Intro: Do you feel like you were meant to have a kick-ass career as a hairstylist, like you got into this industry to make big things happen? Maybe you’re struggling to build a solid base and want some stability. Maybe you know social media is important, but it feels like a waste of time because you weren’t seeing any results. Maybe you’ve already had some amazing success but are craving more. Maybe you’re ready to truly enjoy the freedom and flexibility this industry has to offer. Cutting and coloring skills will only get you so far, but to build a lifelong career as a wealthy stylist, it takes business skills and a serious marketing strategy. When you’re ready to quit just working in your business and start working on it, join us here where we share real success stories from real stylists. I’m Britt Seva, social media and marketing strategist just for hairstylists, and this is the Thriving Stylist podcast.
Britt Seva:
What is up? And welcome back to the Thriving Stylist podcast. I’m your host, Britt Seva. And today I am going to share a little insight into one of the concepts I learned at the most recent Mastermind retreat that I attended. So you may or may not know this, but I’ve been a part of, I don’t know, six or seven Masterminds over the past nine years. And the reason why I joined Masterminds, in addition to doing online courses and reading books, listening to podcasts and all these things, is generally when you go into a high level event or experience, the host of that event is able to pull in resources and speakers that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. It’s also what I always try and do when I coordinate live events. And this last Mastermind I attended had some of the best, if not the best, speakers and presentations I’ve ever gotten to experience in a Mastermind.
So over the years, I’ve started to get really clear on what I do and don’t need from these high level education rooms. And one of the things that for me, I’ve noticed is that I’m a very tactical strategic learner. So some people go to Masterminds for emotional support or because they feel like the people in the room really know their business really well and the longevity is there. I have found I don’t need that. Sometimes that’s nice, of course, but I have other business relationships for that. The reason I go to Masterminds is for the tactical, highly strategic, on the pulse, modern, breaking business news that I would not find anywhere else. And this last in-person experience did not disappoint. So we had two days, a very tactical education. A lot of it was talking about the future of social media, trends that are working in marketing right now. It was a very marketing focused Mastermind.
And there was one concept that came up that I really felt like would resonate with you all. There was several that I’ll bring to you at some point, but this one I was like, “Oh, I feel like I should be talking about this now because it’s so relevant to stylists and salon owners.” I released this concept at my last Thriving Stylist Tour stop, which was in Chicago. It was absolutely incredible. And I think the room got some really great value from it. So I wanted to bring it to the podcast as well. Something you’ve likely noticed is that the impact of social media marketing apps like Instagram has really changed. And the other thing that I’m hearing coast to coast is that stylists are finding its become more challenging to both attract and retain clients than it was in years past.
Do you remember, go back and listen to podcasts from 2020, 2021, 2022, I kept saying this phrase and it was, “The train is leaving the station. It’s going to start getting harder. Seize the day now. Make the most of your business now because it’s going to get harder.” And everyone was like, “Yeah, whatever.” And now we’re in it. So the train left the station, I cannot make the train come back. But what I can do is show you how to adapt forward to today’s changing marketing landscape. So here’s where I’m starting at this place and space. We’re at a crossroads, not just in our industry, but in small business in general. You cannot keep doing what you had been doing in marketing and expect to grow forward. You can’t be complacent. You can’t just hit pause. You can’t do your best. You will die on the vine taking that approach.
It is a seize the day kind of season in small business in general, and I want you to seize it. The reason why I’m talking about this concept is because it opened my eyes to how much is being left on the table by all of us in all of our marketing efforts. So when it comes to growing fast in today’s economy, whenever I hear somebody who’s a marketing expert or an economist, what they say is, “Cast the wide net.” So it’s not to say don’t stay within your target market or don’t stay within your niche. You want to do that. But what I’ve learned is for most of us, we are scratching the surface when it comes to reaching our niche. And I learned in my last Mastermind exactly what that means and what that looks like, and I’m going to share that with you today.
So I didn’t know the source of this presentation when I first saw it, but I have found it in the months after. So there is a book by Eugene Schwartz called Breakthrough Advertising. And in it he uncovers the five stages of customer awareness. When I tell you that I took feverish notes when I heard about this concept, I’m not lying. So the idea is that any customer today, a consumer who either is a part of your business or could potentially be one day, is at a different stage of awareness about you. And the more we as stylists and salon owners can be hitting people at each of these stages of business awareness with our marketing, with our messaging, with the way we position ourselves, the faster we will grow. So I’m going to uncover all five of the stages over this episode today and then tell you how to attack each in all of your marketing forward.
