On The Job Chapter #31

Learning Objectives Describe the qualities that help a new employee succeed in a service profession List the habits of a good salon team player Explain the function of a job description Describe three different ways in which salon professionals are compensated Create a personal budget List the principles of selling products and services in the salon List the most effective ways to build a client base

Key Terms Client Base – Customers who are loyal to a particular cosmetologist Commission – percentage of revenue that a salon takes in from sales earmarked for practitioner Job Description – document that outlines all duties and responsibilities of a particular position in a salon or spa Retailing – act of recommending and selling products to your clients for at-home hair care Ticket Upgrading or Up-selling services – practice of recommending and selling additional services to clients

Goals / Rules Prioritize your goals Goals and rules should guide you throughout your career If you let them do so, you can always expect to have work, and enjoy all the freedom that your chosen profession can offer

Moving from school to work Making the transition from school to work can be difficult School is a forgiving environment. You are given the chance to do a certain procedure over and over again until you get it right. Making and fixing mistakes is an accepted part of the process and your instructors and mentors are there to help you When you become the employee of a salon, however you will be expected to put the needs of the salon and its clients ahead of your own You must always be on time for your scheduled shifts Be prepared to perform whatever services or functions are required of you regardless of what is happening in your personal life One practitioner’s selfish and immature decision can create problems for the entire salon

Out In the Real World Many students believe they should be rewarded with a high- paying job, and doing only the kinds of services they with to do, as soon as they graduate from cosmetology school. Well, welcome to the “REAL WORLD”. It does not work out that way, at least not for most people The important thing is to be honest with yourself as you evaluate your skills, in order to best determine which type of position is right for you.

Service Profession First remember when you are in a service based business your work revolves around servicing your clients, you have no time to be selfish. You need these clients they do not need you – they will find another stylist Never let the negativity of a few affect your overall outlook

Service Profession Guidelines Put others first – put your feelings aside and put the needs of the salon and your client first Be true to your word – Be someone who can be counted on to tell the truth, and do what you say you will do Be punctual – scheduling is central to the salon business Be grateful – it is an honor to have a job! If you become unhappy with your salon, look for another job and move on before your start acting in an ungrateful , disrespectful manner Be a problem solver – Be someone who recognizes problems promptly, and finds ways to resolve them constructively Be respectful – you may not like or agree with the salon manager or their rules, but you must give her the benefit of the doubt. If you cannot come to terms with the salon’s rules, then it is time for you to find a new job before your anger takes over Be a lifelong learner – keep on learning. Thinking that you will never need to learn anything more once you are out of school is immature and limiting

Salon Teamwork Working in a salon requires that you practice and perfect your people skills In order to become a good team player: Strive to help – be concerned not only with your own success, but also with the success of others Pitch in – Be willing to help with whatever needs to be done in the salon Share your Knowledge – be willing to share what you know Remain positive – there will be lots of opportunities for you to become negative or to have conflicts with your teammates resist all temptations to give in to maliciousness and gossip Become a relationship builder- you do not have to be someone’s best friend in order to build a good working relationship with that person Be willing to resolve conflicts – conflict is also a natural part of life. If you can work constructively toward resolving conflict, you will always be a valued member of the team Be willing to be subordinate – no one starts at the top. Once you get to the top never forget where you came from Be sincerely loyal – management needs to be loyal to the staff and clients. Ideally, clients will be loyal to the practitioner and the salon

Job Description A document that outlines all the duties and responsibilities of a particular position It is a good idea to review a job description at an interview to ensure that both of you have a good understanding of what is expected of you If you are unclear, it is your responsibility to ask In crafting a job description, the best salons cover their bases. They make sure to outline not only the duties and responsibilities of the job, but also the attitudes that they expect their employees to have, and the opportunities that are available to them

Compensation Varies from one salon to another There are 3 standard methods of compensation: Salary, Commission, and Salary plus Commission

Salary Being paid an hourly rate is usually the best way for a new salon professional to start out, since that person will most likely not have and established clientele for a while Usually based on minimum wage Example: if you are paid $10.00 per hour and you work 40 hours you will be paid $_______ You strictly get paid for the hours that you work Regular taxes get taken out of your earnings If you are offered a set salary each week, in lieu of an hourly rate, it must be equal to at least minimum wage, and you are entitled to overtime pay if you work more than 40 hours per week

Commission A percentage of the revenue that the salon takes in, is usually offered to practitioners once they have built up a loyal clientele. Any money you are paid is a direct result of the total amount of service dollars you generate Commissions are paid based on percentages and can range anywhere from 25 – 60%, depending on your length of time at the salon, your performance level, and the benefits that are part of your employment package You may not be able to make a living on straight commission compensation Example: if you generate $500.00 in sales for the week and you are on a 60% commission then your pay for the week before taxes would be ____________________

