Yesterday, I had an amazing experience with someone who truly, deeply understood her ideal client. In fact, she understands them so well, her entire business is built around serving their needs. Now you know I’ve been nagging encouraging you all to really understand your ideal client. It’s truly an evolutionary process, but once you get it, you get it.
This woman’s been practicing for 16 years, and she’s really nailed it. From the moment I met her until the moment I left, every detail was perfect.
Oh, did I mention that she’s my children’s hairdresser. (Snipedy-Do-Dah’s in Boca Raton) Let me tell you what made this experience so remarkable. (And consider how you could apply the same principles for your clients.)
- Parents (especially of young children) have a hard time committing to anything in advance. You just can’t predict how your kids will be at any given day or time. No problem, the salon only takes walk-ins. So you don’t have to worry about cancelling an appointment and they don’t have to worry about no-shows.
- Kids hate to wait. So they’ve installed a play area for kids, complete with tunnels, a slide, and gymnastic mats.
- Speed is of the essence. When my son was 4, I once took him to my hairdresser, Avi. Big mistake. Avi cut Connor’s hair with the same precision he cuts mine. But a 4 year-old boy just can’t sit for 45 minutes. I still have bad memories of that event. Snipedy-Do-Dahs? They have it down to about 10 minutes per kid. Just perfect.
- Create an experience for the kids. My kids have had their hair cut lots of times. But this is the first time my daughter got “princess hair”, and it’s the first time my son got “Ninja Turtle Hair”. Kids don’t care about haircuts. They would probably never get one if we parents didn’t force them to. But kids want to play and imagine. So by turning a haircut into an experience, the salon catered to the parents and the kids.
- Create loyalty. Where do you think my kids will be
demandingpolitely asking to go next time they need a haircut? - Eliminate competition. Does this salon have any competition? Nope. Sure, there are lots of places that can cut hair. Any place can give regular haircuts, but there’s only one place that gives Princess/Ninja Turtle Hair.
As you can see, there was nothing “salesy” or “pushy” about this experience. It was truly a delight for all of us. That’s a sign of great marketing. Connecting what you have to offer with the clients that are truly in need of your services.
I spent $91.73 (including tips) there yesterday. I don’t mind admitting it was a little more than I was expecting to pay. But it was well worth every penny I spent. When you create that kind of experience for your clients, price really doesn’t matter.
I’m always truly impressed with excellent customer service, and I’m truly impressed with excellent marketing. Unfortunately, we don’t usually get to see enough examples of either of those. Yesterday was a wonderful experience. How can you get to know your ideal client at this level? What experience could you be offering that would truly distinguish yourself and your practice?