So the first stage of awareness is called the unaware stage. These consumers, or I’m going to call them potential clients, okay, go with me on this. These potential clients know they have challenges but aren’t yet seeking solutions. They’ve accepted that their challenges are the reality. They don’t know you exist at all. They aren’t ready to pay for solutions. They often aren’t even aware their challenge has a solution. So let me give you an example. Have you ever been behind somebody in the grocery store and you happen to look up and they have completely tragic highlights. And their hair is dry and it’s brittle and it looks like there’s breakage and they have a hot root and it just looks bad. You and I can both bet that that client has been seeing the same stylist for a decade. And maybe they know their hair is dry, maybe they know it could be better, but they’re not looking for somebody new. And that client irritates us sometimes because we stand behind them in the grocery checkout line and we say, “Oh my gosh, how could you let somebody do that to you?”
It’s because this person is unaware. They know that maybe things aren’t perfect, but they aren’t looking to pay for new solutions. They aren’t even thinking, oh, maybe there’s somebody who could do my hair better. It’s not even on their radar. It’s not even in their thought process. So when we talk about blissfully unaware, it’s this person. Here’s another example of somebody who’s unaware. Maybe there’s somebody whose hair is, they’re struggling to style it. They just cannot make it look good. It always looks a little bit unkempt. You can just tell, “Oh man, did you not have time today? Or do you not know what you’re doing?”
Some people have just decided their hair is too hard to style. My hair is just impossible. My stylist seems to be able to do it, but I can’t. We both know that with the right products, the right techniques, the right understanding of somebody’s texture, the right understanding of where their parts should be, their cowlicks, all these things, if somebody just knew how to manage all those things, everybody could walk around looking completely confident with their hair. But so many people have just accepted the fact that my hair is unmanageable. It just is what it is. Also unaware. So I’m going to bet the majority of your potential clients are completely unaware of their challenges or the fact that you may be a great stylist for them.
Then we have stage number two, which is called pain aware. So clients who are pain aware are very well aware that they have challenges. They’re curious about what solutions could exist. They definitely don’t know that you exist and they are not ready to pay. So they’re almost like arms wide open like, “Okay, I’ve got this hair that I can’t style. I am certain somebody could help me. I am not willing to open up my checkbook. I’m not aggressively looking for anybody, but please, out there, there’s got to be somebody who I can relate to.”
That would be somebody who is pain aware. Or maybe it’s somebody who’s been getting a barbering cut and they’ve been seeing the same stylist for 25 years and they know it doesn’t look great and their barber is about to retire, and they’re like, “Okay, I’ve not been getting good cuts. My barber’s about to leave. I need to find somebody who might be able to help me here.” They’re just curious about what relief could look like. Then we have the client who is pain aware. They know they have challenges. They’re curious about what solutions could exist. They don’t know that you exist at all. They don’t know you as a stylist, they don’t know your salon, and they’re not ready to pay. So maybe it’s a client who’s been getting a barbering cut and it’s never looked great. The person that they’re seeing doesn’t seem to care.
They kind of go through the motions. They’re not lined up nicely in the front. The cut’s out there. It’s not balanced. But it’s quick and it’s predictable, and they’ve been seeing this barber for years. They’re thinking to themselves, okay, listen, I’m ready to take some pride in my appearance and I know that the way I look right now is not great and I’m wondering if there might be other barbers in my market who might be able to help me more. They’re not even ready to pay. They’re not even ready to make the leap from the barber they’re seeing who’s giving them the bad cuts, but they know something’s off. Maybe they’re just now dating or they started a new job and they’re like, “Okay, I need to get this haircut right and tight because it’s not looking that great.” Okay, that’s somebody who’s pain aware.
Okay, then we’ve got somebody who’s solution aware. They know they have challenges, just like the person who is pain aware. The difference is they also know that solutions exist. It’s not a question of can somebody do this better? They know somebody can do this better. They don’t know you still, we’re still at the phase of these people don’t know you. They could be ready to pay for the right solution and they’re looking for the best options and value for solutions to their challenges. So maybe they’ve had enough, maybe they haven’t seen a stylist for a while and they’re like, “Oh, I’m just over it. I’m tired of my hair not being healthy. I’m tired of it not looking right. It is time for me to find somebody new.”
Then we have the product aware client. The product aware client, again, knows you exist and is considering you to solve their challenges. They’re ready to pay and it’s your job to show them that you are clearly the best person to solve their challenges. They are right there on the edge. They’re irritated with where they’re at, they want to pull the trigger with you, but they’ve not done so yet for whatever reason. Then the last stage of awareness is called most aware. So the last one was product aware, this is most aware. Most aware, they are well aware of who you are and what you do. They know exactly what you have going on. They want to be a part of your business, but again, have not pulled the trigger. Your number one priority is to overcome their objections. So they’re not at the phase that the product aware person is, the product aware person likes you, follows you, but is also following a couple other people and is weighing their options.
