Communication in Salon Management: A Definitive Guide
Picture this: a well-lit salon that relaxes you the moment you walk in. Your favorite scent fills the air, and you find yourself chatting with strangers in love with their new style. The best part? It’s your place because you chose to go into salon management.
So, are you ready to claim this future as your own?
What is Salon Management?
Salon managers are responsible for the administration of salons and spas. They focus on increasing the salon’s client base, keeping the salon organized, and managing inventory.
If you’re organized and have a love for the beauty industry, salon management could be the right career for you.
Communication With Employees
Communication skills keep employer-employee relationships strong. Communication plays a role in every step of the management process, from onboarding to performance reviews. Understanding your staff members is critical to making them long-term employees.
Hiring Employees
The hairdressers, manicurists, and cosmetologists you hire will be the foundation of your business. To have a well-operated salon, you need to hire great salon professionals.
Register for local job-hunting platforms to find professionals seeking work. You’ll also want to delve into the local beauty industry and seek out freelancers. Freelancers come with a dedicated client base and might appreciate the stability that comes with working in a salon.
Reach out to local beauty schools and see if you can reach out to upcoming graduates. Beauty school students are bursting with creativity and are eager to test their skills in the real world.
Invite potential employees to your salon. If they have chemistry with customers and current employees, it’s a sign that they’re a fit for your business.
Salon Staff Meetings
Your employees need to be kept in the loop. Regular meetings will allow employees to share their ideas and their suggestions could help improve your business.
Pay attention to their body language. Nonverbal communication often reveals more than what employees are saying. Have a one-on-one meeting if you sense that an employee is nervous about saying something in front of other employees. Your employee will appreciate your attentiveness and you’ll gain insight into your business.
Salons are fun, make their meetings fun too! Bring beauty consultants in to give expert tips that boost your employees’ knowledge. Take them outside of the salon and use the meeting as a chance to grab a much-needed coffee. This will boost team morale and bring them closer together.
Employee Termination
Firing is a necessary, though unfortunate, reality in salon management. Sometimes an employee isn’t a good fit for your business.
Termination needs to be done privately. Make eye contact with the staff member when you explain the reason behind the firing. Have any papers and items ready to make the break as quick and smooth as possible. While firing is never an easy process, the right communication can ease the pain.
Being a Leader
Staff members learn by example. If you treat customers with respect and keep your station tidy, your employees will do the same. Teach them tricks to grow their client base. When your employees are successful, your business succeeds too.
Communication with Clients
If your employees are the hands that keep your business steady, your clients are the beating heart that keeps it alive. When a client walks into a salon, they want to be pampered and appreciated. Listening to them ensures that they will love your business almost as much as you do.
Advertising Through Social Media
Having pages on Instagram and Facebook makes it easy for clients to communicate with you. Social media also has the power to turn your business into a brand. This is a fun opportunity to make your business your own.
The key to social media branding is consistency. Make your posts resemble each other and post often. When brainstorming a brand for your salon, ask yourself the following questions:
- What color scheme and font reflects my salon?
- Who’s my ideal customer?
- How does my salon make customers feel?
- What’s my salon’s personality?
- What tone of voice should my salon take?
These questions will help you create dynamic social media pages your clients can’t help but follow. These pages will expand your salon’s reach and keep them updated.
Marketing Methods
Social media is a powerful tool to reach customers, but it’s not the only way. Different marketing methods will establish your salon’s presence in the local community.
Collaborate with a business that offers similar services such as wedding planners and hotels. Offer a discount to clients referred to you by these businesses. They’ll come for the deal and stay for service quality.
Have fun events for your clients to enjoy. Makeup lessons and seasonal specials strengthen the bond between clients and salon staff members. Both will appreciate the salon even more.
Responding to Feedback
Clients need to be heard to feel appreciated. Have a feedback box at the front desk for customers to write down their thoughts. Look out for customer reviews on Yelp and social media pages.
Not every piece of feedback is going to be positive. Use criticism as an opportunity to grow. Do your customers think that your salon’s amenities are outdated? Invest some funds into updating them to create a more beautiful salon. Are there complaints about a certain staff member? Pull them aside for a one-on-one. They could use your support in a difficult time or your feedback to grow.
Establish a system for managing complaints. Let your staff know that they should consider the feedback the salon receives and let you know of any complaints. Customer tips will strengthen your salon.
Craving More Salon Tips?
Communication is only one aspect of salon management. At Health and Style’s salon management program, you’ll discover much more.
Health and Style’s Salon and Spa Leadership Program will give you deep insight into the beauty industry. Our locations in North Carolina and Georgia will prepare you to earn a State Board license and become a leader in the beauty industry.
You’ll practice cosmetology and skin care techniques and gain the knowledge needed to understand your employees. The program will prepare you to pass the State Board licensing exam to become a Master Cosmetologist. After mastering the skills your employees will use, you’ll take management classes that will give you the tools needed to operate your salon.
Call 1 (844) 94-STYLE for more information on Health and Style’s salon management program.
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