Thursday 3 February 2011

Lets look at Hairdressing Sales and education

Welcome to B2MR BACK2MYROOTS!
http://www.back2myroots.co.uk/

Regular postings of fresh new topic's.
Sales or sharing?

I hope to create a platform that over time will become a place to share thoughts review hair colour and products.

This topic is worthy of both discussion, thought, and comment, for it effects each and every one involved in the Hairdressing Industry. 

Having Spent a number of years involved in Sales and education or is it? Education and sales:
It's so hard to know for one supports the other. [ chicken and egg what comes first]
One side sales drives the education machine funding allowing technicians and educators into salons to share and demonstrate. On the other hand without the support of good education the sales go flat. Salons. Stylist lose interest, use products incorrectly getting bad results blaming the product!
It is my view. That if you really trust and have belief in a product it will sell it self. If your educated a product how and why it works. If you have a passion for it, it's easy to talk about it sells it self.
So why so much pressure on sales why fear education?
In salons many stylist hate education up dates. They look at educators as know it all's, they attempt to put then down show them up why?  FEAR!
Most salons change colour lines because of dissatisfaction with the product. If it does not perform well in reality the fault is with the stylist technician. But hey! It's always easier to blame a product than take an honest look in the mirror!
Tuff harsh words but true. I don't know how many salons I've visited that so need education support but the staff, the manager will not allow it.
I also think that many sales representatives have very little respect for what a good passionate educator can do.
Why because they fear letting any one see that they don't know everything! who does? The fact is Sales are Sales. Education is just educating. On how to correctly use and get the best out of the product that sharing knowledge giving support to the salon to the sales person to the staff this can only serve to improve. Standards. Skill. Knowledge. So why all the problems?

Ego, Insecurity, Fear? or just an un-daunting need for control!  All things that are rife in society but for some reason really run rampant in the Hair beauty industry.
We have salon managers and owners who fear educating there staff to much. We have staff who hate to admit they have an issues or don't understand. Will not admit that they want or need more education, skill and knowledge.
We have professional Colour companies who market them selves with being professional. But flood the market with home colour kits. With little or no care for the effect on the high street salon, the stylist trying to make a living build up a clientele not to mention the damage long term use can do from use of home colour.

Colour Companies that offer education to some to degree but maybe not fully transparent when it comes to formulation ! Maybe not totally honest about all the chemistry of any given product need to know bases! misleading.
We have schools Colleges, Academy's. All offering a level of training but! How qualified? How up to date are those trainers? How much do they really care? How skilled are they? How current are they?
We have young people coming into the industry with a false idea of how successful they can be. How much there is to learn. How long it takes to be a success.
We have Stylist who reach a level of qualification and then sit back knowing everything knowing nothing? why is this?
We have all these different governing bodies have you ever tried contacting them to ask for a meeting or some information? good luck with that one.
Am I out spoken? Well maybe but it's done it's said to create discussion, to open up debate, to see who really cares! Not to be politically correct.
I have over the years worked with  many like minded passionate industry professional and they are all of the mind that things could be better standards raised, knowledge shared. education improved so what can we do how can we make a difference?
How can we encourage an exchange of knowledge and information. disclosing of product information in an open transparent manner.  One with sales teams working with and supporting education. Stylist who constantly want to up-date. Teachers trainers. Who really care how to encourage the young stylist to have higher standards, skill, who pride themselves in levels of Service and consultation.
This is possible by net working sharing reaching out. We have so many mediums available to us  this is such a huge multifaceted Industry. It's exciting vibrant. It's constantly growing, changing evolving, whilst at the same time standing still .
I have set up the Linked in professional hairdressing net work in the hopes of attracting like minded people to join share and debate. Many thanks Mike B2MR
 
Professional  hairdressing knowledge net work.
http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/3162242/

My Blog and all links can be accessed via my web site.
http://www.back2myroots.co.uk/

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