The most aware person has their heart set on you, but some things are in the way. And often when we think of what the objections are, almost always we’re like, “Oh, it’s because we’re too expensive.” How many of you have bought things that you can’t afford? All of us have. I mean, let’s be totally honest. Every time we walk out of a coffee shop carrying a $7 latte, we’ve bought something that is really ridiculously overpriced. So the idea that money is the main reason why people don’t pull a trigger. If you talk to any marketing executive or economist, they’ll tell you that’s reason number three or four for people. But that’s not usually it. Sometimes it’s intimidation, sometimes it’s location, sometimes it’s schedule and availability, but there’s something else that’s getting in the way from that most aware person from going over the edge.
So what I want you to do is think to yourself of all of the stages of awareness I just mentioned, what do you think you market to the most often? The unaware, the pain aware, the solution aware, the product aware or the most aware? I’ll tell you where I think you live. I think that the majority of our industry on social media is constantly posting to those who are product aware and most aware. You’re posting to your existing followers. You’re like, “Oh, they already know me. They just want to see more of my haircuts. They already know me. They want to see this extension application. They already know me and they just want me to entertain them. I’m going to show them about the fun margarita night we had last night on my Instagram stories.”
Let me tell you something. The pain aware person has no interest in seeing that. But maybe the most aware person does. Maybe they’re looking for somebody who they can talk about great margaritas with. I have no idea. But I want you to think about your content and who you believe you are speaking to with every post that you make. Now, I do think there’s a good chunk of people listening to this podcast who also market to the solution aware. So remember the solution aware knows they have challenges, knows solutions exist. They don’t know you exist yet, but they’re actively looking. And you’re hoping that they choose you out of the others available to be chosen, correct?
So I think the majority of stylists and salon owners in our industry are focusing their efforts on solution, product and most aware. That leaves another 40% of the marketable pool untouched. Imagine if you could increase your revenue by 40% just by extending your marketing message a little tiny bit. When I learned these stages, it really made me realize, holy moly, there is a whole section of people looking for me who I’m not speaking to just yet. And my hope is that by the end of this episode, you start thinking about where you can reach out further.
So let’s go further down, go backwards, and let’s talk about those who are pain aware and unaware. I think it’s a real opportunity for everybody listening. So who are the clients who are pain aware and unaware? They live in your community but are not yet actively seeking solutions and do not know who you are. So it’s the woman in the grocery store who you look up and her hair doesn’t look great. She doesn’t have great highlights. It looks dry, it looks damaged. She doesn’t realize that a stylist is standing behind her and she doesn’t realize that solutions to her problem are right around the corner. Literally, you could change her life probably in one visit. How do you attract the, honestly, for most of you, hundreds of thousands, if not tens of thousands, of clients who are pain aware and unaware that you could deeply serve in your community?
You need to be seen as relatable. So that’s the interesting thing. So there was a time, it was 2015, 2016, when celebrity stylist status reigned supreme. It was like, what stylist is the fanciest? Who drives the fanciest car? Who has the biggest social media following? That was the name of the game. The client who’s pain aware and unaware is generally very intimidated by that. That’s not what they’re looking for. If they were looking for that, they would’ve already found you. So they’re looking for you to be relatable. You need to talk openly about problems to validate their thoughts and feelings. If there is one thing I think that stylists and salon owners are not doing enough of on social media, it’s talking about problems and solutions. Talk about problems. It makes you seem educated. It makes you seem relatable. It makes it seem like clients can approach you without being judged. If you want to attract all of these clients, that is the fastest, easiest way to do so.
Then we have the solution aware consumer. The solution aware client is living in your community and are actively seeking the services you offer. Like I said, my guess is that quite a few of you are looking to reach this person right now. You need to be seen as an expert and an authority. You need to share solutions to their problem. So again, it’s kind of the same as the last person we were trying to attract, solutions to problems. And also give quick wins. So tips, tricks, tutorials. And you can do these things in captions, you can do them in photo, you can certainly do them in video, but it doesn’t have to be overly complicated. A little micro learning of, “Oh, that’s how you use a flat iron.”
The littlest, teeniest, weeniest things give you credibility and build trust in your market. So think about what you can post on social that’s going to position you as an expert and an authority. And you probably are already posting some of that content. But leaning into the solutions to problems and giving the quick wins. Now then we have those who are product aware. Listen up. This is friends or family of clients. Those who work or live close to your salon and hear about you or see your space fairly frequently. Local or other businesses who walk by you to get to their place, those who drive by your salon commuting into work, family, friends, teachers of your kids. People who know who you are and what you do, but have not pulled the trigger yet. They’re product aware. They know that you could potentially be a solution to them, and they also may have problems. You need to stand out as different and special. You need to push them to make the leap.
