#47 - BE BUSIER THAN YOUR COMPETITION

More and more people are coming into the lash industry and opening salons and home based salons.

Let's face it. You have more competition than you did 3 months ago, 6 months ago and a year ago. But just because there's more competition, doesn't mean it's time to quit. Hell no. You gonna survive girl. You're going to do more than survive actually. You're going to DOMINATE! 

People are seeing the huge advantages of the lash industry, the potential money that can be earn’t, the freedoms of being able to work for yourself, the low costs in setting up to start their own business and the ease at getting into the industry.

So this should not be a time of worry or fear about your increasing competition, but instead, it is the time to start getting SMART about your business regardless of your size. 

So, how do you become busier than your competition and grab your share of the customers, and retain them?

Hopefully you take a few tips away from this blog!

The WORST thing you can do is go into a price war with your competition. You will not win. In fact, no one will win apart from the customers. 

Yes run specials and have discounts, but don’t lower your prices overall. Instead try some of the following things…

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY 

Your technical ability does count and at the end of the day will be one of the most important (but not the only) thing that will keep you in business and continuing to expand. 

Consumers (your clients) are becoming more and more aware of what quality application is and isn’t. 

It is so important that you are delivery a quality service, with amazing application and show technical ability in your application. You need this to survive in this industry and to continue to have clients returning. 

If you feel you are lacking in this area - I will be honest with you - you don’t have to be born with some special talent to be good at lash extensions. 

Fact: It is an ability which is LEARNT. 

How does one become amazing at something?

  1. Gain the CORRECT knowledge and technology of a subject. 
  2. Make sure one fully understands that correct technology of the subject. Never go past a confusion or something you don’t fully understand. 
  3. Practise the application of that knowledge. 
  4. Practise more. 
  5. Learn more.
  6. Practise more.
  7. Learn more, practice more and so on. 

It is a simple formula. And it is the same formula that is for every field in every industry. 

If you feel your application is lacking at all, then learn more by doing additional classes, asking for help from Locks Lash, do a refresher class, do an advance class etc. 

Essentially it is only up to YOU to get better.

 ...

Your lashes kick butt…so the next step is you have the be BETTER than you competition in what you are delivering. 

How do you do this? 

You must add value to your service and have a point of difference. 

ADDING VALUE

It is not complicated and doesn’t have to cost you a lot or lower your profit margins by much. If anything it will add to your profit margins in the long run!

You have to make your service special and more attractive than your competitors. You have to make sure each client feels unique and special to you. 

Add a free service or product & personalise your business. 

It could be as simple as any of the following …

  • A lip mask (tell them it has collagen and other nutrients which help with keeping the lip area healthy. 
  • Apply the Locks Lash Protective Sealant at the end of the treatment (and tell them that you are doing it). 

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

  • Give them a small goodie bag with a mascara wand, maybe some chocolates, a referral card, some aftercare tips, a small foaming cleanser, a sleep mask etc. Get creative. We have written another blog on creative ideas for goodie bags from our Christmas period which can be used around all year! CLICK HERE TO VIEW
  • Offer them some home made cookies upon arrival.
  • Offer a glass of wine, or coffee or chocolates.
  • Write little notes on each client and when they mention something like going to their daughters birthday, the next time they come in ask them how it went.
  • A voucher for a free coffee from a local coffee shop. 
  • Giving them product samples. 
  • Having a ‘lucky dip’ basket, wrapping up small gifts & vouchers and each client chooses one on their way out after their appointment. 
  • Asking for their birth date and sending them a little card with a voucher or something. 
  • Spending an extra 10-15 mins beyond what they paid for (and telling them this is what you have done). 
  • Offer advise after their appointment and verbal care instructions. 
  • Offer a complimentary new service. 
  • Have a few bottles of beautiful perfume that they are more than welcome to have a few sprays at the end of their treatment. 
  • Come early or stay late for clients if it helps them. 
  • Make sure you use manners at all times. 

As you can see there are many ways to add value and uniqueness to your service, so you can be the badass lash tech that excels in your area with no chance of competition.