The Secret Sauce for a Successful Sugaring Business... Its not Social Media

Welcome back to this episode of the Sugar Show. I am actually giggling because this episode was drummed up as I do a lot of my really great thinking in the shower, because I was thinking about some experiences that we've had inside the treatment room and also that I've been viewing on social media and listening to some of you students inside our app, and so I came up with this episode for the Sugar Show because it's really really important for you to know. So, if you are worried about what social media you should be working on right now, this is the anti-social media podcast. Well, not anti, but at least do that last before you do these other things first. So check it out. Welcome to the Sugar Show. I'm Shannon O'Brien, body-sugaring expert and licensed esthetician, who's taken my own skincare business from zero to multiple six figures and has helped over 3,000 students learn how to do the same. Now let me tell you it wasn't all that long ago that I lacked the time, budget and knowledge needed to grow my small business as a body-sugaring pro. If we were to press Rewind, you'd see the many failed attempts and lessons learned that have helped me build the profitable business that I have today, one that runs on its own and gives me the lifestyle and freedom that I only used to dream of. I created the Sugar Show to hand you my secrets and give you the simple, step-by-step strategies to help you do the same. So if you're a cosmetologist or esthetician or wax professional who's looking to fill your books, make more money in your business and enjoy greater balance between your work and home life, you are in the right place. Let's dive in. So hopefully I've piqued your interest about this topic. Let me just start by saying I don't think you shouldn't do social media. I just think that you should put it down a little farther on your list. So work with me for just a moment. I have been thinking a lot about the other things that estheticians in this time and place, that we have and everything is online, that we're forgetting about being in the treatment room and what it means to make a local clientele happen. So I see a lot of people that do socials that are super funny and they've spent a long time finding the latest trending audios or finding the latest funny thing to do. What more can we do? Which is really great, but a lot of us other estheticians just see it and not your local clientele. So I want you to put that down a little lower on your priority list and take your notes out, because this one is going to be really good to just do a true gut check on how you're doing in your business. So, if you are someone that really really is genuinely not filling your seats, your table, if you are an esthetician who saw really busy times and now they're starting to fade out, there's a few things that you should be doing before trying to freak out about social media, and let's take a look at those. So the very first thing, the very first and most important thing that I want you to be really asking yourself is whether or not your skills are up to par and your protocols are up to par. So let's break that down for just a minute. I had one of my customers come in and she had actually, before I met her, she had been sugaring somewhere else, and when she got sugared at our place by one of my staff, she contacted me afterwards and said oh my gosh, shan, I should have been coming to you guys a long time ago. It was such a different experience and I said how? So Her observation was that she was getting a lot of in groans and she just thought maybe it was her. Well, when my staff worked on her, she did a lot of pre-work and then sugared and then did a lot of post-care. And she said, shan, my girl doesn't do that much stuff. I kind of lay on the table, I drop my drawers and she gets to sugaring. I think she puts a little witch hazel on first. And that really sparked something in me to talk to you about, because I think what's happening is we're trying to cut corners and get faster, but we are really hurting ourselves with quality, so more and more people are coming on sugaring. As you know, before the message that I had to give out was you should stop waxing and you should start sugaring. Well, now people are getting that message because we've been hitting that home for a really long time, and so institutions are bringing on sugar. Well, the problem is they're not learning right from the first time, or maybe they learned right a really long time ago, but they're just trying to get some corners. And I'm promising you that if your skill set is not up and your protocols are not right, you are not going to get as good of results and these clients are going to look for somewhere else to go. So the number one thing that you should be doing right now is making sure that your skills are tight. So if you're brand new, you should be getting certified, not just learning on YouTube or letting a friend show you how, because there's theory and technique that we really hammer home when you're learning the right way and as well. Take a look at your protocol. Are you just kind of put a little witch hazel on and go into town? Or are you cleansing the skin? Are you using a drying powder? Are you taking a look at the skin health before you start to sugar? Are you using a paste that's gentle on the skin? Are you using a professional paste that's a big