There's a secret corner in the city me and my girlfriend go and sit in the sunshine, it's just perfect.

As I was sat there yesterday I couldn't help but notice a salon owner and two of his staff in their salon just facing where I sat.

The two stylists were talking and laughing with each other. The salon owner stood there transfixed looking down into the appointment book staring for what looked like around 5 minutes.

He stared, touched his head, stared, scratched his chin and kept staring down.

In the meantime both stylists went out of view, came back with what looked like hot drinks and sat outside in the sun while they smoked. The salon owner stayed fixed to the spot as his team drank coffee in the sun and not a single client was in his salon!

Standing, staring, feeling… Continue Reading

It's more than obvious there are huge changes taking place in the world on hair salon and online or internet marketing.

The biggest changes being internet marketing should really be named 'on-the-move-marketing' and I'll explain more why in a second. The other things of course are what has been called social media.

So what's going on exactly and is it worth you investing loads of your valuable time into these subjects?

Lets go back to mobile marketing for you salon and clients.

We are a world on the move, office space is empty everywhere, everyone wants to work from home or even from Starbucks, on the go or other cafés. Deals, big deals are being set-in-stone even in Pret a Manger or other on the go locations. Things have and are changing fast in the world of business.

Internet marketing helped to push those… Continue Reading

Hard to believe that flyer has generated over £25,000!

OK this might sound simple but I do know most don't do it the proper way.

Just a week or so ago a consulting client of mine had no customers into his new business. His business wasn't a salon, it was a carpet shop. He was really upset and had no idea what to do next.

His investment into his shop was well over 50k. He had everything from endless rolls of carpets, box after box of curtains, blinds, rugs the lot.

The shop was in a good spot. In the middle of a small shopping precinct so as you drove into the car park it was facing you right ahead.

To one side was a well known brand supermarket, to the other side a large restaurant and a post office. There was plenty of what… Continue Reading

I just waked past a salon and I saw they were practicing a traditional marketing technique I call … "Sat on your backside drinking coffee salon marketing.

This is a technique practiced by a lot of salons I work with.

It works like this.

• You walk into your salon in the morning.
• You check the appointment book.
• There's no one booked in.
• You say to yourself, "What a day, can't wait for it to end, hope it gets busier"
• You go to the back
• Put on the kettle
• Drink coffee until the coffee gives you a fake caffeine tan
• Hope and wait until a client walks through the door.

That's sit on your backside salon marketing.

I can tell you, it doesn't work, it'll never in a billion years works.

Of course, you know that anyway but you are locked into a habit.

Is it time… Continue Reading

I just had a thought. I used to hate Monday in the salon but we did a ton of stuff to change things.

Here's one thing you can change today.

You know when someone walks into your salon and asks the question … "How much for a cut and blow dry please?"

Here's a trick you can use every single time to make sure you keep every client in your salon and opening their purse or wallet.

OK here we go.

When they ask you the question you need to understand they have already decided to pay for a new haircut at your salon. How do I know? Trust me I've been a student of marketing and teacher of marketing for 25 years, they are already sold because they have sold themselves!

So now you know they have already decided all you have to… Continue Reading

Monday Morning Marketing

So it's Monday.

Last Monday was a crap day for takings. This Monday looks like a crap day for takings. In fact almost every Monday has been a crap day for salon takings for years now. You open your salon on a Monday for one reason only … habit!

I know, I've done it, been there and sat for a whole day in my salon with just two clients coming in for haircuts.

So what can you do?

Well like all new clean pages, Monday is the start of a new week for you and salon business, treat it that way and write down what you want to happen.

Remember there are only 3 real ways for you to increase salon business.

• More clients.
• Increase salon averages.
• Increase salon takings.

So Monday is your chance to think and make that… Continue Reading

There's a part of hair and beauty salon marketing that can't be written down here. It's called the 'vibe'

So what's the 'vibe' in your salon man?

Lets take you for a second. You know when you walk into anywhere and it just 'feels' cool, it feels right, it has a cool vibe' and you love it? I did one just the other day. I walked into a shop and it felt c.o.o.o.l!

That's because you feel part of something when you walk in, when you sit down, when the service comes and when you leave. It's wow factor, cool factor, it's the salon 'vibe'

The reason for that is at a deeper level all clients want to be part of something, all humans do. 

So if you are simply selling hair and beauty services with no real 'vibe' when clients walk in, get serviced… Continue Reading

Is it really tough out there for salons?

According to one salon 'expert' online yes it is. He said these are trying times for salon owners and marketing their salon.

Actually I don't believe that for one second. All I can see for any hair or beauty salon owner during a tough time is opportunity and so should you. Here's why.

When cash is tight people become more and more careful about what they spend on. They look at the service, the value, the overall quality and of course the feelings they personally get from the service in your salon.

The salon marketing 'expert' who said it's tough clearly has no real life salon experience as a hair salon owner. I grew a huge salon business in the a deep recession in 1990s. We grew and grew and grew.

The word or thought of recession… Continue Reading