Hair Opinion: Salon Rules

Maria Dowling shares her five golden rules for salon success

I believe that as a salon owner I not only have to do my own job well, I have to be all things to all people in order to really make a success of my business. A good salon owner will be an entrepreneur, creative,
a forward–thinker, and motivator. I manage this varied role by sticking to the following rules, which I believe keep me at the top of my game.

Stick to your niche
My motto has always been “stick to what you do best”. Often salons begin as one thing and slowly diversify into lots of related services that they know little about, diluting their original offering. When we started as a colouring salon, I was always determined to keep it that way. Finding your niche and sticking to it differentiates you from the rest. It also allows you to target a specific market without diluting yourmessage and means that you can build your brand identity a lot quicker. Although I have been asked bymy clients in the past, “why don’t you start offering manicures and pedicures”, I feel that I couldn’t do that and still retain the quality of service that I know I can offer as purely a colouring and cutting salon.

Seek – or create – unique products
We are always on the look out for unique hair products and tools that will be of interest to our clients. And when we can’t find them, we manufacture them ourselves. Now we have a range of branded brushes, hair appliances and detox products. Distribution is a good, profitable addon for salon owners if they can find the small niche products from overseas and distribute them in the Middle East. Clients want to know that you’re cutting edge, so if you can, talk to them about a new product and let them sample it.

Commit to your clients so they’ll commit to you
Developing long-term relationships with your clients is never easy, particularly in this competitive region where client loyalty is difficult to sustain. Start by practising the art of listening when they’re in the salon and get to know them. Treat your client’s hairlike it’s a whole new palette every time they visit instead of using the forbidden words “same again?” We always talk to our clients about what we will do with their hair the next time they visit so very few clients leave without rebooking.
Think about your clients’ hair at home. Recommend products that will be truly good for their hair, not products that you are making the most money from. If your client thinks you’re not committed to making sure their hair remains as fabulous as it did when they left the salon, they simply will not return. Teach your clients some tricks of the trade – how to blowdry their hair, what products to use to create those waves, how to maintain their subtle colour. All of this professional, personalised guidance will lead to long-term loyalty.

Marketing, marketing, marketing
Marketing isn’t neccesarily just advertising.
As a salon, we do little if no advertising as other marketing tools have proven more effective for us. PR, communications, point of sale and a good website are all effective tools for marketing your brand.
Good online reviews are also essential when you are targeting new clients, so politely ask your regular clients to shout about how much they love their hair. Just a good word or referral from a client can
be far more effective than a one-off advert. We are currently running a client referral campaign and our slogan is “there’s no better thank you than a referral”.
Alongside this, we are offering clients who refer their friends some complimentary services on their next visit.

Define your values and ethos
Having a set of “goals, values, missions and visions” is not just business-speak mumbo jumbo. Forget being all about image; it’s what you represent as a salon that counts. Clients need to feel part of the salon; client affinity is equal to client loyalty and this is what we’re aiming for. Define your ethos by taking the time to look at who you’re targeting and their values. Then build your salon culture around it.

Maria Dowling is creative director at mariadowling salon and has been a colourist for more than 20 years. For more information call +971 4 345 42 25.