I love a good self-development book; particularly when it comes to running a business or taking customer satisfaction to the next level. The problem with reading lots of books, though, is that you find it hard to recall what you have read and their valuable lessons. The second major bug-bear is that you often consume somewhere between 200 and 1,000 pages to cover something that could be summarised in a blog post. The only trouble is, who’s going to do that for you with salon books?! Well, on this particular occasion, that would be us!
Dale Carnegie’s classic, ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ is one of THE greats on how to win over customers, friends and family and how to ethically use these new found skills to get ahead in life. Whilst not strictly in the genre of salon books, it is a must read for any therapist, stylist or salon owner who handles customers on a daily basis.
In Two Sentences
It’s all about the art of giving to make yourself – and your salon – truly stand out. As everybody else is all about themselves, this will make you unique and likable in business and your personal life.
The Fundamentals Of Handling People
- Don’t criticize, condemn or complain.
- Be honest and give sincere appreciation.
- Arouse in the other person an eager want.
- Don’t grab everything for yourself. He who serves others is rare and therefore has an advantage.
Some of this may seem obvious, but I think point four is incredibly powerful; going that extra mile for a client. For instance, something as simple as giving them your umbrella and putting trust in them to bring it back.
These points are always great when managing your team. I recently heard someone say, ‘When you are at the start of your career, your success is all about you. When you are a manager, your success is based entirely, and solely, on the success of those around you.’ This really applies to your salon situation: empowering your team by telling them what is possible for the future; thanking them for being better at what they do than you; and making them understand that, fundamentally, their success is critical to your business i.e. it’s all about them.
Dale’s points nail this technique better than any of the salon books I have read.
Six Ways To Make People Like You
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Smile.
- Remember that a person hearing their own name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
- Be a good listener. Encourage other people to talk about themselves.
- Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.
- Make the other person feel important — and do it sincerely.
All self-explanatory right? One of those things that’s easy to understand but harder to execute. Listening is one of those qualities that is vastly underrated. People love to be listened to, and people love it when you use their name over and over in a conversation.
How To Win People To Your Way Of Thinking
- The only way to get the best out of an argument is to avoid it.
- Show respect for the other person’s opinions. Never say “You’re wrong.”
- If you are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.
- Begin in a friendly way.
- Get the other person saying “yes, yes” immediately.
- Let the other person do a great deal of talking.
- Let the other person feel the idea is his or hers.
One of the best ways to win people over to your way of thinking is by helping them to come to your conclusion, all by themselves. This is a powerful way to sell more retail. Raise a point, let them do the talking and gently guide them to bring themselves around to buying the product. That is known as self-generated persuasion.
Be A Leader: How To Change People Without Offending
- Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
- Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly.
- Talk about your mistakes before criticising the other person.
- Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
- Let the other person save face.
- Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement.
- Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
- Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
- Make the other person happy about the thing you suggest.
It can be so hard keeping your cool with irate clients, temperamental staff, and pushy suppliers. The techniques above are an excellent way to pre-empt this and create the change you want to see in people.
Related | What Happens When You Invest In Salon Staff Training
Conclusion
The points above have served as an amazing checklist for the way we treat others if we want to win the minds, hearts, and respect of our colleagues, clients, and friends. This is truly an epic read and is just as relevant now as it was in the year it was written – 1937!
Hope you enjoyed this and let us know if you would like us to cover more salon books.
Thanks for reading,
#LetsGrow
