Beautiful Britain Report 2017 Beautiful Britain 2017_Report_WRF2_Spreads | Page 24

MOVING FORWARD Working in a continuously evolving industry means that taking initiative and showing entrepreneurial spirit is often needed to stand out from the crowd. When it comes to planning how you are going to sustain and build your business for the year ahead, our Beautiful Britain report has uncovered two core areas to keep in mind moving forward. FOCUS ON THE FULL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE It will come as no surprise that creating personable, long lasting relationships with your customers plays an essential part in achieving success. Our report finds that having a good relationship with a hair and beauty professional is the number one loyalty driver amongst women, ranked higher than price. Even though men have a shorter history of regular salon visits, they still consider a good relationship with professionals a high priority, coming in at a close second behind the importance of price point. To develop a loyal client base, it’s worth remembering that good relationships are built both in and outwith a barber, salon or even mobile environment. Alongside the consultations and treatments themselves, it’s also important to give attention to the post-treatment experience. Follow up feedback calls and showcasing your business through social media are all part of building ongoing value for your customer and encouraging a long term relationship. 24 Particularly when it comes to social media, there is a very clear opportunity to develop stronger relationships with your customers post-treatment. In 2016, 82% of adults in the UK used the internet every day or almost every day, making it a vital channel for communicating with both existing and potential customers. Whether it’s by sharing pictures of finished looks or posting your latest deals and service offers, social media can let your customers develop a personal affinity towards your business. PUT YOUR PRODUCTS IN THEIR HANDS Customers crave the final results of a treatment, but they also care about maintaining those results at home to achieve long term value. Whilst the upsurge in online hair and beauty resources has given customers the opportunity to enhance their knowledge, it can also create confusion. Having an expert offering the right products after a treatment can eliminate that uncertainty for customers, and demonstrate that you care about their long term satisfaction. It also offers hair and beauty professionals huge scope to up-sell and cross-sell, particularly when women are spending more on products after a treatment. On average, women now spend £10.90 after a treatment – an increase of £1.40 (up 13%) on 2016. Treatment spend for men has also gone up. On average, they will now invest £7.30 on post-treatment product, versus £6.00 last year (up 18%). “The relationships I have with my customers are one of the most rewarding parts of my business, and I love taking care of them and seeing them regularly. I also know that by building good relationships, I make my customers more inclined to keep coming back and recommend me to friends and family.” LISA SAGE STYLE HAIRDRESSING BOUTIQUE BY LISA, MALMESBURY, WILTSHIRE 25