Salon Success Secrets

Booked & Balanced: High-Ticket Success

• Lindsay Lowe & Jen Booth

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What if those elusive "dream clients" who happily pay premium prices aren't something you find, but something you create? This paradigm-shifting conversation challenges the common salon belief that ideal clients either walk through your door or they don't.

Through real-world examples and practical strategies, we explore how transforming your approach to client interactions can dramatically change your results. One stylist's story reveals how a simple consultation shift turned what would have been a $150 service into a $700 ticket—not through pushy sales tactics, but by truly seeing the client's needs and painting a bigger vision for their transformation.

The heart of this transformation lies in a powerful three-part formula: Envision, Elevate, and Empower. By envisioning your salon as a transformation hub rather than a service provider, elevating every client experience to VIP status regardless of their current spending, and empowering your team to become wealth builders with a "client for life" mindset, you create an environment where clients naturally level up.

We dive deep into practical language shifts that make all the difference—moving from "Would you like a haircut today?" to offering solutions specifically tailored to a client's face shape, personal goals, and desired outcomes. Learn why connecting treatments and services directly to solving client problems consistently converts at higher rates than traditional upselling approaches.

Ready to transform your salon experience and stop waiting for dream clients to appear? Text the word "VISION" to (469) 283-5590 for our free high-end client experience checklist and discover how treating every client like your ideal client leads them to become exactly that.

Do you have a question for Blondes in Business: Luxury Beauty Business Podcast? Send a text or leave a voicemail at 855.650.3445 or send us an email to hello@thephdprogram.com. We would love to hear from you.
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Lindsay Lowe:

most salon owners and teams believe that dream clients just walk in, that they either show up ready to pay top dollar or they don't. But what if that's completely wrong? What if you have the power to turn every client into your dream client by just shifting the way that you think about your business? Because what we know is that's the myth that's keeping your salon stuck. You know, just recently I walked by a new stylist on our team who was giving a consultation, and you know, consultations and transformations are something we work really hard on creating inside of inside of our space, and what I overheard was her saying would you like to do a haircut to that today? And the guest said no. And then she said would you like to do an eyebrow wax today? And the guest said no. And she said would you like to do a treatment today? And the guest said no.

Lindsay Lowe:

And you know it got me thinking right away like, hey, I can't wait to connect with this stylist and and really help her understand the difference between being an order taker and and being a transformation maker. You know, because just switching a few ways that you asked your questions can totally change everything. Because I think you know, inside of our business. Uh, we can get really fixated on the idea that everybody understands what we're talking about, but most guests don't know what a treatment is and it wasn't tied to anything that would benefit her, and you know. So there's just so many ways that we can really turn buyers into the people that we we want them to be and to really truly create that transformation, and so today, that's what we're going to be diving into, what you should be saying instead of those things, and how you can really create that inside of your salon today.

Jen Booth:

So good. So let's look at some old beliefs that you maybe heard or that maybe you've even said yourself there's self, there's no judgment here. We're going to look at these old beliefs and think about what's a new opportunity or what's a new perspective or a new way to view it. So you might have people on your team that have said this, or maybe you've even said it yourself. It says some clients are just cheap and there's nothing I can do about it. I remember someone on my team that's no longer here used to say that before, because they believe that you know, they want high-end services or they don't. Like they're fully in or fully out. They respect your expertise or they don't. They're fully in or fully out. Um, they respect your expertise or they don't. Um, they tip well or they don't. And this thinking makes salons reactive instead of proactive, because we truly know that.

Jen Booth:

If you think about the power of looking at that bigger vision, what if the problem isn't the clients? Let me say that again what if the problem isn't the client? That's so good. It's the experience that you're creating, just like Lindsay was sharing with the experience she had with one of her service providers. Like, it's the experience.

Jen Booth:

Yeah, if you'd say if you ask someone, do you want a haircut today? It's easily a yes or no. But if you say, hey, we've been thinking about you and you know it's time for spring. Taking a look, your face shape, it's heart shape. Like if we just add a little bit more layers to the bottom and let's pull that curtain back to your beautiful eyes. Like even if we just trim it a little bit. Today, I really want to focus on face framing, the layers, like that is such a different impact than saying that's being like a transformer instead of what we call an informer, that's being proactive instead of reactive, and and so when you think about that, you think about like, what are the brands that do really great at creating a great experience? Apple, the Ritz Carlton or even luxury fashion houses train customers to expect more and pay more, and I think that is the most powerful part about it is that dream clients aren't found. They're actually developed.

Lindsay Lowe:

Yes, I love that Dream clients aren't found, they are developed. That is so good, jen, because what we know is every client can become a dream client if we create the right experience. A dream client if we create the right experience. So our team every day has the power to elevate clients by guiding them into bigger visions for themselves. You know, it's like a. It's like, instead of just selling services, you're actually curating transformation.

