Every hairdresser you know loves to be in the ‘news’ and to find a measure of fame … Why not?  It’s a noble goal … and very doable for those willing [...]]]> You Recommend Clients Change their Look, Don’t You?

“It is not necessary to change.  Survival is not mandatory.”
– William Edwards Deming (1900–1993)

Every hairdresser you know loves to be in the ‘news’ and to find a measure of fame … Why not?  It’s a noble goal … and very doable for those willing to plan for, invest in, and put the sweat equity into obtaining it.

You need a few basic ingredients of course … talent and skill, a personality, and a decent work ethic.  Of course that does sound like a whole lot of hairdressers you know who aren’t getting very ‘noticed’.  So there must be something else we haven’t mentioned yet.

No, we’re not talking about hiring PR and marketing gurus.  Of course it helps to have someone who knows the ropes, but that has more to do with ‘making a fuss’… more about that in a moment.  First you have to think ‘newsworthy’.

What’s News?

It’s not remarkable that if you drop the ‘s’ from the word ‘News’ you have the word ‘new’…  a discovery, something unique, something no one has heard or seen before, a ‘light’ people haven’t  seen you in previously …  something newsworthy.  It doesn’t matter if you’ve been ‘in the news’ and ‘famous’ before, although it does help during the ‘fuss’ process.

But, even if you’re previously famous, unless you’re doing something ‘new’, you aren’t ‘newsworthy’.  Unless you innovate, remake, redesign, reform, or re-something, you’re a retread.  You can’t repeat the same act to the same audience and expect them to be re-thrilled for long, no matter how famous you are.  Once they’ve seen your act, you’re pretty much done.

Photo by Phil Hawksworth

Change and Innovation are Mandatory

The world is pulling out ahead of all of us, all the time.  Innovation comes fast and furiously all around us.  ‘New’ concepts and technologies are emerging everywhere.  So what do we have to do to become ‘newsworthy’?

Find one thing that pulls you out ahead in some way, somehow, if only for a moment … and while you have the lead, then make a big fuss so everyone around you notices.  Do that repeatedly every time you pull ahead for a moment and you begin to grow the circle of those paying attention to you.  You achieve ‘fame’ in an ever-widening circle.  It’s a process, not a rocket ride … BUT FIRST YOU MUST INNOVATE.

The Fuss

The fuss we keep referring to is the PR, advertising, and promotional processes … the mechanics of writing a good news release, telling a good story well, making phone calls to targeted local and/or national media, taking out ads, mailing promotional material, and in general doing whatever you can afford to do to share your story with as many people as you can reach every time you pull ahead for that moment.  Yes, of course it helps to have public relations and marketing people to help you make a fuss, but don’t expect them to be very successful retelling your ‘old’ story … that’s old news … save your money.

Bottom line

What you DO is the secret.  How you INNOVATE and REINVENT is paramount.  So before you spend your time and money making a fuss, decide what you are going to DO this year that is worth paying attention to.  If you’re going to spend money, spend it on someone that can help you see and do things differently.  Worst case … Just do one new thing in 2010.

It All Begins with a List and a Plan

• What do I need in 2010?
• What do I want in 2010?
• What worked for me last year?  What didn’t work for me?
• What is my plan FOR 2010?
• Who can I hire to help me innovate?
• What is my budget to innovate?
• What is my timeline?

These are tough questions.  That’s why most people don’t make the effort. Those that do …  and at least try … have a chance at succeeding

Have a great 2010 everyone!

Alex and Sharon

P.S. You can also read this post ( privileged to be included) with some truly brilliant content  in the January/February issue of Vivienne Mackinder’s MOD Magazine

What’s new with you?  Share your comments.

If you feel this blog post worthy, please share it with a friend using the Share icon below. That’s how we grow.

I love meeting amazing and straightforward people like Thia Breen.  She lifts me up with her own phenomenal career success story but stops me cold with forehead-slapping simple solutions  to ‘OPSCOCC’ – other people’s self-created overly-complicated career challenges! (my term, not hers <g>) How [...]]]>

Thia Breen - President, North America, Estee Lauder Companies

I love meeting amazing and straightforward people like Thia Breen.  She lifts me up with her own phenomenal career success story but stops me cold with forehead-slapping simple solutions  to ‘OPSCOCC’ – other people’s self-created overly-complicated career challenges! (my term, not hers <g>) How does Thia know about all that? She was one of those ‘other people’ once! I recently inhaled (along with 300 others) every word that Thia shared as guest speaker at the Beverly Hilton for the Cosmetic Executive Women. It was all part of CEW’s ‘West Coast Women In Beauty’ Series addressing “Building Beauty, Brands and Careers”. I have to admit to you that Thia won me over at the phrase…

… ‘bloggers are the new beauty editors’.

