Success Through Service Conversations Around Consultations, Communication & Your Bottom Line

By Kerrie DiMattia

THE SAYING GOES - PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH! - And Preach I do when it comes to the importance of training your team in the ART of Communication with the people choosing to spend money in your business!

Salon owners and Stylists need to develop a number of skills to help them perfect their craft and grow their businesses, but in my opinion, one of the most important and often badly overlooked skill is communication.

While there’s no denying a salon’s ability to thrive heavily depends on its technical skills, they aren’t the only factors attributed a salons success - In fact I’m going to go out on a limb here & say that without great communication & customer service skills, a great Haircut or Colour is not enough to guarantee you a returning client!

What was it Tabatha Coffey once said - It’s not really about the Hair!

A client won’t return if they don’t feel heard, understood & valued regardless of how happy they were with their Hair.

The best way to do that is to make sure our COMMUNICATION skills are on point!

IMPROVING COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR CLIENTS - ITS A HOLISTIC APPROACH

Now I’m not just talking about communication with your client once they are in your chair, as important as this is, the ART of communication begins long before the clients walks in your front door - In fact having a great CULTURE ( yes it all falls under this banner) of Pre & Post appointment communication could be the deciding factor in choosing your front door over many others.

Social media: Social media presence is essential for getting the attention of clients who are shopping for a new look & or a new salon & should be high on your list of ways to communicate!

Not only is your SM one of your best forms of getting information across to potential & current Clients through marketing, but also one of today’s most widely used forms of contact & inquiry through direct messaging & commenting.

Is it time consuming? YES!! Is it negotiable NO, not in today’s society, NOT if you want your business to thrive.

If you need help with your SM reach out to someone who knows it inside & out for our industry like Hayley Mears from @ sixundergroundmedia.

Website inquiries, Email or EDM: Salons that have interactive websites often get new client inquiries through a “Contact Us” section or through online booking, Clients may also reach out via email to ask questions about availabilities, pricing, policies & products - Don’t forget, these are all forms of Communication, don’t leave the client hanging for a response or booking confirmation, your reputation depends on a prompt response.

Phone calls: People LIKE speaking to People, so many clients just want to talk to a human!

Make sure you & your team make a great impression with a polished & professional phone manner & consistency in your scripts. Whether it’s to welcome a new client or follow up on a recent visit to the salon, a warm well executed phone conversation can make all the difference to how confident the client feels with you or your team.

The Reminder text/email: Busy people need reminding! This is such an important form of communication, it’s not only a great service to the client but it’s a great way to cut down on those pesky no shows!! Keep your messages short & to the point but include helpful information for a first-time client, like parking availability etc.

The Consultation - My personal favourite!!!

I mean let’s look at this realistically - Consultations done well are almost guaranteed to increase your bottom line IF your team have the training and support, they need to do them properly!

This is a big topic and, in my opinion, should be on the top of your list when planning your teams education for the year!

Let’s look at the obvious, What are some of the most important KPI’s we measure as salon owners?

Average Ticket Price Rebooking Retention

RETAIL SALES

REPUTATION/REVIEWS (& if you are notyou should be!)

ALL of the above depend on great COMMUNICATION in the form of a thorough CONSULTATION & I do mean more than just a few brief questions about how they would like their hair today!

This is a topic I delve into in depth in my workshops and you would be surprised how many salon owners don’t value its importance!!

And last but certainly not least...

The post appointment follow up: Another personal favourite!!! Nothing communicates we appreciate you more than a follow up phone call a few days down the track to see how a client enjoyed their experience. This is especially important but not limited to new clients, it makes such an impression on them that you have taken the time to check in on them. This is also a great opportunity to pick up on something you could have done differently if they weren’t completely happy before they book elsewhere for their next Haircut.

Communication is the basis of any relationship - Not just the romantic ones! Make sure yours is on point!

Kez x

To book a discovery session with me email kez@totalcoachingacademy.com or to find out more about one of my Salon Culture workshops coming later this year. www.sabrehaircare.com.au/educationprograms