Growth Strategies Series - Retail

Welcome to the final instalment of the Growth Strategies series, Retail!

Sometimes service providers hesitate to talk to their clients about retail because they are not confident in their knowledge of the products or they feel they lack the verbiage to educate from behind the chair.  

Even in tough times, continue to invest in the advanced education and training for your team.  Contact your local distributorship to get a listing of all educational offerings and support your team on attending.  

While selling retail products in our salons in one of the key factors in profitability, it also holds the key for client retention.  Most salon owners don’t make this important link and fail to share it with their service providers.  When we fail to offer our salon clients the proper education on the products needed to sustain their style, color or skin at home, it often leads to disappointment and mistrust when they cannot maintain or recreate what has been performed in the salon.  

So think about this…

• Not offering the client the opportunity to make their own decision about take home products makes the guest experience less have less impact
  
  
• It lowers the retention of new guests when they blame the haircut or color for their inability to recreate the style.
  
  
• Reduces the potential income of both the salon owner and the service provider
  
  
• We make the client’s experience about us and not about what’s best for the client!  Who’s really on your mind!!!
  
  
• Try giving your clients a retail prescription, as part of their service, having the proper professional products to recreate their look at home will heighten the chances of them becoming a returning client.
  
  
• When coaching your team on making retail recommendations, focus on the fact that they are completing the service experience by educating the guest on how to maintain the service at home.  Take “selling” out of the picture!
  
  
• Practice educating verbiage with them to get them more comfortable with the process of “prescriptive recommendations”.  

For example, try:

“You will notice that I used our new root booster on your hair today.  Can you believe the fullness we achieved in your style!  This product is fantastic and also includes a color protectant to keep your beautiful new blond looking true.  I will show it to you as we are checking you out today.”  

The guest feels supported by the stylist with the proper information to maintain her new look at home- not sold to.  So coach them through their fears and get them completing the service by prescribing to their clients!