The beauty sector has seen huge growth over the last decade, creating a hugely lucrative and competitive environment with many more trained beauty therapists entering the work arena every year. In order to be successful in the business, you need to be a step ahead of your competition.
Mastering the basics is one of the most essential tips to create a successful career in the beauty world. Sadly, we’ve seen all too often that the basic learning of the trade can be overshadowed when ambition and eagerness come into play, but learning to walk before you run is one of the soundest pieces of advice a new recruit can receive. It’s absolutely critical to hone your skills to perfection, considering that word of mouth is one of the strongest (and cheapest) tools in a beauty therapist’s repertoire. Doing a perfect job should be the number one objective of anyone in the industry.
From here, beauty therapists can look to build upon their skillset to broaden their horizons. Once the basic craft is mastered and further success is sought, the therapist can work to expand their skills, branch into offering new complimentary services or stocking new products and dedicate themselves to the business behind the beauty; understanding the trends and movements in the industry will give the advantage. Fashions change very quickly and, while it’s critical that a beauty professional must keep up with the trends in order to be successful, it’s even more powerful if they can again be one step ahead, introducing clients to new treatments before they hit the mainstream. Tactics like this allow a beauty therapist to become a trendsetter and expert in the industry, while garnering further trust and respect from their clients.
A further tip is that, when looking for business inspiration, it’s a good idea to learn from other industries. Many successful companies, in the beauty industry and other sectors, employ loyalty schemes in order to encourage customers to come back time and time again. The schemes can offer anything, ranging from a free treatment to a complimentary product or special discount. The benefits do not have to be big to warrant a good return on the investment, as even small tokens help clients feel their business is cherished. It also furthers the mission to minimise price sensitivity, as the market place becomes increasingly crowded and clients consider going wherever the most attractive deals are.
One of the most important tips for success is to just keep learning and growing. As a member of the beauty industry, your education is never over. Keep your knowledge fresh, for the benefit of both your clients and yourself. By refreshing your qualifications, you will also find that you refresh your passion and enjoyment for the business.
It’s also worth remembering that success is something to be celebrated. Go for awards, win them, hit client milestones, get covered in local – even national – media, aim for record turnovers and profits; but all of these are worthless if you don’t let your clients see how well you are doing and feel it yourself. It’s important to cherish every triumph and, crucially, to communicate. There is no benefit in keeping your wins to yourself, but if you can rejoice with your clients, it will only reinforce all of the good work that you have done.