Are you feeling stuck right now?

Has your confidence taken a knock?

Are you seeing less clients than you expected?

Regardless of whether you have managed to secure financial help or not, it isn’t just your financial future at stake here…

Businesses have shrunk, and even though it is fine to be on pause, sometimes we need to rethink our strategies and look a bit deeper into client buyer behaviour.

I’m pretty sure your personal buyer behaviour isn’t the same as it was 18-24 months ago?

Do you have the same goals as 2019?

Are they bigger, smaller, or totally different?

Some clarity on where you are today will allow you to draw a new blueprint for the direction of your business.

Do you need a new blueprint for your business?

Many of the salon professionals that I have spoke to in the months after reopening, are seeing lower client returns than last year.

Even businesses that were thriving pre pandemic are seeing lower client numbers.

There are businesses that are still thriving, but the businesses that are seeing the biggest change are those that provide nail services as their main or only treatments.

Let’s look at the differences in where our clients are at right now.

Pre pandemic, our clients came for hand and feet services because they are the best accessory to an outfit, when going out or on holiday….

A manicure was a quick fix to reward themselves with after a busy week at work….

Exposing their feet/toes after getting new sandals meant that a matching pedi was crucial….

However,

• Many clients are still furloughed or working from home in their lounge wear.
• Most if not all clients haven’t been going out or on holiday.
• The spring weather has been mostly a let-down.
• Older clients may still be cautious about leaving home
• Younger clients may be unemployed and in between jobs

In my salon we have seen our hard-core hand and feet clients return, as well as most hair and waxing clients.

We have a number of nail clients that haven’t returned, but we have gained some new clients as well.

So, what can you do, apart from wait for the rolling out of hospitality and holidays and keep your fingers crossed that we get some summer weather?

YOU NEED TO IDENTIFY THE DEEPER AND NEW NEEDS OF YOUR CLIENTS.

Deeply consider where they are at in their thinking.

How can you reconnect with them?

What was the driving force behind your clients that came in for their hand and feet services?

Going out; going on holiday; looking smart in the office environment.

If they are not doing any of these things, then you cannot use the same messaging to get them to do the same things.

You must be in alignment with your target audience, but who IS your target audience?

What are the emotional reasons that clients will want to have a hand or foot treatment?

• Uncomfortable cracked hands from hand gel and hand washing
• Dry brittle nails from hand gel and hand washing
• Toenails that are painful from the walking for exercise in trainers
• Ashamed of their bitten nails/chewed cuticles
• Bored of natural nails
• Feeling unhealthy because of lack of self-care
• Embarrassed about looking untidy and ungroomed.

They don’t understand their problem yet.

You need to understand your clients mind more than they do!

Show empathy and understanding of how they feel.

DON’T SELL THE SERVICE, SELL THE SOLUTION TO HOW THEY ARE FEELING (even if they don’t yet know how they are feeling!)

Last year, about one month after we opened, I realised that our normal messaging wasn’t working.

Glamour fell flat as no one was going out or on holiday.

At least we had the weather though!

We changed our message to one of SELF CARE.

We booked more massages, luxury pedicures and facials than ever before.

This year is the same.

Start to think of selling solutions to problems that everyone is feeling.

Sell a package of services and sell it in a way that resonates with how THEY WANT TO FEEL

For the mature client that has more disposable income, sell them “amazing feet”. A package of 3 months foot care. A luxury pedicure every 4 weeks with a mini pedi every 2 weeks, and some home products to boost results.

For the sports person that is back training but has painful feet, sell them a sports pedicure package. No colour, just well-trimmed toenails, removal of callouses and smoothing of skin, giving them healthy feet. Sell it as a package, not a one-off service. Sell the result, give them details and price if they ask.

For the younger client that is struggling financially, offer mini treats that cost you little but give them quick wins, mini mani and pedi in their lunchtime, and maybe offer a better price for booking on the day.

Taking your business in a slightly different direction is sometimes what you need to do.

We are in different times; we cannot do what we have always done.

-WHAT GOT YOU HERE, WILL NOT GET YOU TO THERE-