What I Wish I Had Known When I Started … (Part One)

What I Wish I Had Known When I Started … (Part One)

by | Aug 22, 2019 | The Smell of Success

Marnie here…

Isn’t it interesting how our failures become our greatest teachers?
My biggest failures were the most shameful, isolating and downright revolting experiences of my life. They were also my biggest lessons. I chose to LEARN from them. Every challenge that ever presented I chose to seek a lesson from.
I – and possibly you too:-) went into business for myself, knowing I was pretty darn good at most beauty treatments – I’ll just hire the staff for the treatments I’m no good at / don’t like, and honestly, I just wanted to work for myself. Wasn’t it meant to be all roses and happiness owning a business?!

 

I’ve decided to swallow my pride and share some of them with you.

 

If there is one thing I have truly learned from my coaching clients, industry colleagues, Salon Mavens Facebook group members and the messages I receive daily (and have received over the last 10 years) 
 
… I was not actually alone. 
 
Yet I didn’t know this in the early days. Social media wasn’t big when I first started out. I didn’t tell a lot of people what I was going through. I thought it meant something was wrong with ME that this shit was happening.  I was ashamed. I was failing BADLY and FAST! (didn’t THAT bring up childhood issues !!). 
 
So many others have gone through so many of the same issues and failings I experienced. 
 
Staff issues; pouring your hard earned cash and soul into training them, only for them to rip your heart out when they leave with half your clientele and some of your product, or costing you 1000’s in legal fees thinking they could sue the pants of you and be set for life…
(Obviously watching too many U.S drama shows) big marketing promises with expenses that could feed a 3rd world village, which in turn brought NOTHING in.) 
Theft, burglary, weird-ass clients requiring police attendance (twice this happened, and one had assaulted me badly). 
 
SO Here it is: 
My first salon, my most shameful, horrific failure experience, (which I NEVER talk about really), was in a quaint old 2 storey premises. 
The lady who sold it to us also sold us our home. So I trusted her. She didn’t know the truth of it either though. 
 
Long story short, I bought a little bit of a salon, A LOT of brothel
The owner and a side kick were turning tricks upstairs “massaging” whilst the other staff did the beauty treatments downstairs.
Not only did she take her “massage clientele” and half the other salon clients with her within the first month…
… I was left with a massive debt on the mortgage, no money coming in (as I wasn’t well versed in the, erm, massage world)  and no way to pay the bills.
We bought a second salon (hey it seemed like the right move at the time).
Within 10 months we had lost our house. Our marriage was in tatters. We couldn’t sue her as we didn’t have $60k to start the process.
Stay tuned for my next post  to see how I managed this disaster and was able to  easily learn and implant systems and marketing projects that turned my salon’s average weekly income to $17,000 a week (yup, I’m super proud of those failures becoming my biggest teachers for my best successes!).

Need some help getting NOTICED? 

If your prospective clients and customers aren’t finding you online when they’re searching for beauty or hair services, you’re missing out on business!

Enter your details below and get a FREE, customized, comprehensive analysis of your online presence, in a 30-page report delivered to your inbox within 48 hours. 

Want More Clients? Try my UGLY, Unpaid Sales Assistant…

Want More Clients? Try my UGLY, Unpaid Sales Assistant…

by | Aug 16, 2019 | Online Marketing

PLUS – A GIFT FOR YOU VALUED AT $245 – SEE BELOW

Marnie here,
There was a time when I would go to work and stress out about not having enough clients. Now?
I have too many!
So many in fact, I can’t fit them all in, and I’m constantly having to farm them out to my colleagues and students.
In this post, I want to show you one of the “Key Client Attractors” that brings me a constant stream of new clients…
In my business, I specialize in lash extensions. It’s a narrow, deep and rich niche market (remember me talking in earlier blogs about the value of niche markets?).
I get a big proportion of my new clients from referrals, just like most salons & spas. That’s the way the beauty industry works, so I’m sure you get a lot of referrals too.
Word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing you can have.
But it’s not ALL you need. In fact, there’s one form of marketing that’s my silent, unpaid sales person. 
 
And of all the client inquiries and bookings I get each and every week, fully 20% of them come from this unpaid sales person!
She works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, never gets sick, never takes vacations, never complains, has hair or doctor’s appointments, never gets emotional, and she doesn’t even have to come to my office.
Okay, she’s not great at conversation, doesn’t have much of a personality, to be honest. But hey, I don’t care, she sends me more clients than I can handle, and that’s fine by me:-)
But she’s brilliant at fighting off almost all of my competitors, and
She looks like this:

 

She’s my “Google My Business” website.
I work in a city of more than 2 million people. There are countless beauty businesses competing for lash extension clients all over the city.
If you Google “lash extensions Perth” you’ll find at least three pages of listings. But my business…even though I’m miles out of the city…is in the coveted “Big Three” position right at the top of the search results.
Why does that matter?
Well, my techie team tell me that those top three listings get 91% of all the phone calls and website visits generated by that search.
Which means that all my competitors – dozens and dozens of them – are sharing the remaining 9% of business between themselves. That’s pretty slim pickings!
Just last month alone, more than 180 people finding my Unattractive But Efficient Sales Assistant clicked through to my website.
Add those inquiries and calls to all my referral business and client re-bookings, is there any wonder I’m so flat out I have to offload a heap of business to other lash specialists?

