Learn more about your front desk! Did you know that people who subscribe to this blog not only receive it DIRECTLY to their inbox on Wednesday mornings- but they also receive an EXCLUSIVE OFFER on the Product of the Week? Subscribe now: *Podcast available below* By, Kristi Valenzuela Today we are going to focus on how to be your best at the front desk by learning how to: GREET YOUR GUEST WITH GREATNESS! This is actually part of our 4-Step Check In that we talk about with Summit Salon Business Center. If you’ve been to any of our workshops- you’ve seen this before! You can see that the 4-step check in is: * Welcome the guest * Offer Retail Specials * Let the guest know what specials you are offering at that time! Point our your sales and current deals. * Offer Additional Services * If you know that there is time for them to get a blowdry or receive a manicure in the spa area then go ahead and make those recommendations. * Browse * Instead of telling them to “take a seat,” it is better to encourage them to “shop around.”   I want to really give us some effort inside of Step #1 – The Welcome! Why is this so important? We can all agree that that check-in process is one of those first steps that we get the chance to make it or break it inside of our first impression. And we need to step it up inside of our salon industry. We need to WELCOME WITH PURPOSE AND ON PURPOSE. We want this Welcome to be BIGGER and BETTER than your competition. How? It needs to sound different! You need to OUTSHINE and OUTPLAY your competition – because it’s a game of survivor out there! N – New B – Better B – Bigger D – Different Our competition is very lackluster inside of greeting salon guests. Many salons simply have their front desk look up and say, “Hi, who are you here to see today? Great! Have a seat.” Now, we call that the 2-step check in and that is NOT what we teach at Summit Salon Business Center. We give you more scripting behind the check-in. With the welcome there are TWO different kinds of people you’re going to be welcoming. The REPEAT client and the NEW client. The greeting is going to sound slightly different depending on who it is.   GREET WITH GREATNESS AT THE FRONT DESK Flash a nice big authentic smile and make eye contact. Look like you REALLY enjoy where you are working! Even if you’re on the phone making an appointment– be sure that as soon as you hear the door open you look up and give them a smile, eye contact and a nod. If you don’t do this, then people perceive that you’re being rude or that they’re being ignored. Repeat Guest Script Guide * Please don’t say: * “Hi, who are you here to see?” * Good: * “Welcome back to Salon XYZ! It is great to see you again!” * Better: * If you know their name, say their name. EVERYONE loves to hear their own name: * “Welcome back Jessica to Salon XYZ! It is great to see you again!” * Best: * Add in details about their appointment and excitement! * If you don’t know who they are seeing for their appointment because they see multiple people: * “Who are you seeing today?” (She is seeing Sam.) Reply with: “Okay, great! I know Sam is looking forward to seeing you today.” or “Sam is excited about your haircut and color today!“

    Learn more about leadership! Did you know that subscribers of this weekly blog NOT ONLY receive it directly to their inbox, but they ALSO receive EXCLUSIVE OFFERS on the product of the week? What are you waiting for? Subscribe now: *Podcast available below* Featuring, Summit Salon Consultant, Jennifer Boutwell Do you feel that Millennials are your biggest challenge in leading your company? Do you feel they are entitled or lazy? Well the first thing you’re going to do is change your way of thinking! And change the way that you lead these young people! They are no different than we were, or the generation before us, or the generation before them! Every generation says that the next generation is lazy or entitled and we’re really not- it’s just that we do things a little differently. So, I’m going to give you a couple tips to help you make your company better by leading Millennials. 1. Embrace their skill set! Millennials come out of the womb knowing how to use social media and computers. Listening to their ideas when it comes to marketing, social media or using technology in your salon company will only serve to make your company better and keep you up to date! 2. Stop trying to make them work 50-60 hours/week Millennials value work/life balance. Offering a flexible 32 hour work week will allow them to feel free to put their 100% in when they are at work. If you think this makes them lazy- keep in mind that this generation is now accomplishing building a FULL BOOK and earning SIX FIGURES in half the time it took most of us to do it! They work smarter not harder and that is what sets them apart. 3. Give them structure Millennials like the big picture. They want to see where they are going and HOW to get there! Once they understand that you have their long term well being at heart- they will trust you and display complete loyalty towards your salon company. This is where the Career Path proves useful in letting them see the long term financial opportunity of a career in your company. What do YOU think? How do you inspire the Millennials in your salon company?

