How to get clients to invest money in your hair and beauty business
Your clients are booking fewer treatments, those who are showing up are spending less, your weekly cash income is decreasing, you have to pay the mortgage and rent and costs are increasing. You are seriously concerned about whether your business will survive 2009. Stop worrying and start planning your survival strategy. Worrying only confuses your mind and prevents you from acting clearly on well thought out plans.
At a time like this, you might be wondering how the heck I’m going to get customers to throw their money at me. (Well, visual thinking is pretty fun if done literally) Right now everyone is looking for how they can stretch pennies. They still want the high value service at competitive prices.
They have not all stopped spending, they are simply much more careful and the business that attracts their attention with a witty, strong, honest and effective message will win their clientele.
If you do the same old thing, you’ll get the same old results. So it’s time to get creative.
I’ll just give you a few pointers, but the real benefit is signing up for our 5-plan crash course on ‘Getting More Customers’ from our website.
1. Change your attitude and way of thinking. If you constantly feel guilty about the fact that a regular customer or a new customer must also be experiencing a credit crunch, then you are entering the negative cycle that will prevent you from being creative and productive.
2. Change the expression on your face. When you see someone who seems to have a “far away look”, or who seems “worried” and isn’t in her usual spotless and cheerful frame of mind, you can always start your sentence with “Are you okay?” “You seem worried…” You’ve immediately invited a conversation based on negative experiences, downtrodden emotions that will send both parties into a downward spiral of self-pity.
If a sales representative came and tried to sell you something in that frame of mind, would you buy from him simply because you “feel sorry for him”? NO, he wouldn’t and neither will any of his potential clients.
3. Remind yourself and evaluate your approach to your customers. Are you using a CARROT OR STICK approach? Most people like the CARROT approach because it is pleasurable and will avoid the pain of the STICK approach, which is spending more money without seeing any additional value. When was the last time you ran up to someone with a STICK to get hit?
4. Increase your personal impact. This is a combination of things like diet, exercise, personal development, networking with like-minded people, changing your appearance, writing articles. All this will help stimulate their mental attitude and keep them positive. Never complain in front of a bunch of customers, encourage them to come up with suggestions and ideas that will benefit all parties.
5. Get FREE courses and reports that can help you understand today’s environment and stimulate new ideas in your business.
6. Book yourself into one-day workshops that are practical, informative, and with networking opportunities. Don’t break the bank, but sometimes owner managers forget to invest in keeping their own knowledge base up to date.
If you would like to enroll in our FREE 5 part INTENSIVE COURSE on ‘HOW TO GET MORE CUSTOMERS’ please visit our website and fill out the form on the home page. There is no catch, but you will be able to implement some of the ideas immediately at very little cost. Visit www.ukacademyofbeauty.com [http://www.ukacademyofbeauty.com].