Feeling glum

[missbad]

Hi All

I think this might be in the right forum, I am feeling argghhhh today, I have been doing some promotional work on Facebook. (90% of my clients come from it)

And I have noticed a lady doing the same treatments as me at less than half of what I charge. (£5 for a Gel polish )
Nail extensions at £10 where as I charge from £25.

I don't want to lower my prices as I might as well do it for free, but I worry that with her being close to me it will have a knock on effect

 

[Nicolahayley]

Don't worry about anyone else!! I've said this a million times!! If you worry about what everyone else is doing who is worrying about your business? Concentrate on your own business! It's the only way you will make it!!
People find it hard to believe that I don't constantly check other salons Facebook pages in my area.. I really don't! I take pride in doing my own thing!
This person won't be making any profit on those prices!

 

[BannerPenguin]

Although you should be aware of the market you should charge what you want to (to a degree).

As stated above don't worry about anyone else.

I used to work for a printers that charge a fortune more than I do yet they were back to back all the time.

 

[adventuregirl]

As a customer, I'd be slightly put off by rock bottom prices for 'gel nails'. The person doing them may be the most talented and using the best products available and I am wrong, but the message they send out is the opposite.

Focus on your customers and please them. They are your best adverts and draw more clients than cheap prices x


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[Christine Mary]

Just for information, when I was thinking about pricing for my Angelic Reiki treatments, my mentor told me to find the average area price for a treatment, then put £10.00 on the price and charge that!

I realise this may be a little different for nail treatments, but her reason........training, and time, and effort, and study that has been put into the qualification, as well as practice, ongoing training, and just wanting to provide an outstanding service, and giving the absolute best of your ability, together with commitment and undivided attention to the client, putting them first, and using skills to know exactly what they hope to gain from the treatment.
Certain skills cannot have a price, so don't under estimate yourself.

So far, pricing has not been an issue, and I am above the local therapy prices.

 

[virtues2011]

It's not so much worrying about what others are doing, but to be advised not to even take a little notice of what is around you is purely one of the worst pieces of advice anyone could give or take in my opinion.....copious amounts of market research and understanding your competition is taught as standard. For those that say I have never looked at what is around me, then you are working on more luck than judgement. There are very fine lines with pricing yourself out of the market altogether especially in an area that doesn't warrant it just because 'you think you are worth more' and charging such low prices that potential clients are put off. To make it in this 'professional' business/industry you need business acumen, common sense, money and a lot of other 'tools' including an amazing USP and a service no one else does. Then you have a fighting chance, for now most only compete with price, and usually moving swiftly downwards!

In all honesty Missbad, it probably will wobble your business slightly. Clients are loyal to their pockets nowadays, and not all cheap nail techs/therapists are crap at what they do. Do they make any money, probably, not but the question is do they need to?

 

[MissyMuffin]

This has been debated so many times. To ignore your competitors is not a good plan. I've said it before - companies pay big money to keep abreast of what the competition is doing. While you're congratulating yourself on how brilliant you are your competition have changed tack and attracted your customers, leaving you wondering what they've done to turn your clients heads.
Not the popular reply I know, but you really do need to know where your threats are and what they are doing.
You can be the best in your area but if your clients are off somewhere else you need to know why.

 

[missbad]

Thank you ladies you are all right, I was a bit down but after reading these I am feeling much better. X

 

[adventuregirl]

This has been debated so many times. To ignore your competitors is not a good plan. I've said it before - companies pay big money to keep abreast of what the competition is doing. While you're congratulating yourself on how brilliant you are your competition have changed tack and attracted your customers, leaving you wondering what they've done to turn your clients heads.
Not the popular reply I know, but you really do need to know where your threats are and what they are doing.
You can be the best in your area but if your clients are off somewhere else you need to know why.

I agree with you on wanting to keep in the know about what the competitors are doing to take custom from the OP.

What would you suggest she do differently? X


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[MissyMuffin]

I agree with you on wanting to keep in the know about what the competitors are doing to take custom from the OP.

What would you suggest she do differently? X


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I think what Virtues says is actually about right. I don't have all the answers (if I did I'd be charging for it!) but I think if you have any kind of business you're well advised to be expert on what your competitors are up to.
Keep your friends close but your enemies even closer is a good saying. I went to a local 'nail shop' which just opened to see what they were doing. Got extensions. They do a production line, jumping from chair to chair, had no hygiene, no barbicide, no hands or files were disinfected. No uniforms, nothing had branding. I could go on. But I can tell anyone who asks what it's like in there. But the nails were good, I can't lie.
I used to go to the most expensive nail tech in my town. She was very good. But I stopped going. I found that some cheaper salons were just as good. But, she did have a lovely place. The girl I swapped to charged less, her nails were good but her beauty room wasn't that nice. But my original tech was so good at client retention. Never let you out without a card with the next 3 appointments booked, texts with up selling before your next appointment (you're coming for nails, want to try ... etc), product evening invitations etc.
I think I know my area quite well and i learn so much. I know who does Shellac, who uses Gelish (I do) and Calgel (I do too), who does acrylic or hard gel and who charges what. I have their price lists, I know hairdressers and therapists and there's networking to do. X

 

[beautyhum]

Hi

I think that price is only one factor as to why clients choose your salon over another, people will pay for service, quality and the relationship that they have built with you, this is proven time and time again.