one? Are you using post care that will actually nourish and help the skin? What are you doing to make sure that those clients aren't getting in groans? Okay, because I promise you, once they start getting in groans, they'll think the sugar isn't right for me, and that's absolutely not true. It just means you need to take a look at what you're doing. Do you have the right home care to send home with them? Are you asking the right questions? And if you're not sure what those are, take a look at some previous episodes. Take a listen, because we talk about being a detective. We talk about what the proper pre and post care are. We're going to be learning more and more about ingredients in the upcoming episodes, so tune in and make sure that your skills and your protocol is dialed. If you need to take some of our advanced skills courses, you absolutely should. If you have a trainer in your area, look them up. Now is the time after summer to really ask yourself are my skills up to what they need to be? If they are and you're like I got this skills are on tap. I've been learning from you, sham. I've got the protocol dialed. Then you move on to number two, which is customer service. I know that sounds basic, but I really want you to be true to whether or not you're offering customer service. Not really great personality, but are you cutting corners in your treatment room? Is your room clean? Are you following up with your customers? So many people just sugar people and send them on their way out the door and they're not making that customer service connection with their people. So, if you think about it, how lovely would that be if your esthetician reached back out and said how are you doing? Is that serum working for your in groans? Or? Hey, I know you have a birthday coming up or a vacation coming up. I want to make sure that you're sugared. If your customer service is not five star, they're going to find someone else or they might think that sugaring isn't really all that great. But if your customer service is dialed, if you are offering extra things, does it smell amazing in your room? Is it relaxing to lay down and get sugared with you? What is setting you apart is the biggest thing. We're now all sugaring right, I get that and it's amazing. But if your customer service isn't a step ahead, the sugar pro down the street is going to be taking your business. They are because there's a lot more sugar pros now, which is amazing for me because I've been trying to spread the word so hard and I know that my colleagues have as well. But now that people are seeing that sugar is really the way, you have to set yourself even higher. So, using essential oils in your treatment room, slowing down with your clients what is your room sound like? What does it feel like? Is it cold in your room? Are you following up with those people? Set yourself apart for them to want to come back to you, for them to know you and experience you. That is number two. So get those skills up. Get your protocol styled. Make sure your room when you come into it, you would want to go there. So is it clean? Are your things picked up? Is your counter cluttered with a bunch of stuff? Would you want to come in and trust your parts, your gentle, sensitive facial skin? Would you want to trust that to you? Be honest with yourself. I think a lot of people say oh yeah, I'm really really good at what I do, but are you really? Get honest with yourself. And if you're not, and you're not doing those extra things, take a step back. Get yourself situated. Get your skills right. Get your protocol right. Get your customer service right. Reach out to those people and make sure that they know that you are in their corner. You're their partner. That was number two. Now you're going to have to start to do some planning for three, four and five. Planning is let me back out, planning is absolutely 5,000 percent the way that you're going to win in this business besides, of course, your skills and your amazing personality. But if you don't plan and aren't prepared for what's coming up and the months ahead, the weeks and months ahead, you'll be chasing your tail. You'll be trying to figure out oh gosh, what am I supposed to do for the holidays? Oh my gosh, I'm noticing that my books are slow. Now what do I do? You should know your books are going to get slower as the holiday season and January hits. You should be planning for January already. If you're listening to this in July, you should be already planning for the summer and what you're going to the end of summer and what you're going to retail for back to school. So get a planning. Every single month you should be planning. So one of the great things that you can be doing is local marketing and referrals. So be really mindful of the fact that your clients want to tell their friends about the amazing service that they have. Your clients absolutely want to show off their smooth underarms. Or, if you're listening to this in the summer, maybe they're laying by the pool and they're like oh my gosh, I love my sugar girl. She's amazing, I love my sugar guy. The key is to understand that, if you are providing great customer service and you are spending a moment with them, to get to understand them and to ask them for referrals. Your client can easily send you five more people. At the very least they can send you one other person. At the very least they can send you their partner, their kids, to get their