EP 3.23: Prebooking, Pricing and Retail That Doesn't Feel Gross

Speaker A: What's up, you guys? I'm your host, Michelle Sonor, and welcome, um, to the Limitless podcast. Today we're diving into something that so many stylists and salon owners struggle with. Pre booking, retail, and pricing. More specifically, how to make this happen without feeling like a pushy salesperson or a walking infomercial. Whether you're running a commission based salon or you're working independently in a rental setup, this can feel a little bit awkward unless you shift your mindset. In this episode, we're breaking down how to make these three business builders feel natural, supportive, and totally not gross. Trust me, your clients actually want to know how to maintain their hair, and this can be a really positive part of your service. Let's talk about how to turn these conversations into client care moments that build trust and grow your income without sacrificing your cool vibe. Grab your notebook and let's get limitless. All right, in true Michelle fashion, we are going to dive right into this topic. It's quick, it's fast, it's easy, and it's something that can dramatically change your business. So how this episode came about was I was thinking about what are the constant struggles that when I'm training new hires or people that have come from other salons, like, what are the things that they struggle with, why do they struggle with them, and what gives them just kind of that ick feeling. And if we change our mindset around these things, they really shouldn't give us the ick feeling because we're gonna be talking about retail. Okay, I know you guys hate that one. Selling retail. Some of us have a little travel behind that. We're gonna be talking about pre booking our clients guaranteed money, but it's also good for them. And we're also gonna talk a little bit about pricing and why it's important to price quote and why this has been so successful for me. But these are the things that people feel uncomfort comfortable. We're talking about the client spending money with us, so it immediately kind of gives us this, like, um. And a lot of that comes into how, like, do we value ourselves? Do we think that we're worth it? So I really want to cover these three topics, and hopefully at the end of this episode, you can feel much more confident and understand that this should be a part of your client experience. And if it's not, you're leaving a lot on the table and you're not giving the client what they deserve. So why do these things feel so gross to us? Like, some of us A lot of us being stylist, creative people, we don't want to feel like a pushy salesperson. And you will not feel like that if you practice the way that I'm going to tell you. Um, you're afraid of them rejecting you. Like, if you say, oh, yeah, do you, do you want to book your next. Or what, do you want to book your next appointment? You're, like, afraid they're going to say no. Um, and. Or you just don't want it to feel like a transactional experience. So I understand that these things can feel awkward, but when we put them into our service in a very strategic way, in a way that feels natural, in a way that feels aligned with your values, in a way that, um, it doesn't feel pushy. You guys, it's seriously not even a big deal at all. So let's kind of like shift our mindset around it and not think of these things as selling a person. Think about a doctor. You go into the doctor with a problem, you're like, hey, my knee hurts. If they didn't give you a product or a, uh, exercise or some solution, you would be like, why did I even come m here? And so we need to think about that as stylists as well. So we're actually serving the client, we're educating the client. And this all starts for me in the consultation. So we can actually cover a lot of these points right away. Just when we're having a conversation with them. And why it's important is because your consultation is the thing that builds trust. Yes, the end result is so important, but your consultation and how you lead that will set the tone for the remainder of the service and whether or not that client is willing to listen to you. Okay, so in the consultation, I don't talk necessarily a ton about product. I will ask them what they're currently using on their hair. And the reason why I'm asking them about what they're using on their hair is because I need to know, like, maybe they have build up, um, or if they're struggling with anything, then again, I'm taking a struggle that they have and I am fixing it. By my knowledge, this is what we do. But I talk all about pricing during this and I also talk about when they need to come in next. So let's put ourselves like we're standing behind the chair doing a consultation. So if that client comes in and they're coming to you for the first time and they are wanting a change, you are going to ask them a ton of Questions about the color, about the cut, about the extensions, whatever it might be. You're asking them all of these questions. And a lot of times when clients come to see me, the first time I'm seeing them, I'm correcting a lot of their hair. They