Put a positive spin on it!

There are signs of hope and actions you can take to grow during the storm.  Here are some things to keep in mind:

The Lipstick Effect
Studies have proven that in downward economic cycles that lipstick sales actually increase. There is a psychological reason for this: clients will allow themselves small luxuries that make them feel good even while forgoing bigger purchases. Lucky for us, our entire business is about making people feel great and, in the grand scheme of things, even the most expensive haircut is still a SMALL luxury. It’s important not to expect clients to decrease their spending, as this will lead us to not offer all the services and products we really do believe clients need.

Focus on doing the basics better than anyone
While clients will still be willing to spend money on themselves they will be very careful about where they do it. This is not about price but, again, about them feeling good. Now is the time to rethink all of your customer service efforts and make sure that each client is being looked after even better than before. Redouble your efforts to make your clients feel good. Redouble your efforts on asking for referrals. Redouble your efforts on rebooking. Keeping clients happy and keeping clients coming back sounds basic – and it is. However, it’s the basics that owners and managers tend to forget when clouds are on the horizon.

Make your salon a gloom-free zone
Much of salon life is about talking. Clients talk about what is going on in the world and in their lives. However, if everyone is talking about the economy, the perceived problems will spiral into something bigger than they really are. If your staff is participating in talking about how bad things are clients are going to feel bad about being in the salon. That is the opposite of what clients are there for. Try this:  make your salon a gloom-free zone. Actively make sure that all your staff and clients know that “economy talk” stops at the door because you want everyone to have a positive experience and “have a break” from life’s troubles.
 
It was Rudyard Kipling that said “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs… yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it”. So, keep your head about you, focus on the basics and keep the conversations on the positive. We’ll be seeing you on the other side of this downturn even better off than you were before...

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