Remember that as you increase awareness of  ‘your’ brands: You, Your Salon and Your Services.

I figure that if anyone can keep any of us from catching ‘OPSCOCC’, it’s the person who oversees 29 of The Estee Lauder Companies’ brands for their North American operations (including our salon world giants Bumble & Bumble and Aveda). Surely, stress and hard work are no strangers to this role-model beauty industry career pro in the retail world and now professional side of beauty. We would all do well to pick up a few career-building tips from her no matter who we are and what our level of experience within the beauty field. New stylist … salon or spa owner… seasoned colorist … aspiring student … corporate exec or publicist/writer like me … we can never forget that at those times when our career feels like we’re running in place but going nowhere fast, it’s probably ‘little ole me’ who is standing in my own way and self-sabotaging my advancement.

Now in her later 50′s, Thia Breen remains a knowledge ‘sponge’ and a passionate powerhouse every day at work, be it at the office or most often, on the road and in department stores.  She inspires others to work smart – not harder, be organized and above all, ‘get a life’. Carving out quality, nurturing personal time is key to performing great on the job and getting ahead.

We all know we can get to feeling ‘sluggish’ at times and can easily drift toward blaming other people and things for our own ‘ho-hum status quo’ career.  I have no time. I can’t work any harder than I do. My boss doesn’t notice my good work. Or the flip-side classic: I know my boss sees what I do and will promote me soon.

These statements are all what I’ll call the ‘self sabotagers’ But after listening to my newest ‘fav’ role model, phrases like these are officially ‘shunned’ from my vocabulary and brain waves from this blog forward!

Allow me to share how Thia got through to me…and maybe you, too (if you’re open to what the President of 29 amazingly successful companies has to say <g>). Let’s start getting out of our own way and unleash  that career path!  As Thia quipped to us that night: “The beauty business is a great business to be in. Just think of what you looked like this morning – and now, how you look tonight.”

Top 10 Tips For Greater Beauty Career Success:  Inspirations from Estee Lauder’s Thia Breen

1. Compartmentalize:  -  Thia keeps her amazing focus on many different things during the day by ‘leaving work in her mind’ at night. She loves being home and turning off her Blackberry at 8pm to just relax and ‘be’. At 8am the next morning, the Blackberry is back on again and Thia is back at work and focused 100% on the work at hand.  (Thia admits that early on in her career, she was th essence of “all work and no balance”.
2. Make Something Happen: Thia encourages us all to not be afraid to make decisions. She says ‘Be Fearless!’
3. Don’t Be Afraid To Make Mistakes: You don’t want to move too fast or quickly but just look around the corner, anticipate what’s coming, and MOVE.
4. Be Sensitive To Other People’s Feelings: It’s great to be an achiever and successful, but avoid that ‘killer instinct’ and the desire to be #1 at someone else’s personal expense. You don’t have to be ruthless or hurtful to get ahead. Be very aware of other people’s feelings!
5. Be Aware Of How Your Customer Is Responding: Thia reminds us that the consumer or client today has been changed forever by a number of things…technology, the economy, media, etc. She/he is thinking differently about everything. Some consumers just want information when she wants it and doesn’t want to be ‘sold’. Others love the element of ‘service’ like the ‘beauty advisor’ at the department store counter (and certainly the professional in the salon and spa!). Everyone today loves ‘value’ – and many love ‘options’ (like having choices of smaller-size products to try  before committing to the big size of something).
6. Manage Yourself, Too – Avoid the ‘24/7 Mentality’: You need down time! From the management perspective, Thia wants her team to have ‘non-work’ on their schedules to really look forward to. In my business, those who are working that 24/7 schedule are just plain working too hard. “They ‘crash and burn’ when I really need them…like over the holidays when things really get busy, etc.  I tell them: “Your jobs aren’t that hard!”  A good manager has to manage herself, too. You just get duller and duller with a 24/7 work mentality.“
7. Give Feedback To Others: Thia shared that a good manager has to give consistent feedback to be effective. According to this ‘ultimate manager’, good feedback means saying things ‘whether people like it or not’.
8. Get A Mentor: If you don’t have a career mentor, then get one. Thia reminds us that very often, you need mentors to advise you along your career path.  Says Thia: I had mentors…and remember one in particular early on in my career  who really believed in me…who took a chance on me. It made a big difference.
9. Make Your Own Career:  Sad but true…there are a lot more bosses that are ‘not great’ than bosses who are.  Don’t assume they are always going to recognize your talents and pave the way for your career promotions. Thia remembers learning a critical lesson in her first days working in a small-town drug store in Benson, MN. – “I learned the hard way that I am totally responsible for my own success.  Up until that time (that I first got fired’), I kept expecting – believing — that there would always be someone else there to take charge of my career. I also learned that it is entirely up to you, and you alone, to ask for what you need.”
10. Customer Service Reigns Supreme:  I couldn’t agree more with Thia…and what she says is as true of our professional side of the beauty biz as it is of her retail beauty world and brands.  “The only thing that really matters is customers coming to the beauty counter,” she says. “If someone gets great service, that’s the reflection of the brand.”

