Is it me???

[worthit]

Hi Everyone,

I'm having a real crisis at the moment with my biz, my confidence is an all time low I'v edone the leaflet dropping thing 2,000 to be precise only to have 2 phonecalls

I have quite a few enquirys as I am in yell pages and yell.com but I feel once I speak to them when they ask for my prices (nails mostly) that they usually say I'll get back to you (no intention of doing so) I'm not giving them away as I think my prices are average for my area and I think I care a lot more than local techs:grr: what do I have to do to get that phonecall? I don't feel at my best at the moment especially when I do get to clients selling myself (and products) has become hard I've ahd a few cancellations for my weddings too which again knocks my confidence and I think it's me maybe

I'm mobile and I find keeping motivated is hard work I think I'm giving it my all and my best shot but not really getting anywhere and my enthusiasm is going very much so.

What do you mobile do when things seem soooo bad that there doesn't really seem any point in continuing with the biz:sad:

Sorry to moan to you all but I really don't know what to do anymore I feel at crisis point

Any help and advice I would greatly appreciate:hug:

Kate x

 

[Doorie]

again, you are your best ad... so keep your nails perfect...
then your leaflet, it has to be great too, with stunning picts, be clear, etc, and give it away where you think ppl will be interested in your thing too...

as for the price issue, it's more of a matter of how you give your prices. stand tall and say them with a smile, as it'll show (even on the phone) you know your worth them.

 

[worthit]

again, you are your best ad... so keep your nails perfect...
then your leaflet, it has to be great too, with stunning picts, be clear, etc, and give it away where you think ppl will be interested in your thing too...

as for the price issue, it's more of a matter of how you give your prices. stand tall and say them with a smile, as it'll show (even on the phone) you know your worth them.

Thanks sooo much for your kind words yes I admit I don't stand tall feeling very low at the mo and it shows I suppose when I answer the phone

Thanks for the good advice:hug:

Kate xxx

 

[blossom]

I'm sure it's just a blip, things can be up and down sometimes . . . specially at the moment cos the economy is not great and nails are classed as a luxury rather than a necessity (well that's their opinion lol)

Another tip is NEVER admit to your clients or friends that you're not busy. Always always say yes, yes, plenty of work on, nice and busy, big smile and just lie . . . otherwise it just re-inforces the negativity. If people think you are not busy they start to wonder why and you don't want to start them thinking along that track.

That's what I always did when I wasn't busy, just bluffed through and it seemed to come right soon after. Now I am busy most of the time (honest).

Try to keep your chin up hun, you sound really fed up and I understand right where you're coming from cos I've been there too, I think most of us have. The rest of the advice on this thread is brill too xx

 

[worthit]

I'm sure it's just a blip, things can be up and down sometimes . . . specially at the moment cos the economy is not great and nails are classed as a luxury rather than a necessity (well that's their opinion lol)

Another tip is NEVER admit to your clients or friends that you're not busy. Always always say yes, yes, plenty of work on, nice and busy, big smile and just lie . . . otherwise it just re-inforces the negativity. If people think you are not busy they start to wonder why and you don't want to start them thinking along that track.

That's what I always did when I wasn't busy, just bluffed through and it seemed to come right soon after. Now I am busy most of the time (honest).

Try to keep your chin up hun, you sound really fed up and I understand right where you're coming from cos I've been there too, I think most of us have. The rest of the advice on this thread is brill too xx

Hi Hun,

Yeah I'm gonna have to get a grip I think:wink2: I just feel sooooo low it's hard to pick yourself up but when I go to clients I'm not saying that I am quiet now I am trying to be the positive (very hard though)

Thanks for the encouragement though this site is the best especially as I'm mobile and have no one else to talk to this is like my workmates it's fab

Thanks again for your kinf words Blossom:hug:

 

[talented talons]

I'm afraid we all have moments like this where things are going slow. This is the great thing about being self employed unfortunately.

I am mobile myself and it has taken me 2 years to really build a large client base that stays with me even when there's a slump in the economy.

Even now i have times when some clients will have to have a break because of money, or the lack of, then they come back soon after as they miss their nails.

You do need to give off a positive attitude and a confident one too or people pick up on this and wonder why. I know this will sound strange, but i actually used to make it sound as if i was rushed off my feet to new clients. (although i wasn't) I would then say i could squeeze them in the following day of they were desperate, which they would be very grateful for.

