| To have a Successful Beauty Business you need to differentiate yourself from your competition. Read the following statement carefully: If you do the same things over and over again, you can only expect the same results over and over again. You need to do something different to get different results- right? You need to re-invent your salon. Do your clients NEED to wax their legs? Do they need to have a facial? I would have to say, “No.” They could shave or they could pamper their skin at home. Do people NEED to buy coffee at the local coffee shop or do they NEED the latest gadget? Probably not, but people want to socialise over a cup of coffee, or relax and savour some “me-time” with a cuppa. It’s about the experience. Or they want the gadget, because they want an up-to-date image. People don’t necessarily buy because they NEED something. The need is often deeper than the material item they are purchasing. The need may be self-image, a sense of luxury or indulgence etc. It is important to realise that people do not buy things for their face value. People have perfectly functional cars, mobile phones, clothing etc. but there is always a “NEED” for more. It really comes down to a NEED for happiness. We often think we will be more fulfilled if we have the newest edition of “xyz”. I want you to realise that we are not selling commodities. Beauty Therapy is not a commodity. If I can buy a certain product at a certain shop for $130 and another store sells the same product, same brand for $160, where do you think I’ll shop? I don’t know about you, but I will shop at the cheaper store. Who wants to pay more for the same item? Now you do not want to be just another beauty therapist in an ocean of Beauty Therapists. I was employed by a Skin Care Clinic which charged more than average for their Non Surgical Face Lifting treatments (their main service), and I believe they should, as they have superior computer aided machines which offer a patented wave form. Totally different wave frequency in comparison to other Non-surgical probes and therefore the results are superior. They have documented proof that their machine is the most powerful. You could literally see results after just one treatment. The crazy thing is they did not advertise that they have outstanding results compared to any other Non-Surgical Micro current Treatments. In the absence of this valuable information the only comparison is price! If all things seem equal, the only way a prospect would judge you, is on price. To be a successful Therapist, you need to get out of the commodity trap. When you differentiate yourself from everyone else, you no longer need to compete on price. Your aim is to be like no other Beauty Salon. Don’t use words that sound the same as everyone else. The beauty industry underwent some changes, when business men and women decided to use advanced terms and phrases to differentiate themselves. Beautician became Beauty Therapist/Aesthetician. The word Cosmetologist was invented for beauticians who performed beauty and hairdressing services. It is no longer creams, moisturisers or gels. New enticing words have been created, for example Skin Support and Repair System, Super Nutritive Crème, Anti-oxidant Serum. Not just a Beauty Salon, but names like Beauty Spa, Beauty Lab, and Beauty Clinic. These creative words and phrases give a sense of being an up-to-date expert. It creates the perception of offering new and advanced treatments. To be an Expert in your field you need to offer a new and different approach to your business, so that you stand head and shoulders above your competitors. |