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With Christmas being the busiest period of any salons year, many owners & stylists get stressed out just thinking about it and, by the time its all over, most feel like they need a year to recover. So what can you do to enjoy the festive period a little more than usual? Well, here are a few things you can do to ensure you have a more PRODUCTIVE, PROFITABLE & LESS STRESSFUL Christmas.

1: GIVE SINCERE PRAISE & APPRECIATION TO YOUR STAFF
Ive put this at No1 for a reason and it is this; of all the things you can do to increase production, to fire enthusiasm to work, to raise spirits when they are low and to turn a frown upside down it is SINCERE PRAISE for a job well done. Whether that job is transforming a clients dull colour or cleaning and restocking the shelves, everybody craves appreciation. William James said: the deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated. Note he said CRAVING, not wish or want but CRAVING. Try to give sincere praise as often as possible and see what happens.

2: GIVE SINCERE APPRECIATION TO YOUR CLIENTS. With all the stresses of work, its easy to see clients as just another thing to do and clients pick up on this. Lets not forget, clients have the same stresses as we do and come to us for respite and a moment to escape. When you see your client, make like your dog and show them how glad you are to see them. I dont mean start licking their face but look them in the eyes, smile, touch them on the arm, tell them how good they look and how glad you are to see them . Pay them a compliment and show them how much you sincerely appreciate their custom (which pays your wages). Aim to get your clients to leave you with not just a new style but a whole new attitude.

3: LOCK, STOCK AND 2 SMOKING MONTHS (OF BUSINESS) Salons can easily get through 50% more stock over the Christmas period and, with suppliers under just as much pressure to provide their services/products, now is NOT the time to run out of anything. Stock up on the bread and butter of your business (bleach, lotions, colours, foil) by 50% extra and anything you have left over will see you through January (when you should have a colour promotion on).

4: STOCK UP FOR THE CREDIT CRUNCH CASH IN. Believe it or not but you could be retailing MORE now than ever before. Not just because its Christmas and people are looking for presents but, because of the credit crunch, people are being choosy about where they spend their money and, if they perceive your retail promotion to be of value i.e; they buy themselves 2 products and get a present for Aunt Doris, theyll buy into it . So, take advantage of any suppliers retail promotions, cash in AND anything you have left can be used in your January colour promotion.

5: HAVE A RETAIL RAFFLE Many suppliers offer electrical items with stock orders leading up to Christmas and these can be used to generate more enthusiasm to retail. Take 3-5 items as raffle prizes and at the end of every day give a raffle ticket per retail item sold to your stylists. This can run until the last day of trading and will give your staff something to look forward to on the last day, other than having some time off. If you find yourself running out of tickets, (which means youre retailing more!) simply buy another roll in a different colour.

6: START BOOKING JANUARYS APPOINTMENTS NOW! Are you thinking ahead to January and booking your colour clients in early (for your colour promotion) or are you simply saying have a great Christmas and Ill see you in the new year? January doesnt have to be as quiet as normal if you plan ahead, put on a promotion and start promoting & booking NOW! Here are a couple of promotion ideas to get you started:

1: FREE PARTY HAIR RESCUE SERVICE WITH ALL NEW COLOUR SERVICES . Offer a FREE in-salon repair treatment with all NEW colour services throughout January. Not only will this help fill Januarys gaps but, if your client likes the service and/or new colour that much, you could even increase retail/in-salon service sales and/or colour services throughout the year.

KMS CLIENTS TAKE NOTE: This is the perfect opportunity to promote the Moistrepair restructuring therapy & Silksheen silk treatment service .

2: B.O.G.O.F ON RETAIL PRODUCTS WITH ALL NEW COLOUR SERVICES. As clients will have been going out more over the festive period, they will probably have gone through their styling products etc much faster than usual and will also be looking for a bargain so, nows the time to get them booked in so they can take advantage of your retail offer AND start the year with a fresh new look! Not only will this increase retail sales throughout the year but it will stop your clients and stylist from getting bored with the same old colour (and increase colour services throughout the year!).

NOTE: At no point have I suggested 25% OFF, 50% OFF or any other type of discount on your services. This goes back to point No1 of last months article Pennywise but pound foolish (now available online) and NEVER discounting your services.

7: COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS (AND PROFITS!) Keep this thought in mind throughout November & December and make it your mantra; I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE BUSINESS . There are people who are currently losing their jobs and/or homes who would swap places with you in a heartbeat. No matter how much your feet ache, your head pounds, your clients/colleagues are driving you crazy and you wish it were all over, keep this as your mantra because you are more fortunate than many and, come January, youll soon be wishing you were busy again. So thank God, the universe or simply your lucky stars and repeat after me, I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE BUSINESS, I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE BUSINESS .

So, follow these 7 steps, have a productive, profitable & less stressful Christmas period and look out for my future articles on effective salon marketing for the new year. Happy holidays! All the best (for your business), Adam Broomfield-Strawn.

Adam Broomfield-Strawn is a salon representative for Goldwell/KMS California, is an on-line/published author, Toastmasters speaker and is married to a salon owner and hairdresser of 16 years. His ongoing work is to raise the standards of service and ethics within the business. He can be contacted at abstrawn@googlemail.com

All articles are of the authors opinion and do not represent the opinion of Goldwell/KMS California.