2020 has brought no shortage of challenges for everyone. From business closures to the physical and emotional impact of COVID-19; everyone is certainly in a challenging business environment. As primary leaders within spas and businesses pivot, how can they build sustainable business practices that will guide them through the coming year and give sustainable results for years to come?

FOCUS ON CUSTOMERS

It is easy to get caught up in the daily media cycle of good and bad news, but how does the media help serve clients? Do the daily headlines help meet clients’ skin revision needs? Is it worth the time and energy to focus on the uncontrollable, or is the energy better used focusing on clients?

Skin care professionals are not alone in the current environment; their clients see and feel the effects of this year as much as them. How can skin care professionals create an environment away from the daily grind for clients to meet their physical skin revision and emotional stress reducing needs? Skin care professionals can do this by being ready to serve with the latest, most advanced, and evidence-based skin revision treatments available. Skin care professionals can serve clients better by educating themselves through advanced training, either online or in-person.

PRIORITY

Regardless, if skin care professionals can see clients in-clinic or if there is a pause on in-person appointments; they can still meet with clients through online consultations, phone calls, e-mails, and texts. Be flexible with communication and this will show clients that their skin care professional is here for them in a time of need. By providing virtual consultations and then shipping home prescriptives directly to clients, it reinforces health skin revision at home during this time.

By anticipating what the client’s needs are given the current and ongoing environment, skin care professionals will be communicating to clients that they matter. This refreshed focus on meeting their needs is one of the most sustainable things skin care professionals can do for them. By putting the client first, skin care professionals communicate that they matter, and who does not love being a priority?

COMMITMENT VERSUS ATTACHMENT

This all may sound too easy, but what if clients are not responding to these tactics? This is where skin care professionals need to make the choice to be the professional and stay committed to client’s needs first. Commit to the process and activities that support clients, but do not become attached to how they respond. Some will respond as they always have. Some could not care less that there are current promotions or holiday specials. Regardless of how a client responds, serving them as a professional is committing to the process of putting the client first.

A great example of being committed to the process is when a spa runs a promotion and e-mail, text, call, social media, and so forth, thereby letting all their clients know about it. Many clients will respond to the promotion, but there will be several that do not see the value in it. Perhaps they are just not able to take advantage of the special. Professionals should not take it personally that a client did not buy that package or promotion; one client is not a nicer client because they purchased it. Professionals are here to serve clients and make them aware of the benefits of doing business with the spa but not attached to the outcome if they choose otherwise.

In summary, looking to the future and knowing there will be changes in the business environment as there always has been – in order to build a sustainable business skin care professionals need to start first with focusing on their clients and not getting distracted with things out of their hands. Control the controllable and ignore the un-controllable. Additionally, build a sustainable business by being committed to the process of serving clients and not getting attached to how clients respond. By doing this, skin care professionals help take the emotion out of the how clients respond, and it allows them to use the energy to focus more on the things they can control. By focusing on customers and staying committed to the process of serving them, skin care professionals will build sustainable business today and for years to come.