When Automation BLINDS You From Reality!

This is not a post that you would expect to see from an automation junkie – but it’s probably more important than anything else I can tell you. When salon owners get computers, they often feel that all “manual” systems are inefficient and no longer work.

And I’m here to tell you that – this is flat out wrong thinking!

It would be nice, if all our salon employees did their jobs perfectly. But, you and I both know, this is not the case. In fact, you’re probably entrusting your most important view of your business to the weakest link in your salon.

What do I mean?

Well, the two most important pieces of information about your salon business are

1) How many New Clients did we get this week?
2) How many Regular Clients did we lose this week?

That’s really it. The health of a salon is nothing more than of function of these two pieces of critical data. In fact, while most people focus on the “sales” from week to week. It’s really all about the clients! The sales are nothing more than the effect.

So, what do I mean by “When Automation Blinds You From Reality”.

Well, your salon software generates a lot of great numbers. In fact, you learned in my last post, that HairMax can give you these two numbers in very short order. But, don’t make the mistake of concentrating on the numbers and forgetting that these numbers are actually clients.

Let me explain.

When you first got HairMax, we supplied you with these little client forms to have your clients fill out. This was the means to build your initial client list. And it worked great. But usually after the salon runs out of the client forms – they make the mistake of “just putting the information in the computer”. Let me tell you a little story.

I was in a salon on Newbury Street this past week (who will remain nameless) and this salon does a fair amount of marketing. But the salon owner was frustrated because he couldn’t get the right information into the computer. So, his report with regards to which marketing was effective was essentially non-existent.

And guess what?

This happens at most salons! And it’s because you’re entrusting the job of gathering the information to your least paid employee. Your receptionist! Who has one thought in their mind – get the client paid and out the door as fast as possible.

And I’m not blaming them – that’s just reality!

So, do yourself a big favor. Re-implement the manual system that really works. Have all “first-time” clients fill out a client information form. Then have the receptionist enter the data into HairMax – and keep the form. That’s right. Keep the client information form so that at the end of the week – you can see all the new clients.

They become more real to you when you get a stack of 25 client forms rather than a report that says 25 new clients. Review the forms. Understand where the clients came from. Get the feel for your salon clients again!

Then run a HairMax report (out of your mailing system) and print off a list of the 25 new clients. Double check that the information was entered correctly and don’t assume that it was. It will take you 5 minutes at the end of the week to do this. Make it a habit and you will be thanking me later that you did this.

By the way, I put up a brand new client form that you can download for FREE and make copies of at Staples or Pip Printing, etc. Print it out, make copies, cut the forms and start the program this week. And if you’re a salon that’s not using HairMax yet – do it anyway. Start building your client list!

This client information form is perfect. It asks the right amount of information without overwhelming the client. Here is the link

Best Regards, Steve Sampson

HairMax Salon Software is a product designed to be the best investment your salon has ever made. It is not only the easiest and most powerful on the market. It is from a company dedicated to becoming the ultimate VALUE source to the industry.