    Did you know that our subscribers to this weekly blog not only get it delivered directly to their inbox but they also receive EXCLUSIVE offers on our product of the week. Subscribe here: *podcast available below* Featured on: @michaelcoleott FB Live Featuring: Summit Social Media Ninja, Summit Salon Consultant, Salon Owner of Salon Disegno and level 4A stylist- CaylaRae Dickerson. Those of you who have been following Summit Salon Business Center and Michael Cole for awhile are getting it- SOCIAL MEDIA IS A BIG DEAL. Salon owners and service providers alike must find ways to adapt to the integration of technology into business- or lose out to those who do. As easy as this seems, it can be difficult… and at the very least it can be awkward. Service providers already have a lot going on. From running on time, to up-selling services and making retail offerings- when does one find time to even think about LET ALONE ASK a client if they can take a before and after for their online portfolio? Salon owners have to find ways to educate and empower their staff to be proactive on social media. This all starts with understanding it themselves. Michael Cole approached his elite service provider team- the Summit Social Media Ninjas- and asked them this very question. CaylaRae shared her scripts and the other Ninjas were loving it. Here it is: When asking for permission to take pictures timing is everything. When do I ask permission to take BEFORE pictures? On the back end of the consultation Example Script: “I am SO excited, this is going to be awesome, do you care if we take some before pictures?!” When do I ask permission to take AFTER pictures? On the back end of the finish. When the guest is still in the chair admiring themselves in the mirror “Ahhhh, got to take after, SO beautiful!” As far as asking permission I just know if it’s a yes or no by their excitement. I’ve taken pictures before and never posted them because the guest says “I hate pictures of myself.” So I say, “Oh no worries I won’t get your face, these pictures are only for me and you!” Saying this calms my guest down and everything – everyone remains happy. Having a photo area really helps to build the interest and excitement. Now that people are seeing the ring light/picture area they are the ones keeping my butt in check if I don’t say something they ask me! “Uhhh can we take pictures over there…?” To which I reply, “Duhhh! Heck yes!”   What do you think? What scripts are working for your team when it comes to involving guests in social media?

    Did you know that when you subscribe to this weekly blog, not ONLY does it come directly to your inbox- but you also receive an exclusive offer on our Product of the Week! What are you waiting for? Sign up now!   Featuring, Marti Nelson Summit Salon Business Center’s vision is to improve the professional beauty industry “one person at a time.” Part of growing people for a living includes providing mentoring in leadership development. Leadership is key to building a team that trusts, respects, and is dedicated to you and your company’s mission. Summit Salon Consultant Marti Nelson takes some time to explain what qualities create a strong leader, and how you can start working towards being a better leader today. “The age-old question is, ‘Are leaders born or made?’” Marti says. “Everything I have studied implies that leaders are made. Yes, there are some people who are natural leaders. However, those people aren’t always the ones who open salons! What I learned through my time as a Summit Salon Consultant is that leadership does not always look the same for every person, but that there are common characteristics and action-oriented steps that can cultivate this quality in each of us.” Top 10 Tips on becoming a better leader starting right NOW Understand your “why.” Be clear about your vision for the company. (If you don’t know, read Simon Sinek’s book, Start With Why.) Know and utilize your strengths and gifts. No one is good at everything. Know when to delegate tasks to others. Be passionate and enthusiastic. Find out what you are passionate about. If you don’t know, be passionate about finding out what you are passionate about! Live your morals and values every single day. Never compromise! Set an example. Good behavior is more caught than taught! Your people will easily recognize inconsistency. Set clear goals. Write them down, and follow a plan of action. Maintain a positive attitude. No one wants to