In an industry with thousands of distractions, sometimes it’s important to go back to the basics. In this case, the 3 R’s that every salon should focus on: referrals, rebooking, and retail. Why do we often forget that these are the most important components that our Stylists should focus on to build a loyal clientele and to utilize current clients to attract new ones?

Referrals

Are you struggling to get your clients to talk about you? You probably have clients that you’ve seen for a long time, and you assume that by now that they’re bringing you up to friends. But, you cannot assume! You need to go out of your way to ask your favorite clients to send you referrals. That is absolutely the easiest and quickest way to get new clients in the door!

Another great strategy is networking--for example, hanging out with people who are similar to your favorite clients. As hairstylists we’re naturally outgoing people, so use that to your advantage and go out of your way to meet new people. Pro tip: make sure to have business cards and/or brochures with you!

Rebooking

On average, only three in every ten new clients will return to your salon. In other words, only 30% of new clients are coming back to your salon! That’s a big problem, and it’s something you should be tracking. Make a list of clients and determine one person responsible for trying to get those new clients to rebook. You need to decide upfront what you expect from your team. You should really try to set your clients up for the whole year because that’s the best option to secure their rebooking. You have the opportunity to provide your guests with a clear vision for the future, and you should both take advantage of that. For example, with hair coloring you know in advance that they will need to redo their highlights at certain points in time, so suggest a plan and then get them excited about it! Also, remember to mention why it would be a challenge for their hair if they don’t rebook at all.

Retail

Why should your clients buy from you? You’re the expert! If your Stylists aren’t selling retail that’s a problem. You need to be clear with your stylists about how much retail you expect them to sell. You should highlight the expectations of retail and go over why it’s important, so that it makes sense to them. You’re the expert, so you should be giving expert advice on products for your clients. When you sell retail to your clients you’re also building loyalty because it means that they trust you and your recommendations.

You also need to be accessible to your clients when they run out of a product, so that they can get more right away if they chose to. It’s a matter of focus--don't get distracted. Instead, focus on selling retail! You typically only see a client once a month or less, so you have to let them know about specials and other opportunities when they are in, so they don’t miss out.

In summary, set your goals and don’t forget about the 3 R’s: Referrals, Rebooking, and Retail. You might need to get an assistant to help you juggle all of these, so that you can keep up with the work and still make sure you give your clients individual attention. If you don’t focus on these elements to build your business, substantial success will always be out of reach.

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