Write Off the Write Up

Using a ‘write up’ as a form of punishment or scare tactic for employees is one of the most ineffective forms of management I can think of.  I hear companies say ‘we are going to write you up if your performance doesn’t improve’.  It makes me laugh.  Really?  Write me up?  And then what?  And that’s where many companies fall short.

A write-up is a form of punishment, but often times no positive or proactive steps are taken after the write up to encourage the desired behavior/productivity from the client.  That’s just one reason why I feel this method is ineffective.

Another point, if your employee is not living up to your standards, why are they still your employee?? Sure I believe in the old ‘three strikes and you’re out’ rule…but you don’t have to write someone up to let them know they they are not meeting company standards.

Take a different approach

Instead of punishing, take a proactive approach to ameliorate the problem.   If your employee does not improve with training, education and positive mentoring, there is no reason to keep them around. Writing them up won’t help either.

For documentation purposes, you may want to keep a file on this employee and note the days/times that HR discussed performance or offered additional training and coaching.  This will help you document the timeline leading up to an employee elimination.

Managers are not ‘parents’.  Employees need not be afraid of them or fear their wrath.  What type of a work environment is that???  Mutual respect is the best way to move a company forward. If one person can’t keep up, consider positive reinforcement to bring about change. If that doesn’t work, it’s bye-bye birdie!

Send your management questions to stacey@tcr-marketing.com for more information.

Salon and Spa Marketing: Why Your Facebook Page Stinks

Facebook has over 800 million users…so naturally, you created a Facebook fan page for your salon or spa. But guess what?  It stinks.  But you already know that…or maybe you don’t?  Why does your Facebook fan page stink?  Well, there are a number of reasons why.  But first, let’s start with the basics.

Facebook is a communication tool.  A phone is a communication tool.  Would you call a client or potential client several times a day blurting in their ear a promotional or special offer available at your salon? Imagine this:

8:30am

Salon XYZ -> Customer: Hello customer? Hi we have the new Paul Mitchell shampoo that repairs split ends!! Bye!

10:30am

Salon XYZ -> Customer: Hello customer? Watch this YouTube video!!! Bye!

1:30pm

Salon XYZ -> Customer: Hello customer?  $25 hair cuts today and tomorrow! Bye!

You get my point right?

Why do people become fans of Facebook pages?

The Andre Chreky Facebook page is a model example of how to use Facebook for your business.

There are many reasons why someone might become a fan of your salon’s Facebook page.  They might want to connect with their hair stylist, they may want to know if you are offering any specials, they may want to learn more about how to style their own hair and what the latest trends are.

Most people are on Facebook because they want to have fun.  That fun can mean saving on their next hair cut, watching a cool video tutorial on how to blow-out their hair at home or even answering a funny riddle.

Your Facebook page stinks because for the most part, it doesn’t address the main reasons why people are on Facebook.  Many salons and spas are simply shoving promotional announcements in front of fans with no regard to conversation or engagement.

Facebook is about relationship building, not advertising. If you are on Facebook to ‘advertise’ your business, get off. Consumers see enough commercials on TV, read enough junk mail and delete tons of spam emails.  We don’t need any more advertisements thrown in our face.

Instead of advertising your salon, take the approach of building relationships with your fans. You don’t always have to talk about your salon or spa, the employee of the month or what new product/service you have.  Think of other ways to connect with fans. Make them laugh.  Talk about current events.  Become their friend.  Because in the end, who are you going to trust to do your hair?  Your friend or an advertisement?

Andre Cheky Facebook Page – He’s Doing it Right

I came across the Andre Chreky salon Facebook page and I really like it. It’s by Andrew Chreky, a salon in the DC area. He has a good mix of information about life in general, hair, the salon, etc. Notice that he uses his blog to post information about stuff people are interested in.  Check out his Facebook page for some good ideas about what to post on your own.

Our Facebook Marketing Package

If you need help with your Facebook page, we offer a simple Social Media Management package.  Use our contact page for more information.

