients. You know, like Jen mentioned, this is a great thing. You know, during a salon celebration, to do um, to role play, because it is awkward. The first, you know, probably 50 times you're doing it a hundred times, you're doing it as a, as a new service provider, so you want to make pre-booking part of the guest experience, not an afterthought. That's what's going to be the fix for that. So, you know, think of it during the consultation, already starting to ask the right questions.

Speaker 2: 17:58

Even during their experience painting a journey, they're going to go on with you. You know, like, hey, I'm really excited about the look that we're creating today. During your next visit in six weeks, um, you know, we'll start to be a little bit more uh, warmer outside or cooler outside or whatever. You know, transition time of the year, it is Um, and so that would be a great opportunity for us to add X, y, z, um, you know, into your color formula. Or you know, maybe we could try to switch up your face framing. Or, you know, if you're an esthetician like, that would be a great time to try a new lip color. Just really thinking about how you can paint that bigger picture and making that pre-booking a part of the guest experience, Not an afterthought, is going to be a key to success when it comes to common booking pitfalls.

Speaker 1: 18:51

Love all that. You know. I tell the story of like, if you didn't know me and that you didn't know that I did hair, and I just met you on the street and I was like oh yeah, I have a haircut offer. Here's a $500. My haircuts are $500. You want to come in? Most people will be like, eh, no, thank you, right. But if I said, hey, I'd love to. You know, to analyze your face shape, your bone structure from head to toe and help you understand what colors were best for you, what makeup is best for you, what color of hair is going to suit you best. You know what jewelry is going to look best on you. And you're like, yeah, and I'm like, and that's only going to cost you $500. You'd probably be like hmm, that sounds really good. Like I want to know what it takes. I'm going to get $500. I'm gonna do whatever it takes, because I want that. I want that transformation for our lives, and so I I think we just it's something we really have to iterate with our teams is like we've got to give people the value.

Speaker 1: 19:47

It's not just about giving a haircut anymore. Um, you know ones I think we talked about it the other day. Is that Cree clip? That is a Cree clip. Is it the Cree clip? Yep, you can buy on Amazon and it is a clip that you actually use that will cut your hair for you. So it shows you, like, what angles to hold it. You put it in your hair, click, click, you're done. And so, like, I think it's on Amazon for $29.99 and I can't. It was thousands, 500,000. It was a lot that have been sold, and so we have to remember our consumers today have access to things like this. So if we're just going in and they're down for a haircut and we're doing snip, snip, snip, you're done, like, why are they going to pay 40, 50, $60 for a haircut when they can go to Amazon and pay for the CREA clip for $29.99. And so, just you know, just thinking, keeping that in your back pocket is how are we always elevating our experience?

Speaker 2: 20:42

And you might be thinking yeah, jen and Lindsay, I hope people go buy a CREA clip and then I'll have to fix it for them. And you know, that could be true, and maybe it's not the Criya clip, but maybe it's somebody down the street, you know, because if you're not always consistently working to become better and deliver more value and create some sort of transformation, even if it's small, during every client's visit, you're going to get left in the dust and that's a for sure thing. So let's talk about an action plan that you can put into place today to get booked solid for good. So let's talk about step one. The first thing that you can do is audit your client journey. So let's look to see where are you losing repeat business, you know, really. Look to see. You know um, who's not returning?

Speaker 2: 21:33

Try to try to see why they're not returning. Is your, is it because you're not rebooking them, is it? You know? Look at that nine step sales process and see what part of this process is missing. Because if we're nailing the nine step sales process every single time, you know we should be keeping at least half of the new guests that come in um in to our salon every time, no questions asked. But if we're missing parts of that, then hey, that's where they're slipping through the cracks and that's where we're potentially leaving a lot of money on the table and a lot of guest satisfaction. A lot of relationships aren't being built the way that we want them to, and our reputation definitely isn't shining in the way that we wish for it to as well.

Speaker 1: 22:16

Another action plan is, you know, to take a look at your referral worthy experience. You know, make it easy for clients to be friends. I know, at the time of this recording, like Valen uh Galentine's, like you know, creating really fun, value-based uh promotions. Get someone to to bring a friend and a lot of times salons will have referral programs. But you know, making sure that your team understands, like how to utilize them, what's the conversation look like, and that we've got to give it that, you know, red carpet experience so that they want to tell their friends about it experience so that they want to tell their friends about it.

Speaker 2: 22:58

Love that, you know. And and step three would be look at your pricing. Does it position you as an expert or are you just another option? Are you trying to compete like the Walmarts of the world and and be that discount or value-based person? You know, I just recently had a conversation with somebody on my team that said, you know, I was thinking about sharing some.

Speaker 2: 23:13

You know, I just recently had a conversation with somebody on my team that said, you know I was thinking about sharing some. You know, additional ideas for people with skincare. Maybe you know that they didn't have just inside of the salon. And you know I said, hey, um, you know, just curious, like what you're? You know why this came to view for you, why this idea came to you. And she was like I don't know, I just, you know some people just can't afford salon stuff, and you know, so I'm just, you know, thinking maybe I'll give them some additional options. And I was like, hey, you know, I'm just curious. Do you think that they are your ideal guest? Is that somebody who's going to be able to visit you, you know, every four weeks for a facial, or are they going to be able to come every two to four weeks for a lash fill or are they going to be able to? You know, is that where they value? Because, um, you know what? What we know is, you know, jen just shared that story about the $500 haircut. Like, would you, would you just give her $500 meeting, or probably not, but when you're providing that much value, you probably would, you know.

Speaker 2: 24:15

And so when people value things, when they pay, they pay attention, and so only telling people about the stuff that you 1000% believe in is probably going to be the best thing. And knowing, hey, not everybody is going to value everything that I'm offering, and that's okay. It doesn't make us right or wrong or them right or wrong, but we want to be able to serve people to their highest good, and so our pricing is going to be higher than most, and our, you know, take home care is going to be higher than most, and that's okay. Not everyone is going to buy everything, and that's not our goal. Our goal is to offer the best possible options for our guests, and that's all that we want to do, you know. And so, when you can just, really, you know, commit to like, hey, this is our pricing. We're not trying to be the Walmart of the world, um, we're trying to be the person who really, um, you know, is offering the most valuable stuff. It just puts you in a whole, totally different ballpark.

Speaker 1: 25:19

Love that. Another action plan is to commit to a simple system for retention, so just making sure that most of your software systems are doing the follow-up text, the emails, or even doing exclusive VIP offers for your top clients that visit the salon a certain amount of time or spend a certain amount of money. And I think one thing too that, because we are in the relationship business is when you're doing these, these simple systems, is make it very personalized. You know, an example of a follow-up text would be like hey Lindsay, this is Jen from salon ABC. We truly enjoyed and value valued having you at our salon company. We'd love to hear your feedback. If you've loved us, click here. If you need additional support, click here. And so I think just that personalized touch of even it coming from the salon owner even helps to elevate the brand in a beautiful way.

Speaker 2: 26:09

I love that for sure. All right. So you know, staying booked solid isn't about hustling for new clients. You know it's about keeping the ones that you already have and creating the environment where they want to bring others. So you know, our challenge to you is to pick one of today's strategies and implement it right away this week. And implement it right away this week and if you love this episode, screenshot it, share it on Instagram and tag us. We'd love for you to let us know which strategy you're using. And thanks so much for tuning in. We can't wait to see you soon.