Blog Archives

3 Beauty Industry Trends to Watch for Right Now

4/23/2018

The beauty industry is experiencing a major shift right now—with technology and organic products changing the industry.

As a salon owner, you can incorporate these trends into your salon by first being aware of them and then doing your research. Not every trend will fit seamlessly into your business model. But there may be a way for you to incorporate the trend in a small way and then decide if you want to invest in it further. So what exactly are these hot beauty trends?

Using data to fuel business growth. Big data is a phrase you will hear in almost every industry. You may not think of a salon as a place where numbers are important, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Data can help your salon by showing you trends in employees, sales, and pricing. A new app called ZeeZor allows salon owners and employees to track their progress on a dashboard. Stylists can track their rebooking percentage, retention rates, and sales for specified periods of time. Data also allows salons to drive strategy while reduces the emotion out of the decision making process. As an owner, you can help stylists set goals for themselves. This allows for employees to see where they are excelling and where they can improve.
Natural and organic beauty products are here to stay. Consumers are becoming more aware of the harmful effects of ingredients in many skin and hair care products—and rightly so! Some ingredients have been shown to interfere with the body’s natural hormone balance, mimicking estrogen and causing issues with breast and reproductive tissue. Women want to do what they can to eliminate these chemicals while still getting the results they crave from their beauty products. According to Transparency Market Research, the global demand for organic personal care products is estimated to reach $13.2 billion by 2018. Your salon should introduce customers to brands they can trust and feel good about.
High-tech gadgets and apps. Beauty app usage is going up each year. Now people can try on makeup virtually, match foundation shades through their phone, and try on new haircuts and colors without stepping foot into a salon. The growth of customer beauty offerings is sky rocketing, as each customer wants an experience they feel is meant just for them. These virtual services are found on phones as well as on devices in stores. Also, consider what type of gadgets your salon would be interested in selling. Skin care devices are hot sellers. On the customization side of things, could your salon incorporate a virtual reality application that helps customers select a hair cut or color? These types of personalized services can improve customer loyalty and retention, and the opportunities are endless when it comes to technology!

Keep these trends in mind as you begin to think about the new services and products you may want to offer in your salon.

21 Communication Tips for Stylists

4/19/2018

Good communication is necessary in just about every profession, but it’s especially important for stylists. Every day, you are working hands-on with your clients, aiming to give them a look they will absolutely love. And while giving your clients a great look is what the job is about on the surface, in reality, it’s all about building relationships.

While every client is different, here are a few tips to help you win over your clients:

Smile!
Ask clients to bring pictures of styles they like. Ask what elements they like about each style.
Greet your clients by name as they enter the salon.
Make eye contact! This will help you better gauge how your client is feeling and shows you are engaged.
Over-communicate what you are going to do.
If you are behind schedule, give an estimate of how long the wait will be.
Speak with confidence when recommending styles and products to boost your credibility.
Avoid industry jargon—speak your client’s language.
Gently suggest similar but more flattering alternatives if a client requests a cut or color that would not work well with his or her features.
Share new styles and trends.
Listen actively, asking follow-up questions and repeating key points back to your client for clarification.
Sit at eye-level during consultations.
Teach your clients how to recreate salon looks at home.
Don’t just ask what style your client wants—ask what he or she wants to achieve with the look—to give you a better idea of what the underlying goal is for the new style and to help you make recommendations.
Talk less, listen more.
Be aware of your tone. Avoid sarcasm or snarkiness.
Same as at the Thanksgiving dinner table, avoid the topics of religion and politics (unless your client brings these topics up first).
Take the time to consider how a message sent over email or a messaging program may be read. How would you react if you received the message?
Get to know your client personally—job, morning routines, styling ability, products and tools used—to help you make better style and product recommendations.
Avoid slouching during sit-down consultations.
Offer the customer service you would expect from others to your clients.

Communication and building relationships isn’t always easy, but seeing your clients happy and coming back makes it worth the effort!

Sources

http://www.refinery29.com/hair-stylist-communication-tips#slide-2
https://www.samvilla.com/pro/blog/client-consultation-master-communication-master-the-biz/
https://www.samvilla.com/pro/blog/great-questions-to-ask-your-guest-during-the-client-consultation-in-the-salon/
https://www.modernsalon.com/article/77135/13-ways-to-better-connect-with-your-clients
http://bookyourchairsolid.com/blog/5-tips-communicate-salon-clients-salon/
http://salonmagazine.ca/en/whats-new/features/799-4-tips-for-effective-communication-in-the-salon
https://www.thebalance.com/communication-skills-list-2063779
http://www.schwarzkopf-professionalusa.com/skp/us/en/home/education/ask/consultation/0614/your-salon-guide-to-an-effective-consultation.html

Stylist Posts

3 Beauty Industry Trends to Watch for Right Now

21 Communication Tips for Stylists

Archives

Categories

Jon Jepsen, CIC - Sentrywest insurance

Subscribe Today!