CONSULTANTS??? Do you use

[bronzecouture]

Just wondering, has anyone used a consultant? I need to revamp my pricing structure and teach us some sound marketing/sales tips to make it through this year. Has anyone used a consultant? If so, how were your results?

[bodyrej]

DITTO!!! ME TOO!!!

[DH]

I've gained an immense amount of information from those on this forum and hired a local business coach. He has nothing to do with the tanning industry.

I've used his services for two years and his knowledge is responsible for our exploding growth.

[Steve Underhill]

Originally Posted by bronzecouture

Just wondering, has anyone used a consultant? I need to revamp my pricing structure and teach us some sound marketing/sales tips to make it through this year. Has anyone used a consultant? If so, how were your results?

Sometimes a salon operator needs help. I have had the fortune of working with this operator. We changed how she operates her business in a number of areas. We implemented the changes March first. Certainly there is no way for sure to determine the increase in sales a salon may experience as a result of change and how well the changes are executed, however with this salon the increase in sales in 2013 over 2012 are as follows.
March 42% increase
April 60% increase
May 74% increase
June 160% increase
This shows clearly there is good reason to get help. Certainly these are unusual increases however I have never seen a salon not increase sales with appropriate changes. This is a great operator to work with and this is all made possible because of her willingness to change and fantastic efforts.

[JOHN @ URI]

2012 was down for most salons. So being up in 2013 is good but not great. How does that compare to 09, 10, 11?

% of increase isn't that impressive, what are the real $ numbers.

June 2012 = $150 in sales + 160% = $390 for June 2013, that 160% increase still sucks.

Now if you tell me they did $20,000 in June 2012 & now it's $52,000 that's impressive!

Also did a competitor open in 2012? Did a competitor close in 2012 or 2013?

[Steve Underhill]

Originally Posted by JOHN @ URI

2012 was down for most salons. So being up in 2013 is good but not great. How does that compare to 09, 10, 11?

% of increase isn't that impressive, what are the real $ numbers.

June 2012 = $150 in sales + 160% = $390 for June 2013, that 160% increase still sucks.

Now if you tell me they did $20,000 in June 2012 & now it's $52,000 that's impressive!

Also did a competitor open in 2012? Did a competitor close in 2012 or 2013?

John if a salon has been decreasing in sales year after year and makes some appropriate changes and that downward spiral stops and starts a substantial increase in sales it stands to reason that by executing those changes correctly the increase in sales will continue year after year.

Increasing sales is not a random achievement. By making smart decisions and changing where needed you show marketed improvement that is not caused by some random event.

That type of thinking is what drives salon owners to do nothing and hope for some random event to make things better.

Better things happen typically as a result of effort not wishful thinking.

I would venture to say that any salon owner would like to see a substantial increase in business no matter what happened in 2009 or 2010. You must focus on what is going to happen in 2013 and beyond. If you do nothing, nothing will change except you will continue to move in the direction you are currently moving.

You can't help those that are not willing to help themselves.
John, I know on some level you understand this.

[Steve Underhill]

Originally Posted by JOHN @ URI

2012 was down for most salons. So being up in 2013 is good but not great. How does that compare to 09, 10, 11?

% of increase isn't that impressive, what are the real $ numbers.

June 2012 = $150 in sales + 160% = $390 for June 2013, that 160% increase still sucks.

Now if you tell me they did $20,000 in June 2012 & now it's $52,000 that's impressive!

Also did a competitor open in 2012? Did a competitor close in 2012 or 2013?

2012 was down for salons that did nothing to increase sales. For those salon owners that get it, 2013 is up considerably.
Example I have a salon operator that does well, 2012 did $21K in june, and $34K in June of 2013 simply by restructuring his pricing. Before the price change was not showing increases.

[JOHN @ URI]

I'm not saying consultants don't work, but it would be nice to get the rest of the story. Like I said % doesn't = success.

[Steve Underhill]

Originally Posted by JOHN @ URI

I'm not saying consultants don't work, but it would be nice to get the rest of the story. Like I said % doesn't = success.

John, increasing sales does equal success compared to decreasing sales. There is success on many levels. As I said if you go from $10K to $16K or $20K to $30K it is still a successful effort to make changes that increase sales. I do not understand the thought that increasing sales no matter where you start from is not a successful effort, compared to doing nothing and having flat or declining sales.

[Vic2001]

How the **** you make 21k in june?!!!