be around grumpy people! Improve communication skills. The most important part of building strong communication skills is learning how to be an active listener. Practice by following these guidelines: Avoid distractions. Focus! Look for ideas and emotions, not just words. Remove judgment. Have the humility to admit when you are wrong. People aren’t impressed with perfection, but they admire someone who is able to admit when they are wrong and move on. Don’t defend yourself. Continue to educate and improve yourself. Always continue to learn and grow. Featured Comments “All good information. I spend 2 hrs every morning in my office before my staff starts . I read any salon articals that can motivate and excite me. I forward to my staff anything I think they would like that’s more technical or great tips. I do some book work also in the mornings. When figures aren’t looking real good I keep going out further with my guestamites and hopes until things look real good. That gets me excited and gives me things to strive for that day. I get good sleep, I exercise, eat right and take vitamins!!” – Mena Dabbundo “I am a salon owner and am trying to grow my staff. These questions get to the heart of who that person is, and all 10 questions will determine consistency in that person’s answers. Thank-you! – Rita Gilmore What do you think? How do YOU continue to grow as a leader? I’d like to know!  

      Did you know that subscribers to the Summit Salon Minute receive EXCLUSIVE offers on the product of the week? Don’t miss out, subscribe now here: By Kristi Valenzuela Summit Salon Business Centers very own Director of the Product Division, Kristi Valenzuela, has started an incredible series on FB Live every MONDAY! This series is all about “HOW TO BE YOUR BEST AT YOUR FRONT DESK!” To launch this series, we’ve devoted this weeks Summit Salon Minute to her very first episode. To view the episodes LIVE, go to @summitfrontdeskdivision on Facebook! To catch up on previous episodes, visit Summit Salon Business Center on YOUTUBE and subscribe to her playlist!     I already know what some of you are thinking… BUT KRISTI- THIS IS CRAZY! Why in the world would we want to throw away the word “RECEPTIONIST” forever?! But please do me a favor! Stop hiring RECEPTIONISTS! Stop hiring SALON COORDINATORS! We need titles with MEANING! The reason why you’re struggling with hiring for your front desk- is because you’re telling them that they will be a receptionist. Do you know what a receptionist does? They answer the phone, they take money and they smile at people. YOUR FRONT DESK IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THIS. We want our front desk team to: Greet Open the Sale Close the Sale Stock & Clean the Shelves Support the Service Providers If we’re going to show up every day- let’s use words that are POWERFUL. Because powerful words- presented perfectly will help you PROSPER AND PROFIT. Because it will change the mind of the owner of the title. So what titles should you use instead? Here are two: Guest Service Expert/ Guest Experience Expert GUEST/GUEST EXPERIENCE: It means that they are an expert in GUEST care. This means every single area that the guest goes- from the products that they touch in the retail area, to the tour, to the new guest package, to the check out. They specialize in GUEST care! SERVICE: It means that they are an expert in the SERVICES. They are knowledgeable about all of the different services offered and which service provider does what. This way they can hold INTELLIGENT service conversations while booking appointments and answering questions. EXPERT: What does expert mean to you? Specialist? Someone at the top of their game? Someone who has been through extensive training? YES! It means all of those things.   Now, these titles come with RESPONSIBILITY. Salon owners and managers! If we give people this title, we will need to follow through with training them to become experts in these areas! Along with training, we need to make sure that our team LOOKS the part as well. One way to accomplish this is with name tags! Something simple and magnetic with their first name! How do you get this rolling? Give this a birthday with a celebration in a Front Desk Meeting! Go through the titles, what the intention is with the name change and how you’re all going to work together to become and act like experts! So what do YOU think? Would you be willing to STOP hiring RECEPTIONISTS and START hiring EXPERTS?

