It’s the last installment of the Side Hustle Series, in which I will talk about how selling your product is more than just a side hustle…..it’s unexpected customer service! Psst… You may be failiar iwth this term if you have been keeping up with our blog. 😉
Let me ask you a few questions:
When you go to the doctor, do you expect to leave with a prescription?
When you go to a restaurant do you expect the server to introduce you to a cocktail or wine that would complement your dinner?
When you have your hair colored and styled do you expect your stylist to show you what they used so that you can create the same look at home?
Your business should be a one stop shop.
I hope you can see where this is going. Pairing a product with a service is just unexpected customer service (read about it here). It is what you SHOULD be doing. Stop thinking that selling products to your client is a sales tactic because it is not. Instead, think if your business as a one stop shop. You are actually providing an amazing sense of convenience to your client. Not to mention, you are providing them with the products that both need and want.
“The combination of a product and a service is a product-service hybrid. For example, the iPod and iTunes were a famous example of this approach. Yet, they were complementary hybrids – it was possible to use an iPod without iTunes and vice-versa. This hybrid approach meant that Apple would be able to treat them as separate components of a product-service hybrid and manage them individually.” Click here to read the full article.
Don’t believe me? Here is another great article.
6 ways selling product as a side hustle helps your business:
I could not agree with more with the following…
1. You will retain more clients by retailing. Based on statistics, you will retain over 90% of your clients if they are purchasing 3 or more professional products from you. Clients who are not buying from you are 60% more likely to leave you.
2. Your clients want you to suggest professional products. For various reasons, including convenience and trust, clients want to know which products you styled their hair with, or which products you suggest would be right for them. After all, they look at you as the expert, the same way one looks at a doctor or lawyer.
3. It builds your credibility as a professional. If you educate your clients about professional products and make your clients feel better about themselves, you will be more to your clients than “an average stylist.” You build your reputation, credibility, and professionalism through “value added” services.
4. It enhances your work and will attract new clients. The better your clients look weeks after they have been to see you, the more they become “advertising” for you. Word of mouth advertising is the best way to attract new clients, but you have to have lasting results to gain that advertising.
5. It requires the least effort on your part to produce income. It is easy money for a virtually effortless sale. Most salespeople usually have gimmicks or hooks to sell their products. You have something more important and genuine: credibility. Who better to suggest a salon product than a licensed salon professional? In fact, most sales are made simply by offering a product.
6. Professional products are a tool just like a blow dryer or scissors. You can’t cut or blow dry in strength, moisture, or elasticity. Nor can you build a style without styling tools. The more you think of professional products as a way to solve your clients’ needs, the better your retail sales will become.
Here are some great ways to help you strategize how you will create interest for your offerings:
Display your products near your working space.
Have sample or sample products for clients to touch, smell, see:
Post on your social media:
Write a blog or vlog about the product Show an example of a great “product” blog post. Trend Addictions is a retail boutique located in New York and sells creative items for women, children, and the home. Their blog features staff product picks, freebies and giveaways, visual inspiration, DIY tutorials, and more:
Do a give-away or contest. Mind map for ideas:
Create an Etsy or Shopify Store:
I do hope you have read all four parts of our Side Hustle series. If you implement just a few ideas to help generate more revenue, I promise you will see your business grow. So those you still working at a job you hate and allowing your makeup career to become a hobby, READ THE SIDE HUSTLE SERIES….AGAIN, AGAIN and AGAIN until your hobby becomes your career. Cheers to fresh beginnings!
Next month we will be focusing on all thing SPOOKY for the month of October, you won’t want to miss it!
P.S. A BIG Congratulations to Fara Svoboda!!! She was chosen by random selection for our September giveaway! A representative from Multimedia Makeup Academy will be in contact shortly!! Fara will be receiving a package of goodies from the academy store!