Lindsay Lowe:

So, because what we know is people don't just buy haircuts, they don't just buy facials or colors. What they're truly buying is confidence. They want to feel confident in the skin that they're in and the look that they have. They want to be able to express themselves, something that kind of brings their inner beauty out and really just helps them have a strong identity inside of the world. And so when you start treating every client like a high-end client, they really start behaving like one, you know, and so I think that that's a huge thing is that you have to start treating them like a high-end client if you want them to to really start to behave like one.

Jen Booth:

That's so good. It reminds me the other day we had someone walk in which is rare we don't always get a lot of walk-ins but she wanted to have her hair done and makeup done for a wedding anniversary she had coming up. It's 23 years, but it's going to be her first church wedding and so no one was available to help support her. So our front desk grabbed me real quick. I said, hey, jen, can you just help her really quick? And so, normally, what most people would have done, I've just scheduled her that special occasion hair and that makeup. But I actually sat down at our consultation table and, you know, asked her a lot of questions.

Jen Booth:

I did a quick style strategy with her. You know, I looked at her face shape and that way we knew exactly, like, what colors were going to look best for her on that special day. And then I even talked to her about extensions. So what normally would be like okay, $150 service for a cage special occasion and, um, you know, a makeup application turned into be a $700 ticket. But like that's the power of treating every client like a dream client I could have just said, yeah, just sign her up for a. You know, sign her up for that special occasion. So-and-so is good with that or sign her up for that makeup, but like to really sit down with people and to see like the way we interact really creates the results that we get. Every client is a dream client If you give them the opportunity to be.

Lindsay Lowe:

Oh, so powerful, and you know it just makes you realize, like how much money you're leaving on the table but truly, at the end of that, how much transformation we're leaving on the table, and when people are buying confidence from us, like that's truly how you deliver that value. People all the time are like deliver more value, deliver more value. Well, what's value, values, what's valuable to that person, and so when they understand themselves more, they can show up bigger in the world. And so a lot of it is really being able to envision. So let's talk about the three part formula to turning any client into a dream client. So step number one is going to be to be able to envision. So you want to be able to create a bigger vision for your salon and for your clients. So, right now, how do you see your business? Is it a transactional service or are you a transformational hub where people can come to? You know, because that's two totally different types of business. One of them has order takers, the other one has transformation makers working there. You know, because that's two totally different types of business. One of them has order takers, the other one has transformation makers working there. You know, and so you want to define what kind of experience every guest should have. So that's before, during and after their visit. You know, that's where, inside of a salon business school, the PhD program, we really work on, that gold promise. You know, and, and that's what it is how you define what that experience is going to look like with every single client, you know. And then you want to create an environment where clients naturally level up. So you want to be able to offer some luxury services, you want expert consultations, you want that elite level hospitality. So, instead of just saying, do you want to do a haircut, like I mentioned earlier, taking it in the direction that Jen mentioned, hey, your heart shaped face. Hey, you know, we looked and it looks like you have an oval face shape. This would be a fun new look for you this spring.

Lindsay Lowe:

Um, when it comes to your haircut, would you like to to try that today? Uh, yes, that's a way bigger. Yes, then do you want a haircut today, today, yes, that's a way bigger. Yes, then do you want a haircut today? Same thing by saying, hey, you know what are your some of your hair goals, you know over the next few visits, and you know if someone's like, hey, I'm trying to grow my hair out or, you know, I'd like to eliminate frizz, whatever issues it is that they're bringing to your attention, tying the services and offerings that you make to those issues that they're experiencing.

Lindsay Lowe:

So someone's trying to grow their hair, you know, and you wanted to say would you like to get a treatment today? Instead, you could say hey, jen, I heard you say that one of your hair goals was to add additional length to your hair. You want to grow it. I know we talked about extensions, but one of the ways that we can set you up right away today is by doing a lengthening and strengthening treatment to your hair at the shampoo bowl. Would you like to enjoy that during your service today? Absolutely, they're going to say yes every time, especially once they touch their hair after they get that treatment. They're going to be sold for life, you know. So it's just changing a little bit of your language to make it be hey, I'm actually solving your problems. This isn't about me, because the treatment's about me or being an order taker, whereas if you're offering it in a way that would solve their problems, that's about them. That's creating that experience that is truly transformational and not just transactional.

Jen Booth:

So good. So the second part of the three-part formula and let's just mention envision we're going to go to elevate. And so when we think about elevating by elevate, turning any client into a dream client we want to talk about making every client feel like a VIP. And so that's literally rolling out the carpet every single time, because we are in the experience business, not just the service business. We are in the experience business, not just the service business, we are in the hospitality business, and if you call our last podcast with the million dollar waiter Martin, he said we're in the business of making people feel special, and so to be able to eliminate all the judgment from clients that come in and see that, hey, a lot of times when they enter, enter our door, they almost are like in a cocoon, and so the opportunity that we get to do every day is when they sit in our chair. They get to leave feeling like a butterfly and you just never know what someone is going through. I've even seen high school kids or even adults pay their last little bit of money to get their hair done. So we're not rolling out the red carpet. If we're not making that every single guest feels super special, we're missing the mark.