eyebrows done. There's at least one or two people that they know, let alone 10. So get your referral program tight and your local marketing tight before you go worrying about what everybody else is doing on social media, that is, boots on the ground, making it happen in your community, because the people in your community are the ones on your table. Don't worry about the people in Florida if you live in California. Don't worry about people in Texas and what they're doing. You might get some cool ideas for how their room set up or maybe just the experience that they have. It might be fun for you for socials when you're ready for them, but right now you need to be locally marketing and you need to be really making sure that you're asking for referrals. Make that referral card, ask for referrals, and we talk about all of this inside your live business coaching. So, side note, for any of you that are like, okay, yeah, I got to get my stuff together. I got to get my act together for 2024. We have you covered, because this is the time to plan for 2024. You absolutely should be planning your local marketing. You should be getting out and reaching out to people. Summer has calmed down. All the kids are back to school right before the holidays. Making sure that you're acknowledging your great clients with Gratitude Month, making sure that over the holidays you really have it just delicious inside your treatment room. So they have something to think about for January and February as well. But the key is to get your boots on the ground and meet with your people and the people around you. Which leads me to number four, which is collaborations. Okay, I know that some of you are a little bit more of introvert introverts and you're like, oh, collaborations. Maybe you don't even know anyone in your town, maybe you just kind of like being inside your treatment room and you're really not someone who reaches out. Get out of that, get out of that bubble, get out of that shell that you have. You might be an introvert in general, but you have got to be an extrovert. Business Doesn't mean you have to have a big bowl personality, like myself, but it does mean that you need to start reaching out. So, as it relates to collaborations, I want you to think about a few things. The people that are immediately around your business, they can all be sugared. So if there is a real estate office next door to you, or even a restaurant, those people have office workers and they have wait staff. Those people all talk. Those people should all be sugared by you. Instant clientele right around you, okay. No social media, that's necessary. Just get in touch with those people right around you. You get me 10 new clients right there, okay, but not only do I want you to get out and really work with your local Businesses. They're right in your area, which a great way to do that is by joining your Chamber of Commerce. Go to those mixers Okay, listen, everyone at that mixer. Number one needs to be sugared Okay, even the guys need their unibrow's done or their backs done or their fuzzy ears done. And number two, it's the best icebreaker ever. If you're at a party and you're talking about how you're, you sugar and the name of your business, people are like what is that? I guarantee you, if this hasn't happened to you already. You're talking at a party and you're talking about sugar and oh yeah, I see who has all day long, or I'm really good at underarms or really good at eyebrows or that's for a fuzzy lip People start to overhear you and they are going to want to pay attention and start saying, okay, wait, what do you do? It's a fascinating job that we have. Everyone wants to hear about it. So make sure that you're paying attention to the things that are coming up in your community. Go to those Chamber mixers usually like 200 bucks a year to be a part of your Chamber. Check out your Chamber and I'm promising you those people all work near you and they want to work with you as well. They want to have someone to refer you to check out your local spray tanners. They are this is our exact clientele, right? These people are going to get spray tan. They need to be smooth for that spray tan Partner with a spray tanner. In fact, I'm going by the time you hear this, actually I'm headed out there in two weeks to the slay the spray conference with Kelly Callahan and her whole team, and we are Educating spray tanners about how to work with all of you. So there will be spray tanners in your area that are going to come back and start to try to get in touch with you because I Am telling them to have partnerships with you. Okay, reach out of that comfort zone and Bring people to you by partnering up with other people. So how do you do that? A few ways. You can go join up and have a ladies night. Maybe your place is too small and you need to have it at one of their locations. That's fine. You can demo sugar at a table. What about any sort of women's event or an education workshop? If someone is doing, maybe, budgeting for women or Any sort of women's conference, it could be men too. Do not discount the men. Those guys are loyal. You know. You don't have to do Brazilians or manzillians or bros, zillions or whatever you call them. You don't have to only do that in order to go to a men's event. Right, those guys want their noses done, their their booty, cheeks done. They're the you know crazy hairy backs. They're fuzzy ears. They want all that handled and