What was your biggest career success blunder?

What did you learn from the experience?

Mike’s topic was about bad PR.  He was annoyed.  Annoyed enough to need to [...]]]> At Lightning Speed in Today’s World.

We just got our October issue of Beauty Industry Report (BIR) and immediately noticed Editor Mike Nave wrote the ‘Guest Columnist’ column himself this month.  That’s unusual.  Obviously, he had something important to say.

Mike’s topic was about bad PR.  He was annoyed.  Annoyed enough to need to share it.  I reprint it (with his permission) in this post because there is no link to his ‘subscription-only’ newsletter on the web.

This is an excellent lesson in ‘silent’ bad PR.  Mike isn’t making public the name of person who was the straw that broke the camel’s back that kicked his pen into gear, but when asked, he was willing to share it … with a friend … off the record.

The Lesson?

It’s what you do, not what you say, that is your best, and worst, PR.  And, just because your name or company doesn’t appear, doesn’t mean people aren’t talking about you. Good … or Bad.

Mike Nave publishes The Beauty Industry Report (BIR).  It is the only executive newsletter serving the professional beauty industry, including manufacturers, reps, distributors, associations, chain salons, day spas and top independent salons, with behind-the-scenes information about the people, products and companies meaningful to its readers.

Mike is also a 40 year veteran consultant in beauty industry marketing, sales, distribution and industry communications including e-commerce related activities.  You can contact Mike at www.beautyindustryreport.com.

Although Mike’s newsletter is not written to salon owners, stylists, colorists, nail techs and estheticians, it is without a doubt the best source of ‘insider information’ you can find for ‘who is doing what (and to whom)’ in the professional beauty industry.  You would be wise to consider subscribing.

Here’s the editorial …

Please Return My Call!

I hope it’s not a sign of old age, but my patience level is lower and my time has become more valuable, as I have less and less of it.  As a result, I feel compelled to write about appropriate good business practices or just plain common courtesies related to responding to phone calls and email.  Not responding either to a phone or an email message is bad business in any economy; in today’s climate, it’s suicidal!

I am sure you, like me, get some emails and voice messages to which it’s clear there is no value in responding—an email from Nigeria saying you’ve inherited millions of dollars or a message from someone pitching Genie Garage Doors. However, it’s mind-boggling to me how a number of beauty industry executives simply do not respond to any form of communications.

There have been a number of times I have called a company to request specific information and received no response.  I have no problem with responses, such as, “I am not interested,” “This is the not the right time,” “I am not the right person to answer that,” that are straight communications.  I’m talking NO response at all.

When email was invented, I thought one of the big advantages was the ease with which it provided the recipient to respond quickly, and I dove in head first. In retrospect, I made a mistake in assuming that this “improved” method of communication would eliminate the past phone calls that were not returned. It hasn’t, and the heart of the issue is low tech and basic—it’s all about courtesy.

I shared my thoughts with Greg Sheperd, PhD, the dean of College of Communication at Ohio University, who made the following observation, “I think some folks believe that technology so changes the character of communication that the rules of politeness we know so well, and follow in face-to-face interactions so naturally, somehow no longer apply. But they do.  Just because the social encounter is now initiated through email, it doesn’t mean those rules can be violated. A non-reply still suggests you and your wants don’t matter to this person. And you are, as a result, almost sure to be ticked off. No matter the manner of communication, ticked off people typically don’t become good customers, make good employees or remain good friends.”

