As previously mentioned in Part 1 of this series, virtual lessons are an excellent way to keep business and cash flow coming through your spa while your doors are closed. One service that I began to offer was virtual lessons for my clients on eyebrow shaping, but it can also be applied to skin care services. If you currently sell skin care, this is a great way to keep your product sales coming in.
Benefits of Virtual Services
There are many products intended for at-home use that you can be recommending and selling to your customers. RefectoCil offers extremely easy to use brow styling strips that are the perfect tool for customers to use in the interim at home. If they use them earlier rather than later, they can still see the line from your last eyebrow shaping and keep up in between services. They may also want a good pair of tweezers and scissors to use between now and their next visit.
As I previously mentioned in Part 1 of this series, being there for your clients in this time of crisis will make them more loyal to you once your doors are back open. Don't be afraid that teaching them these tips and tricks will keep them from coming back to you; they will keep coming to you for services once your doors are back open.
Steps to Your Virtual Eyebrow Lesson
After putting together a structure where you have outlined what your customized one-on-one lesson will consist of, you will want to reach out to your customers.
Caring for our clients is caring for their well-being first and foremost. All dialogue should start as a wellness check. It is important to let your customers know that you are concerned for their welfare and are there for them. During this conversation, you can open yourself up to further communication by phone to catch up and hear how they and their loved ones are doing.
I went a step further and let my people know that if they have already been or find they are effected in the future by economic hardship that I want to be there for them. I told them that they can discuss this with me, and I will offer them a complimentary service when we are able to open our person-to-person services again. It is important to let our customers know that this is a two-sided relationship. If you are there for them when they are in need, they will be there for you when you are. In all actuality, they have been there for you by supporting your business from the time of their first visit.
After you connect with them on a personal level you can do the following to perform the sale and virtual eyebrow lesson with the following steps:
Step 1. Have your lesson outline prepared. Include step-by-step directions and any reading material or visuals you will want your customers to read or view before the video lesson.
Step 2. Have your fee structure in place and estimated time for the video conference. I am finding the lessons take about three times the amount of time it would take to perform the service on them in your establishment. As such, you can charge two to three times your normal service amount for the lesson.
Step 3. Let your customer know that you are offering a virtual lesson to assist them in touching up their service between their last visit and when they will be able to see you next. Follow up by giving them an outline of the process as well as timing needed and cost involved.
Step 4. Charge your customer electronically with any POS option you may have access to. I personally have used Square, as it allows me to send an invoice over e-mail and they can pay from the comfort of their own home. The money gets deposited directly into your bank account.
Step 5. I have used brow styling strips with each lesson, which I included in the price of my lesson. They are individual, at-home eyebrow waxing strips. Each one offers a one time use. An individual one-time set can be mailed in a regular envelope with one stamp from the comfort of your own home.
Step 6. Once the service has been paid for, you will mail your customers the necessary tools. They will need their own tweezers and scissors. If you do not have the supplies needed to distribute yourself, you can guide them as to how to order them online. Making recommendations for brands you know and prefer for quality.
Step 7. Set your appointment time with them by committing to whatever video chat you both have available. Make sure you have the details noted in your appointment details, as this will allow you to be organized when the video chat appointment time comes.
Step 8. Have fun connecting with your client over video. This is supposed to be informative and bring joy and connection for both practitioner and client.
Top 3 Tips to Provide Your Clients
Now that you know how to set up your virtual eyebrow shaping lesson, make sure you tell your clients about these tips and tricks to keep their brows looking perfect.
Tip #1: Always use ample/bright lighting. In order to be precise and not make mistakes, proper lighting should be a top priority. By making sure you can see what hairs should and should not be pulled is a key attributor to giving yourself the most ideal eyebrow shape.
Tip #2: Never tweeze or trim in a rush. Mistakes are made when we do anything faster than we should. Taking the necessary time to be methodical with our shaping will ensure a full and even brow shape.
Tip #3: Return every two weeks. Get a majority of your hair removal done every two weeks from the date of your last professional brow shaping and maintain every two weeks after. Stop tweezing or waxing at least two weeks prior to your next professional service,
These tips will allow the customer to follow the eyebrow shape you gave them previously. By letting the hair grow in before their next visit, the esthetician will have ample growth to work with in order to achieve that wow brow factor.
Leah Simon-Clarke is a licensed esthetician and consultant. In the 20 years Simon-Clarke has spent in the industry, her success has been driven by honing her skills in customer service, service innovation, marketing, and public relations. Find Simon-Clarke through Twitter @LeahSimonClarke or Linkedin by name.
