Top Tip: The Salon Greeting
by Stacey Soble
Stacey Soble
Director of Brand Content Strategy
Stacey Soble has been involved in the conversation of salon business for more than two decades—as a reporter, a consultant and as the editor in chief of SALON TODAY. She has been responsible for growing the brand's celebrated recognition programs, SALON TODAY 200 and SALONS OF THE YEAR, and has launched two new competitions in recent years--STAMP (SALON TODAY's Annual Marketing Program) and the SALON TODAY Total Makeover Competition. She is a frequent speaker on the topic of salon business at industry events.
How to get more male clients
If you're already wooing men into your salon and spa, you're one step ahead of making Father's Day a success. If not, leverage the upcoming holiday to learn how to best attract men and keep them coming back. Dan Kliska, president of JOE Grooming, a leading manufacturer of professional men's grooming products, offers the following promotional tips to help attract men for Father's Day and beyond:
by Stacey Soble
Cancer survivor gets makeover
Kelly Markson, Ph.D, an economic professor at Wake Technical Community College, a wife and mother of two, had long, thick hair for most of her adult life. Then she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and within two days of receiving her first chemotherapy treatment, her hair began to fall out in clumps.
by Stacey Soble
Salon gives prizes for customer loyalty
Client loyalty at Valentino's Grand Salon in Whitby, Ontario, is rewarded with the simple pull of a slot machine's handle and the chance to win big prizes. Year after year, Casino Month is one of the most successful marketing campaigns at the salon owned by George and Vasile Tsinokas.
by Stacey Soble
Upselling will increase salon profits
Upselling has gone mainstream and you too can easily learn this simple business technique. McDonald's made upselling an everyday occurrence in the 1970s by asking every customer, "Would you like fries with that?" Starbuck's will upgrade your 'tall' soy latte to a 'grande' for only a small price increase. You may be going solo to the movies and have no intention of eating a large popcorn all by yourself, yet it seems only logical to say yes when offered an upgrade!
by Stacey Soble
Top Strategies from Successful Salon Owners
In my opinion, the best part of a business conference is the expert panel session--it's interactive, informative, and because of its spontaneous nature, it's usually highly entertaining. Simply assemble a group of experts with a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences, collect a stack of thoughtful questions from their audience of peers, and grab a notebook so you can start jotting down the great ideas and strategies that start flying around the room.
by Stacey Soble
Staff Meeting Stats
As salons become more focused on business, staff meetings have become standard operating procedure. SALON TODAY recently conducted a brief online survey of a sample of owners from our ProView Panel to learn more about your gathering preferences. Seventy-four owners participated. Here are the results:
by Stacey Soble
50 Life Lessons Through Noëlle
If your service menu features body treatments, massages or facials, some credit is due to Noel DiCaprio, who frequently is credited as the Mother of the day spa movement. Although the great Noel lost her battle with cancer more than a decade ago, the business she founded stands strong and celebrates 50 years this year.
by Stacey Soble
Salon offers perks for staff like photography, equipment
by Stacey Soble
Biz Buzz: A Look at March's BIR
Each month, the Beauty Industry Report provides readers the information they need to predict industry trends, keep on top of leadership shifts and stay on the cutting-edge of an ever-changing industry. SALON TODAY provides you with a few ...
by Stacey Soble
Take Back Your Clients!
Tired of watching your clients stretch their appointments further and further apart? Hate hearing how they're trimming their ends and touching up their roots at home? Wish they'd fill their counters with products off of your shelves? Well, join the rallying cry that's being voiced around the country—Take Back Our Salon Clients!
by Stacey Soble
One Salon's Killer App
by Stacey Soble
Love Letters
by Stacey Soble
TV Time
When I went to journalism school at the University of Missouri many years ago, we were required to pick a focus of study. Many of my friends chose the broadcasting sequence, but I had grown up in a newspaper family—in fact, my parents still own a community newspaper. While I wanted to do something different, I still found myself drawn to the written word, so I chose the magazine sequence. Over the years though, I enjoyed watching the careers of my broadcasting comrades blossom, first at the university-affiliated television station then at networks where they landed their first jobs.
by Stacey Soble
Raising Skincare Standards
A few months back I received a call from Susanne Warfield, the executive director of the National Coalition of Estheticians, Manufacturers/Distributors & Associations, or more easily referred to as the NCEA. Although Susanne and I had worked together on skincare-related feature stories for SALON TODAY in the past, I honestly admitted to her I knew little about the coalition, its mission or its political initiatives.
by Stacey Soble
Down to Business
There's no doubt that today's salon and spa owners are more focused on business than ever before. As evidence, Neill Corporation's Serious Business 2010 witnessed one of its largest attendance records, with more than 1,000 owners and managers rolling up their black sleeves and diving into business topics headfirst.
by Stacey Soble
Strut Your Stuff!
FEBRUARY 1—the deadline for the SALONS OF THE YEAR for 2010 is fast approaching! Those with their fingers on the pulse of the decor market feel that renovations and remodels were down in 2009, so that may improve your chances.
by Stacey Soble