Are you looking to open a new shop where there isn’t a grooming salon? Expanding into a new market area with your mobile unit? Or are you worried about the new super store that just opened up down the street? Maybe you are concerned about what will happen if you raise your prices.
Branching into a new market or new area? You are probably giddy with excitement over the prospect of all those new clients. Watching that superstore getting ready for its grand opening? You are probably worried beyond belief that you’ll lose clients. Are you fretting over how much to raise your prices? You are probably agonizing over how many clients will look for other options to get their dogs groomed.
Real worries.
Your current clients have four options. And your prospective clients have four options. Here they are:
1. Use your service
2. Use a competitors service
3. Do it themselves
4. Not do it at all
Sometimes the biggest challenge you have with building a clientele is not your competitors. It’s your prospects.
So how do you win clients over? How do you encourage them to patronize YOUR place of business? Simple. Stand out in a positive way!
My Top Ten List of items you can do to start winning clients today.
1. Build Trust Through Compassion Towards the Pets & Their Owners
2. Look & Act in a Professional Manner
3. Cleanliness & Organization Skills Speaks Volumes in Every Area: Visually, Scent and Hear
4. Always Do More for the Client Than They Can Do For Themselves
5. Build Your Skill Level in Every Aspect of Grooming and Styling
6. Always Work with Safety at the Forefront of Every Action
7. Have Comprehensive Service Menu with Fair Pricing (that does not mean cheap!)
8. Be Consistent with Everything You Do
9. Have a Strong Presence with Your Website and Social Media Outlets
10. Smile – It’s the Best Sales Tool You Have – It’s Even Better When You Make the Client Smile!
Think about each of the 10 items listed. How can you put a positive spin on them? How can you make them unique to YOU? Each one of us is an individual. We all have strengths and weakness. The key to success is to play upon your strengths.
When you are a solo stylist, owning your own business, you have to be good at everything. Once you start to grow, that generally means hiring help. When you hire someone, don’t look for a carbon copy of yourself. Instead, look for someone that can complement your personality and work ethic. They will play off your strengths and offset your weakness.
No matter how well you do your job, the client needs to perceive the value of the grooming they receive on their pet. It does not matter if YOU thing YOU are giving great service – the client has to KNOW that.
They have to value that great service. If they don’t – then they will look elsewhere to get their needs met. And many times, that means you are competing with the prospect themselves.
