You Only Get One Chance to Make a First Impression

We’ve talked about the importance of first impressions before, but we can’t reiterate enough just how vital they are. When it comes to customer service, those first few seconds from when the client steps through the door, are so important.  You Only Get One Chance  First and foremost, you must make every effort to acknowledge your client in some way. If you’re in the middle of something important and can’t go straight to them or talk to them, you should still try to acknowledge that they’re there with a look and a smile or a nod of the head.  The common phrase of ‘you only get one chance to make a first impression’ is so true. While it’s relevant in many situations, it’s particularly important to bear in mind as a small business owner as your clients are pivotal to your success.  Be Mindful and Focussed  When you’re in the beauty industry and make a living from providing people with treatments to make them feel good, being a good listener is so important. Being focused on the other person’s interests and needs and giving your undivided attention will instantly instil them with confidence that you can give them what they’re looking for.  If you get the impression that your client wants to relax and be left alone, respect this, some people come for the peace and quiet. Over time, you’ll pick up the needs and wants of your clients from their body language.  Role Play It can sometimes be hard to…

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We’ve talked about the importance of first impressions before, but we can’t reiterate enough just how vital they are. When it comes to customer service, those first few seconds from when the client steps through the door, are so important. 

You Only Get One Chance 

First and foremost, you must make every effort to acknowledge your client in some way. If you’re in the middle of something important and can’t go straight to them or talk to them, you should still try to acknowledge that they’re there with a look and a smile or a nod of the head. 

The common phrase of ‘you only get one chance to make a first impression’ is so true. While it’s relevant in many situations, it’s particularly important to bear in mind as a small business owner as your clients are pivotal to your success. 

Be Mindful and Focussed 

When you’re in the beauty industry and make a living from providing people with treatments to make them feel good, being a good listener is so important. Being focused on the other person’s interests and needs and giving your undivided attention will instantly instil them with confidence that you can give them what they’re looking for. 

If you get the impression that your client wants to relax and be left alone, respect this, some people come for the peace and quiet. Over time, you’ll pick up the needs and wants of your clients from their body language. 

Role Play

It can sometimes be hard to take the client’s perspective (after all you are there every day) and see what the clients see when they first walk through your door. Considering this, it can be interesting to role play by pretending that you’re a client entering your salon for the first time. 

It may seem like an odd suggestion but by simply walking through your salon door as a client would, taking everything in; what you can see, how you are greeted, where you should sit, can help you improve those first impressions. Also, consider the following:

  • Is the salon clean and tidy?
  • How does the shop front look from the outside?
  • Are your staff acting professionally?
  • Is your retail section (if you have one) fully stocked and tidy?

Dress Sharp and Look the Part

As the face of your business, it’s so important that you look sharp. Especially in the beauty industry, it’s important to look smart by being dressed appropriately and professionally. Make sure your personal appearance and that of your employees reflects the vibe you want for your business to e.g., classy, trendy, clinical, relaxed, organic, modern, this will help you to attract the kind of clients you want and keep them. This will also help you to decide which new treatments to invest in if you have a clear target client. We’ll be doing a whole blog post about salon vibe soon so keep a look out!

Image:istock.com/TonTectonix

Rebecca Willshee Nail and Beauty Specialist

Testimonial: “JC was so low, suicidal at points. Sore, red, angry, his skin was awful, we had tried everything and doctors you name it. We reached out to Becky, who was wonderful. My son was quiet and withdrawn, lacked confidence and self esteem, and locked himself away from the world. Becky booked us in for a consultation to discuss different options of treatments and we decided the new hydro treatment would be the best option. We started the course and JC was nervous but Becky was great with him talking him through everything, step by step! As we went each time JC’s skin got better and better, but also the difference in him was huge, he was gaining confidence, shoulders back, head held high. We have watched his skin change from this red, aggressive, angry skin that was sore, acne was debilitating to him but now he is confident, holds his head up high and has even got his first job! We are so proud. When we met Becky I felt confident she would help us get his skin better and back on track but what has actually happened is skin looks amazing but to see our son gain confidence has been the biggest win! Teens often get pushed aside, put on string meds and told “it’s just your age” but this isn’t what they want to hear, but The SkinBase treatments Becky has done has changed his life! We cannot thank you enough Becky! JC is continuing with the treatments as it still gets the odd breakouts but the scarring is still improving week in week out. The hydro Facial is just amazing and we cannot recommend it enough and of course Becky and her passion for skin and helping people is wonderful!”