How to Check Your Ugly Sales Assistant

Want to know how to find out where your ugly sales assistant is hiding?
Here’s what to do:
1) Open an “Incognito” window in Google Chrome (shift+control+N in Windows, Comand+Control+N on a Mac)
2) Search for a product or service that you sell, eg “hair stylist + your town”
3) If you’re in the Top Three, great.
4) If you’re not, your Ugly Sales Assistant probably needs a good talking to:-)

Now Here’s a FREE Gift For You

Complete the form below and we’re going to GIVE you a free, comprehensive analysis of your website. It’ll tell you exactly what needs to be done to make your online presence stand out, get noticed, and more to the point, generate more phone calls and bookings for you!

This analysis by my team of technical and digital marketing specialists normally costs $245, but you’re getting it free as a subscriber to my blog:-)

9 Top Tips for Your Salon’s Facebook Business Page

9 Top Tips for Your Salon’s Facebook Business Page

by | Jul 29, 2019 | Salon Marketing Online

One of the many benefits of being a Member of the new Client Attraction System is all the bonuses you get – including a comprehensive Audit of your Facebook business page by our resident social media specialist, Sam Buckley.
Having optimized Facebook pages for years, and run Facebook ad campaigns for businesses all over the world, she’s become an absolute jet at seeing what works on Facebook, and what doesn’t.
As part of the Salon Marketing & Business Training course inside the Client Attraction System, each member gets the opportunity to send their business page logins to Sam, and she then goes over the page with a fine-tooth comb, forensically analysing and assessing what’s working, and what can be improved.
I’m no Facebook expert, but I can appreciate what it takes to look at a current setup with fresh eyes and uncover some of the more obvious areas needing improvement.

Here’s a report Sam sent to one of our Members only last week after their Facebook page review:

Things you’re doing right:

• You’ve done a great job to complete a lot of the About Page information.

Things that could be improved:

  1. Profile image for local business is good to be a graphic of the logo. Preferably a high-quality logo that fits nicely inside the circle that the picture gets cropped to.
  2. Need to remove irrelevant menu items down the left for example – Jobs, Events, Welcome, Shop, Notes and Email Signup (unless you want to set it up)
  3. Take full advantage of services. Do this by adding a good enticing description and an image to each of the services you have listed.
  4. Redo “Our Story” to make it more “direct-response” to connect with the emotions of potential customers. This is what gets people to buy. Lead them on a journey so they can imagine being completely relaxed and pampered at your salon. Then add a call to action at the end. It reminds them to do something like ‘call now’ to enjoy some relaxing you time on <insert phone number>. Include a photo at the top.
  5. Verify your page so you come up higher in search results. Go to your FB Business Page. Click on Settings / General / Page Verification / Verify This Page. Enter your salon phone details and follow the simple instructions.
  6. You have your button underneath your cover image setup to send a message
  7. Setup messaging so when people visit your page, messenger pops up and asks them some questions, to encourage them to take action with your business.
  8. Fix the Map in the Address Settings so it shows in the right country.
  9. Add your opening hours to the Hours Settings”

Now, take a look over your own salon’s Facebook business page.

Are any of the above 9 Top Tips applicable to you?

Discover all the essential elements of marketing your business so it can reach its full potential with the Client Attraction System 2.0

Show Me The Details

Free Salon Appointment Book Template

by | May 19, 2019 | Advertising Tips, Blog, Salon Marketing Online

Hi, Marnie here, as a salon owner myself, I know that running a successful salon requires a lot of things. One of them is organisation, and strict procedures. Not every salon has a booking system on a computer, and if you don’t, look into one now.

Before you download your free salon appointment book template, remember: this template is in 15-minute time slots from 7am to 8pm, Monday to Friday.

It’s designed to be an easy, temporary replacement to your booking system on your computer or iPad. One spill of a coffee, and your appointments are lost!

How to Stop No-Shows

One thing, before you download your free salon appointment book template, is to stop your no-shows. Studies have shown that people value and cherish products they spend money on, versus products they get for free. In other words, when you put your credit card towards an appointment, you’re going to show up. So the next time you’re booking in a client, respectfully ask for either a deposit to secure the appointment (which you take over the phone), or ask for their credit card information in-case they don’t show.

Use this script:

“Now, Jolie, for me to secure this appointment on Friday at 11am, I do need a deposit of $50. This secures your time and appointment, and guarantees you’ll be getting the best service we can offer you.” 

If they’re uncomfortable, or against a deposit, you can try one of two things:

  1. Insist you can’t book the appointment, as it’s salon procedure:

“I’m sorry, Jolie, but it is salon policy. I do need this deposit for me to secure your appointment. How would you like to pay for the deposit today?”

2. Ask for their credit card information, but insist you’ll only charge if they don’t arrive

“I’m sorry, Jolie, but it is salon policy. I do need this deposit for me to secure your appointment. What I can do, instead, is take your credit card information on file, and only charge you if you don’t show up for the appointment. How does this sound?”

