What do Charles Barkley, Dan Marino and Ken Griffey, Jr. have in common?
If you answered they were all sports stars and household names, you are correct – if you said they were among the most elite in their respective sports, you would also be correct. If you said none of these men have an NBA championship, a Super Bowl ring or a World Series Championship, you would also be correct … shocking, right?
Having one all-star on your staff is great, but developing a TEAM of all-stars will bring you champion-level success.
Although these three men hold many records and awards, none experienced the highest honor in their profession – a championship.
My point is, for a lack of a better term, “there is no ‘i’ in ‘team.” It didn’t matter that these men were great – their teams, as a whole, did not succeed. Think of this in terms of business and the everyday operation of your salon. I’m sure you can think of that rock star employee who could sell ice cubes to an Eskimo, but if you can’t duplicate that type of employee, your team (salon) will not reach its full potential.
This month, I want to talk about a few ways to create, cultivate and maintain a TEAM of rock stars – or Tanning Consultant Champions.
Pay your people what they’re worth.
One of the biggest mistakes I see in the salon world and a phrase I have often heard is “I can’t afford to pay my staff commission.”
This is simply not true! Commissions, if structured correctly, should be mutually beneficial. If your revenue grows, your employee’s paycheck should grow, as well. Motivated staff with goals to strive for will work harder, sell more and create an inviting atmosphere in your salon. Whereas, staff who believe they are inadequately compensated will tend to be disgruntled and not only share that feeling with their fellow coworkers, but potentially with your salon guests, also.
Offer opportunities for self-development.
Ask yourself this question: how can you help your staff succeed? Could they benefit from ongoing training to gain more of an understanding of the tanning industry? If that’s the case, make it happen! Take advantage of training opportunities at industry trade events offered multiple times a year. Don’t let your employees fall into the “burnout stage.” Always offer ways for them to develop not only as your employee, but also as an essential part of our industry.
Set clear goals.
If you want your team to sell more lotion, set a goal. If you want them to increase their EFT percentage, set a goal. Want them to keep a cleaner salon? Set a goal. What these goals need to have in common is a reward! Make it something your staff can work toward, whether it be a 10% increase in lotion sales or a higher percentage of EFT conversions – set a goal, make the reward/prize very clear, keep them on track and motivated. When commission structures, bonuses or goals don’t work, it’s generally due to a couple of reasons. Either the staff didn’t understand it, they forgot about it, or what they were working toward simply wasn’t enough to motivate them.
Here is another cliché phrase for you: T.ogether E.veryone A.chieves M.ore! Having one all-star on your staff is great, but developing a TEAM of all-stars will bring you champion-level success. Although we don’t have a tanning industry Super Bowl ring or World Series trophy for tanning consultants, keep this in mind while working together with your staff and creating a happy, growing, successful business. For you and your future, the possibilities become endless.