Salon Marketing: Birthdays

Last month I went to a new waxing salon to have my eyebrows shaped.  They were looking pretty dreadful and I needed a professional touch.  Before my appointment, I was asked to fill out a questionnaire. I can’t tell you how many of these I have filled out at area salons and spas.

This month was my birthday. To my pleasant surprise, on the day of my birthday, I received an automated email from the new waxing salon.  It was a simple email, just wishing me a happy birthday, but it really surprised me.  Like most people, I have a smart phone, so I get my emails all day long. I was really delighted to see that out of all of the emails, phone calls and Facebook messages I was receiving, the new waxing salon had also sent me a birthday wish.

Use Your Existing Salon Marketing Software to Build Lasting Relationships

If you have a large salon, most likely you are using sophisticated booking software.  The majority of these software programs incorporate marketing technology that can send out automated emails to clients on their birthdays.

The question is, are you using this technology and taking advantage of the increased business it can bring?

More than likely, anyone celebrating their birthday will be going out for the occasion on that day or within the next few days. Why not show your gratitude to your client for their patronage by offering them a % or dollar amount off of a blow-out or make-up service for their birthday. Go a step further and tell them to bring a friend in for the same offer.  Maybe this will expose a new client to your salon.  It should be used within 10 days of their birthday so that the client can take advantage of this service on the day they will be celebrating.  I’ve been to lots of area salons in recent years, not one wished me a happy birthday or attempted to get me back in the door with a birthday offer. I’m going out soon to celebrate my birthday. I probably would have taken advantage of getting a nice blow out for the occasion.

Believe me, a little generosity goes a long way.  Another great reason to extend a birthday present is to create loyalty.  It takes about three visits to the same salon/stylist before a person starts to feel some sense of loyalty to them.  If I was a new customer at your salon, that discounted birthday blow out or makeup application might get me back in for that key 3rd visit much sooner than I would have scheduled.

We are building relationships here to create loyalty.   Loyalty brings referrals and keeps customers at your salon.  If their favorite technician leaves, will they still be loyal to the salon?  That’s really up to you and how you treat your clients over the course of their patronage.

MTV’s Made Features Makeover From Glen Goldbaum’s Red Bank Salon

Red Bank’s trend setting west side salon, Glen Goldbaum 72, was again tapped as a fashion fix resource for an episode of MADE on MTV.  The episode featured young NJ teens who aspired to become hip hop dancers.  The Glen Goldbaum salon donated makeup, cut and color for the makeover portion of the show.

 

MTV’s MADE helps transform regular kids into beauty pageant winners, athletes, dancers and more.  The Hip Hop Dance Battle part 2 featured 3 very different NJ high school teenagers who all had one common goal; they wanted to be made into hip hop dancers.  The episode featured a special performance from hip hop star Pitbull and a live dance performance from the three teens at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank.

 

The Glen Goldbaum Salon on Red Bank’s west side was asked to perform a makeover on one of the three competing teens, Emily.  The salon provided Emily with makeup, a haircut and color as part of her makeover transformation. 

 

According to Victoria Marfan of MTV’s MADE, “We choose the Glen Goldbaum salon in Red Bank as the location for Emily Scharen’s makeover on the MADE Hip Hop Dance Battle because we wanted a place that was very chic, upscale and professional.  We were very impressed with the top-notch service that Emily received. In addition, her friends and family were blown away by her transformation. Without Glen Goldbaum and his amazing staff, the show would not have been the same.”

 

The episode of MADE on MTV featuring Glen Goldbaum 72 aired on October 10th

 

For more information on the Glen Goldbaum Salon in Red Bank, NJ, visit http://www.gleng72.com .

 

About Glen Goldbaum:

Glen Goldbaum is a master stylist and a hands-on educator for emerging stylists, with over 25 years experience in Manhattan. He is a former senior stylist and head educator for Vidal Sassoon, and was a member of the Kim Lepine Salon on Madison Avenue in New York. He has also been a leader for hair stylists at Paul Mitchell’s New York Academy.

