Every esthetician needs that “something extra” to bring to their treatment room to leave clients feeling AMAZING & INSPIRED to be better than they were before they entered! Clients in this day in age are definitely on the PROWL for an above-average treatment experience. You not only must provide excellent RESULTS, but a phenomenal presentation for them to not only remember your technique, but tell their friends and colleagues all about YOU!
You cannot be average. You cannot be semi-decent at what you do. You have to be truly PHENOMENAL and on top of your game at all times – in any profession, if the truth were known. If you want to be the ONE your employer holds onto, or THE Esthetician your community raves about, or the EXPERT in your realm of influence – BE MORE. And why does this seem easier said than done? I will tell you.
We are humans. We are programmed to have emotional ups and downs. We question ourselves. We have good days and we have bad day. We have other priorities that get in the way. We have personal lives that prey on our weaknesses and tell us we are not good enough. We act like the rest of “them” and fall for these common TRAPS. We allow human nature and the “status quo” to dominate us and take over. I am here to tell you today that the secret to all of this is understanding one thing – and one thing only: YOU are the master of your DESTINY. You are the writer of your story. You are the one calling the shots!
Once you realize this truth about YOU and about your life – you will not only flourish in your personal life, you will EXCELL in your professional life as well! Self-improvement is a funny thing, really, because it seems like true common sense – something we should “get” on a daily basis and follow through within every area of our lives. The problem is that we all too often give in to the temptations, give in to the ridicule, give in to the lies and the hate that surround us – which strip away from our CALLING and our GOD-GIVEN talents!
You were meant to be awesome, amazing, above-average, the QUEEN of your life – you were meant to BE MORE. Take this TRUTH today and bring it into your treatment room on a daily basis, in order to ROCK OUT your clients and “take names”! The bottom line is this: If YOU believe in YOU, there is zero room for failure! You have only one thing to do – and that is to SUCCEED!
Add one (or all!) of these ideas into your EXPERIENCE for your clients, and they will truly be a client for LIFE!
1. Focus on the TREATMENT TABLE: Make sure the table they lay on is above-and-beyond in luxury and comfort. The treatment table does NOT have to cost a small fortune, but it DOES need to be hydraulic. This will ensure not only the comfort of the client, but YOUR comfort as well. You cannot perform treatment after treatment while also causing long-term harm to your neck and back in the process. Practice being “ergonomically-correct” with the right treatment table, and your life will be better than ever. Next, add a table warmer that will wrap your clients in warmth and luxury. Heated treatment tables are not only phenomenal for the colder seasons; they create a sense of comfort and peacefulness that reminds us of “being in the womb”, in a comfortable place. A table warmer is a complete “must-have” and you can ask your clients of their preferences of course – but the consensus is usually always a big, happy YES. Finally, invest in some high-end linens – the kind that will NOT stain when wax remover of oil is applied to it. They need to be durable and wrinkle-free; most of all, comfortable to the client. Your blankets and accessory linens need to be trendy, in nature, and of course, comfortable for the client. Have several blankets handy for different seasons of the year. In essence, make sure your presentation of the “bedding” is luxurious and AMAZING – something the client will absolutely never forget!
2. Produce an AWESOME Consultation: This is something I focus on predominately with my students in the classroom. An amazing Client Consultation Manual, that you have personally put together yourself – with your own knowledge and skin health beliefs – is a tremendous tool that no one can replicate. This tells the client that you have, number one, done your homework; number two, care enough about your job to go beyond the 9-5 and focus on an education tool and manual that can assist them in long-term EDUCATION for better results; and number three, give you the “cheat sheet” of the decade to refer to when the right words and content aren’t coming to you right “off the cuff”. Having hand-outs, images, reference tools, hand-written client reviews, a list of vitamins and nutrients that are KEY to long-term skin health, the list of chemical peels you offer & their benefits… all of these things compiled in an organized fashion speak VOLUMES to your clients. Additionally, if implemented correctly (with time-management and follow-up in mind), will produce repeat clientele and long-term results for your clients!
3. Add “Value”! Not only do clients expect tremendous results, they expect above-and-beyond VALUE added, even if they don’t realize it. Subconsciously, clients really do need that extra SOMETHING that really “wows” them into realizing they have hit the skin treatment jackpot, so-to-speak. Come up with a customized “extra” that really shows your client you care about them, mean serious business, and are willing to go that extra mile to keep them on as a client. If that means doing a “foot treatment” that focuses on reflexology for an additional ten minutes, do it. Do it with a custom aromatherapy blend that only YOU have come up with, in fact. Go as far as to give them custom recipes for little “spa add-ons” they can do themselves in the comfort of their own home. Give them “take-home” documents that you have created that list their entire protocol you have customized to a “T” – with inspirational quotes and industry information that will leave them EXCITED, wanting to learn more from you! Figure out that ONE thing that really defines YOU, that no one else does! I promise you, clients will remember this, and APPRECIATE the customized experience.
4. Be the GODDESS of FOLLOW-UP. Spend extra time in your treatment room or “office” at the end of the day to categorize your clients in areas of importance – as far as how many days to follow up with them after a chemical peel, when to send a thank-you note, when to check in on a client that hasn’t been to see you in a few months. Make this a top priority. Customers want to feel as though they are VIP clientele – the best of the bunch, the “favorite” client of yours. Take the extra time to follow up with these clients through PROFESSIONAL means – meaning NO texting. Call them, write them a personalized letter, type up a letter with your company letterhead, or send them a professional email – with ZERO spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. Simple little mistakes in this area of Client Care is crucial – if not VITAL to your long-term client retention!
5. The last, but certainly not least, SIZZLING treatment room must-do is actually not performed in the treatment room itself, but manifested in YOUR daily life. Be the master of your social media postings, the queen of positive reinforcement, the EXAMPLE that your clients look up to! Your personal life MUST match your desires for your clients. You have to be an example through your daily living in order to truly make a difference in the lives of your clients. Write passionate articles for trade magazines that put you on the market as an industry EXPERT, co-chair a local organization that really speaks to your heart, be involved in a church charity or event that has zero to do with any professional benefit to you. So again, BE MORE. Don’t waste your free time indulging in guilty pleasures – or finding yourself doing things or participating in activities that your clients would be shocked at. Be the best YOU, invest in yourself, and create a positive orb of good karma around your life that will bring greatness and fruitful elements into your life journey. We are all human and all privy to mistakes and mishaps – but the most important aspect in career SATISFACTION & SUCCESS stems beyond that of the treatment room, but at the ROOT of your character and moral turpitude. How are you exercising these truths today?
Courtney Griffin Freeman
Licensed Esthetics Instructor - Southeastern Esthetics Institute