are coming to see me because they don't love what they currently have. So a lot of times that first appointment might be a little bit of a larger service, longer length, higher price tag. And it's important for them to understand, yes, I can give you this look today, but also what does the maintenance look like on um, this appointment? Clients today primarily are looking for low maintenance. There are the clients out there that are having the vivids and they're having the root touch ups and the reds and all the things that are more high maintenance. Absolutely. But a lot of clients are looking for a lifestyle and something that they're like some a hair color that will grow out very soft. So let's say they're coming in and they can only come in or they only want to come in every like three to four months. They're looking for something really low maintenance. Um, but their hair's a little bit of a mess. So how I introduce the pre booking aspect of this from the very moment they step in is when I'm giving them feedback and we're discussing what we're going to be doing today. I also let them know what their maintenance is going to look like and not only what their maintenance is going to look like from a timing perspective, but what their maintenance is going to look like from a cost perspective. Because the other piece of this that's very important is the pricing transparency. It is so unbelievably unprofessional for you to do a service on someone and then not say anything about what the price is going to be and then go up to the front desk and just say, okay, it's going to be 450 today or whatever the price is. The client's like, oh, and again, that doesn't build trust. So you're now setting yourself back there. They may not pre book with you because they don't understand what their next they're going to think it's going to be maybe 4:50 every time. Maybe that's out of their budget, maybe it's not. But you weren't honest and transparent. So that doesn't build trust. So backing up to that consultation, when I'm talking to them about what they want to do with their hair, I'm talking to them about their lifestyle and if they tell me that they cannot maintain something within eight weeks, I'm not going to give them something that requires an eight week maintenance. Once I conclude my consultation, I say, awesome, I'm going to, I feel really comfortable. I reiterate everything with them. I ask them if they feel good or have any questions and then if they say no, I say, perfect, I'm going to walk away. I am going to grab you a price quote for today and then I'll come back with options for you. And they're always stunned, and I can't believe that they're actually stunned. But this is a practice that I have implemented throughout my entire salon, so, so that the clients feel comfortable there. So I walk away and I assess, okay, how much is this service today going to cost them? And if it's a, uh, bigger transformation, I have that top transformation option as my first pricing option. Now they might not understand, they're not hair sales. They don't understand all the work and all the product and all the foils that's going to go into this. So you might have a transformation that's going to cost them, let's say 450. And you come back to them and they're like, oh, oh my God, I gotta ask my husband. Or they're like, you can just see the shock in their eyes. We don't want that. We wanna kind of prevent that awkward moment from happening. So what I always do is I come up with either a second or even a third option for them at different price points. But that also means a different end result. Okay, so I'm gonna have the top option that's like everything they've always dreamed of. And then I'm going to have a mid option. The mid option is building to eventually get to that end result. But maybe they're not going to get there today. So maybe it's less highlighting, maybe you're not adding a root color. There's something that you're not doing, um, that's not going to sacrifice like what they've said they've really loved about something, but you're going to decrease that and have a photo that shows them. This is kind of the second option, the way that we can build there. So it'll take us about two appointments, but it's still going to be a beautiful option. And then if you feel like you have the need for that third option, that's going to be something that's more of, um, okay, we're going to, we're going to start this little process day. We're going to. We're going to kind of touch things up. We're going to cover the big challenges they're having. But again, this might take more like three services. So I have three pricing options for them. But in addition to that, when I present them with, okay, so today we're going to be doing XYZ. And the total for that would be 450. Your maintenance appointment is going to be this. So I'm telling them, okay, 450 today. But let's say maybe their maintenance is like 300 or 250. So now they can understand, okay, if I'm committing to this color, this is what my maintenance is going to be. But I'm already putting it into their head that they're coming back to see me for