  Product of the Week:   Did you know that when you subscribe to this weekly blog, not ONLY does it come directly to your inbox- but you also receive an exclusive offer on our Product of the Week! What are you waiting for? Sign up now! Q&A: Salon Dress Code Featuring, Summit Salon Consultant, Maria Isaac *Podcast Available Below*   Dress code is important to a salon company because it completes the culture. It shows the service providers true commitment to being the best they can be and also shows the guests the true experience they are looking for. It is important to remember that each stylist has their own personal style and they want to be able to dress to that! Each stylist is going to attract their own type of clientele, however, the way one stylist is dressing should not affect the way another is doing business. Most salon companies have stylists of all ages and each should be free to dress the way they want.   1. What counts as a Dress Code? Dress code doesn’t have to be super complicated, it can be as simple as dress work professional, you can wear jeans but you must dress them up! Can’t have holes in jeans, etc. As long as they have a simple guideline to help them dress the way they want to dress and be a good example of what the salon company is all about. The most important part is to ensure that your dress code matches your brand. If your brand is marketed and designed as a high end place- be careful allowing JEANS or casual shoes. If you are known as the TRENDY spot – be careful in limiting the creativity of your team!    2. Why do Salon Owner’s HESITATE to enforce a dress code? I think salon owners are hesitant to enforce a dress code because they are scared of the backlash that can come from enforcing anything. But I think this is why you should get the team in the conversation, if they are helping to decide the dress code they can’t be upset with it. It’s tough to hold EVERYONE accountable and to have the tough conversations with people when they aren’t in dress code.   3. How do you implement a Salon Dress Code Have the team help decide on a dress code! Make a Pinterest page for the team to pin appropriate outfits to so they can get an idea for what really falls under the dress code. It doesn’t need to be super strict, but we want the guests to feel like we are providing an elevated service and experience and our clothes should match that!   4. What are some best practices in how Salon Owners can hold their service providers accountable to following the dress code? Create a salon pinterest page specific for the dress code, share it with the team! Create a page of things that aren’t okay to wear also! It’s something, for us anyways, that has changed as styles change. We are now allowing specific athletic shoes, all leather and all one color to help protect the stylist from having feet or back problems. Specifically because they are so in style right now.   5. If someone continually is showing up out of dress code, what can/should be done? We recently had this happen in our salon company, and as a leadership team we decided to take a step back. The particular stylist had her best month ever and was set to jump to the next level, if she is dressing in a way that hasn’t negatively affected her business then we decided to worry about other things. If she’s killing it behind the chair, why should it matter if she’s wearing something that I wouldn’t wear. HOWEVER– if it is inappropriate and negatively affecting herself or the other staff then it’s a bigger convo, but being honest is key. “Hey listen, I think your outfit is adorable, but we’ve had a few guests make comments on it, and it doesn’t quite fit into the dress code.” Subscriber Comments:

    Did you know that when you subscribe to our weekly Summit Salon Minute, NOT ONLY do you receive these salon business tips directly to your inbox, but YOU ALSO receive an exclusive offer for the product of the week! Grow your business knowledge and library with the Summit Salon Minute. Subscribe here: Coaching vs Mentoring By Dana Deason *Podcast available below*   AS AN Owner/Manager DO YOU often find yourself meeting with a team member…. trying to decide how to respond?  YOUR plan was to review their benchmarks, but not so fast…THEY have a complete melt down before your eyes! What are KEY factors in deciding when to COACH or MENTOR and the differences? KEY #1:  YOUR DIRECTION ALWAYS DEPENDS ON THEIR WILLINGNESS!! In other words, you CANNOT coach or mentor someone that DOES NOT WANT TO RECEIVE IT!   KEY #2:  MENTORS POUR IN AND COACHES DRAW OUT.  IF THE CONVERSATION SHIFTS INTO life concerns, family matters—THOSE TOPICS should cause you to pause and “pour into” them through MENTORSHIP. Begin sharing your life experience. Provide valuable insight and guide them past mistakes you have already made. Offering a fresh perspective and helping them understand you too have struggled with the same issues. This allows them to normalize their struggles and navigate their own path as you guide their steps. IF THE CONVERSATION IS ABOUT  hitting their bonus– for example- or growing their business by 20% next year- this would be COACHING. Begin to ask thought provoking questions such as, “What is an achievable daily target that would allow you to hit your monthly target? Let’s break it down together. Creating strategies and helping them to execute THEIR PLAN… THAT’S COACHING!   KEY #3: LISTEN WELL, ASK GOOD QUESTIONS AND DETERMINE WHAT THEY WANT TO ACCOMPLISH THESE ARE BASIC YET OFTEN OVER LOOKED PRINCIPALS.  BUT, when utilized these make room for personal growth AND YOUR ABILITY TO motivate and guide people to greater POTENTIAL! As you work with people in different ways according to THEIR NEEDS…this skillset will greatly expand your effectiveness as a coach/mentor.   What do YOU think? How do you Coach and Mentor your team and what are your biggest challenges?

