Today, selling combines psychology and sociology
in a sophisticated system. Selling has become an
important form of expression in society. The sys-
tems of exchanging are the same but the approach
has become more subtle, more directed.
Success-
ful selling could best be defined as the art of
professional recommendation.
In your daily communication you may be practic-
ing recommendation without even knowing it.
When you try to convince someone of the merits of
an idea or your ability to get the job done, you are
really asking them to believe in you. In the pro-
fessional beauty industry, you take this a step further and begin to use confidence and expertise to
recommend a product or service. You are, in effect, persuading someone else to trust and believe in
your professionalism.
The keys to retail selling in a salon are remarkably similar to convincing others to like and believe
in you. As a professional "recommender," you will be selling two important things:
1. Your artistic abilities, services, credibility and professionalism
2. Retail products, grooming aids and implements
Prescribing
When you begin working in a salon, you will be well trained in cutting and styling hair and will feel
confident providing those and other related services to clients. Your clients will learn to trust and
believe in you and your talents as a professional stylist and most will be very willing to listen to your
recommendations.
Clients who come to you will want to learn how to take care of their hair, skin and nails at home
between visits. A logical extension of your salon service is prescribing the kind of quality products
for use at home that will complement your styling services. The term upselling refers to increasing
the client's ticket by adding retail products as well as other salon services. Clients will appreciate
your concern and will usually accept your recommendations of hair, skin and nail care retail prod-
ucts. Professional product recommendations will help you establish a clientele that will remain loyal
to you and to the products you recommend. Retailing is part of a total professional concept, a com-
plete approach to client service. Successful salons are those whose staff members are effectively pre-
scribing their services and a quality line of retail products.
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SALON BUSINESS