Salary plus commissions Is another common way to be compensated in the salon business, it basically means that you receive both a salary and a commission Often used to motivate practitioner to perform more services or sell retail Example you normally earn a salary of $300.00 per week and you perform $600.00 worth of services you would be offered a % of commission on any services your perform over your usually $600.00 per week

Tips some salons have tipping policies (including no-tipping) usual tip amount is 15-20% of the total service ticket tips are income & must be reported on your income tax return be aware of your monthly expenses in order to choose the compensation method right for you

Employee Evaluation commonly scheduled 90 days after hiring and then once a year after that this is feedback that can help you improve your technical abilities and customer service skills help and direction from skilled, experienced coworkers will go a long way toward helping you achieve your goals 16 16

Managing your money this is a career that requires financial understanding and planning, too many cosmetologists live for the moment and do not plan for the future in a cooperate structure the HR dept handles most of the employee’s financial planning in addition to making money you must also be concerned with paying back debts (student loans, car loans, mortgages etc.) not paying back loans is called defaulting & can have serious consequences regarding your credit 17 17

Personal Budget a personal budget lists simple monthly expenses keeping track of where your money goes is one step towards making sure that you have enough it also helps you plan ahead to save for bigger expenses rent, car payment, car insurance, fuel, utilities, health insurance, groceries, prescriptions, telephone, retirement fund 18 18

Giving yourself a raise obvious ways - ask your employer, ask for a high commission % other ways: decrease spending and increase it into investments other ways: increase service prices - there is nothing wrong with increasing your prices every year or two 19 19

Retailing you will have many opportunities to sell retail and upsell on your service tickets all of these increase your pay ticket upgrading or upselling is the practice of recommending and selling additional services to your clients that may be performed by you or other practitioners retailing is the act of recommending and selling products to your clients for at home use 20 20

Principles of Selling to be successful in sales you need ambition, determination, and a good personality the first step in selling is sell yourself clients must like and trust you every client who enters the salon is a potential purchaser 21 21

Principles of selling cont’d be familiar with the merits and benefits of the various services recommend only those that the client really needs know which approach to use with which client. Example soft sell vs. hard sell be self confident, know about the products that you are selling and believe that they are as good as you say they are 22 22

Principles of Selling cont’d generate interest in the customer by asking questions never misrepresent your services or products, by making unrealistic claims. This will only disappoint your clients and make it unlikely that you will ever be able to sell that client again do not underestimate the client’s intelligence or her knowledge of her own beauty regimen or particular needs once the client agrees to buy - don’t oversell 23 23

Psychology of Selling it is your job to figure out the reasons that might motivate a person to buy possible motives: concerned with issues of vanity - they want to look better, seeking personal satisfaction - they want to feel better about themselves, need to solve a problem that is bothersome - spend less time maintaining Always keep in mind that the best interests of the client should be your first consideration 24 24

Effective Selling Techniques ask ever client what products they use at home make a recommendation place the product in the clients hands advise on how the recommendation with provide benefits keep retail areas well lit, clean & appealing inform clients about promotions & sales be informed about the merits of using this product as opposed to a leading brand 25 25

How to expand your client base this is another way to increase your income marketing techniques to expand your client base and to ensure current client retention Birthday cards Provide consistently good service Be Reliable - don’t keep clients waiting, give clients what they ask for Be Respectful - no gossip, negative energy brings everyone down Be Positive - look for the positive in every situation Be Professional - some client’s will try to be friends, it is in everyone’s best interest not to cross that line Business Card Referrals - give your client specially marked cards, for every card you receive back from a new customer give her 10% off or a complimentary added service to her next appointment Local Business Referrals - cross promote other businesses in your area Public Speaking - make yourself available to speak to local woman’s groups or any where else that will put you in front of people in your community who are all potential clients 26 26

Rebooking Clients the best time to think about getting your client back into the salon is while they are still there this also helps to insure your future income 27 27

On Your Way Your first job in the beauty industry will most likely be the most difficult Getting started in this business means being on a big learning curve for a while be patient remember that practice makes perfect above all always be willing to learn 28 28

Review Questions What should you look for in a salon to determine whether it is right for you? List seven rules of conduct that help a new employee succeed in a service profession like cosmetology List six habits of a good team player Explain how a job description is used by the salon and by the employee What are the three most common methods of salon compensation Complete a personal budget and explain why managing your personal finances is important to your success Name at least six principles of selling retail products in the salon List the important characteristics that help you build a client base List the important personal characteristics that help you build a client base Explain at least three different activities that you can undertake to expand your client base