Build Your Client List
Build Your Client List
Author: Jenna White | San Francisco Hairstylist
April 14th, 2021
April 14th, 2021
Before we dive into this topic, I'm running a brief five question survey to find the average number of clients a hairstylist and/or barber in California has. Help me collect this information by clicking the link below and submitting your response. All submissions are anonymous, so you won't have to share your name or contact information. I'll share insights from this survey in my next blog post, with the intent of helping stylists/barbers understand how they compare to industry averages.
Having a client list simplifies staying connected with new and old clients, which empowers you and your ability to curate your chair. A well prepared list allows you to develop a stronger relationship with your guests, and to uncover the wants or needs of your client base. Knowledge around this allows you to personalize your communication, and serve them better in the long run. The following are examples of the benefits of doing this:
- Connect with guests who don't use social media (Instagram, Facebook, etc)
- Access to referrals (to convince new clients or new hiring managers)
- A pool of potential models to use when growing your skills via classes
- A group to run customer satisfaction surveys with for improving yourself and your business
Below is an overview of strategies and tools you can use to build, maintain and use your client list.
How to Build Your List (Text)
Keep track of who your clients are and at least one way of contacting them. I recommend using Excel for this. You can easily upload excel files to services like SurveyMonkey, booking apps, Mailchimp, and more. If you don’t have one put together, you should start today and update it daily/weekly from there. At a minimum, you'll need a client's:
- first name, last name, email (if you will reach out via email services)
- first name, last name, phone number (if you will reach out via mass text services)
If you're unsure about reaching out to clients via email or text, get both their email and phone number (you can decide later). Screen shot below of how the list could look in Excel. Using Google Sheets from your phone would serve the same purpose as Excel (links to Google Sheets for iOS and Android in this article). You can convert the list to an Excel file when you download it to a laptop or desktop computer.
How to Build Your List (Photos)
The title for this section could have also been "Maintain Your Portfolio". Keeping pictures of your work helps track what you've done to a client's hair over time. They can also be used as a reference for existing or new clients considering a different look, and to prove your skills to both future employers and customers. This is part of the value proposition behind the HairLooks app. Currently we offer two ways to do this:
- Leverage your existing photos on Instagram by submitting the form listed on our website, and having those pictures uploaded to your profile in our system.
- Upload pictures yourself on our app here.
How to Use the List
Now that you have your client list, how should you use it? Below are some suggestions.
Being More Strategic with Your Client List
After you have mastered the basics of starting your client list, below are ways you can use it more strategically.
Note: some of these may be more applicable to stylists/barbers that rent a chair, but can definitely be used by commissioned stylists/barbers who want to engage more deeply with their clients (make sure to loop your manager in on the plan).
Stay tuned for future posts on these topics!
Now that you have your client list, how should you use it? Below are some suggestions.
- Inform clients of new:
- Hair services you offer
- Hair product releases at your salon (make sure not to overlap with the salon's marketing)
- Ask for reviews - can be submitted to Yelp, Google Business, or to your own website
- Ask for referrals - build an email that shares a bit about you and ask clients to forward to friends
- Request they fill out customer satisfaction surveys (usually best to have clients submit these anonymously)
- Announce an upcoming class you need a model for (with details on what you'd be doing to their hair)
Being More Strategic with Your Client List
After you have mastered the basics of starting your client list, below are ways you can use it more strategically.
Note: some of these may be more applicable to stylists/barbers that rent a chair, but can definitely be used by commissioned stylists/barbers who want to engage more deeply with their clients (make sure to loop your manager in on the plan).
- Segmenting
- Mark or "tag" your customers based on the services and products they buy
- Send weekly or bi-weekly emails out based on topics they have been "tagged" with
- Share interesting blog content and/or articles (your own, or ones you find online)
- Sample topics: how to communicate with your stylist/barber, new haircuts for fall, what to expect from professional versus do-it-yourself hair services
- Tracking engagement with hair services, products and content you share via email or text
- Improve your skills, delivery and timing on the services you provide that are more popular
- Popular products should be mentioned more frequently in social media and email campaigns
Stay tuned for future posts on these topics!