7 Steps to Retail Store Heaven
Website design By BotEap.comOver 90% of all hair products bought in the UK are bought over the counter on the high street, and Tesco was recently voted ‘Best Hair Care Retailer’ in the ‘Awards of the Magazine Hair 2007″ which means most salons are missing out on a HUGE amount of extra income. In other countries like Australia for example the vast majority of hair products are bought in the salon due to the education of the hairdresser. stylist and client as stylists are seen as the hair care experts that they are. However, in the UK, while a customer will trust you with their cut and colour, their preferred expert for home care products is still the high street retailer and chemist. This is like hiring a personal trainer to help you lose weight and then ignoring the nutritional advice they give you and just buying what you consider “healthy” at the supermarket.
Website design By BotEap.comSo why is this? The 2 most common reasons given for not trying to retail are:
Website design By BotEap.com1: We are hairdressers, not sellers.
Website design By BotEap.com2: My clients don’t want to feel pressured.
Website design By BotEap.comThese are not reasons, they are excuses and here’s why:
Website design By BotEap.com1: You ARE sellers. Every day you sell your skills and knowledge to your clients and prospects and that is why they trust you, because you know what you are doing. YOU are the trained expert and part of your job is to know what the client should use on their hair.
Website design By BotEap.com2: Done right, it’s not a hard sell, it’s a heart sell. If you think your client should cut off a few inches and put in some highlights, would you say “I want to cut off a couple of inches and give you some highlights”? No, it’s too abrupt and would probably scare off your client. But if you said, “I really think we should take a bit of length here, bring it around your face, which would really complement your face shape, and add some highlights to give your overall color some definition.” Don’t you think that sounds much more attractive? Give your client a reason to want what you suggest and they will want it. The same rule applies to retail products. Listed below are 7 steps any salon can take to see a positive change in their retail sales and an increase in additional revenue.
Website design By BotEap.comSo here are the seven steps to salon shop heaven:
Website design By BotEap.comSTEP 1: PRODUCT CHOICE. Find a range of products that YOU believe in. It’s very easy to choose a range that most salons in your area carry, under the assumption that if they all have it, it must be good. If you don’t like the look, smell and feel of the products you offer, it will be very difficult to promote them to your customers. It is essential that you choose products that you truly believe are the best for your customers and, if you plan to offer more than one brand, that suit all budgets. Some customers will not buy high-priced products, however, some customers will not buy lower-priced products because they see them as “cheap.” Strange but true.
Website design By BotEap.comSTEP 2: LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION. Where you place your retail products within the salon is essential and can make all the difference. Ideally, they should be at the front of the room, near the reception and, if possible, on the right hand side. People are naturally inclined to go to the right. If you have limited space, consider using your window area for retail with labels clearly visible from the outside. You can also use point-of-sale material and special promotions to bring people to your door. This can actually work to your advantage as people can clearly see what products you have in stock and can simply walk in to buy their favorite products.
Website design By BotEap.comSTEP 3: RELAXED, RESTED, REFRESHED. Many salons have good products on shelves behind the register or enclosed in glass cabinets. For a customer, this says “DO NOT TOUCH”. So what does Tesco do that works so well? Simple. Their sales area is very welcoming, clean, well lit shelves, fully stocked, clearly labeled, lots of information, and trained advisors available to answer any questions and make recommendations. It is essential that customers can pick up, read and smell your products. Stock should also be moved every 4 weeks or so to keep the area cool and draw customers’ attention to different products.
Website design By BotEap.comSTEP 4: LET’S TALK. Imagine watching Gordon Ramsay on TV and for once, he’s not yelling. In fact, he doesn’t say a word. He prepares his ingredients, mixing them, cooking, stirring, flipping and seasoning, until the dish is complete and presents it to the camera. It looks delicious. But what is this? How did he do it? What did he wear and why? How much does he cost? For how long? Gordon tells us what he cooks, what he uses, what he makes, how much he uses and how he uses it, and he does it for one simple reason. When Gordon Ramsay cooks, DO YOU WANT TO COOK. This is how he sells his books. NO TALK, NO SALE. As you cut and color your clients’ hair, you explain what you’re doing and why, and that’s how it should be with product use. Each staff member must explain what they are using, what it does, how much they are using, and how they are using it. Give the recipe to your customers and they will want to cook it themselves at home.
Website design By BotEap.comSTEP 5: MAKE RETAIL FUN. When I was a kid, my mom made a game out of everything. Tidying up my room was a game, washing the dishes was a game, mowing the lawn was a game. These were all things she knew she had to do to get my pocket money, but my mom was smart. When making a game out of something, even the most mundane tasks aren’t that bad. Once in a while, have a retail promotion for a limited period and run a staff game in conjunction with it. Take a grid of numbers from 1 to 50, like the battleships in the game, and every time a staff member sells a product, write her name on a number. Put 5 prizes of different value in 5 envelopes each with a number and keep them in her safe. When the grid is full or the promotion is over, hand out the packs to those whose name is on the corresponding number.
Website design By BotEap.comSTEP 6: MAKE TRAINING FUN. Retail training doesn’t have to be a drag no one expects. He plays “Who am I?” with retail products. Get 2 teams, and because people think they know the product you’re describing, they have to run and get it. The winning team receives chocolates for each correct answer. Play “Pass the plot” with a product. When the package is unwrapped, the person has to describe the product and sell it to the team as if they were in a purchasing channel. They can then keep the product or exchange it for one they would use at home. Also, make sure your staff are using the products you retail. Don’t just give them a 10% discount on products, give them a monthly allowance. I am amazed at how many staff are still using high street products. If you work for Ford you drive a Ford, if you work for Levi you wear Levi jeans, if you are a hairdresser YOU DO NOT USE HIGH STREET BRAND PRODUCTS!
Website design By BotEap.comHE PASSED 7: MAKE SHOPPING FUN. Make the most of any vendor’s promotions to increase your retail sales. Customers are more likely to buy if the perceived value of what is offered is high. Give your customers a money-back guarantee they won’t find on the high street. Encourage your customers to get rid of their old, unused products by offering them a 25% discount on all retail products when they bring in their old products. Constantly think of ways to give your customers the WOW factor! BOGOFs, gift-wrapped boxed products, etc. are great ways to boost retail sales and will encourage your customers to shop more often.
Website design By BotEap.comBy using these 7 steps, any salon can see noticeable growth in retail sales and therefore additional revenue growth and should also see a positive change in the way their staff perceives retail sales.