Simple Tips to Improve Your Lash Business
There is nothing better than the flexibility and enjoyment that comes from working for yourself. Add that to doing something you love (lashes) and you are pretty set for life. But how exactly do you make it as a successful lash technician?
Is it possible to lash full-time and earn a lot?
The answer is a massive YES!
Lots of you ask the question 'What can I do to gain more clients and get busier?'
So I have decided to put together a few pointers to hopefully help boost your confidence and your business.
Customer Service
This is very important. Never let your emotions affect you and your work/relationships. Answer questions and queries politely and professionally.
If the customer is wrong, don't be aggressive with them as that will only make the problems worse. Always listen to your customer and engage in conversation if they desire. If silence is what they want, then quiet you must be! Always read the situation.
Treating your clients as 'friends' and not just a number will make the appointment a little more special for them and it is something they will remember. Use their name and ask them questions about themselves. Remember the answers and refer to them at your next appointment. This will show you care and will go along way in building a long lasting business relationship.
Getting your lashes done should be a great, enjoyable experience for the client and not similar to a trip to the hospital for an operation!
Word of mouth
Word of mouth is one of the biggest business creators which can be massively beneficial or severely detrimental.
How can it be detrimental? If you have a disgruntled customer telling everyone about the terrible experience they had, it will affect future referrals. So remember to always be professional and happy when around your clients.
Promotions
Promotions are a great way to generate some business and to get you and your business out there. However, there is a fine line between good promotions and too many promotions.
If you are always running a deal or discount then it will cheapen your image and can make you look either desperate for business or take the overall power of the promotion away.
Some good ideas are to run a refer a friend scheme, a loyalty scheme and the occasional straightforward discounted price. There are loads of other great promotional ideas but below I will briefly explain the promotions mentioned and how it works.
Refer a friend: When you are with a client and applying their lashes, explain to them that if they can refer 5 people to you then they can have a free set. New clients can then approach you and mention the name of the person that sent them to you, you can make a note of the name and when that person's name is mentioned 5 times you can offer that person a free appointment. This works great because you get 5 new clients all paying full price and the person that referred them gets a set for free. And if those 5 new clients then refer 5 new clients themselves, the limits are endless. So giving away a free set here and there will not be an issue as you have lots of new full paying clients. One of my personal favourites as you technically get clients to work for you!
Loyalty: This is a simple one, If the same client comes back to you 3/5/10 times (you can pick the number of times) in a row, as in no gaps of longer than 2 months then you can offer them either a free set or a half price set. What this does is cement you a paying client for a prolonged length of time because they will want that free/half price set for being loyal. Whether you offer this in the form of a card with stamps or just note it down in your books or PC is up to you.
Discount: Another easy one. Offer a cheaper rate for the days that are not your busiest. Don't offer cheaper rates at a weekend when you know you will be fully booked anyway. If a midweek is the quietest then offer a discount for a midweek appointment. Even if your weekender wants to move to the midweek because its cheaper for them then great. This is because you know it will be easier to fill a weekend appointment with another full price client anyway!
Commitment
The lash industry is ever changing and ever growing so it needs 100% commitment and dedication. This is why you need to make sure that you keep learning as it was only 4 years ago that everyone was using 0.30mm x 22mm regularly (scary, I know!) and I don't think anyone would dare do that now!
If you don't commit you could get left behind which can affect your business. To be a success you need to eat, drink and sleep everything lashes. Keep up to date with the comings and goings so you can make sure you offer the most relevant and popular styles.
After Care
Make sure your client fully understands the aftercare procedures.
If a client looks after their lashes correctly, they will last longer, thus making you look better! If they don't look after them and their lashes start falling out, it's almost a dead cert that they will blame you and not themselves.
Provide them with an aftercare pack that has instructions and a couple of mascara wands to use for brushing the lashes. This little gesture will cost you around 2p and provide your client with that extra little bit of service which can make a huge difference when it comes to a client wanting to return or not!
Knowledge
Never underestimate the power of knowledge. Don't be fooled into thinking that by passing your lash course is enough to make you a lash master.
Take refresher courses whenever you can and always be on the lookout for tips and tricks from fellow lashers.
Lash Forums are a great place to pick up extra knowledge. Post your work, ask for advice and follow what's going on within the industry. Knowing your trade inside and out will help you develop your technique and learn which styles are best suited to certain eye types. It will also help you when it comes to customer questions and queries as you will appear more professional which will promote trust.
Other Revenue Streams
It is always a good idea to have a little extra to your business other than only the main event that is lashes. Investing in retail products can be a nice little pocket money earner for you.
Lash cleansers and oil free makeup removers for example. You can buy them cheap and retail them to make an extra £10+ per appointment. What this also does is ensure that your clients will be looking after their lashes correctly and as explained before, lashes that last make you look good!
Online/Social
This is a huge one. I could go on for hours about how important this is (I guess because it's my job) but I will try and keep it short.
The world today is nearly all online. So making sure you have a good presence is extremely important. Having active social sites is key to gaining new business and showing off your brand. So pick 2 or 3 and keep them up to date regularly.
I'd recommend Facebook and Instagram as the main 2 to work from. With Facebook and Instagram, you have the option to boost your posts and expand your reach, so reinvesting some of your lash profits into Facebook and Instagram is a really good idea.
Try to post your work and encourage reviews as the majority of new customers will do their research before committing to a new lash tech. It is also a great place to connect with your clients and keep in their minds for next time. The world of social media changes every single day! So feel free to get in touch with me on Instagram for extra advice (@lashbase_jamie).
Away from social media, it is a good idea to get your business information on all relevant directories to maximise the number of people that can find you. When you have built up a good client base and the profits are soaring, definitely look into a decent website and an online booking platform. This will give you that added professional appeal to go along with your already amazing work and service.
So there you have it. I know this is a lot to take in and I have tried to keep it as straightforward and to the point as possible so I hope you picked up a thing or two!
To conclude this blog, the main points to take away are to be committed, practice perfect customer service and keep learning! If you can keep these things up and be consistent with them. Your lash business WILL improve!
Thank you for reading.
Written by @lashbase_jamie – Instagram.
