anti-ageing
the personal touch Karen Deehan discusses growing a loyal customer base
The saying goes that 80% of business comes from 20% of your customers. In the current economic climate, building strong relationships with your clients has never been more important. The more you grow your loyal customer base, the more repeat business you will generate.
It may sound obvious, but a key way to build lasting relationships with your clients is to treat them as individuals. During busy times, it can be tempting to ‘rush’ customers or adopt a broad- brush approach without truly taking their needs into account. If their specific skin concerns are not being addressed, they will be disappointed in the results of their treatments and are unlikely to come back.
The first step adopting an individual, personal approach is doing a thorough consultation in a dedicated area of your salon.You should have a detailed form which goes through contraindications, condition of skin, objectives and expectations, lifestyle questions and medical / health related issues.You should also keep a record of the treatments clients have had with you so that you can build up a complete history. Remember to also note down any procedures they had at other salons.
In order to properly address clients’ skin concerns, you first need to agree on treatment objectives.What does your customer want to achieve and what’s the best way to get an excellent result? One of the most accurate ways to ascertain this is to conduct a thorough skin analysis. The International Institute for Anti-Ageing (iiaa) sends professional skin care consultants to salons free of charge, who will analyse clients’ skin using
powerful imaging technology. This highlights any areas of damage below the surface.You can then put together a bespoke treatment plan based on the results. Clients are advised to book another scan three months later so that improvements can be tracked.When they see visible proof that the products and treatments have worked, they are far more likely to become a loyal customer. There is also a good chance that they will recommend you to their friends, and this kind of word-of- mouth referral can be more powerful than any form of marketing.
Erica Legg from Kristy’s Beauty Salon inWhitby, has seen first hand what skin analysis events can do for sales as well as customer relationships. “Every single client bought not only a course worth £500 but also products to use at home”, says Erica. “We’ve already had to order more stock as we hadn’t realised just how popular the Environ range would be with both clients and our staff.”
Danielle Coller, Skin Analysis Events Manager at the iiaa, agrees that it can be of huge benefit to salons. “This is a very personal tailored experience. People who want to see results and like learning about their skin love to receive professional guidance.”
If you stock make-up, hosting a makeover event in your salon is another effective way of personalising the client experience. Many brands, such as jane iredale® Mineral Cosmetics, will send a professional make-up artist to your salon. There is no charge for this, and they will create bespoke looks for your customers based on their preferences. It also gives clients an opportunity to experiment
with the products which can greatly enhance retail sales. The make-up artist can train your staff on simple application techniques and give them advice on how to sell on an ongoing basis. Lyndsey Lees, owner of Beauty By the Sea, recently benefited from a jane iredale® event in her salon. “It was fantastic, we sold over £500 of products on the day. Our sales have risen and client and therapist interest has been sparked.”
Personalisation isn’t just about the services you offer, it also extends to the brands you stock.When you take on a skin care line, look for a company with targeted ranges so that you can choose the one that most closely matches your clients’ needs. The same applies to make-up and nutri-ceuticals, the more you have to choose from the more likely you are to offer a truly bespoke regime. Ensure that your provider offers comprehensive training courses about the products, so that staff can confidently recommend them.
Another key element in personalising the client experience is your staff. Building a workforce of friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable therapists will lead to strong customer loyalty. Many clients have such a good relationship with their practitioner that they will specifically request her to do the treatment when booking.
Providing exceptional customer service by treating clients as individuals will make your salon stand out from your competitors. By properly assessing customers’ skin concerns, creating bespoke treatment plans and closely monitoring the results, you will impress new clients and build long- term loyalty with existing ones.
Karen Deehan works for International Institute For Anti-Ageing (iiaa). For more information,
telephone 0208 450 2020 quoting Guild News or visit
www.iiaa.eu
64 GUILD NEWS
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