Building a day - The Essential Self Branding Guide for Beauty Salon and Spa Professionals (BP's)

If you only go to the salon or spa when you have clients you will never build a full day.  This is assuming you are not booked all day.  As painfully dull as the salon can be on a slow day, you MUST be present to get new clients. A walk in that enters a salon with no available technicians  can not get an appointment and will NEVER try again. And the advertising dollars the salon is spending to attract walk-in clientele is wasted as well as the potential revenue from serving and retaining that customer.

You may be at work but not working for several months before you begin to have a steady customer base. Those hours you spend sitting around, dozing off or chatting by the water cooler can be more wisely spent in activities that promote you and your salon.  Today there are dozens of ways tech savvy BP's can get their name and image out there for all to see. 30 minutes per day spent on marketing activities for yourself can result in BIG increases.
Some ideas:

• Write a blog focused on your area of expertise
• Make videos of what you do, think and know and post on youtube and your blog
• Look at other people's videos, tutorials (industry related - not just to waste more time)
• Use the internet to research what is new and upcoming in the industry - products & services
• (Educating yourself is also a way to promote yourself!)
• Go to Yahoo Answers and create a profile. Start answering questions in your area of expertise, directing readers back to your blog, videos and salon website.

A good salon owner will do some things to market their business and as an employee or contractor you will benefit from this marketing with the clients it brings in. But never think it's enough that you just let this traffic flow build your day.  It's an investment they are making in you and you need to use it and contribute to it. 

If the salon provides business cards, you need to challenge yourself to hand them out EVERYWHERE you go. If they have rack cards or brochures, carry them with you so that when you meet someone who is interested (and you will) you have something to give them.

Does your salon have a Facebook page?  If so post on their wall as often as you can. Put pictures of clients (with their permission of course) or any specials you may be running. Share your post and posts made by your co-workers on your own personal wall. Suggest the company fan page to your contacts.

Use email a lot? Put your business information in the signature line on all your emails with a link to the salon website. If the salon gives you an email address, begin using it in place of your other email.

As a BP, you are a social person by nature.  If you're not maybe you should consider a different profession.  Your outgoing personality is a plus for you and you need to use it to cultivate RELATIONSHIPS with people that may become clients.  Everyone needs or wants the service you provide (or knows someone that does). They just may not know it yet. By talking to people you meet and getting to know them, you can (and should) at some point before the conversation ends, give them your "30 sec commercial" and your business card.

What is my 30 second commercial - you ask? It's what you say in 30 seconds or less about the following 3 things :
Who I am (or we are), What I (or we) do and Why it's important.
Won't that seem fake - you ask?
If you can practice saying this 30 second commercial until it becomes second nature, it will be real.  But before that YOU have to believe it. 

Then apply #3 & 4.
For BP's in an upscale salon these places include:

Better restaurants with a bar area.
Wine bars & Bistros
Places that feature live jazz
Night spots that cater to a "mature" crowd
Networking clubs or Tips groups
Health club or studio

Placing your attention on your INTENTION to build a day can very quickly earn you a reputation as one of the best in your business. Your REPUTATION  is your BRAND and you can create it on purpose. Using these simple steps consistently will move you to higher levels of success!