Stylists From Glen Goldbaum’s Salon in Red Bank Visit With Vidal Sassoon Educators in NYC

Glen Goldbaum in his Red Bank Salon

Glen Goldbaum in his Red Bank Salon

Stylists at Red Bank’s fashion forward salon, Glen Goldbaum 72, took time away from cutting and coloring to attend a class at the famed Vidal Sassoon Academy in NYC this past September. 

 

As a former Vidal Sassoon educator himself, owner Glen Goldbaum believes the key to a rewarding and successful career is continuing education.  The subject of the Vidal Sassoon was creating ‘outside the box’.  The class focused on creative cuts and color with accentuation on disconnection, heavy texturing, and geometric shapes.  Also discussed were new ways to add color to hair that is subtle yet stylish. 

 

Stylist Keelin Maloney of the Glen Goldbaum 72 salon attended the class and said, “It’s so important for us to continue our education with Vidal Sassoon because it opens up our eyes to what’s new and fresh and separates us from the ordinary.”

 

Goldbaum says heavy texturing and geometric cuts will be big for the fall.  Also, color trends will move away from bold and chunky and will adopt a more subtle look.  According to Goldbaum, “Less will be more this fall.  Expect to see natural highlights blended in with delicate hues of color.  On the contrary, the impact will all be in the cut.  It’s going to be a great season for hair.”

 

The Glen Goldbaum salon in Red bank is open to the public 5 days a week.  They carry a full line of hair care products including AVEDA, Kevin Murphy and Moroccan Oil. 

 

Appointments can be made by calling 732-530-5588.  More information about Glen and his staff is online at http://gleng72.com

The Glen Goldbaum Salon in Red Bank Welcomes Cutting Specialist

Glen Goldbaum opened his self titled salon in Red Bank just a little over a year ago, right in the middle of the country’s worst recession.  Despite economic trends and a sour job market, the budding business flourished on Red Bank’s west side, an underdeveloped and often neglected part of the trendy city.

Red Bank and the Monmouth County community have taken a liking to the new salon.  So much so, that instead of spending his money on a fierce ad campaign, Goldbaum finds himself advertising for new talent.  His money was well spent; Goldbaum’s positive attitude and team culture attracted some of the most talented stylists in the industry.  Just recently, the salon added another sought after stylist, Mallory, to their team of artistic styling experts.

Like many at the Red Bank salon, Mallory is a cutting specialist, with expertise in creating beautiful styles that offer as much fashion and beauty as they do functionality.  She is trained in the world renowned Vidal Sassoon method and is also a national educator for Davines hair care and styling products. 

Goldbaum’s salon is open to the public 6 days a week.  Appointments can be made by calling 732-530-5588.  More information about Glen and his staff is online at http://budurl.com/GlenGoldbaum

About Glen Goldbaum: 

 Glen Goldbaum began his career 25 years ago with Vidal Sassoon.  He became a senior stylist and eventually the company’s head educator.  He went on styling at the Kim Lepine Salon on Madison Avenue in NYC and became a leader for hair stylists at Paul Mitchell’s New York Academy.

Red Bank Salon Selected to Carry AVEDA Hair Care Products

The  Glen Goldbaum 72 salon in Red Bank will now offer customers the complete line of AVEDA hair care products for men and women.   The partnership is especially unique since AVEDA hair care is typically only sold at AVEDA exclusive salons.

Owner and master stylist Glen Goldbaum opened his salon on Red Bank’s west side a little over a year ago.  In an otherwise flat economy, business has been booming for Goldbaum.  The fashion forward and trend setting salon has set the hair styling bar high. Goldbaum himself is a former Vidal Sassoon educator and he has hand selected a staff comprised of the most talented stylists around.

Goldbaum is excited to welcome the eco-conscious hair care line to his salon.  “I love the organic philosophy of the products and the texture they create.  Aveda’s style and culture meshes well with ours and the way we do things here.”