they don't know how to ask. If you go to a men's event, you will be guaranteed people walk up. Be like what are you doing? You hold that little ball of lemon, sugar and water in your hand. Guaranteed they're coming back to listen. All right, so you're gonna join that chamber. You're gonna start to do some collaborations and Let me tell you that teaming up With other businesses in your community does so many things for you. Number one, it's immediate clientele with those people that are at that business. Number two, it actually will increase your client satisfaction because those people, for example, they're getting spray tan. How great will it be that their spray tanner can refer those folks to you who have increased your skills and you've increased your protocols and you've increased your customer service by the time you do that. So your Reputation is going to increase. Your visibility will increase. You will get to be on the local map by people of knowing who you are because they met you through their spray tanner. You met that. You met them through, maybe, that your hairstylist. You get your hairstylist to start referring people. Do you see how that works? So when I'm sitting and getting my hair cut, it would be lovely if my hairstylist was like oh my gosh, I just had the greatest massage from the lady that's two doors down. Especially you solar salon folks, if you are in a solo salon, you should absolutely be working on services with others, absolutely and honestly. If you are not trading with those folks, then you're missing out on a really great opportunity. So have your hair your own hairstylist, start referring people to you. Have your dentist, refer people to you. Have sugar your dentist, sugar your doctor. Okay, those people will say, oh yeah, I get sugar. Oh yeah, sugar, mama, sugar is me, and that's how they get to know me, how they get to know my staff and why you don't see a lot of me on social media, because our books are filled, because we work hard at the local level to make sure that people absolutely know who we are, what we do. They love coming into CS and the results that they get are five star. That's how we get great reviews and it just just like snowballs, okay. So a few ways that you can do that. How to start? Number one I want you to think about the people in your area that are rock stars. So if you know there's a really popular hairstylist in your area or you know there's a really popular we talked about spray tanners spray tanner in your area check their reviews, ask around for referrals, see if those people are actually really good at what they do, especially if you're new to an area and really try to find the closest business easy for you that are in Solacellans, but try to find the closest business to you that can. You can really refer. So you don't want someone driving all the way across town to get their spray tan and then having to come all the way across town for for your services as well. So really really work hard on being strategic about what you would want if you were getting a service, okay. So, number two I want you to get out of your comfort zone. Don't be shy. Reach out. These people want to work with you. Get a service from them, get to know them, share your thoughts, make those connections. Go get your hair done by somebody new that you hear is really really popular. Tell that girl what you do, tell that guy what you do. I'm promising you they will send people your way. Number three trade it out. Okay, you want your people to look their best by having perfect eyebrows, by having freshly sugared arms, so that they can talk to their customers about it. So make sure that the people that you sugar, that are spreading the word, look their absolute best and you look your best. So I want to make sure that I'm nice and sprayed in just a light way. I'm very fair and so if I look sprayed, my clients notice it and they go. It's December, you look really glowy and healthy and I'm like, oh yeah, I get spray tan. I go in once a month and just get a little light dusting. I'm promising you clients will go to them and then when they get sprayed by them, they're going to come in to see you to get their smooth Promise. You, number four, I want you to get learn, to learn and educate, so not only learn about the other services that people do. Do you know what a balayage is? Do you know what contouring spray tans are? I want you to be able to explain their services and be really, really clear on helping them to explain what sugar is. Make it super simple. Use that carrot analogy. Let them know a couple of ingredients that are really great for the skin and give them a couple of key things they can talk about. It hurts less, there's less in groans, things like that so that they can market. You collab your heart out, whether it's physical signage, the events we talked about. Maybe you hand out coupons or handouts at either of your business or maybe you have bundles together. You know, get your hair cut, come get a sugar, do a brown sugar treatment where you get sugar and then you go in and get tan. Think about ways that you can work together to get your businesses both on the map and make it easy for your clients to book with them and with you. So you both have websites which you should make sure that you are utilizing those websites for them to easily book appointments. Get your link on someone else's website in return for that you doing the same for them, okay, so