maintenance and we're building a plan together. And this isn't some, like, you're not, like, mind messing with them. Um, you're. You're literally providing the information that they need to know. If you were getting a surgery, would you need. Want to know what you needed to do after your surgery to maintain and the physical therapy? Yes, you would. So think of it like that. So I am m already discussing when I'm going to see them at their next appointment. Hypothetically, in this situation, it's three months out from now. Cool. So that brings us to the end of September. If you're listening to this at the time of the recording, what is that? Also perfect for fall hair. It's a great time for them to change their hair seasonally. And if they want to get in sooner, they can. You can offer services in between whatever their maintenance schedule may be. But I'm already planting the seed because if I wait till the very, very, very end of the service, they've already checked out. And I say, okay, um, so do you want to schedule your next one? They're already out the door. Their mind is already on the next thing. They got to pick up the kids, they got to run to Target. They got a million things going on. So not only was that phrase something that was just kind of saying, like, do you want to. Or maybe you want to book online. Like, I hear this all the time. It's like. Or if that's better for you, like, you don't need to panic. All you need to do when you're checking them out again, because you've already talked about their maintenance schedule in the consultation is just say, okay, awesome. So we're looking for an appointment at the end of September. Um, and instead of saying like, do you Want to get that scheduled? Say, let's go ahead and get that booked. My schedule's already filling up really fast. I want to make sure you get the time that you want. The worst thing they're going to say is no. And then what happens is when they say no, they probably won't be able to get in to see you again. And then they'll understand the demand and why it's important to pre book with you. At this point in my business, clients can't not pre book with me. And they are, because they won't get in. But they also appreciate. They're like, wow, thank you for taking care of that. My clients actually panic if I haven't, like, taking care of it for them. They're so well, like, trained, like, oh, Michelle's got me. She's going to tell me what I need. That they literally. It's actually one thing off their plate. It's like this release. And I always let them know, obviously, if you need to reschedule, that's totally fine. But I think where people also fail in this is they'll make a recommendation like, oh, I want to see you in eight weeks. But this client realistically doesn't need an appointment for, like, 12 weeks. And then that client cancels because they don't feel like they need their hair done yet. So you have to be really diligent with kind of when you're recommending that. And every time they come back in for that second appointment, I'm also asking them, how did this time frame feel for you? Did you feel like you were really ready for this appointment, or did you feel like you could have gone a few extra weeks? It. It's all about, like, finding the right balance and the right fit for them. And sometimes clients will be like, oh, man. You know, two weeks ago, I was really like, oh, I can't wait to get my hair done. Okay, well, let's maybe adjust it a week or two then, and. And come in a little bit sooner. Um, or maybe they were like, you know, my hair grew out. Awesome. Like, I felt like I could have used it, but, like, maybe I didn't. Okay, great. So then, you know, you can kind of adjust from there. So we're talking all about that maintenance piece in the very beginning and the price transparency important because it's just you being honest with them. And if you're afraid of them. Like, I know there's always a threshold. There always is. It's like, if I say anything above 300, they're gonna literally look at Me, like, I'm crazy. But you can't also discount. Like, if you're doing something on someone, you have to charge for it. It's that about that consistency. And you don't want to back yourself into a hole where you're like, oh, my God, I've been undercharging. My business is losing money. I, um. And then all of a sudden, one day you're like, oh, my God, I need to up my prices by like 150, because I'm just constantly losing money. Whereas instead, if you're just honest and you're transparent, that's okay. You know, you're gonna go to the store and you're gonna go to Costco and it's gonna be $21 for your liquid IVs, and they're not gonna negotiate that price with you. That's the price that they set because that's the price that they need for profit. And that's totally fair. You should be profiting as someone who is providing a service. So make sure that you know your numbers. That's the number one reason why people have a hard time price quoting is because they don't even know what the heck is going on with their numbers. So this is a whole topic for a whole nother day, and I'm happy to talk about it with you guys. If