Do you know your Perfect Client?
We all have clients who are never happy with what we do, yet they keep coming back and causing grief. Sweet mercy - let’s not give ourselves any more Problem Clients. Instead, let's go after the Perfect Clients. They're the ones we want.
Here’s why it pays to be picky
Ultimately, who you welcome into your business will determine your level of success. Every less-than-perfect client you have is taking an appointment away from a Perfect Client. And by “perfect client”, I mean someone you really click with, who appreciates your services, and is more than happy to spend money AND spread the good word to friends. The best form is advertising is word of mouth, and in the age of social media this is more true than ever before.
The secret to salon success: know your Perfect Client, intimately
You need to understand your ideal clients – who they are as people, and why they come back to you time and time again. The most powerful way to build an understanding is to create the character of your Perfect Client.
Let’s start by giving this character a name. Choose the name of someone who comes to your salon and is a typical (and perfect) client. As an example, let’s name our character Jessica.
Now we’ll start to create Jessica’s profile. Perhaps she’s in her 40s and and regularly needs a colour touch-up. Maybe she’s in her early 20s and wants to look like the latest super-hot celeb. Why does she love your salon and what’s most important to her? The answer could be location, price, cutting expertise, the salon experience, or simply a great personal connection with a stylist.
As we flesh out Jessica’s profile, we can use this information to give direction to our marketing and advertising. It’s as though she’s standing right there in front of us and we’re having a conversation. By referring back to what we know about her, we can be sure she’ll relate to what we say. With social media, everything you post should be directed to your Jessica, ideally using the 5 kinds of content that attract your Perfect Client.
Send the right message
By saying the right things to Jessica in the right way, it sends the message that you understand her and that she’s in the right place. It also means all the other Jessicas out there are more likely to choose your salon.
This may sound like a lot of effort, but remember, the Jessicas are your Perfect Clients. These are the people who will naturally have the best possible relationship with your business. Do you want to have great client relationships? I’m pretty sure you do!
