Meet Sonia, The Salon Dr.
Tailored Education for Hair Salon & Aesthetic Clinic Sales Success
My journey in the hairdressing industry began in 1988. If you're an old-school hairdresser reading this, you will appreciate how intense our training was back then.
At the time, I think I cried almost every week wondering what the hell I was doing, only to realise that as the years of my apprenticeship continued, these strict fundamentals would ensure I was the best I could be and would carry me through my career journey forever.
Developing solid consultation skills was so paramount to the skill set that I didn't realise at the time that this was setting me up for future success. We had an external trainer who came for a whole year, every week, and just focused on consultations and retail training! Yes, you read correctly — a WHOLE YEAR every WEEK!
Training time was not paid for and was always done outside salon hours. This was only a tiny part of the training!
I could talk to any customer about any hair concerns. Asking question after question, not leaving any stone unturned, caring about the client, and genuinely working out a plan meant that I was building a relationship with the customer and instilling loyalty to the salon.
Within this consultation training, we learned the importance of retail sales and why it was crucial to recommend what we were using and create a solution for their hair needs.
What Sets The Salon Dr Apart?
After many years of hairdressing and managing the salon, I decided to spread my wings into sales in a corporate industry. WOW, that was certainly the ride of a lifetime. The people I met, and the skills I learned were the best years of my life.
I realised that becoming a hairdresser is a fantastic skill you can use to do any other job. The ease of speaking to people and building relationships and loyalty on a totally different scale was so exciting that I was in the right place to take my career to the next level.
During my 37-year career journey, I opened up my own salon and thoroughly enjoyed that. We were extremely busy with 6 staff members and a receptionist, and I loved it. After 6 years of being a proud salon owner, it finally felt like the right time to sell the salon and re-enter the sales workforce, one that I missed notably.
In saying this, I was working as a new business development manager. This took me to a whole new level, doing external sales strategy and management certified courses, coaching courses, and bringing all my skills into one, which was a perfect recipe for sales success.
I've had an exciting ride, but my heart always belonged where I started. I really never stopped cutting hair. Do we ever really stop?