For more information on Glen Goldbaum 72, please visit http://www.gleng72.com/

About Glen Goldbaum: 

 Glen Goldbaum began his career 25 years ago with Vidal Sassoon.  He became a senior stylist and eventually the company’s head educator.  He went on styling at the Kim Lepine Salon on Madison Avenue in NYC and became a leader for hair stylists at Paul Mitchell’s New York Academy.

 

To put your company’s news and information on the Internet, contact Stacey@TCR-Marketing.com

www.tcr-marketing.com

Salon Spa Internet Marketing: The Missing Link

In a world where over 85% of consumers check the Internet first for company info, products and services, why is the salon and spa industry so reluctant to join the 21st century?  Most major industries are capitalizing on the increased sales Internet marketing can offer, so why are most salons and spas still in the dark?

Most salon and spa consultants I have spoken with agree, the industry is lagging in tech savvy professionals who can catapult salons and spas to the next level on the Internet.    I hear all the time, “Salon and spa owners just aren’t Internet savvy.”  Many business owners are not Internet savvy, so hire someone who is.

The salons and spas that have used our Salon/Spa Internet Marketing services have seen the light.  They have seen their online gift certificate sales triple, they have seen their client count increase, they have seen their name in major industry magazines after receiving feature interviews. 

The fact is, the rest of the beauty industry is on the web.  Your major industry publications like Skin Inc., Salon Today and Day Spa Magazine to name a few are scouring the web looking for inspiring stories in the beauty industry.

Not only are industry professionals looking for news and information on the Internet, consumers are too.  We know that the majority of consumers want to read about a spa before they make a decision go there.  They also want to see pictures, prices and even testimonials.  The fact is, if your spa isn’t making a presence for itself on the Internet, you are losing business to the closest spa who is.

Internet marketing is one of the most cost effective ways to advertise your business to members of the media and consumers.  In fact, there is tons of free Internet marketing you can take advantage of.  Additionally, Internet Marketing can be easily tracked many ways.  So you can summarize your costs at the end of each month and how many leads came in as a result of your new marketing efforts.

If you are a salon or spa business owner and would like to learn more about Internet Marketing services for the beauty industry, please email me at Stacey@tcr-marketing.com

Red Bank Salon Introduces Creative Nights for Local Artists

Glen Goldbaum 72, Red Bank’s fastest growing salon, uses their space to support local artists, photographers and musicians.  Since opening on Red Bank’s west side a little over a year ago, the salon has used its well-appointed brick studio interior and spacious outdoor garden to host live performances by local artists, art exhibits and major celebrations.

 

The salon draws its name from owner and master stylist, Glen Goldbaum.  Originally a New York stylist and Vidal Sassoon Educator, Glen was intrigued with Red Bank’s hip Westside. “I felt I had unearthed a mountain of gold.  I couldn’t believe the style, attitude and personality.  It was screaming with opportunity, and I could hear it.”

 

Upon opening his Red Bank location in June of 2008, Glen sought to add energy and excitement to the West Side.  According to Glen, he didn’t want his space to be limited to the usual salon services.  He launched ‘Creative Nights’ shortly after opening, as a way to allow others to get to know is salon and as a platform to introduce local artists, musicians and photographers. 

 

 Since opening, Glen and staff have played host to local favorites such as Def Jam recording artist Laura Warshauer, singer/songwriter Quincy Mumford, and Random Test, Red Bank’s hottest Reggae band.  The events draw crowds of 100+ people who come to meet Glen, dance, party and mingle.

 

Glen’s unique business style has been a huge success.  Now, just over 1 year since opening, Glen has added 10 additional staff members (he started with just one) and is averaging upwards of 75 new clients per month. 

 

 This summer, Glen has more events planned including live concerts and a burlesque show.  “It’s all about feeling good. For me, it doesn’t matter whether it’s because we just gave them a great cut, or because they just enjoyed listening to some live music in our outdoor garden.  If we can make people look and feel their best, I’m happy.

 

 To keep up to date with the latest news and events happening at Glen Goldbaum 72, visit their website at http://www.gleng72.com/

 

If you would like to put your salon or spa in the news, contact stacey@tcr-marketing.com