“Sameness” means little distinction between one salon/spa business and another.

Sameness goes beyond location, design and decor to include skills, customer service excellence, and, most importantly, the culture of the salon/spa.

For employee-based salon/spas, sameness is the opposite of memorable. Nothing notable stands out. Branding is blah.

Ride down any street, pass any strip center, and you’ll see one salon or spa after another. Would yours stand out? Would yours consistently deliver memorable experiences?

My benchmark for a stand-out business

There is no shortage of beautiful inns in New England to choose from. There’s a reason why we keep going to back to Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford, Vermont.

From our first visit, its uniqueness was obvious. Dinners are truly four star. The hand cut wood Stave Puzzles are delightfully challenging and fun. The little touches like the handwritten welcome note on the bed, the handmade cloth heart “do not disturb” sign (that you can take home as memento), careful attention to allergies, and so much more.

For over 20 years, we keep going back because Innkeepers Brian and Leslie Mulcahy created something memorable and consistently excellent. So much so, Rabbit Hill Inn was voted #13 of the top 15 hotels in the USA and #2 best hotel in New England by Travel + Leisure Magazine.

Breaking free of “sameness”

Breaking free of “sameness” means doing what other salons/spas are not willing to do. Unlike booth rental and suites, employee-based salons and spas have the advantage and ability to create a company brand and the culture to match.



Owners of employee-based salons/spas need to play the business game at a very different level.

Here are four No-Compromise Leadership keys to differentiate your salon/spa from those that are drowning in a sea of sameness:

1. It begins and ends with the “Experience”: For salons and spas, location, design and decor are merely wrapping paper. Within that wrapping paper are your company’s professional and technical skill sets, systems and its team-based culture. Technical excellence takes work. Systems design, execution and consistency take work. Building a Team-based culture takes a lot of work. KEY #1: In our Internal Training Program coaching, we have a module that specifically addresses, Signature Systems vs. Signature Services. Signature Systems are all about innovation and memorable experiences. Signature Services are all about featured services that showcase the salon/spas expertise. KEY: For owners, the less effort you put into the work of creating technical skills, systems and culture — the more your company drowns in the sea of sameness.


2. Unique or Specialty — Boldly Own Your Brand: To boldly own your brand, you need the right people that align with your values. Uniqueness and the right memorable experiences cannot solidify into a bold brand if your culture is contaminated. KEY #1: What makes a salon/spa brand bold and unique is the ability to make the complicated appear effortless. To design and script every point of customer contact and lock it in team wide. If your salon/spa has a specialty, focus on it. Make it what you’re recognized for. KEY #2: If you’re amazing at cuts, color, spa, high-fashion work, career appearance work, curly hair, young, old, family, etc. — boldly own it and broadcast it to your marketplace. KEY #3: If you’re on Team-Based Pay, you’re already standing out — but do your clients know? Does your marketplace know?


3. Real and Perceived Value Innovation: Add-on services can certainly improve revenues, but only if salon/spa staff are trained and comfortable with the “selling process.” History has proven that when it comes to “selling,” service providers are mediocre at best. And the more a la carte your service offering is, the more “selling” it requires. There is a fine balance between creating memorable service experiences, client tolerance for “being sold,” and ticket shock at checkout. KEY #1: By monitoring your “Cost per Hour” and adjusting desired “Profit Margins,” it’s easy to build in and deliver add-on services to create “real” value for clients. Employees must be trained on the parameters of what can be added on at no additional cost. KEY #2: Perceived value is all about the level of personal service interaction with your team. This includes eye contact, anticipating client needs, teamwork and team service, and level of professionalism. KEY #3: Client perks are all the additional aspects that make loyalty to your brand and company special. Perks can include special appointment access, service memberships, relaxation areas, unique beverage service, technology conveniences and more. KEY #4: Discounted prices are not value added.


4. Build WE!: It’s one thing to deliver customer service. It’s something entirely different to create service experiences and brand relationships that make clients feel valued and appreciated. We keep going back to Rabbit Hill Inn because we feel valued and appreciated as much as we enjoy each visit experience. Building a WE relationship bond with your salon/spa clients can, and will, be your most valuable competitive advantage. KEY #1: WE takes work to build systems and a team-based culture. WE takes focused and vision-driven leadership. That’s why “WE” is the theme of this year’s Team-Based Pay Conference. Building WE is long overdue. KEY #2: Build WE into your online and social media presence. Client interaction and engagement between salon/spa visits reinforces brand loyalty. KEY #3: Everything about your physical space should speak WE. It’s not about what you’re “selling” — it’s about the personal image enhancement and well-being services and knowledge you offer.