$pa Marketing: The Secret to Making More Money
Why are some estheticians making a lot more money than you? After all, you always provide the best services and products to your customers, right? Your treatment room is always meticulous and welcoming. Your skill set is current on the latest industry trends. So, by now, all your hard work should have taken you to the moon but instead, you feel financially tethered to the ground. If this is the case, it may be time for a reality check.
While all of the things mentioned above are necessary ingredients for success, they aren’t a complete recipe. It’s like making banana bread but forgetting the bananas. Like it or not, being “good” at what you do makes you average at best, because there are so many other “good” estheticians out there competing against you. So, do you want to be one more average esthetician making $50,000 a year, or do you want to shoot for the moon, making $100,000?
A Point of Difference
As Albert Einstein is widely credited with saying: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.” Want different results? Change things up.
The estheticians I know who are slaying it have two main things in common: 1) a distinctive point of difference (something that makes them memorable), and 2) killer conversational skills. An “average” point of difference might be that you include a shoulder massage with every facial, or a sample of a product. There’s nothing wrong with either of those but they don’t really stand out. What if, instead, you sent every client home with a beautifully packaged homemade treat? Maybe it’s your famous banana bread (just don’t forget the bananas!) or chocolate chip cookies. Put them in a gift bag with some tissue and your card, and every client will leave, feeling as though they received a gift that you made just for them.
Everyone can improve on their conversational skills, even those of us who (like myself) basically talk for a living! The good news is, you’re already halfway there because if you weren’t a people person, you would never have entered this industry. But, many people don’t realize that excellent conversational skills actually involve more listening than talking. Practice some 10-minute conversations with a good friend, co-worker or family member. Strive to make eight minutes more about the other person (their likes and dislikes, hobbies, family, pets, jobs, school, etc.), one minute about yourself, and end with one minute of complimenting the other person and making them feel good about themselves. You will win over your clients with your words and your ears.
Always Have a Plan
Let’s say a guy, we’ll call him Joe, is going on a third date with Amanda. He’s on the way to her house when he drives by a 7-11 store and gets the bright idea to run in and buy her a cute card and some flowers. Problem is, the only non-birthday card available has a penguin on it and the only flowers available are white mums. While Amanda thinks this is a perfectly nice gesture, she isn’t exactly blown away. What if Joe had planned ahead? He could have found out Amanda’s favorite flowers are peonies and had some delivered to her house ahead of time. Since Joe is artistic, he could have made a card for Amanda that would have left her in happy tears.
Sometimes spontaneity is good, but not when it comes to your bottom line. If you want to make more money, you have to think ahead. Don’t wing it when it comes to add-on sales and special offers. Map out a strategy for each client and keep it in their file. If the client initially gets only facials but compliments you on your lash extensions, make a note to send her a text or email in two weeks with a lash extension offer. If she comments that she has been breaking out, tell her that peels work well for acne, and contact her in two weeks for a special on peels. The idea is to get clients to go seamlessly from one service to the next; they trust you to let them know what would work well for them and you’re much likelier to get a sale.
Top Three Tips for Making More Money
- Think of three to four possible points of difference and ask friends and family which of them would more likely influence them to re-book with you. If their answers are lackluster, so are your ideas! Back to the drawing board until you hit it out of the park.
- People respond to stories more than sales pitches, so always incorporate your personal experience with treatments, products, etc.
- Track your results daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. Don’t wait until your six months into mediocre results before you change things up again.
