Salon and Stylist Covid-19 Playbook - Your Clients Need You!

I've known my stylist for 20 years. I've told him things that I haven't told anybody else. I have a unique relationship with him that I deeply cherish. We even went into business together to launch a line of pomades.

He is not doing well. He had to close his salon. Lay off all his stylists. He is in bad spirits with his business crushed by a virus. He's not alone. There are over 1,000,000 people that "style hair" in Canada and the USA.

The best way I know how to help is to run surveys. The amazing team at Hotspex consults many of the biggest brands in the world and helps them achieve growth by using customer insights. We are not cheap and so our client list is mostly Fortune 1000.

But ... now is the time to share our skills to help small businesses get back on their feet.

We ran a survey with 1,000 American & Canadian women who go to salons to ask about how they are feeling about their hair and what their salons/stylists can do to help them. This is how salons/stylists can generate much needed revenue NOW.

If you're a stylist/salon owner

Here is your Playbook From Hotspex

First pick yourself up if you haven't already. Get out of the fear zone into the growth zone.

Your clients miss you (91%) and find you Interesting (72%) and think you are Reliable (83%). So be reliable and get on with it!

“They are missed and will be flooded with business when this is over. We can't wait to see them.” Judy, Austin TX

This is a Hotspex Map ... and this is how women feel about their stylist. WOW. This is one of the best I have ever seen with almost no negative sentiment!

They have good reason to feel this way about YOU, just look at how they feel about THEMSELVES when they get out of your chair. Beautiful, Confident, Happy, Relaxed, Ready For Anything, Young and Pretty.

Right now you are likely feeling anxious about your business and your clients. Well guess what, many of them (87%) are anxious about their hair and not feeling beautiful, confident, and happy.

Your clients are nervous about how they look in public (40%) and video chats (39%) which is affecting their confidence (55%). These aspects in particular are what they are feeling anxious about, and therefore what you should be prepared to help them with:

• The cut 60%
• Colouring 40%
• Roots 37%
• Maintaining healthy hair 41%

Many are taking matters into their own hands versus paying you. 19% have cut their hair already and 19% more will soon. 21% have already dyed their hair and 29% more will be doing it very soon. Scary.

You need to get in touch with them. ASAFP.

They want to hear from you (87%). 10% of them already have heard from their salon and stylists.

If you run these plays, 91% of people we surveyed are OK that you increase prices when things go back to normal to make up for your lost revenue.

Plays you can run immediately to drive revenue/loyalty.

1. Send them the hair dye they use at your salon (41%) and they will pay you for it. If that isn't possible, help them pick a brand at the store that is similar. 10% of people report salons already doing this so YOU can too!
2. Email/call/video chat with them. If you don't have their email/number, then you can look them up on Facebook. Then do a video chat with them to look at their hair and calm them down and hatch a plan to cure that anxiety.
3. Now this is controversial and and we don't recommend this as it violates social distancing ... 33% want you to wear a mask/gloves and to safely meet them in secret to fix their hair. 7% already claim that their stylist has done this and 90% of people are okay to pay a fine. 7% of people are okay to pay a $500 fine! That is how much people need your hair genius.
4. If you need cash now ... and you likely do ... sell them gift certificates with future discounts. The most popular one was $25 for every $100 bought. So sell them "$100 Good for $125" gift certificates using email + have them E-transfer you the money. Better yet, sell them a Hair Subscription where they get X cuts and Y treatments a year for a 15% discount. Give your subscribers access to you 24/7, exclusive content you create.

Re-opening Plays

When you are allowed to open the salon again please know they will be anxious about catching the virus. They think they can catch it from many places.

• From you (62%)
• The chair (59%)
• Scissors (22%)
• The gown (40%)
• The sink (40%)

Therefore, take some precautions and show your clients what you are doing to address their concerns. Put it on your website, write emails detailing what you're doing, and remind them that you are continuing to do these things when they are back in your chair. Put a little note on the mirror so that they feel safe and tell their friends. You may pick up a bunch of new clients from salons that aren't as savvy as you.

Here is what they want you to do.

And most important of all...you will get through this. Your clients need you. The world needs you. Thank you for all the beauty and confidence you create. Nothing will be more important than confidence to get the economy going again.

Good luck and if you have any questions email me at [email protected] with the subject line Hair Genius.