Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

In your business it's really about referrals. The salon owner is going to promote the place, but you have to have people asking for you and that comes from doing a good job.

One way to do that is to give one of your cards to each person who comes in and ask them to give it to one of their friends. If the friend brings it in, you can give the refer-er a $5 or $10 Starbuck/Panera/Blockbuster card.

Again, it depends on what you're allowed to do on your own AND how much you want to spend.

Michael

You are in business for yourself and have to plan accordingly. The only way to really make money in business is to leverage other people's time...that is you need to open your own salon and get people to work for you. It sounds like you need to build your clientele first, though.

People are not coming to you because of the salon. They are coming to the salon because of you. The first thing I would do is talk to the salon owner about an advertising and marketing partnership. If you are spending your money on marketing it is going to benefit the salon owner and vice versa. Why not pool your resources to get more "bang for your buck".

In your marketing and advertising you really need to isolate the things that separate you from your competitors. Are you skilled in certain techniques? Do you have training that others don't have? Are you a specialist in perm or coloring? One of the things I enjoy about the salon I go to is the treatment I get. My haircuts start off with a scalp massage and aroma therapy. These little nuance make all the difference. Getting your hair done should be an enjoyable and relaxing experience.

I would offer your clients the ability to earn money off on their next hair cut by giving referrals. I would also have coupons printed that your clients can hand out to friends and family members.

An easy thing to do that most people forget about is talking candidly with your clients. Tell them what you are trying to accomplish and solicit their help. People love helping people they like and respect. You may also want to ask them what would make the experience better for them and implement the good ideas.

Sending thank you notes and appointment reminders will also help. If you can offer them something special for their birthday you will certainly build loyalty. My web site offers a service that is perfect for keeping track of customers and sending thank you notes, birthday cards, etc.

Hope these suggestions help,
Dave Johnson

My sister is a hairstylist as well and I personally spend A LOT of time in salons, so I see first hand how difficult it can be to build a clientele. The business is all about how you present yourself and word of mouth. If you personally have a great color or cut or on the funky side, you're going to attract more clientele because that's what most women look for in a stylist. Even if the customers can't go with funky styles for themselves, they like to be able to say they go a funky stylist.

As far as the word of the mouth, you need to get your clients working for you. Referral cards and discounts are great in theory but from my experience they don't really work. If you have one customer who has a really great experience, then they will tell their mother and sister. If your client gets a compliment on their hair, your name will come up.

And of course, you have to work for yourself. Get out and talk to people. Drop it in every conversation you have. If you hear someone complaining about their hair/stylist, interrupt and tell them what you do. Attend any education and trade shows that you can, they make you a better stylist. (There's a big one in Chicago in a couple weeks that's worth going to.) Not just with technique but with networking and learning how. Try and get sales people as your clients, especially local radio or tv sales because they are in front of a lot of local people.

If you want more info on the show in Chicago, let me know!