buy from others as you'd have them buy from you

the new experience of owning a business has been such an eye opening experience for me. before i was seeing through the stained colored windows of a service provider, and now my ideas of being a service provider have changed...the ideas of what it means to "care" for my client. based on my experience(because that's the one i have, right) incentives and pricing increases aren't always the best way to grow a solid retail business. i'm driven, but i'm also hard headed. if i'm forced, i'll buck the system....even a good system. but check this out, if i'm educated on the 'why' of a system i can i feel like it's mine. just giving a retail incentive doesn't tell me anything except that i get penny's on the dollar. if i know that we are creating a culture of caring that will make clients happy, give me security as a stylist, AND help pay for education for me in the future(which starts the circle again if you think about it) i can't help but take care of my client, a.k.a. sell products. they want it at that point. they trust me when i am in that frame of mind.

ownership has also hightened my awareness in taking care of my service providers. no matter what that may be. if someone at a boutique has jeans that i love but not in my size.....i need to order them from the boutique. i shouldn't go to a discount site when i leave the store. if i am treated great at the optical shop i shouldn't check cheapassframes.com(prob not a real site) to get designer glasses for cheaper than my local provider. it's the same as me spending my hour of consultation, convo, product overview, and styling to have the client go to trade secrets and buy products.

now as i see the weight that product sales have in a salons overall income i see the importance of understanding how to sell. and as i've written before in the blog "clients/numbers/profit....happy?" you have to treat business numbers like clients...not the other way around. if you do they'll feel cheated and you'll feel like a cheater.

no matter if you own the salon/spa, you're a stylist, or a front line professional you can own your job/position and care....greatness will always follow.