Increase retail in your salon
Are your salon retail sales slowly dying? Are clients buying online? Are they choosing to buy something from the supermarket? Why don’t your clients buy retail from your salon? Here’s how you can increase retail in your salon.
Talk to them
You have a good-looking retail space, stocked with the products you like using in the salon. You have a consultation with your client and decide on the best shampoo and conditioner to use for them. You wash their hair, use some styling products and finish. But did you talk about what you were using on your client’s hair and why you were using it? Do you think the client would benefit from using those products at home? Clients want to know what products you are using and why you are using them, don’t be shy, tell them! You’re not selling anything you are providing a service and educating them on what products are best for them. When you go to the dentist or doctor, you listen to the advice they give you and anything they recommend using to improve your health or teeth. The same goes for hairdressing. Talk to your clients about what you’re using on their hair and why you’re using it. Explain to them how they would use that product at home themselves. You’re simply helping them understand what’s best for them and how to look after their hair between visits to you.
You’re the expert
I worked with a hairdresser who had done a cut and style for one of her regular clients. Once the client left the salon she went to grab some lunch from the local supermarket. She bumped into her client and found her looking at shampoos and conditioners! “Hello, what shampoo would you recommend for my hair as it always feels so good after you’ve done it.” It’s at that moment she realised how important retail was. Not selling but recommending and talking about products you use. Clients want and expect their hair to look and feel good when they come to your salon. They also want their hair to look and feel good when they are at home too.
Use the internet
In this digital age, clients are using the internet for convenience, to save time and money. Get the best deals out of your product company. Know what products are your best sellers. Know what you have in stock and what you need so when your sales rep comes to see you get the best deal out of them. Create loyalty schemes for your customers with promotions and offers that will make buying products more affordable and appealing. Motivate staff, run competitions for the best retailer in a week/month. See if you can get a prize out of your product provider to help you with this. Start a ‘Product of the month’ promotion for your salon. Select a popular product, a spray leave-in conditioner for example. Do a special promotion and promote it in the salon, by email and social media. Use the product on your clients when they are in the salon. How about a free product when they recommend a friend instead of money off or a discount for example? A £12 retail product might only cost you £7! It gets the product in the client’s hand and may create an opportunity for them to purchase it when they run out. You should be using social media to talk to your clients too. Do you post hair pictures that you have created in the salon when the hair looks amazing? Mention the products you use to create the result, clients may come to you to get that product.
Stand out
90 percent of clients leave a salon saying they wish they had more advice and education on how to recreate their new look at home! The client’s ability to recreate their look at home has a direct effect on client satisfaction, retention and referrals. 70 percent of consumers are not given a product recommendation on a recent salon visit. If you want your salon to stand out and be successful, talk to your clients about products! It’s all part of the client journey with your salon! Don’t forget, you’re a hairdresser not a salesperson!