if you are wondering about joining forces, we have the same clients. These are six different ways that you can get together on that and make this happen for your clients. Okay, now don't get me wrong. Socials is really key to your business. Having a really nice social presence is really great for your business, and I absolutely agree with all of those folks. If you haven't listened to Grant Conscious's episode that we just last did I think it's last week I'll put the link in the bio, but Grant Conscious has an entire digital episode for us which when you listen to it, you're gonna hear about having you wanna have your website tight. So when we talk socials, don't forget your website, right? If your website isn't tight and you're linking bio or just meh and they don't really send people anywhere. You're gonna lose those people, doesn't matter how pretty or funny your socials are. Number two do you have a Google my Business? If you do not know what your Google my Business is, listen to Grant's episode and look yourself up. If your Google my Business is not up to date and you have no reviews, the algorithms are looking for you. Okay, number one, tighten your website. Number two get that Google my Business. Now, after all of those things have been done, you've gotten your skills right. You've gotten your protocols right. You've gotten your customer service. You're maybe sending out postcards. You're having customer appreciation nights, whatever that is. It smells good in your room. It feels good in your room. You have a beautiful product line. You're locally marketing. You're doing referrals. You're putting together collaborations. You've got your website dialed. You've got your Google my Business. You have 35 reviews that are great, with links and pictures, and all of that. After all of those things are done, then, first of all, if you're not slammed busy by then, then we need to talk about your business, but and maybe you need to get on with some business coaching, because by then you should be slammed so much that you can only really do a little bit of social work, okay, but absolutely work on your socials. Make sure that your Instagram and your Facebook looks really nice. Use your Facebook, get a group for your people so that you can be reaching out to your clients, letting them know of new products that have come in. You can do an Instagram broadcast let them know of new things that have come in. Keep communicating with those folks part of that customer service and really work on all of those other things first, before you worry about your social media. Now, when we do our planning, we plan out our social media posts. And planning out social media posts can literally be you spend one day a month, you record everything and you just schedule it in the calendar. It can be as easy as that. So social should not be your number one, okay, I? It's funny. I was talking to a veteran aesthetician just a couple of months ago and she said Shannon, I'm kind of losing clients and I don't get it because I'm doing the same stuff and I don't get why I'm losing these clients. And I said Susie, I said, are you burnt out? Yeah, I really am. I'm just so tired. But you know I do the same thing, so they shouldn't be leaving me, and I can promise you that if you are not working smarter, but you're working harder and you're finding yourself burnt out, you need to take a step back and start with the basics. Start with number one work on your skills and your protocols and your customer service to yourself and to your current clients, because I can guarantee you, if you are burnt out you've been doing this for a while. You're tired of sugaring all of these people. Whatever your problem is, it will infuse you with a new sense of purpose to take a step out of your business, even if you need to do this planning, you know, sitting in the library or sitting in a beautiful location and just checking your brain out and really restructuring your business for 2024. And beyond, if you're listening to this in 2024, structure your business for the next quarter right. If you take a step back and you realize that you're tired, it's because you're grinding at the wrong things, and if you're grinding at social media and still not seeing results, it's because you haven't done the first four things on the list. Okay, so replay this episode if you need. This is the stuff, folks. If you are not doing well in your business, it's because the first four things are probably realistically not strong in your business. If you need any help, we are here for you live, every month. I'm happy to coach you through whatever you need. We can do hot seats where you sit with us and say this is what's going on in my business and we can all help you. This tribe of people in this inner sugar community are so loving and helpful and really you've picked the right skill and you just need to pick the right path. So I adore you all. I hope you have a fabulously sweet couple of weeks until you hear the next episode and again, if you have any questions, feel free to message us and I am happy to help. If you are inside of our Sugar Tribe app, feel free to ask those questions in there. I know it feels like a little bit of a safer space to ask inside an app instead of Facebook or Instagram, and we just want you to do well. So have a fabulously sweet couple of weeks and I'll see you very, very soon. Cheers the man 좋아요 calling us Elks. Challenge on the.