Introducing afro hair services in your salon

Thinking of introducing afro services to your menu? Charlotte Mensah, HJ's Afro Hairdresser of the Year in both 2014 and 2013 and owner of Hair Lounge in London, shares six tips for introducing these services in your salon. 1. Invest In Training Once you’ve decided who will become your afro experts in the salon (for example, whether it will be specific individuals or the entire team), invest in training. There is a wide variety of education available and brands such as Mizani offer options covering areas including relaxers and styling natural hair. The more quality education your team receives, the more confident they’ll feel and the better the results will be for your clients. 2. Promote Your Services Online Once your team is fully trained both in terms of technical and general knowledge, it’s time to let existing and potential clients know that you’re able to cater for their needs. Add information about your afro services to your website and shout about it on social media and on any relevant online directory profiles so that when customers are searching the web, your salon will be on their to-visit list. 3. Choose the Right Product Partner Just as you would for colour or extensions, when offering afro services it's important to choose the right product partner. This will help ensure that you not only achieve great results on your clients’ hair, but also that your team receives great support. Consider whether they offer good product training, whether the brand is well known by your target customer and if it has a solid reputation. The brand you choose will also have a reflection on your business. 4. Promote Your Services in The Salon As well as adding your new services to the in-salon menu, price lists etc, make sure you use imagery and posters to visually promote that your expertise extends to all curly hair textures. This could be displayed tastefully in your windows and strategically around the salon so that existing clients become aware and spread the word among friends and family. If you have a budget to produce your own imagery, this is ideal as it will reflect your brand identity. However, if this is not an option, ask your product partner if they have materials that you can use. 5. Host a Launch Event An event is another way to highlight your new offering. By demonstrating your afro skills on models or clients from the audience, customers will get to see your hairdressing expertise first hand. Offer special promotions and incentives for attendees on the night to encourage them to book in for future appointments. 6. Use PR To Promote Your Services To help spread the word further, use PR to promote your services to the media. A good PR will arrange for journalists and reputable bloggers to trial the treatments at your salon and if you impress, this could lead to powerful reviews which help to attract new clients. I’ve had women fly in from all around the world as a result of a feature they’ve seen on our salon in Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and on Grazia’s website for example. Once you secure the editorial, don’t hide it away. Frame it or display prominently in the salon for all to see.