I’ve had a number of salons reach out to me recently asking for help, and something keeps coming up that genuinely surprises me. Lots of salons are setting targets around what an individual wants to earn, not what the business actually needs. And for me, that’s backwards. If you’re not looking after the business, you’re not really looking after anything at all. One of the tools I use a lot with my team is a matrix. I didn’t invent it – it’s adapted from business models that exist well outside hairdressing, including the Boston Matrix – but we’ve made it relevant to salon life. And I can tell you, it’s been a real eye-opener.
At its simplest, the matrix looks at two things: value to the customer and value to the business. And within that, we place our team into four very clear categories:
At the bottom left, you have the Order Taker.
This is where most people start (and where many stay). A client says, “I just want an inch off,” and that’s exactly what they get. No challenge, no deeper consultation, no real thinking about hair health or long-term journey. It’s not wrong, but it’s transactional. You’re taking an order, not acting as a trusted advisor.
At the bottom right, you have the Pleaser and Giver.
High value to the client, low value to the business. This is the stylist who wants everyone to be happy – adds treatments, gives things away, forgets to put items on the bill, avoids retail conversations. Clients love them, but the business suffers. You’d be surprised how many people sit here without realising it.
At the top left is the Hard Seller.
High value to the business, low value to the client. Targets are hit, products are pushed – but trust is low. In the short term, it can look successful. In the long term, clients leave. People can feel when they’re being sold to, rather than advised.
And then there’s the top right – the place we want everyone to get to – the Partner.
High value to the customer and high value to the business. This is where professional advice, creativity and commercial awareness all meet. The client feels looked after, not sold to. The business thrives. Everyone wins.
What I ask my team to do is place themselves honestly within this matrix. Why are your clients loyal but your figures low? Why are your sales high but your rebooking is poor? The answers are often right there.
We’ve even adapted the model further. There’s one category that doesn’t belong anywhere on the matrix – the Negative Influencer. The person who dismisses retail, resists change and undermines belief systems. You simply can’t carry that energy in a business. If someone isn’t aligned with what you’re trying to build, they don’t belong on the journey.
What’s important to understand is that everyone starts as an Order Taker.
Progression often means accidentally slipping into the Pleaser role because people feel uncomfortable charging or owning their value, but clients don’t come to us for half an inch off; they come for expertise, advice and experience. They want professional guidance – that’s the job.
Right now, retail in our industry has dropped dramatically, but if we want to grow without exhausting our teams, we have to think differently. That means innovation, experience-led value and helping our people become true partners in the business – not order takers, not hard sellers, not givers who burn themselves out.
When a client is sitting in your chair, they’re not a cold lead; they’re already invested. The question is: What are we offering them in that moment? What is the minimum or the maximum value we genuinely believe in?
For me, this matrix has become a simple but powerful way of aligning people, purpose and performance. And once your team understand where they sit and where they’re heading, everything becomes much clearer.
