5 tips for your salon to face the post-pandemic market

According to Kantar, a global leader in data, insights and consulting, the beauty sector was one of the most transformed during social isolation in Brazil and around the world. In Brazil, 58% of people pay for some hair treatment at least every two months, which represents 61 million individuals compared to the global average of 40%.

Beauty salons and barbershops had to adjust with different measures to comply with all the guidelines set by the Ministry of Health regarding Covid-19 prevention.

With this in mind, we spoke with Juliana Lignelli, innovation agent at Sebrae Santo André, who brings us five essential tips to adapt your business to the new times:

Financial health

The ideal is to preserve cash not only during this period when the salon is operating with restrictions but also when activities resume normally, as we are facing an economic recession. A good start is to look at the number of products sitting in the inventory and those that are in excess (or close to their expiration date) can be offered to customers at more advantageous prices. It's worth remembering that this is a good moment to review or create a financial spreadsheet of the company's expenses with unit prices of all services and products, as well as operational and fixed costs, to identify the main bottlenecks and consider cutting expenses.

Health measures

The most important thing is for the hair salon to follow the prevention measures recommended by its municipality and comply with all its requirements. Generally, the main requirements are, in addition to wearing masks and providing hand sanitizers, maintaining a distance of 1 meter between people. As a result, the salon will need to review the positioning of chairs, beds, reception area, washbasins, among others.

Avoiding crowds is essential, so consider increasing the time for appointments and the interval between customers. It's also a good idea to ask clients to call ahead to see if there are people waiting, for instance, when they want to visit the salon without a prior appointment. Keeping windows and doors open for air circulation is recommended, as well as protecting employees who are at higher risk or those who show any symptoms of COVID-19.

Home Service

Closing the physical salon is a difficult decision, but it can be very accurate when the cost of rent becomes too expensive. And in some cases, unfeasible. Some types of services like esthetics, waxing and manicures are quite common to be performed at clients' homes. Hair services can also be adapted since some treatments require washing during the process. To ensure a flow of clients, it's worth showcasing the benefits of offering home service. For example, if the client found the salon far away, has limited time, or has young children, home service is a good alternative. It's also important to demonstrate your commitment to product sterilization and hygiene measures.

Important information!: Both in-salon and home service, beauty professionals should wear masks (it's recommended to change masks upon arrival at the client's home or between appointments in the salon), use gloves, disinfect all equipment before each client and also take care of shoe hygiene.

Customer loyalty

Loyalty is important, but the most important thing is to know to whom and how you will offer loyalty programs. Usually, loyalty cards or packages come with associated benefits. But it's no use offering a benefit that is not interesting to the customer. If a client only gets straightening or highlights procedures at the salon, perhaps a haircut or a manicure package may not be as appealing as a product that helps them maintain a hair hydration schedule at home. Think about what your client needs the most; this is an interesting path to create irresistible offers.

Success story for clients who always visit the salon:
During the quarantine period when all salons had to close, Eliane Leite from Casa das Princesas sold various product lines to her clients so they could take care of their hair at home.

"I recommend and the clients love the mandioca treatments and the web effect from the Keranza line", says Eliane.

Sale of home care products

With the pandemic, many women had to start taking care of themselves at home, especially those who were used to washing and styling their hair weekly at the salon. And these habits may continue until the end of the year and the beginning of 2021. That's why many beauty professionals started giving tips, especially on social media and through WhatsApp, on treatments to maintain care at home.

Many professionals began to guide their clients through online consultations. This consultancy includes product recommendations and the best treatments to hydrate and restore hair at home. Professionals have started providing personalized recommendations for home care products based on their knowledge of their clients' hair. It's much more than just selling; after all, the professional knows their client's hair and knows what will really work in terms of shampoo, conditioner, mask and finishing products.

Negotiation

Negotiation and common sense are the keywords to survive this period with more resilience. It's worth talking to suppliers, employees and also the property owner.

For more tips and free courses, contact Sebrae at +55 0800 570 0800. https://m.sebrae.com.br/sites/PortalSebrae/cursosonline

Text: Maria Cláudia Aravecchia Klein

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