You’re going against the grain if you’re not operating your salon with more sustainable practices right now. Business coach Elsa Mitchell asks if you can afford being left behind.
A hair salon has rarely been just about delivering insatiable hair, and we know that, Elsa writes. It’s about providing quality service and a staggering personality so your client can brag to their friends about you. Or so it was historically. In this busy climate, you must be one step in front of your competitor to stay ahead of the curve.
What we care about, the personal brand behind every one of your technicians and the brands you choose to align your business with, has never mattered more. Your consumer is watching, and they’re quick to judge.
Let’s look at why leading hair stylist Jaye Edwards recently switched to O&M and partnered with the brand as an International Ambassador. “This partnership will allow me to take the next step in my career, working with O&M’s clean colour and kind haircare,” he said.
It’s a no-brainer that the new generation makes more informed buying decisions. They care about what they spend their money on and, more often than not, ‘good choices’ outweigh saving a buck. This is also driven further through social media.
The reality is, leaning in on more sustainable practices has never been easier. Quality and clean products focusing on fewer toxins and a mindful environmental footprint are not hard to find without the exorbitant price tag, and the big brands have something to fill the gap. However, is it enough? Frankly, our salon owners want more, and so they should, because their customer expects and demands it.
“There’s been an 80 per cent increase in salons making the switch to O&M in the past six months because salon owners, beyond aligning with cleaner, more sustainable products, like to have a brand CEO they can connect with and share mutual genuine core values,” shared Pete Wren, the founder of The Hair Firm; Western Australia’s distributor of O&M.
Humanising our brand goes beyond a social media strategy. If you think good customer service is beyond the reach of a global brand, you would be wrong. It exists and is the core foundation that trickles down throughout the industry it serves. Setting the tone, and making the change, starts from the top – from the brand CEO, to the sales rep, to the salon owner, to the team, right down to your consumer. It’s not enough to tick a box, and your knowing client will smell inauthenticity a mile away.
In a competitive industry, there is no room for anything less than extraordinary if you’re to stand out from the masses. This is precisely why the strong salons are going the extra mile and supporting their already flawless customer experience by switching to more sustainable practices.
For more information visit www.elsamitchell.com.au
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