When it comes to building business, one of the best places you can start is by getting in your guest’s pockets.  Years ago when we communicated with our guests, we may have called their home phone or emailed them, but today when we communicate with them we can literally put an idea or information in their pocket, or pocket book. 

What I love with these ideas is that you know you can always be with your guests.

So first thing, you do not need your own smartphone to do this, though practicing on your own phone first is a smart idea. The goal here is to use your guest’s phone for the ideas below:

1. Before & Afters

The best way to show how good you are is to have the proof, and nothing works better than an unedited picture. After every visit offer to take an “after” photo for your guests, they can delete it if they want or maybe use it in their social media. The great part of this is each visit becomes a time capsule of their style and it is easy to see that every time you keep making them look better. Hot tip: when shooting “afters” turn on the grid function on your phone and use the rule of thirds to compose the images.

1. Let Them Take You Home

For guests who need or want a styling lesson, use their phone to record you styling their hair. With an inexpensive and professional looking smartphone tripod, you can secure their phone on your station or trolley and hit record. Style, hit stop, and give the guest a styling lesson on their hair.

1. A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

For some guests, seeing is believing. With free apps that allow you to draw on a picture, you can preview the length of a cut or the placement of highlights. 

1. You Can Make Time

There are 86,400 seconds in a day. You can’t make any more, but you can be more efficient with your time by confirming appointments via text rather than over the phone. Think about the time it takes to call and confirm:

Scenario 1 - You call the guest and they answer, though they are probably doing something; a conversation takes place and the appointment is confirmed. Total time: one to three minutes.

Scenario 2 - You call and have to leave a message; your client listens to it when it is convenient for them. Total time: one to three minutes. 

How about a text confirmation? You type and send a message; they read it and maybe reply with an emoji. Total time: one minute.

1. Inspire

From Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, and more! If you aren’t your guests’ go-to style authority, you will end up being brought other people’s work and ideas. Your social media is your customer's place for hair, fashion, and culture inspiration. Today, every stylist can share his or her work and inspire others. For this, you need the talent (which you have), and social media posts that allow your guests to show their friends your work and ideas.

Ultimately, as a hairdresser, my goal is to make people feel great about themselves and the way they look. As a business owner, my goal is to make a profit so that I can continue to care for my client’s hair. By getting in our guest's pockets, we become more accessible to them. Social media is a platform for branding, marketing, and sales. It gives our clients opportunities to share our work with friends through photos and videos, which will ultimately build our business.