The vast majority of people have somebody they trust with their hair at this point. You need to show them that they should take a leap of faith, consider leaving that person and give you a shot instead. You need to make them feel understood. We’ve talked a lot just in these last few minutes about solutions to problems, vulnerabilities, seeming approachable. Even more so important for the product aware person. They’re right there on the edge. They’re curious about you, but they’ve not pulled the trigger. They need to feel a connection to you through similar interests or values. This is why there’s some stylists who are posting about the books they’re reading, the shows they’re watching. And seeing massive impact in their business by doing that because they’re being seen as relatable.
Then we have those who are most aware. Who is most aware of you, but not yet a part of your clientele? You know this answer. Your social media followers. There is not a single person listening to this podcast who does not have more social media followers than clients. And if you don’t have more social media followers than clients, then you’ve been playing a really soft social media game. Most of you should have more people following you than clients who are a part of your business.
So when you say, “I do, Britt, but a lot of those people are stylists.” Okay, they’re aware of you. So why are they following you? Do they admire you? Are they hoping to work with you one day? Are they hoping that you could be a part of their next venture? What is the point and purpose? But I’m certain that for all of you, you have a handful of people in your community, maybe former clients, maybe people who have never been a part of your business but have heard about you, who are following you on social and have yet to come in and work with you or haven’t seen you in a year or more.
You have to overcome their objections. And this is also a great tip, this little section for lost clients. Meaning those who used to be a part of your business and no longer are. Overcome their objections. Like I talked about a few minutes ago, money is probably third or fourth on their list. There’s something else. Could be that your experience has waned over time. Could be that they don’t like the way you do consultations. Could be that they don’t like what you talk about. Could be that you talk too much. Could be that you don’t talk enough. Could be the way you dress. I mean, it literally could be anything. But in order to convince people to shift back to you, you have to overcome whatever it is that’s keeping them out of your chair. Creating one-to-one connection is a huge way to do that.
Again, making people feel seen and heard. I was telling somebody recently, they were asking me about email marketing and I said, “Scrap the email marketing.” If you are going to spend an hour a month writing a newsletter, I’d rather you spend an hour a month going one-to-one DMing people. It’s such a stronger strategy, honestly. So one-to-one connection. And then again, creating opportunities for them to make the leap of faith. And that doesn’t mean discounts or coupons, but if there’s somebody who you know has been watching you for a while, they’ve been liking their photos, shoot them a DM and be like, “Hey, listen, I know you’ve been thinking about coming in to see me for services. I have time for a consultation this coming Thursday at 5:00 PM. Does that work for you?” Nine times out of 10, they’re going to say, no. That’s okay. You’ve created a connection point. Say, “No worries. I totally understand. Would you like to look at other times for a complimentary consultation?” Use it as an entry point to have the conversation.
So when we look at what we need to be showing on social media to hit all of these points collectively, it’s going to be posts that overcome objections, posts that create connection, posts that create opportunity, posts that help you stand out as different and special, posts that make your followers feel understood, posts that add connection to you through similar interests or values, posts that make you seem as an expert or an authority, posts that give solutions to problems, posts that give quick wins, posts that make you seem relatable, posts where you talk openly about problems to validate their thoughts and their feelings. Notice I never said posts about beautiful hair. It doesn’t mean you don’t show those things, but it should be the minority of what I’m looking at if I’m looking at your Google reviews, if I’m looking you up on social media, if I’m looking at your website.
If you do good hair, trust me, it’ll show. If only 15% or 20% of the photos I see from you show good hair, that’s enough. Today’s consumer is not the same consumer as the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 consumer. They’re different. What they’re looking for is different. I was listening to a podcast from Gary Vaynerchuk recently and he was taking questions, it was a fireside chat or something and somebody said, “How do I stand out on social media?” And he answered so quick, he was like, “You don’t.” He said, “Instagram has become almost futile.” Impossible, I think, is the word he used. He was like, “It is impossible.”
And the reason why he said that is because that app used to be built so that the more followers you had, the more reach you had. And it was almost like you could become an Instagram celebrity. It hasn’t run that way for a really long time, but a lot of people are still posting the content as if that’s how it worked. That’s not how it works. And that’s why when you see people who have sustained a lot of influence and a lot of impact and are still doing really well, they’re not posting that kind of content because it just doesn’t work anymore. Our industry’s got to catch up.
So what I want you to do is take a look at your last few posts and I want you to ask yourself, am I hitting those checkboxes? Am I overcoming objections? Am I solving problems? Am I just showing, “Hi, we are a nice salon that does good hair.” It’s simply not enough. I want you to think about all five of these levels of awareness and what might be left available for you to hit as you work on attracting more clients to your business. So much love, happy business building. And I’ll see you on the next one.