you have, like, brief questions, you know, you can always DM me. But whole topic for another day. But if you're afraid of it, that's probably another reason. You don't know your pricing, because you don't know your numbers. So make sure you guys handle that. Now let's talk a little bit about the retail side of it. So again, in the consultation, I am asking them what they're using because that is important for me to know and understand prior to servicing their hair. Maybe they start talking. Maybe it's just a haircut client and they start talking about how they feel like they have a lot of buildup on their scalp. Okay, cool. What does that tell me? Maybe their shampoo is too heavy. Maybe they're not washing enough. Like, there's a lot of factors. So I'm immediately starting to come up with solutions for them. So when I take them back to the shampoo bowl, I'm going to tell them what I'm using and why I'm using it. Maybe I'm going to be using a clarifying shampoo first because they go a week between washes and you really need to do a double shampoo. Clients don't know these things. They don't even know sometimes that their water might be hard, and that could be contributing to the buildup. And. But it's your job, when they come in for that hour, that two hour, that three hour, to be their source of knowledge. So I talk to them about what they're using. And then the only thing that I do this is. And it's so simple. I'm not like, hey, let me tell you about this new product we got. And it's in the flashy. No. I'm literally like, okay. When I'm washing them, I say, awesome. So I'm gonna use the Goldilocks clarifying shampoo on you to help get rid of some of that buildup that you were saying you were feeling. Again, they said they had a problem, and I'm fixing it. And then I'm gonna say. And then I'm gonna follow up with, let's say the Unite 7 Seconds Shampoo. This is going to be a great cleanse, but it's also going to be nourishing for the hair, not over stripping. It's a really great everyday shampoo. They're going to then be experiencing it as I'm using it, because it's hard to talk about products when they're not being used on you or physically in front of you. And also it can be really overwhelming. I've learned this too. Like, if all of your products are at your station and there's like 20 products, clients are immediately overwhelmed. So they don't want. They want to kind of imagine, like, well, what's my life going to be like at home? So when I'm shampooing them, I explain to them what I'm using. They're kind of experiencing the aroma, and it gives them the opportunity to, like, try before you buy. Then I'm also going to explain to them the conditioner that I'm using, and I'm just simply going to say, awesome. And I'm going to use the, um, Goldilocks signature, uh, conditioner. This is going to be a little bit more on the hydrating side. You mentioned that your hair is feeling a little bit dry. And especially because we did highlights today, I want to pack back in that moisture and just make your hair feel extra soft. So using words that are relatable to them. Some people are product junkies where they love to know the ingredients and things like that. But I found personally, if I can just speak to the way that the client is going to use this behind the chair, that's going to be best case scenario. So Once I've shampooed them, they've experienced their shampoo and conditioner. Then when I do their style right, I usually bring over just a couple products, and I catch their vibe as well. If there's somebody that never styles their hair, they never blow dry, they never do anything. I'm going to keep the products really, really simple because I know pouring on four products to them is going to be really overwhelming. Now, if it's somebody that needs four products, they've got a lot of damage. They're super dry, they're super curly. We're making them smooth. I'm going to bring over what I need, and then as I'm using it, I'm explaining to them what this product is doing. Okay, so first I'm going to use the unite seven seconds on you. This is going to be a heat protectant, UV protectant, and detangler maybe. They've told me their hair fades in the sun a lot. Cool. UV protectant, maybe. They tell me their hair is tangly. Cool detangler. And I'm going to tell them that this is going to be just a simple, easy product you can just spray on. Honestly, you guys, it's our number one seller at our salon, and every single client uses it. It's great for heavy hair, it's great for light hair, and that's going to be kind of your primer. Then I'm maybe gonna do their haircut, and then I'm gonna explain to them why I'm using the rest of the products. Maybe their hair is really fine. Maybe they've talked about how they don't, um, get a lot of volume in their hair. Sometimes you can ask them, like, what do you struggle with? What is something that's hard for you? Um, and they're like, oh, my God, in the summer, my hair gets so frizzy. