Editor's Note: Be ExcellentYou are not imagining it, there really is less time this holiday season. With a late Thanksgiving, you and your clients have one less weekend than usual between Black Friday and Christmas to squeeze in all the holiday planning, shopping, celebrating and—most important—“beautifying.” This means the “little extras” are extra important this year. A commitment to excellence is required to ensure this busiest time of year remains your and your salon’s most profitable. Here’s how to maximize good cheer for your clients and great income for you:

Excellent promotion. With strong social networking and email platforms in place, you and your salon can make daily and weekly impact on your salon service and sales volume. Remind clients that the salon still has openings, recommend add-on services, suggest pre-orders of gift cards or product gift baskets, and consider creating a holiday “gift of the day” or “stylist’s choice” featuring a different favorite holiday promotion in hair, nails, cosmetics and skin care each day.

Excellent service. Be fast and efficient, but bring all your best skills! Don’t fall into the trap of routine cut and color. Clients crave whatever’s new and an extra splash of holiday color or sparkle.

Excellent ideas. ’Tis the season to share recommendations! YOU are the beauty authority. Give your client the gift of new suggestions for services and products she should try for herself, and gifts she can give to her family and friends. She has one less weekend, too, to get all her shopping done, and she needs the extra beauty care boost a new enhancement in nails, lashes, makeup or extensions can provide.

Excellent teamwork. Communication with your salon manager and front desk team is critical now. Be sure you are aware of and supporting salon goals, and that the reception coordinators have all the info they need from you to keep appointments and retail sales running smoothly.

Excellent follow-up. At the end of each hectic week, try to send a note or email to clients to thank them for making you and your salon a part of their holiday season, and give a specific recommendation of when you need to see them again in the New Year.

Excellent education. Delivering excellence is a quality that must be taught at the beginning of a professional beauty career and honed continually throughout it. Take time now to book an education trip or experience in 2014. ISSE Long Beach and America’s Beauty Show in Chicago are two great options early in the year. Also, to give you some ideas of the excellent things happening at the ground level of professional beauty, visit modernsalon.com/excellence to learn about the 2013 honorees in MODERN SALON’s annual Excellence in Education program, which honors leading cosmetology schools in eight categories.

 

Wishing you an excellent, joyful season!

For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.