Trying to compete on price will only result in you losing out, you need to find what you are amazing at and what clients love about you and promote that.

I also have a free ebook called 15 ways to promote your beauty business that you might find useful for ideas on how to get clients. You can get it here Join the Beauty Business Advice Enewsletter - Beauty Business Advice Beauty Business Advice

Lara

 

[virtues2011]

Hi

I think that price is only one factor as to why clients choose your salon over another, people will pay for service, quality and the relationship that they have built with you, this is proven time and time again.

Trying to compete on price will only result in you losing out, you need to find what you are amazing at and what clients love about you and promote that.

I also have a free ebook called 15 ways to promote your beauty business that you might find useful for ideas on how to get clients. You can get it here Join the Beauty Business Advice Enewsletter - Beauty Business Advice Beauty Business Advice

Lara

I'm not even sure your comments cut it anymore in this saturated industry. To stand above the rest you have to provide something completely different. Just being good at what you do will always be in your favour but I believe you need more than that. Quality is not always associated with high prices anymore. Hence all the cheap and talented nail techs charging £10 for the original CND Shellac. That is proven. It's not for us to worry about if these people make money or not. . Just where potential customers are going. .. and they do go!

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[adventuregirl]

I think what Virtues says is actually about right. I don't have all the answers (if I did I'd be charging for it!) but I think if you have any kind of business you're well advised to be expert on what your competitors are up to.
Keep your friends close but your enemies even closer is a good saying. I went to a local 'nail shop' which just opened to see what they were doing. Got extensions. They do a production line, jumping from chair to chair, had no hygiene, no barbicide, no hands or files were disinfected. No uniforms, nothing had branding. I could go on. But I can tell anyone who asks what it's like in there. But the nails were good, I can't lie.
I used to go to the most expensive nail tech in my town. She was very good. But I stopped going. I found that some cheaper salons were just as good. But, she did have a lovely place. The girl I swapped to charged less, her nails were good but her beauty room wasn't that nice. But my original tech was so good at client retention. Never let you out without a card with the next 3 appointments booked, texts with up selling before your next appointment (you're coming for nails, want to try ... etc), product evening invitations etc.
I think I know my area quite well and i learn so much. I know who does Shellac, who uses Gelish (I do) and Calgel (I do too), who does acrylic or hard gel and who charges what. I have their price lists, I know hairdressers and therapists and there's networking to do. X

Some fab ideas there. Love the upselling (shows an interest in your clients) and making sure next 3 appointments are booked in.

Thanks for a great reply


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[fluffy26]

This Is what is called devaluing your brand! Simply put, if you go into a supermarket and say they have yoghurts on offer for £1 & you buy them because it's a good offer, go into the supermarket the following week and they are back up to normal price, you probably wouldn't buy them & will wait until they are on offer again. What this lady is doing is no different, & when she decides to put her prices up to what is deemed as reasonable, her clientele will not want to pay, what she charges is of no concern to you because the only person getting a bum deal is herself, as she is selling herself short!!!

 

[MissyMuffin]

This Is what is called devaluing your brand! Simply put, if you go into a supermarket and say they have yoghurts on offer for £1 & you buy them because it's a good offer, go into the supermarket the following week and they are back up to normal price, you probably wouldn't buy them & will wait until they are on offer again. What this lady is doing is no different, & when she decides to put her prices up to what is deemed as reasonable, her clientele will not want to pay, what she charges is of no concern to you because the only person getting a bum deal is herself, as she is selling herself short!!!

You can't know if she will put her prices up. Is she someone in for the long haul but doing nails as a hobby so keeping her prices low? Is she a student just practicing? Is she using low grade products/non pro stuff? See, you need to know more about your competition than just their prices.

 

[virtues2011]

You can't know if she will put her prices up. Is she someone in for the long haul but doing nails as a hobby so keeping her prices low? Is she a student just practicing? Is she using low grade products/non pro stuff? See, you need to know more about your competition than just their prices.

And also market research, ask customers what they want, what services they want to see, why they keep coming back, do special offers put them off. You will be amazed at some of the answers!