Salon professionals must directly tie your salon services into homecare marketing strategies, says Alan Benfield Bush, creator of YHS ~ Your Haircare System. "Salon services and retail products must always be combined into one conversation. If you only present salon service options, you are only doing half of your job," says Benfield Bush. "Retail sales must not remain an afterthought or an add-on sales opportunity. Your salon haircut, haircolor, perm, texture and services require an important educationally based presentation of professional homecare regimens to ensure the quality, health and vitality of your services and your clients’ hair between salon visits. Your clients are walking advertisements of your creative work."

Here are his suggestions for accomplishing this two-step process:

Combine Service & Retail Consultations: Salon services should not be separated from home haircare presentations. They must all be fully integrated from the start of each client visit. When analyzing the options for each client’s new hair designs during each consultation, you must present an analysis of their current hair condition with their desires. Once you determine the new haircut and chemical service treatment, you need to immediately start to present how to take care of their hair with the best tools and products.

 Prepare clients for an ongoing conversation about their haircare services and products during each visit. These service and product options must not be separated. Ask each client, “How has your hair been since I last saw you?” Say, “As the doctor for your hair, I will only recommend exclusive high quality professional homecare products.” Always have the haircare product regimen that you will be prescribing for each client on your salon service station shelf. Keep it to just 3 to 4 products, so it will not be too confusing with too many products. Talk about the benefits to meet their specific needs, while letting them hold and smell each product.

 If you do a haircolor or texture service and your client uses a cheap OTC product; it may frizz, dull and damage the salon service work you created. She won’t be happy. Responsibly prescribe the best professionally branded products for each client that will support their salon haircare services. The better their hair looks, the better you will look! Your income potential and profitability will be maximized with a comprehensive salon service and retail strategy.

Salon Service & Retail Packages:  Make it easy for your clients. Create salon service and retail packages for various haircolor, perm, texture, hair extension and hair smoothing options. While only you will know what products to recommend to each client for homecare maintenance, you can still promote these packages with seasonal specials as well as in your regular salon service menus.

Promotional Options: Creatively share rewards and not discounts. Never lessen the value of your skills. There are many alternative promotional ideas. Promote integrated service and retail packages for New Year Makeovers, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Spring, Father’s Day, Fall and Year-End Holiday Parties. Offer your clients a ‘First-Time Reward’ with 20% Off or similar dollars’ off reward for their complete service and product package, when purchasing the complete regimen. You really don’t have to discount or give away products for free. You can give a ‘Percentage Off Reward’ or create an inclusive package price with your salon services and homecare products. Homecare Rewards are great to promote any ‘New’ Salon Service – like Balyage, Flamboyage or Hair Extensions. You can offer a ‘FREE 20% Off Homecare Reward Certificate with Any First-Time Haircolor Service’ -- with a minimum $ value service. Create a minimum service value purchase price to protect yourself. Or, offer a Bonus Hair Conditioning or Glossing Treatment as a Reward with any service / retail package. Creatively promote combination service / retail packages at full price in your salon service menu.

Visual Merchandising: Have a strong visual display at your front desk or on your retail shelves with point-of-purchase signage whenever you create a combined monthly or seasonal service / retail promotion. Use mannequin heads or hair design photographs to illustrate your services and makeover options with your featured products.

Exclusive Services & Products: Use professional salon products that are exclusively sold through licensed salons by hair designers. Don’t be fooled by “professional” product manufacturers and brands that have their products sold on OTC retail store shelves.

Alan Benfield Bush launched YHS Haircare, which is only sold directly to salons and licensed hair designers, allowing you to have exclusively protected professional salon products. For more information about YHS Haircare and their Educational Events, call 707-217-2700. Visit www.YHSHaircare.com. Contact Alan Benfield Bush and the YHS Haircare Team at: Info@YHSHaircare.com.