2nd March 2021
We are living in different times, the world has changed immeasurably and as we head into the easing of lockdown, hopefully the last one, it’s time to look at the changes and how they need to be implemented in your bricks and mortar as well as on your social feeds. It’s as simple as this, WHO CARES WINS in the new world we are all heading toward.
The pandemic has proven to be the biggest challenge many of us have had to face, and through it all, all 12 months of it, there have been some seismic changes in how we live our lives. Every possible aspect of day to day living is different.
From leaving the house wearing a mask, to shopping more regularly online; from zooming with everyone to learning to live a life of solitude with a few family ‘bubbles’, nothing hasn’t been affected by covid.
So what’s going to happen when we are able to open our business doors again and welcome clients and shoppers back?
Normal one to one experiences with clients are a thing of the past, when lockdown eases and businesses start to welcome their customers back, there has to be recognition that a tangible shift toward being more caring and sharing has happened, we have (all) become more inquisitive, more questioning, more thoughtful, and more human. Interaction and communication need to evolve to meet the challenge of this new way of experiencing everything.
It’s no longer enough to rely on faithful clients coming in and spending money. Lockdown has seen to that for sure. There’s a saying, ‘it only takes 3 months to break a habit’ …. and your clients habits are well and truly broken. They now shop online as part of their normal daily life, they experiment with their own hair because needs must! They are (actually) no different to us in that respect, so there are two of the hurdles that all of us have to get over once our doors reopen, haircare and homecare!
The positives are there for the taking. if we accept clients now shop on websites more frequently with greater ease, then we need to take the [online] experience and make it real time in the salon or shop …. no-one buys just one thing when they shop online (well almost no-one) so bricks and mortar can take that ‘new shopping element’ and build it into a real time experience with ease. Experimenting with hair at home has become the norm, clients are now more adventurous and even though they sometimes make mistakes, the reality is that they’re not that bothered…. because they know they can rely on their hairdresser to get it fixed soon. What this does mean is that salons can be more adventurous in their offering; the services they provide, and the opportunities for up-selling services.
But the biggest change of all has to be the burning desire to have contact again, to talk, to laugh, to communicate about anything and everything. with someone face to face instead of through zoom. Someone different from the family bubble, someone who has different interests, thoughts and views. That person, by the way, is YOU!
Showing you care is key to your future success. Not only caring about what they spend money on, but caring about the individual and their family and friends. Showing you care, shows you understand and empathise with everything your client has to say.
The new world starts as soon as your doors open, so it’s time to think about how you and your team communicate with customers and what you can do to make the experience more genuine and caring. Creating stories about the products and services you have is one small step you can take to make everyone engage more with what you have to offer. Carried out in a carefree, naturalistic way this will ensure your future success as your clients will see that you and your business are more than what you were before the pandemic, that you have learnt the lessons of lockdown and that you have embraced the new found need to be a more caring individual in a more caring work environment.
Oh, and don’t forget, your online shopping platform also has to embrace this new desire to be caring and sharing, in whatever way you can do it, from recycling clients old packaging to donating a % of profits to a good cause, these little things make a huge difference to how your customers view your business.
