IS IT BEST TO SPECIALISE IN ONE AREA OF HAIR OR HAIRDRESSING AS A WHOLE? By Larissa Macleman
This is a question I get asked a lot. Whether it’s about hair or beauty, so many Owners that I know often feel torn between what I call ‘niching down’, or instead trying to appeal to more people.
And I know how you feel! You often feel like you don’t want to narrow down your options… because that seems counterintuitive, right?! But then again, you see so many other Salons & Spas out there targeting a super-specific audience, and you wonder whether you should start doing the same… I actually have a super strong opinion on this… it’s one that I really believe in whole-heartedly.
My Opinion... My short answer is YES, you need to specialise in something. Have a focus point and reason for ‘being’ beyond just doing beauty or just doing hair... I actually believe in this so much, that it’s something I teach within my paid program. I help owners work out their area of expertise, so that they can: Focus on what they deliver Send a clear message to the marketplace that they are expert in xyz This is so important, because if you think about the journey of a client when she is looking for a new hair or beauty service provider... they google, they social stalk, they ask their friends. But how do they make their final choice? It’s not like there is any shortage of salons to choose from… so there needs to be a defining factor. And that factor needs to be that YOU are the expert in your area of specialization… that way, your potential new clients will know straight away whether your Salon is what they’re looking for, or not.
so think about what she needs, wants & desires. Instead of talking to ‘everyone’, you should be talking to her… ‘The One’!
Talk to ‘The One’ The One is your ideal client, the person who raves about your business and is unflinchingly loyal. This is the person who, if you could have even 50 more clients like them, you’d be well on your way to hitting your biggest goals. The way you fill your salon with these people is by niching down, which means getting crystal clear on who your ideal client is, what challenges they face and how you can uniquely solve their problem. But beyond solving their specific problem, you also need to know how to articulate the problem you solve for them.
To make YOU the obvious choice, you need to tell the world why they should come to you... because you STAND for something!
How does your ideal client talk about their problems and challenges, and what is it they say they want?
And I know the common fear… that you don’t want to narrow yourself down and limit the amount of clients you could bring into your business.
Niche down your message and mirror it back to them in their own language, and you’ll find that your clients look to you like their salon soulmate.
But showing yourself as the expert in YOUR area of expertise is actually going to have the opposite effect… Because when you try to appeal to EVERYONE, you end up appealing to no-one! If you aren’t sure what your area of expertise should be… you need to have your ideal client in mind. Talk directly to her! She is ‘The One’,
Be The Expert Now that you’ve niched down and narrowed in on your ideal client, it’s time to show them who’s the expert. But first, you need to make sure you’re the expert they need and want. If you’re not clear on the expert you need to be for your ideal client, head back to step one and return to the drawing board.
For example, does your client want you to be an extensions expert or the queen bee of balayage? Again, trying to be everything to everyone doesn’t help you gain traction, you have to double down on who you’re talking to and take a stand on what you’re talking to them about. At the end of the day, the biggest competition isn’t the salon down the street; it’s the pace in which people scroll through their social media feeds. Position yourself as the expert on the thing your ideal client needs and wants from you (of course, these two things should be aligned), and you’ll command a level of attention that stops the scroll. At the end of the day, people want to: 1. Trust your skills and expertise 2. Know you can look after THEM The cool thing is that this lets THEM decide if you are right for them. It changes your marketing strategy to clients wanting to come to you… rather than you trying to convince people to come to you.
And that’s WHY you SHOULD specialise. Larissa Macleman is the CEO & Founder of the Salon Owners Collective Podcast- The Salon Owners Collective Podcast Website- www.salonownerscollective.com Facebook- Salon Owners Collective Instagram- @salonownerscollective
Hair Biz Year 15 Issue 4
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