    By, Victoria Perry *Podcast available below* Let’s face it, literally, the “Fountain of Youth” or “Magic Potion” to completely reverse aging skin is still a mythical, urban legend. In the arena of cosmetic injections, laser, peels and active cosmeceuticals, it can be quite overwhelming on how to begin a start-up of a Med-Spa department in your salon company. Depending on how extensive you want to develop your service menu, there are certain factors that must be in place to ensure success.  What is a Medical Director and do I need one?  Medical Directors are licensed physicians who oversee proper training and implementation of advanced corrective skincare services within a Med-Spa department. Typically, a Medical Director is a Plastic Surgeon or Dermatologist who is looking to expand their outreach to new guests within a salon and spa company. Partnering with a salon and spa company, can result in a great referral relationship for the Medical Director. Defining services that can be performed within your Cosmetology or Esthetic License Scope of Practice will be the first step in deciding if you need to partner with a Medical Director and how active your Medical Director will be in your company.  What are different services? Chemical peel The depth of a chemical peel ranges from very superficial to deep. Very superficial chemical peels affect the outer layer of the skin and can be performed within in most scope of practices without a Medical Director. However, the deeper the peel goes, the more active it is and this is where a gray area begins on who can perform the chemical peel. Microneedle and Lasers for hair removal or skin rejuvenation These services can achieve great results in correcting skin concerns. In some states, those services must be performed by the Medical Director or RN/LPN. Regulations are changing constantly, to protect yourself and your investment, always contact your state board to ensure you are servicing within your scope of practice  Botox and Fillers Botox and Fillers may only be performed by a licensed medical professional. If this is a service you are wanting to offer to your guests, start with a “Botox Happy Hour” event. This is a great way to introduce your Medical Director to your guests and is an opportunity for consultations on advanced cosmetic procedures. During this event, demo new corrective skin services and provide complimentary skin analysis’ to help prescribe the best at home product regimen for their skin with call to action offers.   How do you Get Started? Define your brand to target your consumer. Do you live in an area that is savvy on advanced corrective skincare? Is there a potential Medical Director that you can see yourself partnering with? Remember, this is another business relationship that will need to time to foster and develop. How much liability or investment do you want to take on to venture in this new department?   Start with a simple service menu of chemical peels that may be performed within your scope of practice. Chemical peel formulations now are very effective even at a minimal invasive approach. Educate your service providers so they are skillfully trained to help ensure success in the treatment room. Partner with professional brands that will help support training with your service providers and help market your new services to your guests.   At SSBC, we are excited to have a Med-Spa specialist on the consulting team to help you develop your new service department. Contact [email protected] for more information.     What do you think? What is your biggest question when it comes to a Medi-Spa?

