This lack of communication between the stylist and the front desk is a problem. It's impossible for the front desk professional to effectively close the sale on products when they don't know what was used at the stylist station. Since most front desk professionals are not stylists, they will need to depend on the stylist making the appropriate product recommendation.

One way to remedy this is to create a new salon system for product sales. It's simple: The stylist "opens the sale through education at the station," and then passes it to the front desk sales team to "close the sale."

Here are the steps to "team synergy" retail success:

STEP ONE:

When a service provider has a guest in the chair, they need to educate them on every product used in their hair to create their style. The guest needs to know the benefits of the product, when it is applied, how it is applied, and why they need it. While the stylist is finishing 'the look,' the products used should be on the station in front of the guest with the labels facing forward. This way the guest is more likely to notice and study the product-and marketing surveys reveal, this increases the chance of the purchase if the product stays within sight!

STEP TWO:

When the stylist takes the guest up to the front desk, they should go to the salon retail center, take down the products they used, and place three items they recommended as home care on the front desk. Let the front desk professional know that this is what the client needs, and ask them to help with the final purchase.

This is how it should sound: "Sarah, these are the products I recommended at the station to recreate your look at home. If I had to choose just one product for your hair, it would be (this one). Jessica will help you with the products you decide on. I will see you back for your cut and color in six weeks, thanks again for coming in today!"

Now the service provider has passed on the baton of retail sales to the front desk sales staff. As I like to say, "The stylist plants the seed, the front desk waters it."

STEP THREE:

The front desk professional can then help recommend the products give a rave review on its benefits, and help them with their narrowing down final decision and purchase. More often than not, that client will take at least one of the three products home, and through effective front desk scripting and verbiage, may even upgrade their purchase to a larger size or add additional products.

Everybody wins in this situation. The service provider is happy because they're hitting their retail goals, the front desk sales team is happy because they're selling and upgrading retail to achieve their salon team goals, and there's no longer a sense of "them against us" within the team.

Encourage your service providers today to open the communication lines of selling retail to the front desk so that everyone can benefit from this awesome system!

Ashley Griffin is a front desk customer service and sales trainer for Crystal Focus Coaching. As Ashley pursued her Bachelor of Arts in Social Science, she worked as a Front Desk Coordinator at New Identities Hair Studio of Tampa, Florida. Upon graduation, she bypassed her intended goal of becoming a history teacher, to accept her new responsibilities as salon manager and Crystal Focus coach.

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