Business Insights #8: Business’s Secret Ingredient, by My Salon Software

For some, business seems to be an uphill battle, managing and motivating staff, getting and keeping clients and keeping costs in line with turnover. While to others it appears that business is just following a simple formula such as "business goes where it’s invited, returns where it’s wanted and grows where it’s respected and pampered".

If that really is the formula for growing a successful business then the magic ingredient, the thing that makes all things possible is ‘attitude’, not just attitude, the right attitude, a positive mental attitude.

In fact, in so many things in life, it is attitude that determines the end result. And, because attitude is not a tangible thing, one has to generate it much the same as one creates love and respect.

The best starting point is gratitude - be grateful for who you are and what you have. So many people woke up this morning, without a job, without a home and not knowing where the next meal will come from. You woke up in your bed, in your home and with a job to go to… and so much more to be grateful for. Plus, you are going to work with people who come to you because of your knowledge, experience and expertise. WOW!

Plus, you have the opportunity to consult and to recommend a multitude of new and exciting things for your clients - how motivating for your clients, how motivating for you!

Attitude in people is influenced a lot by the way you treat them. People who are treated with respect and dignity respond in a different way to people who are constantly criticised or brought down. A Compliment or recognition of a job well done goes a long way in building a person’s self-esteem.

Feedback about current work performance has the greatest influence on attitude because nothing succeeds like success and people rely on their success to keep them motivated in order to keep growing their income. Feedback is, as they say ‘the breakfast of champions’.

My Salon Software has the ideal function for staff performance feedback, it’s called ‘Key Performance Indicators’ or KPI reports.

KPI reports analyse every aspect of a staff member's work performance. How many clients they attended to, how the clients sourced - regular repeats, first time referrals, walk-ins, response to advertising etc. It also records the number of times different services are performed, split between services and retail as well calculating the average client docket value (spend). Not only does this provide feedback relating to current performance but it also provides the basis for target setting. It’s all about the numbers.

If you can generate more new clients via referral or promotion, if you can up-sell clients to other services or products and if you can re-book the next appointment, you are successfully growing your business.

Excellence is not a skill it is an attitude.

Attitude is not a skill you learn it is a choice you make.

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