I used to have one of those dream clients who had standing appointment, tipped well + always gave me a Christmas bonus.
She never complained about my work, even when her gel polish was all gone when she came back. Which was, like, half the time.
Once, she saw my friend while I was out of town. The next time I saw her, I was surprised to see her nails were perfect.
Here’s how I conversation went…
Me: “Did you like my friend?”
Her: “Absolutely not! She was so boring, she barely talked + I just can’t have anyone else do my nails!”
Me: “But she did an awesome job!”
Her: “Oh yes, my nails lasted + still look perfect. But she doesn’t compare to you.”
Me:
That’s when I realized clients don’t come to me just for nails.
And they don’t go to you just for your services, either.
People can get great hair, amazing nail art or a relaxing massage anywhere.
But the unique experience *you* create in every human interaction?
There’s only one place to get that.
If you don’t believe me, poll your clients. Ask them why they see you. You’ll probably hear a lot of, “You’re great at your craft, but I really love your X, Y, Z!”
Call it your special sauce. Your je ne c’est quoi. Your unique selling point.
I call it your personal brand. (Until I can come up with something that sounds cooler.)
Yes, you are a brand.
It’s not like Coke or Pepsi, but we all have personal brands whether we like it or not.
Personal branding is the ongoing process of creating the image or idea people have when they think of you.
It’s an automatic thing that happens to help people know what to expect when they interact with you #socialnervoussystem
When it comes to getting clients into your beauty + wellness business, strong personal branding helps you stand out from the crowd.
It’s my humble opinion that the reason 95% of beauty pros quit before 5 years is because they don’t know how to market a strong personal brand.
What does a strong personal brand create?
😍 Builds an audience of potential clients
😍 Attracts your dream clients who pay well, behave well + want all your services
😍 Repels nightmare clients who haggle, don’t tip or buy retail
😍 Crafts your dream service menu so you enjoy every second of your work
😍 Paints a picture of your killer client experience
😍 Builds your niche (“Nail Art Specialist”, “Extreme Enhancement Specialist”, “Nail Blogger”, etc.)
😍 Builds relationships with industry peers and brands if you want to be sponsored or educate
People will judge brand you no matter what, so why not take charge of yours + create the image you want to have?
If you’re less than thrilled with the clients who are in your chair, take a look at the image you’re projecting.
Does how you talk, dress + act match your dream client? Or does it speak to a different kind of crowd?
If you don’t know, ask your clients what they like about you as a pro. Look for commonalities between clients’ answers. Notice if a certain “type” of client gives similar reasons than another type of client.
Does asking people for their opinion make you wanna lose your shit sound scary?
Don’t forget that you’re asking for feedback to grow your business first + foremost.
Your business may feel personal to you, but it’s just business to your clients. They are literally trading money for a service + they get the perk of your special sauce automatically. But it’s still 100% transactional.
Be open to what they have to say. Chances are, it’s going to be much nicer and kinder than you think.
Is it still a little scary? Try answering this question first:
What kind of experience do you want to be known for?
→ Jot down a few bullet points or journal it out. Think B-I-G picture.
→ List your favorite services + the ones you could rock to the moon and back.
→ Include the soft descriptors like creative, compassionate, cozy, edgy, egalitarian, educated.
→ Throw out the parts of your business that you don’t love anymore – ”No more booze for clients, just tea please!”
When you’re clear on how you want to be perceived, start researching.
Survey your clients to find what matches. Learn where your personal brand goal intersects with the brand you’ve already created.
Now you’re ready to create an action plan to refine your personal brand + blow the ceiling off your client list!
Use your findings to create a strong brand that will bring dream clients to your chair and more success into your whole life.
I’ve seen hairstylists maintain their income while cutting back hours.
I’ve seen nail professionals hit that elusive 6-figure revenue mark.
And I’ve seen bodyworkers fill their books with standing appointments.
All by simply getting intentional with their brand.
Would you like to fast track your personal branding to get more dream clients in your chair? Pivot Strategy Sessions are available just for this purpose. Learn more + book your session here.
Let’s hear from you: what kind of experience do you want to be known for? Leave a comment below to declare it into being.
