Great Lengths launched its Coffee Talk business sessions this week and we loved tuning in! It was an inspiring and motivational session with salon owner Beverley Rosser of Rosser Hairdressing in Liverpool. During her lively Q&A, packed full of personal anecdotes and passion for business, Beverley shared advice with more than 200 hairstylists who had joined the talk to hear her expertise.
Beverley grew her business to a Great Lengths Platinum salon – going from zero to £50k in business – in just over a year, an she shared the techniques and marketing methods she used to grow her business and become a go-to destination for extensions in a city that’s arguably one of the most competitive in the country. Since taking on Great Lengths, Beverley has grown her business exponentially and become the North West’s leading salon for the brand.
If you tuned in Coffee Talk, you have probably taken your notes already. If you missed it, fear not! We have you covered with Beverley’s insights below…
Beverley says…
- Showcasing the diversity of extensions
‘‘People had the wrong impression about hair extensions and thought they always looked very fake and OTT. I knew that wasn’t the case and wanted to show our clients how versatile they could be and what we could achieve for everyone – clients of all ages and hair types, and not just really long hair. Showcasing that on social media and in our marketing set us apart. We brought hair extensions to life with lots of videos and imagery showing solutions to concerns like stress, postpartum hair loss and alopecia, not just 18-year-olds with 22” extensions.”
- Thinking outside the box with marketing
“We love being different and my brain is constantly ticking. Our most extravagant marketing campaign was a digital billboard in Liverpool city centre which drew lots of attention. We’ve also used traditional billboards, advertising on the roundabout… We all know how valuable hairdressers are and lockdown has really shown us that, but people still don’t always see us as the kind of business that advertises on billboards. Putting yourself out there shows people you mean business and you do things differently.”
- Be strategic
“I’m a geek for spreadsheets and I love to analyse the business. The whole salon team loves plotting graphics now so we can monitor and see where we’re up and where we’re down – it’s addictive! We track the client numbers, visits, average bill, service sales, retail…. it’s nice to watch, but it can be scary – especially during lockdown. But if you don’t analyse your business by breaking it down into small segments, you can’t identify where the problems are. There’s a lot going on in a salon business and breaking it down helps you keep an eye on everything.”
- Build a strong team
“Technically it’s my salon, but I don’t see it as my salon. There’s no ‘I’ going on – my staff are like family and are involved in every decision. I don’t bring anything new into the salon without asking their opinions and I do everything in the salon that they do – cleaning in the toilet, brushing up hair, making drinks. We are all employed, which I think helps with team spirit and means we all have each other’s back. The team know they are massively valued and anything they suggest, any training they want to do or ideas they want to try, I have their back 100%. That keeps them motivated.”
- Live your customer experience
“We break down every part of the customer experience, from why they chose to come into the salon that day to what happens when they leave. We have a fully structured Rosser plan which we all follow. You need to take a step back sometimes, because when you’re in the salon every day you don’t see what the client sees. I make the team sit in the chair and tell me what they see – treat every client like a secret shopper. Take a day off when you can and don’t do any hair: sit at reception and analyse what’s going on around you. You will see and find a lot of things you don’t normally notice because you’re too busy working in your business to work on your business. Then sit down and work through what needs to be improved. It’s time consuming, but you can start with baby steps. Break it down and work through one step at a time – even moving a bin to a better spot is a step in the right direction.”
- Retail should sell itself
“If someone comes to the salon and has extensions fitted, I won’t let them leave without a maintenance pack or the right brush to use on their hair. It’s only going to cause me problems down the line if they’ve used the wrong thing. I explain every step of the service to clients, including why using the wrong products can jeopardise their hair. You wouldn’t have a laser session on your face and expect to leave without them telling you what to use after and why it’s important. Address it in your consultation: you’re a professional and all of these steps make up the client experience.”
- Be honest about budgets with your clients
“I would never judge anybody and how much they can afford to spend. I ask clients if they have a budget they want to work within. You can’t judge a book by its cover and no matter how much money they have; hair is their world for some people. Like any consultation, you need to discuss their lifestyle, their budget, everything they want to achieve and if it’s available with their budget and the hair they have. Then it’s up to you to think outside the box and come up with a solution. Having a very friendly, approachable team is really important for that and something clients love about our salon.”
What’s next
Useful stuff, right? Want some more? The next Coffee Talk session will take place on Tuesday 6th April at 11am with Jennifer Swain from Swain Hairdressing. Jennifer, whose salon is in Whitehaven in the Lake District, will be sharing how she grew her successful business outside of a big city. She will provide insight, expertise and personal experiences of creating an in-demand salon in a small-town location. Don’t miss it! Click HERE to register.
For more news from Great Lengths, click HERE.
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