Getting the Balance Just Right

This is my cat Evie.  As you can see, he (yes there was a slight gender mix up in the early days) knows how to relax without the slightest bit of guilt!  We could all learn a lesson from Evie.  That is that it is OK to take the "time out" required to take a nap, go for a walk, see a movie or simply spend some quality time with the people who love and support us.  These days is seems that we are so busy trying to "make a living" that we sometimes forget to "have a life". 
So, take a leaf out of Evie's book and kick back, relax for a while, give the little grey cells a chance to re-energise and live your life.  After all, this may be your only one!

Wishing you prosperity and peace of mind
Pam

Ouch - Just Too Pushy

Photo by Stephano Valle

I have a GREAT chiropractor. He is gentle, professional and best of all he gets results. The other thing that makes him great is that he explains what the "process" is going to deliver at the very beginning of the treatment. All in all, I think he is terrific but today, I seriously considered never going back again. Why? Because today his receptionist damaged the "relationship" I have with his practice. Now, don't get me wrong here, I am all for rebooking clients. As a matter of fact, I spend lots of my time teaching service providers to do just that, but today my chiro's receptionist went "over the line" and entered the very dangerous land of "just too pushy".


So, when does the rebooking process become too pushy and damage the relationship? Well let me relate my experience to you. When I went to pay for my service, the receptionist (I'll call her Mary to protect the guilty) suggested I book again for the following week. I politely explained to her that I was flying out of the country mid week and would most likely be time poor and that if I wanted an appointment, I would ring her to make one. Her reply to me was,"oh, I'll ring you on Monday then". I again repeated that I did not think I would have time to come back before my trip. To this, Mary replied "well we are very busy next week and the Chiro will be going to a seminar on Monday, so you had better book now". Once again, I said, thanks, but I didn't think I would have time. Having had just about enough, I turned to leave and her parting words to me were "We'll expect to see you on Tuesday then".

TOO MUCH!

Rebooking should always be done with honesty and integrity and with a genuine desire to do the best for the client. To me, this whole episode said "greedy" and "it's all about us - not about you".

I still haven't decided if I am going to go back or be like the majority of us Aussies and complain with my feet. What would you have done in my place?

Wishing you prosperity and peace of mind
Pam

Attracting The "Right" Clients

Are your clients the kind of people who come regularly, spend lots of money and refer all of their friends? If your answer is "yes" then you have my congratulations. You see, not too many business owners can say that this is the case for them. Most often I hear cries of "my clients have deserted me" or "I haven't taken home any money for the last 6 months".
Have you ever wondered why you are not as successful as the salon down the road that seems to be weathering the financial crisis much better than you are? Well perhaps it's because they know how to attract the right clients into their business. For instance, if you are wanting to have "top shelf" clients then you are going to need to become a "top shelf" salon. Take a look around you to see if this description fits your salon. Why not do a "top shelf" audit on all aspects of your salon to see what you can do that would be more attractive to the clients you are wanting to attract? Look at all aspects of your salon, your staff, your services, your marketing and of course yourself and decide where you can make some solid improvements that will take you towards where you really want to be with your business.

Wishing you prosperity and peace of mind
Pam

When the going gets tough

When the going gets tough....the tough get going! Is it time to “get going” in your business? It is not uncommon for salon owners to sit back for too long when business drops off, just waiting to see what will happen and hoping for the best. This is what I call the “Emu Technique of Business Management” and not what I would consider to be a great survival strategy!

When your business suffers a slump, whether it be from a new competitor opening up in your area, losing a key staff member or a general economic downturn, it’s vital to take the bull by the horns, become more proactive and take responsibility for making the changes needed to turn your salon into the thriving business you want it to become. Because many salon owners are presently working so hard in their businesses, they often do not make the time to evaluate how they can identify problem areas and take strategic actions to improve their situation.

Most problems never go away by themselves. Instead they respond to affirmative action based around sound analysis of your business. Make time over the next week to sit back and look at your business thoroughly. Look for the things that you are doing right and ask yourself how you can maximise them and also look for the things that you are doing wrong and determine ways to change and improve them. By taking this time out and doing this kind of evaluation of your business, you are much more likely to make good decisions that will lead to increased profitably in your salon.

Wishing you prosperity and peace of mind
Pam