How to stop your clients buying DIY kits!

I wanted to write about this because It’s a question I hear regularly.

‘How do I stop my clients buying fad DIY kits off social media ads?’

And I wanted to face this head on and create a solution that might help.

BACK IN LOCKDOWN

We saw a huge surge of ‘at home’ products and DIY kits.

Things like ‘custom made’ hair colour to do at home, dermaplaning DIY kits, microneedling pens and gel nail kits (and we’ve all seen the mass destruction this has caused)

Then, add into the mix the launch of tik tok which has fuelled a collection of self-proclaimed beauty experts who believe they can do everything themselves from home to create flawless skin, toned bods, healthy locks and hair free legs.

Now YOU know the truth.

And so do I.

Most of these products are not only ineffective, some are counterproductive and in worst cases – DANGEROUS!

The recent BBC investigation which has revealed that unhealthy levels of Hema in gel polish has created a wave of reactions with dire consequences.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?

Well post lockdown, more companies ramped up their advertising efforts and launched new products direct to home.

After 5 months stuck at home, most people started to look at what they could achieve using at home DIY kits and DIY systems that promised results.

Major social media companies realised that brands wanted to sell direct to consumers online and were willing to pay, so they made the whole ‘buy now’ process even easier for those selling on the likes of facebook and insta.

Thousands of marketing and software companies prepared solutions to make it easy and coaches created ‘sell your product online programs’ in their droves.

So suddenly, every company is bypassing the salons and the professionals and selling products via the use of lip sync videos and Z-listers seeking an extra buck.

AND THE INDUSTRY HAS GROWN.

For every piece of technology that our industry has expertly honed, perfected and delivered, a home version has been made cheaply, and is being mass marketed as ‘you don’t need the salon anymore because we’ve created this’

It’s a clever tactic that has been hugely profitable for companies.

But much of it is empty promises.

Misleading adverts and poor quality products are not getting the results promised and consumers are becoming more aware.

But the flow of tik tok approved products, machines and hacks is still apparent – and it’s impacting your business.

Now, I’m hoping you grabbed a copy of my ‘make more money in your salon’ guide (if you didn’t, you can grab it by popping your email in here) but in it, I touch on this subject.

How do we shift back attention from the engaging adverts designed to fuel a flurry of buying traffic back on to us?

LETS START WITH SOME FACTS

The beauty industry is soaring right now – and is one of the only industries that continue to build growth and wealth.

This means you’re in a great space with heaps of opportunities.

In fact, they predict that by 2026, the US market alone will be worth nearly $700 billion. That’s A LOT of moolah.

• This means people continue to spend.
• It means they are willing to invest in themselves.
• It means that looking and feeling good continues to be something they are striving for.

So, despite there being a cost-of-living crisis, its apparent people are directing their funds into the beauty and cosmetics world – our goal now is to get it directed via us by them investing in things that actually get them results. Things that we can do.

4 REASONS PEOPLE VISIT YOUR SALON

Now, I go into this in quite a bit more detail in my new free guide (link here again if you need it)

But essentially, I believe there are 4 main reasons people come to a salon.

• The experience
• The knowledge
• The skills
• The access

When clients visit a salon, they get so much more than they’ll ever get from a box through the post.

And you need to remind your clients about what you offer in terms of those 4 elements.

SCIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

Personally, I have a skin condition Melasma. If you don’t know what that is, it’s patches of darker pigmentation on the skin – often worsened by sun.

I know that by using SPF and LED light therapy, it improves.

However, I saw an ad that suggested one sweep of it’s miracle product would remove all the dark patches off my skin.

I personally know this wont work. But if I wasn’t in this industry, maybe I’d try it.

Maybe it would cause more damage, maybe it would do nothing, maybe it would slightly improve it. But either way, my faith in ‘melasma reducing’ products would lessen.

So its our job, as specialists to explain to our clients what does work and what doesn’t work so they can start to make the right decision.

We can only expect someone to make an educated decision if they have some education.

Breaking down confusing science and cosmetic blurb helps to plant informative seeds of information that can help your clients get better results.

Key example – if you asked any one on the street what retinol is, do you think they’d know? I’d say most wouldn’t know what it was, even if they’d heard of it.

VALUABLE REVIEWS

If a new product has landed and everyone is claiming it’s amazing, take a look yourself.

Look at the reviews, if they’re verified, the ingredient lists, where and how they are made.

Learn a bit about the product so you can speak about it with authority.

And share your findings.

If a product comes out and all your customers rush to buy it, telling the world it’s a poor product won’t win you any brownie points.

But, writing a professionally written blog or recording a vlog about a ‘generic’ product (so don’t use brand names) giving your overview will have value when people are considering it.

DE HACK THE HACK  

Hacks are everywhere right now with people seeking instant results.

And some hacks are BRILLIANT (especially the house cleaning ones – I bet the cleaning product companies don’t like vinegar much)

But, there are MANY beauty hacks doing the rounds now too.

Things like slugging for instance – where people use Vaseline to lock in a serum or product or drying your hair in a sieve for curls.  

As an expert you might have strong opposed thoughts on these processes – share them.

JUMP ON THE GOOD TRENDS

Of course there are lot of great hacks too!

Hacks that change the way our hair looks, our skin looks and our makeup sits.

Skin flooding and skin cycling are both trends right now – so jump on them! Use videos, blogs, reels and masterclasses to expand them and use that as a launch point to share the products YOU offer.

WHY DO THEY NEED THE SALON?

As a I mentioned above, the salon experience provides so much more than just a ‘treatment’ or product sale.

They visit you for experience – A space they can separate themselves from the rest world, be taken care of, looked after and made to feel great

They visit for your knowledge – you know more than they do in 99.9% cases. Your knowledge can help them to get the results they want rather than them second guessing what they need

They visit for your skills – your ability to deliver products is as important as your knowledge around them. I certainly wouldn’t want to dermaplane my own skin (why would anyone unless they’re trained?!)

They visit for your accessibility – which means you have access to products that are more potent than can ever be purchased online, and equipment that is much more powerful.

Share this with your clients and remind them of the difference between you and the postman!

COMPARISONS

A simple, inoffensive way to show the difference between what you offer and what can be bought online to do at home is by creating a comparison chart.

I’d create a simple overview of why an ingredient, product or piece of technology works and at the level it needs to be to get results and to avoid damage.

Talk about output levels, percentages and what you offer vs a home product.

Its there in black and white, and shows facts and figures.

WHY YOU GET BETTER RESULTS

What make you stand out? Why are you better than those machines or DIY kits and products?

Be clear about the difference.

You can’t expect your audience to guess or work it out themselves. Use your own experiences and stories to remind people that helped others on their journey and can help them!

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THESE ADVERTS?

We can also learn from these adverts –

• They are powerful, upfront and aggressive.

• They don’t doubt themselves.

• They have no fear of negative comments and they go after their market.

That’s what builds confidence – because assuming some people have had a result, and they comment accordingly, social proof will help the viewer to buy.

We should follow that strategy.

• Be consistent with your message.
• Share it far and wide.
• Make viable claims
• Back up the claims with reviews, social proof and results in pictures if possible.

The goal here is to remind your clients that you have so much more authenticity, knowledge and skill than what they see on their feeds. You are SO much more then a DIY kit!

People are magpies and advertising agencies know this!

So, make sure you’re sparking your shiny things in front of your audience too.

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