October Focus: Home-Based Beauty Clinic

Beauty Clinic Selling Your Services

The very first thing you will need to develop is your ability to handle the inquiries as and when they come in. The way you do this will determine how many of your inquiries turn into bookings.

There are a few very simple techniques to follow in order to maximise the number of bookings you make from the marketing and promotions that you will do. If you follow these guidelines you will turn a high percentage of your inquiries into bookings. It will then be up to how well you do your work as to whether or not your client decides to return to see you again.

RULE 1:  Firstly determine what type of treatment the caller needs or wants, and then let them know the fee that you will charge for that service.

RULE 2:  Always ask questions before discussing your service with the client. If you waste your caller’s time telling them information that is not relevant to their needs or wants you are less likely to turn their inquiry into a booking. Take control of the call by asking questions such as the following examples:

• What type of treatment are you looking for, Mrs Kelly? Was it Waxing, Body Contouring or a Manicure?
• In the event of an inquiry about Waxing, the next questions to ask are:

‘What parts of your body would you like to have waxed, Mrs Kelly?’

The answer to this question will help you to determine the fee to quote to Mrs Jones. If you are working from home then you can quote a lot less than if you are working from a salon. When offering waxing services I give the caller 3 sections for $50. For example, lower leg, upper leg and bikini line are priced at $50. Or, lower leg, bikini line and lip wax is still only $50 (these prices are acceptable in Sydney, Australia).

At some stage (probably during the first or second service) ask the question:

‘Were you happy with your previous beautician?’

If the client was happy with the standard of work by her previous beautician, then just ask what her reasons are for coming to you. This will help you to gain some understanding of your new client. If they were not happy with the service provided then you need to determine if the other person’s work was of a poor quality or if the client has unreasonable expectations regarding an aspect of the treatment. Sometimes nothing you do will be good enough for the client, and if this is the case then be prepared to possibly let this one go.

RULE 3:  Use what is known as an ‘assumptive close’ when dealing with your callers. Don’t ask them whether they would like to use the service. Instead ask which part of the week they would like to come in. Say ‘Would you like your booking at the start of the week or the end of the week, Mrs Kelly?’

That way your callers will find themselves being booked into your schedule before they know it, and you can arrange to provide their service when you are available rather than when they want it done (within reason, of course).

Always assume that your caller wants to go ahead with you anyway, so you don’t have to prove yourself to them in order to make the booking. If you have spent time asking the right questions and listening carefully to the clients’ response you are nearly always going to make a booking from the call, so approach the call as if it is yours even before you begin.

RULE 4: Never, never say to your client ‘How much were you previously paying?’ because given half a chance the client will always say that the fee for treatment was less than what you have quoted them in an attempt to lower your price. Set your prices and stick to them. If you find that you are not getting bookings when you first start, do a ring-around to other salons in your local area to check whether you are charging too much.

Phrases to Use when Giving out Rates over the Phone

Believe it or not there are some simple psychological terms and phrases that if used correctly can lead your potential client into a purchase they were only thinking of, not necessarily intent on. Please learn these phrases and use them, as they will definitely influence your callers’ decision to use your service.

1. Before giving out a fee for service it is important that you establish the type of service required by the client. Never use the word ‘cost’, as ‘cost’ implies that the client is having something taken away from there, whereas the word ‘fee’ implies that there is an exchange happening that is to the benefit of the client. It is best to use the word ‘fee’ in the following context: ‘My fee for service is…….’
2. When taking a booking, ask which part of the week the client wants their treatment done, not which day of the week. By asking, “When would you like to come in?” the client is given control of their choice of day, which will limit you in your ability to find a suitable time for them. If you ask which part of the week they would like, it will open up more choices for you so that you’re able to see more clients. Or, you could say to your client, “I can see you at 1.30pm this coming Wednesday, or 10am on Thursday. Which time would suit you better?” Then they can tell you the timeslot that they prefer, and they are fitting in with your schedule then, not you attempting to fit in with theirs.  When you are booked heavily for one half of the week, let the client know that you have more hours available during the other half so that their treatment can be accommodated. Often Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays get booked out early in the Beauty business.
3. If you are talking to a Bride who wants you to visit her home to do the pre-wedding trial makeup or the wedding makeup on the day of her wedding, then say to her “I can visit you on Wednesday the 12th at 8pm for your trial, or I can be there on Monday the 17th at the same time.  Do either of these times suit you Ms Jones?”

So that’s how you do it…. that’s how to correctly and formally answer the phone.

 ♥

Read more in the next article titled: Providing Beauty Services

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Free From the Gilded Cage is the education arm of the Loving Heart Foundation Australia where we teach the basics of self-employment and basic budgeting skills. This is so that women can learn the skills needed to manage their own lives without feeling trapped in a relationship with a man who is beating them up. With these skills they can easily leave him.

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