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. Okay, let's give them something for frizz. Or they're like, my hair. My curls never hold. Okay, well, what are you using? They're not using anything for hold. So great, let's go ahead and prep their hair with something and tell them why this is going to be beneficial. This isn't saying, you must buy this right now. It's literally saying, this is what I'm using, why I'm using it, and how it's going to help you. And then from there, they can make the ultimate decision on whether or not they need to restock. And sometimes they'll say, okay, well, if I could get one product today, what would you recommend. And that's a really hard question because every single product that I was using has a different purpose. But I will say to them, well, every single product has a different purpose. So maybe we can think about what the priority is for you to start with, or maybe you can discuss with them what they already have. Maybe they already have a detangler. You, you would recommend that the Unite is. Is definitely better. But go ahead and work, you know, use what you have at home for that detangler. Let's go ahead and introduce this frizz product for you for the summer. And then from there they can kind of build on their stock and eventually transition over to the products that you recommend. It doesn't have to be pressuresome. Okay. And if they decide they don't want to take anything home, that's totally fine. You've given them all of the options. You've given them the knowledge, say, no problem. I'm going to put a quick note in your file just so we can remember what we used on you today. If you find yourself in need of anything, shoot me a text and I'll put it aside for you. You can come pick it up anytime. Cool. No pressure. Easy peasy, good to go. Okay, so now at this point we've kind of reached the end of the service. Maybe they've grabbed a product or two. Fabulous. We love that for them. Now we're getting into kind of the final, you know, pre booking aspect of the appointment. And so one practice you could do is maybe getting them scheduled prior to checking out because they still have to pay for their service. So they're not fully checked out of the door yet. Um, but I like to say. Okay, awesome. So we talked about in your consultation that this is going to be about a three month maintenance that brings us to the end of September. Do you have anything that you'd like to schedule your next hair appointment around? Oh, yeah. Well, you know, I have a wedding coming up. Beautiful. Let's go ahead and get you on the book so we can get the date and time that works best for you. Um, if you need to adjust anything, you can always let me know. But this will be a good plan. And a lot of times as busy people, we don't take the time to take care of ourselves. This is like our moment of self care. And I know personally, if I don't pre book a massage, I'm not getting a massage. If I don't pre book my nails, I'm not getting my nails done. If I don't pre book My hair, I'm not getting my hair done. So having that in their calendar already just is a weight lifted off their shoulders and it's a moment for them to come take some time for them. So at that point they're going to say, oh, sounds great. So I'm going to go ahead and I'm going to look at my schedule and, and I'm gonna say beautiful. I'm, um, not going to tell a client. Let's say you're new to building your books and you actually have the entire day available. You are not going to say, uh, well, I'm available the entire day. That just lessened your demand. Try asking them, okay, so what time of day works best for you? If they were in on a Friday, you can say, do Fridays typically work best for you? And then when they say, yeah, Fridays are actually really great, I'll say, perfect. You prefer morning or afternoon? And they say, morning. And I'll say, great. How's 9:00am um, if I say, oh, well, I got the whole day open for you, what time works best for you? It just immediately again, they're, they're starting to think in their head, well, why do I need to pre book like, and some clients aren't going to be pre book clients and that's totally okay. They're the last minuters and that's fine. But if you have done enough to make them fall in love with you and their hair, I promise you, I don't have any client who leaves without pre bookmate with me. They want to come back in. They look forward to that next experience. And that's the impact that you want to think about leaving on them through your service so that it is so easy for them to want to come back in and see you. And again, you're leaving the option up to them. But sometimes it's in your language. I talk to my staff a lot about. This is another, like, language thing that we need to work on is, okay, so a client comes into the salon and we offer signature beverages. Um, we change them out about every four to six weeks. They're super fun, but clients can be really nervous, like thinking if you say these words them. So they come in and they check in and you say, do you want anything to drink? Okay. They have no idea what you offer. They also feel like they're inconveniencing you. They might be nervous because they're in a new place. But if I say, oh, our drink menu's right here. What can I grab for you? What can I make for you