jakethompsoncreative

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Building/Sustaining a Clientele

I've gotten a lot of questions lately, one in particular: How do i go about building/sustaining a clientele? 

1st off, you have to understand the dynamic of todays guests.  They want a very big bang for the dollars they spend, for instance, your guest or there significant other might be out of work.  So, they want over the top customer service, a very clean environment, exceptional professionalism and work that grows out well and not to much effort.  So with that in your tools of success lets talk about some key factors for building/sustaining a clientele!

Building:
  • Guest are everywhere!!!  
  • First you have to open your mouth....sounds easy?  Try doing it with-out some liquid courage!  Starting up conversation with complete stranger is hard your 1st few times, ask me, I was shy shy shy.  The more i did it, the easier it got!
  • Once you establish conversation... Sell, Sell, Sell!  Not products, YOU!  You aren't bragging, you are telling your potential guest how much you would love to style her hair.  Be genuine, people are very savvy to fake personalities!
  • If the guest ask, "What you would do?"  If your familiar with face shapes, skin tone, what looks good on what, etc.  Tell her, but tell her in a way that sounds enticing and attractive!  Think of when you go to a nice restaurant, and the waiter starts telling you about the specials.  Does he or she sell you on the honey glazed chicken with a sugar spice rub, etc?   Describing what you would do is an art, the more you do it the easier it gets.  Start by doing it with the guest you have in your chair already:  "the fringe I'm going to shape around your eyes is going to heighten your cheek bone showing off your beautiful smile"
  • Have business cards on you, hand her one!  Or better yet if its during business hours, be proactive and call your salon and make her an appointment!  Now that going above and beyond!

Sustaining:
  • Once you've seen the guest a few times, does not mean there yours!  Stylist think, they have been coming to me 3 or 5 times etc.  There mine!    When that attitude arrives it's from laziness and your guest notices.
  • That's why sustaining a guest requires you on your game!  
  • Passion, Excitement and having that Newness towards them keeps them wanting to come back!
  • Having those attributes will probably build referrals from those guests too.  Remember: "referrals are the BEST way to build a clientele" 
  • If you approach your guest with "I'm not taking you for granted attitude," they will see the value in buying you! 
 Todays guest have money, they want to spend it, but there very weary in spending where they don't see the value!  Show them your value, professionalism, passion and cutting edge skills... and they'll see the investment in you!

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