What Makes A Salon Successful: 5 Key Things

5 Key Things For Salon Success

It’s hard to believe but 2020 is just around the corner, which means it’s time to check in with your goals and get ready to set new ones. Are you where you wanted to be when you first became a stylist? What’s holding you back from achieving the success you deserve? Allow us to put your anxiety at ease. While in Vegas for Surface’s 2019 Global Forum, we learned Surface Founder & CEO Wayne Grund’s (@waynegrund) five key tips for success and we’re sharing them here with you! So keep scrolling to learn what advice he shared, then get ready to achieve salon success in the New Year! 

1. Get Your Chair Full

Word of mouth is a great way to get clients in your chair but what if you’re just starting out and only have a few guests? What if your current clientele isn’t talking? Then what? Here are four marketing tactics Wayne says will help get your chair full:

• Face-To-Face: As a society, we’re pretty much tethered to our phones, which is why Wayne’s advice is to put the phone down and start talking to people about what you do and where you work.

• Social Media: This one’s a given because it’s a FREE way to show off your work. So post often, tag the brands you use so your page gets more exposure and comment and like other posts to get your engagement up.  

• Hard Copy: Business cards may sound a little old school but here’s the thing: They work. So have some on you at all times and don’t be afraid to hand them out.

• Four Wall Marketing: This refers to the appearance and attitude of you, your salon and your employees. Not only do you want to look put together and professional BUT clients want to be around people who are happy. Make sure people can see the care and see the love when they enter your salon. This experience is what will lead to word of mouth.

2. Communicate Effectively

Which sounds more inviting: “Take a seat right there and someone will be with you in a moment!” or “Hi! Welcome to [salon name]! How can I help you today?” How you communicate and interact with guests when they first walk in is crucial. Shake their hand when they walk in. Make eye contact as you welcome them in and be sure to smile. Never let a client walk behind you and whatever you do, don’t lose them in the salon! “If I don’t communicate in a high caring level, I don’t care how great I can balayage. You’re not going to come back,” says Wayne. 

3. Do Great Work Consistently

So you’ve got guests in your chair and they feel welcomed into your salon. Now what? Now you need to deliver on what they ask for and you need to do it well. The trick to doing great work consistently is to never stop developing your skills. Master the foundational skills. Go to educational events. Learn the latest techniques to hit the industry. Practice techniques that you struggle with on mannequins. 

4. Make Guests Look Great At Home

Clients will attempt to recreate the style you did—and they will struggle. Teaching them how to take care of and style their hair at home will keep ’em coming back. So:

• Talk to them about what products you’re using and why.

• Teach them how to apply each one.

• Create a product guide and number each one based on importance.

• Come up with a plan so they can own all the right products for their hair type within a certain timeframe, saying something like, “You can take with you whatever your beauty budget will allow today and let’s set a goal of three visits to have you in your complete regime.“

5. Guest Retention

This one goes hand-in-hand with the previous tip. Sending clients home with product ensures she can make her hair look great at home, helps you make a little more money that week AND Wayne says it’s the secret to client retention. Here’s how:

• If they don’t take any product home, there’s a 3% chance they’ll come back.
• If they purchase one product, there’s a 30% chance they’ll come back.
• If they purchase two products, there’s a 60% chance they’ll come back.
• If they purchase three products, there’s a 90% chance they’ll come back.

But at the end of the day, Wayne says it’s not about the product that got sold. It’s about you identifying the client’s need and then serving that need.

How To Keep Fine Hair From Falling Flat—CLICK HERE!