  Did you know that our subscribers receive exclusive offers for the Product of the Week in their inboxes on Wednesdays? You can too, don’t miss out!  Featuring Michael Nikolas *Podcast Available Below* The majority of salon owners came into the industry as service providers who were passionate about servicing guests and making those beautiful before and after moments happen. As a stylist, your career is focused on you and your goals and on the customer service that you deliver to your guests. It is incredibly rewarding and the amount of positive affirmations that given throughout the day are addictive and highly satisfying. When a stylist transitions into becoming a salon owner everything changes. It is no longer about you and your day and your guests, it is about your team. It is about what you are doing to nurture every employee into becoming the best that they can be– and this transition is difficult, to say the least. Michael Nikolas spent many years continuing to work behind the chair as he ran his own salon company. The day came, however, when he realized it was time to step away from his clientele and step into his new roles and responsibilities. Michael explains, “I realized that it was time for me to step away from working behind the chair when I started coaching and mentoring my staff.  I thought less about me and MORE about WE– my salon company started to flourish. I realized that the biggest thing holding me back from making this transition is that my self worth was very dependent on the accolades that my guests gave me. I felt scared to let go of that. I see now that being a successful mentor to the service providers in my company and having the opportunity to watch THEM be successful is much more fulfilling than anything my guests could have said back then.” So how can you start stepping away from working behind the chair? Michael Nikolas’ TOP FIVE TIPS to transition from Behind the Chair to Full-Time Owner: * Step Back Slowly * Consider removing a shift every quarter or every six months. * Start a Leadership Team * This team will include members from each department: Front desk, Associates, Inventory Team Leaders * Have Consistent Leadership Team Meetings and Salon Staff Meetings  * No company/sports team can hardly win without having consistent meetings/planning/coaching. * Grow Your Team * Coach, mentor, and walk each team member through your career path. * Do Everything Above with Love, Compassion and Heart! * Treat everyone you come in contact with the way you would want to be treated. What holds YOU back from stepping away from the behind the chair? I want to know!  

To learn MORE about First Impressions, Consider our First Impression Workshop! This is where one of the Summit Salon Front Desk Experts comes to YOUR salon company and works side by side with your front desk team and service providers! by Kristi Valenzuela *Podcast available below* The first impression that a salon makes on a new client is VERY IMPORTANT because, like it or not, people “judge” us.  The first impression is a way that a guest will determine very quickly: Like/Don’t Like For me/Not for Me Good/Bad Professional/Unprofessional Coming back/not coming back They have a predetermined expectation of what they feel qualify as good customer care and whether they received quality for the money they pay for their salon experience. Some common MISTAKES that I see salon company’s making when it comes to their first impression area are: * Poor training inconsistency between team members * Poor language – “no problem” rather than “my pleasure” * Lacking knowledge – of services, products, and pricing (all team members) * Not going over and above with the guest experience – missed opportunities of guest experience and service revenue * Poor systems at check out – the right hand dosen’t know what the left hand is doing (front desk / service providers) * Lacking salon tour * Lacking follow up (phone calls, email – THANK YOU) The BEST way to get away from making these mistakes is to really focus on the FIVE areas of a first impression. By recognizing what they are AND understanding what the IDEAL scenario is- you will be able to start wowing your guests. Here are the five different areas of a first impression: * Phone Skills * Qualified, friendly people answering the phone, can answer all questions regarding services, products, prices, etc. in an efficient, pleasant, and professional way, and is consistent each time they call in. * Brand Image * Does what you look like and act like when they come in represent who they “thought” you were, or what they expected from your brand. * Greeting * Efficient, friendly, retail area is exciting and easy to browse, front desk team offers other opportunities if time allows for guest. * Building Rapport * At the station, signature/thorough consultation, price before the service starts, hair lesson, friendly and personable (boundaries not to get too personal). * Closing * Efficient check out with service provider and front desk team.  All products recommendations and re-book recommendation should be written down and handed to the front desk professional to assure an efficient and professional check out.  Service provider should introduce the guest to the front desk person who will be helping check them out, then the service provider needs to LEAVE the front desk – DON’T HOVER and HANG OUT.  (Hanging out looks like the service provider doesn’t trust the front desk with the process of taking money, tip, or scheduling.) What do you think? How do YOU make a good first impression with your clientele?!