William Shakespeare wrote 'All the world is a stage, and all the men and women merely players'. That famous saying goes on to say that during your life you will play many different parts.
Due to the magic of movies, we see our favourite actors and actresses play many different roles and, because their characters are so believable, we refer to them as 'superstars'.
Consider the role of a hairstylist. If you were a movie director who had to write the script of a professional hair stylist who wants to be recognised as a 'superstar' in the eyes of their clients, their colleagues as well as the industry, how would you write that script?
How to be Superstars in the Salon
Considering the nature of the work we do, once described as 'as traumatic as going to the dentist', number one is hospitality. A visit to the salon should a 'safe zone' for clients in which they can relax and be pampered.
The first thing is to assure your clients that you respect them and their hair and that the health of their hair is your number one priority.
The second thing is to make it all about them. Consultation is the best tool to use because you need to get inside your client's head before you work on the outside of their head and, when a client is relaxed, she is more likely to share her problems, needs and desires.
You Already Have the Expertise
During your career you learn a lot of scientific stuff such as physiology, chemistry and psychology to the point where they become part of your expertise. Put that knowledge to work by educating your clients and by making professional recommendations to address those problem, needs and desires.
Such recommendations should come from the heart because clients don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
Stylists are famous for their creativity, but before you create 'your masterpiece', consider two things:
Does the frame suit the picture? A mediocre picture looks fantastic in the right frame. Conversely, natural beauty can be lost of the person is wearing a bad hairstyle.
Will your style complement their lifestyle and enhance their success factor?
At the end of the day that's what the client is paying for.
Now all you have to do is ‘learn your lines’ until you become the ‘superstar’.
Superstars can earn a lot of money. In Part 2 of this blog, I will show how you can double your income.
– Terry Miles, MD MySalon Software
Email: info@mysalonsoftware.co.za