Jen Booth:

Um, because we know there's also a secret to upselling without selling. You know, teaching your team to paint that bigger picture for clients. You know, um, you know having that. You know there's fortune in the follow-up making sure that they understand what their second visit is going to look like, what their third visit is going to look like, like it's not just a one visit, one and done. You know, when I'm thinking, ma'am, it's more about hey, like what can we do every single visit? How can we discover what's most important to you, create that goal for you and have you leaving feeling more confident every single day? Because we know that confidence comes from the root word for dare, which means to trust. So when people are leaving our salon and they're feeling more confident in themselves, their lives are going to be better before it. And that's what it's truly like to making sure that you make every client feel like a VIP.

Lindsay Lowe:

So good, and you know, step three of this formula is to empower. This is where you want to turn your team into wealth builders, you know you want to teach your service providers to think like wealth creators. They're not just an employee, they're there to create wealth, you know. So we really want to encourage the client for life mindset, you know, and and the way that we do this is by small little touch points, because what we know is the fortune is in the follow-up, you know. So it's not just about that one-time visit, it's about the follow-up. You know how can we check in with them, send them a special card in the mail, let them know about some of our perks that we already have. Like, if they're a VIP, they get some perks, or maybe you offer a birthday gift.

Lindsay Lowe:

You know how do you turn those casual clients into raving fans, and a lot of it is just encouraging your team to have that client for life mindset with everybody.

Lindsay Lowe:

You know, and if you build your team culture around that, where everyone feels, you know, really invested in creating that high value experience, you know it it becomes just natural for them to give it. You know, and we know all the salons that we work with offer some great incentives, they offer some great continuing education and you know, we know this is the space in a team environment where the most people win. You know, because we always want to be creating that win win, win win situation. You know where it's like the team, the guests and the salon wins, like that's when we know it's going to be great and really it really happens in that third step where you empower your team to really become those wealth builders because and honestly, like when they're creating that transformation for their guests, they're really delivering that value, because then the client, the guest, the client can go out and create more money and create more freedom and create a better life because they're so much more confident in their appearance and the way that they're showing up inside of the world.

Jen Booth:

So good. And you may be thinking, oh, this sounds great, jen and Lindsay, but like, this is a natural for me. But then when I try to transport to my team, it sounds like wah, wah, wah. And so, like you know, this is just, you just have to continue to coach and train. They might not always see it exactly like you, but giving them the tools and the techniques to be able to, you know, create that great guest experience is so powerful.

Jen Booth:

And we truly believe in teaching principles here. And so, like, we know that the law of polarity is huge. So, like, as human beings, you know, as we go through life, we hear facts. Either we see them or we hear them, and, without even realizing it, we put a frame around those facts, yeah, and then what that happens is sends a signal to your brain and, because of the law of polarity, you either focus on the positive or you focus on the negative, because a lot of polarity says where there's positive, there has to be negative, or there's negative, that has to be positive.

Jen Booth:

I mean, there's two sides to everything, right, there's two sides to a coin, there's two sides to a piece of bread, and so, like, teaching your team the law of polarity, and you know how to like focus on the positive, um, instead of focusing on the negative, how that's going to shape their beliefs and that's going to send a signal to their heart which is either going to empower them or disempower them. And so, like, just little things like this teaching principles like this helps them to uncover and unfold the beliefs that are not serving them, that are then being transferred, transferred over to the client experience. So, just working with your team, don't give up, continue to work with them and even though you just got to measure the little improvements, that's really what you're looking for. It's just what's the little things that they are improving on that, over time, are going to make a really big impact.

Lindsay Lowe:

I love that last little bit. I mean that whole thing that you just gave Jen was amazing. But really that last little bit, I mean that whole thing that you just gave Jen was amazing, but really that last little bit of just making sure there's a tiny little improvement over time, because that's when you know, hey, my coaching is working. It doesn't have to be a huge shift all at once, but as long as they're putting some of those things into action, then you know that they're headed in the right direction. So I love that.

Lindsay Lowe:

So you might be thinking you're ready to stop waiting for your dream clients to show up and start transforming every client into one. So here's what you need to do next. First, you need to choose one of the three steps that envision, elevate or empower, and implement it this week. Start working on it as a team this week. And step number two is going to be go ahead and send us a text, text us the word vision, v, I, S, I, o, n, and we'll send you a free high end client experience checklist.

Lindsay Lowe:

The number is 4, 6, 9, 2, 8, 3, 5, 5, 9, 0. You can also find it in the show notes. And the third thing that you can do is grab our book thinking get rich as a beauty pro, and you know that's really the full wealth building playbook for beauty pros inside of this industry. So we just want to let you know dream clients don't just happen. They're created through vision, leadership and experience the experience that you build in your salon. Truly. So if you want to work with more higher paying, loyal clients, start by treating every client like one today. Your future dream business starts now.