Get instant access to your copy of the salon appointment book template here.

DOWNLOAD THE SALON APPOINTMENT BOOK TEMPLATE

Marnie’s Hot Tips for Boosting New Year Salon Bookings

Marnie’s Hot Tips for Boosting New Year Salon Bookings

by | Jan 7, 2019 | Selling Salon Products

OK Mavens, who’s freaking out over their January Bookings? Grab a cuppa, pen and paper.. and get working on this one.

‘Lotto’ 

My ‘Lotto’ promotion is a lot like my ‘Christmas Tree’ December promotions ( a whole range of WILD amount gift vouchers, rolled up and placed in the Christmas tree – I’d get every client leaving to choose one and encourage them to book it for January there and then.)

So for those who didn’t do / know about the December promotions you can get your clients to play ‘Lotto’!

Lotto post example-
‘Who wants a $37 Microdermabrasion (valued at $120)?! “
To qualify:
👉They must share the post
👉Tag 2 friends in the post
👉Be over 18 or have parental consent.
(It’s up to you if you accept 1 or more people, keep it to under 10 though).

– Draw the winner/s in 3 days time (allows for more time to share and tag)

** You can do as many as you want – BUT – only 1 treatment per post, too much on offer is too ‘busy’ for the client – Keep it simple. One treatment per post.
Do a new post every 3 days or one a week. or twice a week, whatever you choose, just allow them time with the 1st post before going to the next post.

✅ Choose treatments that can have an ‘up sell’ option – like the Microdermabrasion Facial (keep reading for up-sell ideas).

  • or a facial in general
  • or a wax hour (ie: ‘any waxing we can fit into an hour for only $53)
  • or perhaps a skin needling one that has them come back in 5-7 days for a peel and LED (but they pay now and book before they go.) it should take 15 minutes staff time and rest they can be left whilst staff go do a brow service or small service – OR totally WOW the client by offering a hot towel and foot massage for the length of the LED treatment.
  • or Unlimited foils for $42
  • or free root fade with colour only xyz
  • or unlimited blow drys for a month for $49

🌟 The idea is that the offer you make:

  1. covers the costs of paying staff for that 1 hour (that you need to pay ANYWAY so they may as well be busy and WOWING clients)
  2. covers the cost of treatment given
  3. clients feel special and that they scored a bloody awesome deal and then gives you the opportunity to retail, sell a package of said treatments (at a then super deal ) because they won the ‘lotto’ !
    (ie: normally a 6 pack of micro would be $720 but if you take today’s offer NOW you can have it for only $375) The only T&C is that they must use this deal on X Y Days (a choice of your 2 quietest days).

This 6 pack = $62.50 per session (x6) so this will at least cover costs of staff, product used, and again it’s an opportunity to WOW them, retail to them, talk about other services and book them for other services you do. Charge more if you want, but the idea is that it is a no-brainer awesome deal, and it covers costs you would otherwise be out of pocket for on your quieter days when staff would just be standing around on their mobile phones).

✅ UPSELLS: I used to give clients a form to fill out which had the up-sells on it, made it SO much easier for the client to choose and for staff who just hate to upsell /retail!
I would offer a pre micro peel (valued at $75 as a stand alone peel treatment) for only $23, and a post micro Collagen mask (valued at 85 as a stand alone treatment) for only $27 today.
(Remember points 1,2,3 above as to why we are doing this!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My Form Example: 
“We would like to extend an upgrade for smoother skin and so you can get the absolute most out of your Microdermabrasion.

Please choose your selection here:

1) As we age, our skins ability to stay youthful and line free diminishes due to lack of Collagen production. Our concentrated Collagen & Hydrating Mask: Value $80, today only $49

Shall we perform the collagen mask for you? Yes No

2) An exfoliating Mask for Deeper Cleansing of the pores and further removal of dry, prematurely ageing skin cells, blackheads, whiteheads and full pores Value $75, today only $24.

Shall we perform the exfoliating mask for you? Yes No

Take both upgrades today for only $79: save altogether $66! Yes No

DO YOU CURRENTLY EXFOLIATE?: Y / N

If so how often? Daily /Weekly /fortnightly/ Very rarely?

If you do not exfoliate often we strongly recommend the exfoliating mask upgrade and consider taking the ASAP exfoliating scrub with you today. Using this just twice a week will assist keeping your skin as smooth as the microdermabrasion result itself – giving you longer lasting smoothness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remember to ALWAYS Keep it simple. ALWAYS explain the BENEFIT to the client when up selling, it is always about them and why should they?!

See how I have worded it above to speak the BENEFIT to the client and WHY they should have it!

🌟 At checkout – you can always offer them the same deal for one more visit, if they book and pay now (allowing 24 hours to reschedule so as not to lose (like a deposit). Ask if they want it for a gift voucher for someone?!

👉Book them on your quietest days. Never your busy days. Important to remember!

Hoping this makes your quieter days busier and sparks the marketing imagination in you!

 

Want to learn more salon marketing ideas like this? Have a look at Simple Salon Marketing.

Show Me!