Business

Clive’s Top Tips on defining and creating the perfect client

May 05, 2022

Who is the perfect client? Defining this correctly and then striving to create an army of them will be the making of any salon business, says Clive Collins, one of the founding directors of the hugely successful and award-winning HOB Salons.

DEFINE PERFECTION
The perfect client will be someone who visits your salon regularly —at least once every six weeks — for a cut and colour. They will also request regular in-salon treatments, buy take-home products to maintain their hair look and condition between appointments and they will recommend you to all their friends!

Have this definition of the perfect client in mind and ensure your entire team knows about it. Instil in each team member that you want them to create their own army of perfect clients that will carry the salon forwards however tough times get.

CONSULTATION IS KEY
We’ve talked about the importance of a thorough consultation before, but it’s crucial to creating the ideal client. The first time a client enters your salon they should be offered at least a 15-minute consultation, covering what they like and don’t like about their hair, their lifestyle and their current homecare regime.

This first appointment will sow the seeds that will lead to a new client becoming a perfect client. Remember, a consultation is a time for the client to talk and you to listen, but it is also a time for you, the hair expert, to offer advice. This is when you can start to talk about long-term hair goals and how to achieve them.

CREATE A ‘HAIR PLAN’
Work on a long-term ‘hair plan’ with every regular client. It doesn’t have to be a high-pressure thing that will scare them off, just create a list of goals that they would like to achieve with their hair – goals you can help set, using your expertise. Goals could include achieving healthier-looking hair within a certain time period, for which you could prescribe a mix of homecare and in-salon treatments, for example. As goals are met, the client will become increasingly loyal and one step closer to being that perfect client.

HOMECARE IS CRUCIAL
Recommending relevant homecare products is vital to creating the perfect client. Not only will it add to your business’s bottom line, but it will also lead to your client feeling happy about their new hair cut or colour for longer.

Here at HOB Salons we have taken homecare advice to the next level with the launch of HOB Homecare, a revolutionary way to ensure each client has a bespoke homecare regime, designed specifically for them.

HOB Homecare is an online retail shop with a difference, offering clients a free online video consultation with one of their hairdressing experts to discuss any haircare concerns and find the perfect regime for that individual.

TOP TIPS

ONE
Know what a perfect client means to you and make sure your team knows too.

TWO
Offer a thorough consultation to every client during every visit.

THREE
Never be afraid to offer advice — you are the expert.

FOUR
Recommending homecare products is part of the service.

FIVE
Don’t let clients get bored. Recommend a change to their usual haircut or colour on a regular basis.

Read more business articles from Clive here.

Sponsored