It's a friendly business, but they are not our friends.
Has this ever happened to you?
A client that you have been servicing for a few months tells you during her appointment how broke she has been, how her husband just lost his job, and they just don't think they can make it. So you preform the same service that you always do (maybe even throw in a free treatment), but this time as you walk her to the front desk somehow her bill is now 20% less than it is supposed to be. Then from then on every time this client comes in, she begins to haggle with you on price of services.
I'm sure we can all think of a few guest's that have "guilt-ed" us into giving discounts, and at the time it seems like no big deal. However at the end of the year this can add up to several thousand dollars in lost income!
( Note; we are not talking about honest promotions and other guest reward programs that your salon participates in )
The client SEES the VALUE in their loyalty to your business. These types of programs are necessary for the growth of new millennium salons.
Just think about it for a minute... if a hairdresser gave away just $50 in discounted services just one time per week at the end of the year $2,600 was given away. Now, that example is mild, can any of you imagine the possibility of giving away $100 in service discounts per week ? You guessed it, that's going to cost you $5200 ! Can anyone else enjoy an extra $5200 in your budget ? I know I can !
First thing we need to find out is why do we do this to ourselves. So think about it for a second, just stop reading and say to yourself out loud:
" What makes me give unnecessary discounts? "
Ask this to yourself 5 times, and just see what your answers are.
Ask this to yourself 5 times, and just see what your answers are.
So, what where some of your answers ?
Was it guilt, or fear of losing the client, maybe fear of rejection.
You don't want to be rude and seem heartless or perhaps: "If I charge her too much she won't like me".. those are examples of emotional reasons..
Sometimes we are just not sure what to say or how to give a ONE TIME discount and not have it reoccur. Then when the moment passes us we just never bring it up again. These types of reasons are more technical and script based. Think about it, this was never talked about in hair school
(and if it was, I must have been asleep that day).
Let's first address our more emotional side.. Just think about this next scenario..
Imagine that you just hit the lotto for 1 million dollars. After all of the excitement of the moment has faded what would you do with the money?
Imagine that you just hit the lotto for 1 million dollars. After all of the excitement of the moment has faded what would you do with the money?
Is it enough?
Would you pay off your house or buy a new one in a better neighborhood?
Are there some people in your life that you could help?
How much would you give them?
Would you still work?
If you did how would you be treated?
Would your friends be jealous?
After asking yourself these questions how do you feel about the money now
Do you wish that you had not won at all?
Do you wish that you had not won at all?
Why are 80% of lotto winners broke within 5 years of winning? Hmm. Something to think about?
"Money problems have little to do with money" -annonymous.
Well let's ask ourselves what we were taught about money growing up.
How much do you remember learning about money in school?
Did dad sit down at the kitchen table and show us his expense report and P&L?
Does this sound familiar: "we can't afford it, money doesn't grow on trees"
or
"money is the root of all evil"
What are our belief's about the rich?
Well let's ask ourselves what we were taught about money growing up.
How much do you remember learning about money in school?
Did dad sit down at the kitchen table and show us his expense report and P&L?
Does this sound familiar: "we can't afford it, money doesn't grow on trees"
or
"money is the root of all evil"
What are our belief's about the rich?
If we thought that rich people are a bunch of selfish pretentious snobs why would we ever want to be rich?
You see most of us have been miseducated about money from the start.
Then some client starts to tell us about their hardships and we cost ourselves thousands of dollars without even knowing!
Ok, ok, I hear ya. So how do I get started back in a better direction.
Well here's a few powerful and effective steps to rapidly get you back on the right track and in the money!
1. Go through your last month of appointments and add up all of the discounts that you may have given. Now write that number down ( this is how much your costing yourself and possibly your family each month)
2. Make a list of those people. ( most of the time these are people who we spend way more time and energy on for far less money)
3. Begin to include in your consultation the price of your service before you begin. Let them decide. Have two or three options for your client at differnt price pionts so if they are on a budget you can do the appropriate ammount of work without giving anything away.
4. Understand. It is perfectly normal to want to help your client. The best way to help is to preform a great service!
You see most of us have been miseducated about money from the start.
Then some client starts to tell us about their hardships and we cost ourselves thousands of dollars without even knowing!
Ok, ok, I hear ya. So how do I get started back in a better direction.
Well here's a few powerful and effective steps to rapidly get you back on the right track and in the money!
1. Go through your last month of appointments and add up all of the discounts that you may have given. Now write that number down ( this is how much your costing yourself and possibly your family each month)
2. Make a list of those people. ( most of the time these are people who we spend way more time and energy on for far less money)
3. Begin to include in your consultation the price of your service before you begin. Let them decide. Have two or three options for your client at differnt price pionts so if they are on a budget you can do the appropriate ammount of work without giving anything away.
4. Understand. It is perfectly normal to want to help your client. The best way to help is to preform a great service!
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