If you find yourself being bombarded with emails and, out of frustration, find yourself just ignoring or deleting them before you even read them to get them out of your inbox, you might find that my approach is helpful to you. Under the ‘all mail’ folder section in my Inbox area of Outlook, I set up three separate folders: Hot Emails (respond in 24 hours or less); Warm emails (respond within 72 hours); Cold Emails (answer whenever or delete). With this system, I can quickly manage my email list without feeling overwhelmed.

I close with this quotation:

“Even if I am busy when I come to my office and there is a note that says somebody has called, even if I have five minutes to spare, I call back,” says Vladimir Putin, former president and current prime minister of Russia. I cannot believe there is anyone in the professional beauty business who is busier than he is.

How do you feel about people who do that?

It stood out in the pile like a sore thumb.  Hand-written, imagine that.  Different … That took time.

We went back into the house where we usually toss the mail on the kitchen table for opening later, but not today.  We stayed together [...]]]> Today was unusual.

We got a hand-written card in the mail.

It stood out in the pile like a sore thumb.  Hand-written, imagine that.  Different … That took time.

We went back into the house where we usually toss the mail on the kitchen table for opening later, but not today.  We stayed together and opened that piece.  We looked at the return address.  How ‘old-fashioned’.  We left all the other mail for later.

It was short, sweet, and thoughtful.  We commented on it and discussed that person and (I assume both) thought  to ourselves, ” Gee, they found this lovely card, sat down, thought of something original to write,  addressed it by hand, put a stamp on it, and took it to the post office.  Imagine that!  They spent time doing that for me.”

Good PR is Like That Because Editors are Real People

Short, sweet and personal.  No one likes to feel they’ve been ‘mass’ mailed.  Avoid what is known as ‘spray and pray’.  Each piece of news you send out should have a brief cover note written to that editor or producer, helping them understand how your news applies to their reader or viewer.  This approach to spreading news is always well received.

Perhaps your news doesn’t get used this time.  That’s OK.  You made an impression and will be a welcome guest in their mail box in future.  It’s clear you know what they write about, and that they are not just another email address on your (ugh) ‘media list’.  Remember, editors and writers save stuff for when they can use it.  So pick your target publications or TV/Radio programs, and go after them repeatedly over time with good information, well written, useful, helpful and of course … with your own personal touch.

Speaking of Thank You

Remember that thank you card?  Do you have any idea how many people don’t say thank you to the writer, editor, or producer who made a story happen?

When something editorial happens for you, or your salon, spa or product, for heaven’s sake … don’t forget to say thank you.  Believe it or not, you will be in the minority.  Acknowledgement done in a ‘special’ way, like that hand-written thank you note, separates you from the pack.  Time well spent.

Beyond a thank you note, what other editorial ‘thank you’ ideas have you used for someone who has gone the extra mile and done a story for you?

If you don’t get it ( [...]]]> Why Have Over a Million People Watched This Video on YouTube?

It was shot at the Sasquatch Music Festival this year.  Either you get it, or you don’t.  Either you will do something with it … or you won’t.  As always … the ball’s in your court.

If you don’t get it ( or you get it, but don’t do anything with it) … no problem, you’ll be fine anyway.

But, if you do get it, and really think about it, perhaps you’ll want to do something about it, like make it a brainstorming focal point at your next staff meeting.  How can you use what you see happening in the video and make it work for you and your salon or spa?

How can you joyously start something in your neighborhood … city … state … Industry … that others can join in on and take as much joy out of it as you do?  It doesn’t have to have anything to do with beauty, style, or fashion.

A few of our observations:

• People are looking for inspiration and a passionate leader.
• You need to do what you do passionately and have fun at it.
• You need to make sure as many people as you can muster see you doing it.
• Trust that if you keep doing it long enough, and passionately enough, people will join you.
• Only a few join at first … Just keep doing it.
• Suddenly, a tipping point … and what do you know … a movement is born.

Leave a Comment!

What Other Lessons Learned Can You Share?

Related Posts

Getting Passionate About Your Industry

Consistency Counts

Is Your Salon/Spa Beloved in Your Community?

Susan Boyle: Why the Biggest Youtube Sensation Ever?