SALON TODAY is always scouring the world of salon business to find effective techniques and innovative methods for salon growth. Latest on our reading list are the insightful articles featured on avedameansbusiness.com. Below are five articles that particularly caught our eye, with inventive ideas from salon owners on how to deliver the best client experience and valuable tips from industry leaders on advancing your career.

1. Make your prices irrelevant by enhancing the client experience.

Salon Owner, Author and Customer-Service Consultant John DiJulius has found that often when customers complain about price, it doesn’t mean they aren’t willing to pay that amount, it’s just that the experience didn’t warrant the price.

“We had a client upset about a haircut she paid $45 for because she didn’t feel it was worth it,” says DiJulius. “To make things right, I gave her money back plus a complimentary gift certificate to visit one of our senior level stylists who charges $85. Three years later that client is still coming in to see the higher-level stylist who now is charging $100. At $45 she felt she was overpaying, but she has no problem shelling out $100 every six weeks. It wasn’t the price she was upset about, it was the total experience.”

Check out Aveda Means Business’ article, “Clients in Control: Are You Creating the Best Guest Experience?” for more ideas on enhancing the client experience.

2. Get your front desk staff out from behind the desk – by getting rid of the desk.

Salon owners are always looking for new strategies to encourage their front desk staff to better engage with clients and introduce guests to new services and retail. Lavish Salon and Spa Owner Kristi Brehm decided that her front desk set-up needed a total transformation – so she got rid of the front desk altogether. Inspired by the layout of the Apple store, Brehm placed a table in the center of the retail space. Three Macs sit on the table, ready for front desk staff to check clients in and out.

“They are in the retail area, by the door – ready to interact with clients,” says Brehm. “Now, instead of a client coming to the front desk to be greeted, someone comes up to them as soon as they walk in the door. When we had the desk, that never happened.”

For further insights on how a front-desk-free layout can encourage retail sales and enhance the client experience, check out Aveda Means Business' article, “No Front Desk? No Problem.”

3. Grow your clientele by growing your referrals.

Word-of-mouth marketing is an effective method for bringing new clients into the salon, so it only makes sense to develop strategies to encourage talk on the street. Enter the “25/20 Referral Program,” a two-step process that generates an average of 16-50 new clients per month for 6- to 10-chair salons. This program rewards your new guest with services and your existing guest with products.

STEP 1: An existing client invites a friend to try your salon, by extending to them a $20 credit toward any service they have not yet tried.

STEP 2: When the friend comes into the salon to use it, the referring guest then receives a $25 salon credit toward product purchases.

For more details on how to implement the 25/20 Referral Program, check out Aveda Means Business' article, “How to Grow Referrals.”

4. Mind your marketing to appeal to male clients.

Building your men’s business can be an important move for raising revenue. Though men’s services are usually lower-priced, men come in more often than women and can account for a profitable segment of a salon’s business. However, to succeed in this category a salon must lure in male clients with ongoing marketing efforts, just like female clients.  Encourage men to follow your salon’s social networking sites and entice them with special offers and promotions. Ronnie Pryor, owner of two Source Salons in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida area, even uses male clients for before-and-after shots on his social media pages. Also, remember that female clients can be a great marketing tool to get men into the salon. Invite women to purchase men’s services for Father’s Day and other holidays, and encourage them to refer the salon to the men in their lives.

Get four more tips on increasing your male clientele by checking out Aveda Means Business' article, “A Man’s World: Five Tips for Building Your Men’s Business.”

5. Participate in NAHA – entries are open now!

Through February 11, 2016, applicants can submit their NAHA photos to probeauty.org/naha. The process of entering – honing your vision, assembling a team, creating winning images – is a big job, but a rewarding one to be sure. “It’s important to see NAHA as a marketing tool,” says Charlie Price, three-time NAHA winner and 23-time NAHA finalist. “If you win, how can you leverage it to enhance your image?”

Price, along with Michael Baker, Chrystofer Benson and Eric Fisher offer tips on creating your best entry in Aveda Means Business' article, “NAHA Know-How: Creating Your Best Entry.” Check out their advice here.