would you like one of our drinks on our drink menu? It's like, oh, yeah, I would actually. If you sound excited about it, they're gonna also feel excited about it. And we don't have these drinks at the salon for people to not drink them. That would be silly. It's part of their experience. It's complimentary. It's. It's just another addition, like another way for them to fall in love with the experience and the space. So it's. Sometimes it's all about how we approach and how we say things. So kind of going into some quick tips that like, maybe you're not doing any of these things and you're like, this is really overwhelming. Michelle. I don't pre book any of my clients. I don't price quote anybody, and I don't sell redo. Okay. So I would say the biggest thing is probably the price transparency. I don't know. I think that that's a really easy thing to implement. And for me, it'd be super uncomfortable to sit down and get a service and not know what I was going to pay. So I would say, like, commit to maybe one of these things as an every single day practice and do not waver. Every single client that comes in gets this price quote. Okay. Eventually that's going to become a habit for you and it's going to feel like nothing. And you just have to get out of your head that, like, you cannot spend the client's money for them. You have no idea how much some people budget for their hair. And that's why we're giving them options, because maybe what you come back with is too high price for them, but maybe it's not. So get that out of your head. You have no idea. This is their choice. You're not pressuring them. Um, you're giving them options. Like, you're good to go. So maybe commit to just one thing, or maybe you feel like you can kind of commit to everything. So. So make it a practice that when you're using the products, you're explaining what you're using and why you're using it. Simple as that. Or maybe you have one product you've absolutely fallen in love with. I can think of one product right now for myself that since it's gotten humid here in Wisconsin. Oh, it is the holy grail when I'm smoothing out my clients. Maybe you're really passionate about that one. Choose that product that week and start talking about it. Just that simple. Maybe. Maybe you're not even getting into all the products Just choose that one product and I guarantee somebody is going to see the value in that and they're going to take that home. And also too another thing is if you're worried about like uh, well I'm not really good with language, Michelle. Like you're saying like how I phrase things matters and it does maybe choose like one phrase you're going to work on. Like let me show you what I use so you know how to use it at home or to maintain this color. You would be due in three months which would put us right around September. Oh, perfect time for fall. Like just kind of have these like phrases in the works and start working on them and build them into your service one by one. If you guys can't tell, I'm um, super passionate about these but these, these little, little trade secrets have seriously built, built me for the last 15 years and I started those as early practices and they've been a non negotiable ever since. The more you do anything, think about the first time you did a highlight. It's uncomfortable, it's weird, but it only gets better the more you do it. The first time you took a hair picture, it sucked, you hated it. But the more you do anything, the better you're going to get at it. So I want you guys to be successful and I want to encourage you to think of these practices not as something cringy, not as something awkward, but something that is bringing value to your service and your experience. And this is going to create lifelong clients for you. If you guys have any questions, as always in regards to any topics that I ever cover, you are always welcome to reach out to me. And gosh, there could be so many avenues we go down with these topics. Uh, they are crazy. But if you guys ever have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram, send um, me an email, go to my website. Um, there's lots of ways that we can connect. Um, and if you ever want to do a one on one call with me, that's, that's what I'm doing in this season. I mean I am in my third trimester, four weeks from having this baby and um, I've been loving just connecting and doing one on one coaching with, with stylists, um, and owners. So that's always an option for you. But I'm going to wrap up this episode and I hope you guys have of a lot lovely day but we can't finish out an episode with a little ask me anything. So they ask me anything I do at the end of every episode. If you're. If you're new to the podcast. And it's where I let my listeners literally ask me anything, and nothing is off limits. And today's question is, if you could pick a theme song to walk into the salon every morning, too, what would it be? Oh, my God, I have so many songs. It kind of depends on my mood, for sure. We actually did a reel at the salon where I had the team choose their walkout song. I'm going to find this for you guys, and I'm going to play it.