#37 - HOW MUCH SHOULD I CHARGE MY CLIENTS?
HOW MUCH SHOULD I BE CHARGING MY CLIENTS?
After you finish your training, what is the best sequence of action to take?
Do you charge when you’re learning still? Do you set your prices cheaper than your competition in hope of drawing clients in? Do you run a special?
You have learnt your trade. You have set your room up. You have practiced. You’re ready to go and deliver on clients. You are ready to get paid! Bring on the money and let the clients roll!!
After many years being in the industry, observing the industry, making mistakes and doing things correctly, here is what we at Locks Lash have found to be the best sequence of actions when starting out your own business delivering lash extensions.
One the MOST common complaints we are asked and hear about is technicians charging too little to begin with and then find it extremely hard to put up their prices.
With this simple guide below, we are attempting to take away your future problems and get paid what you deserve and are worth both now (as a beginner) and later as the most amazing technician in your area.
While you are practicing:
Once you understand the basic principles in how to apply lash extensions, it really is just practice that is going to make you into the technician you want to be. Practice and perfect. Practice and perfect.
It wouldn’t be fair or morally right to charge clients full price while you are still learning and we don’t encourage that. But we do encourage that you charge something for your services.
Your basic product cost to deliver a set of lashes is approximately $12-$14 (that is not including your time, rent, power, marketing, your training etc. Just product alone.)
The reason you want to charge something is you want to first of all cover your costs, but also you want to show potential clients (even if it is your sister, mum, friend) that you skill is worth something. Charging no fee, communicates (on a subconscious level) that your trade and skill has little to no worth, so then when you then want to charge full price it will be very difficult. Trust me. We have observed this a million times.
Our recommendation would be between 30-50% of your full price. One of the key things here is to advertise the full price so people subconsciously think they are getting the $100 service but while you’re training they get it for 70% off.
It is also so important to put a time limit of these prices too for if you don’t then people (yes even your close friends) will expect this price for all time to come.
You can extend this time limit if you like, if you reach it and still don’t feel like you are awesome. That is fine. But do set a time limit.
As a side note … if you don’t feel comfortable charging for your first 5 sets that you do after training, we understand that totally. So maybe do those 5 sets for free and maybe only do your husband, mother and sister type people (hahah imagine charging your husband for lashes that he really didn’t want in the first place!)
But again, put limits on it
Finding models to practice on:
Mum and partners will only want to have their lashes done a certain quantity of times, and then you will have to venture out and find others to practice on.
The usual social media places like FB and Insta is a great way to ask friends if they would like a cheap set of lashes while you practise.
Another way is through Buy Sell & Swap pages on FB. We have seen so much success with these!
Put up a post saying ‘models wanted for $40 sets of lashes (to cover product costs).’ You will be surprised at the response you will get! It is also a fantastic way to get clients for the future.
There are also Hair & Beauty Model pages on FB, have a look and see if you can find one locally to you.
Again … do charge them!
How to establish your full price:
Your full price should be around $100-$170 for a full classic set of lashes. This is at 2018/19 prices. It will vary a little from state to state.
You should really not be charging any less than $100.
This is really important not only for you and your worth, but also for the industry as a whole.
Your prices will establish what clients think your worth and skill level is.
Lash extensions fall into the same category as hair.
Nails are not in this category.
If you’re walking down the street and see a sign saying “$10 Shellac Manicure” - your immediate reaction will be “score! I’m in!”
If you’re walking down the street and see a sign saying “$10 cut and colour” - your immediate reaction will be ‘must be a really bad hairdresser’ or something like that.
The lash industry is judged on price which communicates the quality and skill level of each technician.
Charge only $50 for a full set of lashes, not only will you forever attract the wrong type of client who are not loyal, price driven, always on a budget, will ask for further discounts etc, but you will also turn away who you really want as your client!
You want clients that are;
- loyal
- who don’t come to you only when you have a discount
- who have friends who also have money
- if you move, they will drive an extra hour to get their lashes done
- If you change your prices, they won’t notice and don’t care
- Lashes are important to them
- They are quality driven not price driven
Believe it or not, but charging a little more attracts these sort of clients!
So! Once you finish your training, google in your local area all the prices for home based and salons. Get the average price and make THAT your full price (even a tiny bit more we would recommend).
If you feel uncomfortable charging that full price because you’re still learning and improving (which is completely valid), then do a special off that full price until you feel you are worth that amount.
But don’t start out by advertising $50 sets, in hope you will attract clients.
You communicate that you are of low quality by doing that.
Do a special like “normally $100 but for June only $50!”
(Statistically sales are attract more clients than cheaper prices too).
By doing this you are setting yourself up for a lovely, prosperous future and saving yourself problems down the road.
An extra good tip!
Go and check out your competition!
Go and get your lashes done as a client in the top three salons in your area. See what standard you have to get to to become as good as and then better than them.
See what they do correctly, see what they do wrong.
You then do what they do correctly (but better) and make sure you don’t do what they do wrong.
Go kick some arse and make some money ladies xXx
