Since the beginning of TIME, time has been both a determining force and something you cannot hold on to.
Time: Perception
Time is also deceptive and misleading. For example, young people believe that time is on their side. We all did when we were young. However, if you have a near-death experience or as you get older, you realise time is a diminishing asset and needs to be taken more seriously. Time also changes depending on current experience - for example when kissing good night to your sweetheart, a ten second kiss seems to last only a second, while if you accidentally touch extreme hot or extreme cold, ten seconds seems to last forever.
Time Management: A Skill
In business, you only have limited trading hours and you cannot afford to waste time. Time management is a very important skill which is not always understood.
For example, the value of weekdays, particularly the first half of the week is not as valuable as Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. This logic can be applied to time in general. Certain months of the year tend to be busier than other. Even client age is significant: people spend more time and money on their appearance and well-being as they get older and have more disposable income.
When booking clients, the salon business time needs to be ‘sold’ based on its value. This can be done by a well-trained receptionist simply by NOT asking clients when (as in what day and what time) they would like to come in but rather by guiding clients towards the quieter times of the week and of the time of day.
It doesn’t take long to know which times of the day and week are most popular and keep them open by recommending the other times of the day or week. By ‘selling’ your appointment times, you should end up with a fuller appointment book.
Please feel free to contact us for our next ‘Time Management’ webinar.
– Terry Miles, MD MySalon Software
Email: info@mysalonsoftware.co.za