Welcome to 2021.
For the first few weeks of the new year I am to focus my blog, podcast and classes on selling behind the chair.
I have long believed the expression, “You cannot cost-cut your way to profitability.” That is to say you can only cut so much. At some point you must increase sales. You must sell more to build, grow and prosper. This is never truer than in the haircut game. In the recent passed our industry has been severity stressed with lockdowns, capacity reductions and higher costs. We are desperately in need of a shot in the arm and a shot in the cash register. There is no better way to achieve this than by selling more. Selling more services and selling more products.
Nothing every happens in this world until someone sells something to someone. Everyone is actually in sales. Bottom line we all must sell. We must sell our ideas and we must sell ourselves. Small children learn how to “sell” parents to get what they want. Teen agers are skillful and wily salespeople when they want something.
“I am an artist not a salesperson.” Just not true. You have heard of a starving artist. You have never heard of a starving salesperson.
A great way to get past this mental block regarding your role in sales is to think of what you are doing as helping, not selling. If the offer of a product or a service is truly good, right and proper for the customer then you are helping them and their situation. If the offer does not really help them, if it is simply self-serving and helps you, the seller, then you should likely not be making the offer. Always asking yourself if the sale helps the customer and helps the world in a positive way. This is a great foundation for your offerings. This is a great basis for a sale. This is a way to become comfortable in your selling shoes. Always start from a position of positive benefit to the customer and the world.
Technique of the week.
With this series I am including a selling tip every week.
This week we will ask… “Do you want fries with that?”
The add-on.
The upgrade.
McDonalds created this powerful tactic. And… they use it because it works. It works well. It works very well. This is suggestion selling. This is offering the related item… and… there is always a related item.
If a client buys shampoo… offer conditioner.
If the client buys gel, offer shampoo.
If the client buys hairspray, offer shine spray.
It is fun to try to pick the pairings. Make up parings that make sense.
Make this offer every time anyone every buys anything.
It is magical. Sales go up.
THX.
Ivan
Special note.
The graphic doodle included with this week’s post is the first digitally generated one to be posted publicly. There is a learning curve to using the new pen. It is fun and I am getting a bit better with every attempt.