Now i am really busy, new clients seem to prefer it sometimes when i can't fit them in for 2 weeks because i'm booked up. They say it means i must be good.

Its all about perception hun, make yourself sound busy, in demand, people will then want to be booked in more. Don't drop your prices to try and attract more clients, you only then attract the wrong sort of clients who always want something for nothing and end up being a pain in the a**e.

Your time and effort is worth more than that!

 

[worthit]

I'm afraid we all have moments like this where things are going slow. This is the great thing about being self employed unfortunately.

I am mobile myself and it has taken me 2 years to really build a large client base that stays with me even when there's a slump in the economy.

Even now i have times when some clients will have to have a break because of money, or the lack of, then they come back soon after as they miss their nails.

You do need to give off a positive attitude and a confident one too or people pick up on this and wonder why. I know this will sound strange, but i actually used to make it sound as if i was rushed off my feet to new clients. (although i wasn't) I would then say i could squeeze them in the following day of they were desperate, which they would be very grateful for.

Now i am really busy, new clients seem to prefer it sometimes when i can't fit them in for 2 weeks because i'm booked up. They say it means i must be good.

Its all about perception hun, make yourself sound busy, in demand, people will then want to be booked in more. Don't drop your prices to try and attract more clients, you only then attract the wrong sort of clients who always want something for nothing and end up being a pain in the a**e.

Your time and effort is worth more than that!

Hya,

I totally agree with what you say I know I have to kick myself up the a... and yes become more positive I have always been a fighter so I won't let it get the better of me it's just when I quote my prices I just think that they are not booking because of this reason?? do you think this is true or is it me being paranoid self belief has gone BIIIIG style!!:irked:

Yeah I agree nails are the most complex of all my treatments and i care very much of the outcome unlike the NSS salons which there are quite a lot of near me and people seem to like these salons coz of the quickness of them which I just don't get atall I'd much rather somebody that cared about me but how do you get this over to some people when all their interested in is the price and don't give me a chance? I just don't get it!

Thanks again

Kate xx

 

[talented talons]

I understand what you are saying about the prices, i still get clients now who um and ah over the price because so and so does them cheaper.

I always used to consider dropping my prices because of this, but believe me hun, they won't thank you for it. If people want cheap, then they will end up in the NSS places, because they want quick, cheap and have no respect for their own nails. If you did drop the price, you will end up with the clients who complain, try and get a set for free saying they all "fell off" the following day etc. Believe me i am speaking from experience.

This happened to me when i was trying to build a client base. I did a promotion for really cheap sets, hoping to gain regular clients from this. I ended up with a headache and running myself ragged trying to fit all the cheap sets in. None of them stayed with me after all my hard work.

Now i have a different sort of client, the ones who care for their nails, will pay for quality and respect what i do. It takes time to get these kinds of clients, but hang in there hun, it is hard but its worth it.:hug:

 

[skymark]

Understand your frustration.

If you're looking at doing some more advertising, maybe try and be a little more targeted with it.

I mean out of 2000 the amount of people who actually visit a beauty therapist or nail tech is relatively low. Think in your mind whether you have certain areas of houses near you that seem to house the people you are targeting. Where do these people hang out? Where do they go for social occasions? Then target these places.

Like the others said, appear busy. If you get a call for a lady wanting an appointment at 4 o clock, say you can fit it in at quarter past four. It's not too much time difference to her, and it appears as if you are slipping it in between appointments already booked.

If you then have clients come in say in the morning and it's obvious to them that you're not very busy and don't have anything going on in the afternoon (sometimes you might slip and almost tell them that without realising), then just lie and say that you've kept the afternoon free for the accountant to visit.

 

[Sassy Hassy]

The golden rule when answering the phone is SMILE! It may sound cheesy, but it really works if you smile before you speak. Try and get into a dialogue with potential clients about how good you are and why your charges are a little more than others, but without sounding negative about why the others are often cheap! But then some people just want cheap! Make sure your ads are designed to attract the right type of client.

 

[Missy G]

I feel exactly the same as you hun, but the difference being youve probly been going longer than me.

I started mobile Dec 2007,I also started another self employed biz aswell at the same time,anyhow the nails has just been so frustrating.Ive come on here regularly having a moan about how slow things are,and Im sick to death of people saying..I ll call you back!!And people rebook for infills and then cancel and dont tell you why and it makes you feel crap,and you start to take it personally.

Anyhow being Ive been only getting appointments here and there,I was advised to get a place in a salon and work from there.Luckily I have a friend whos mum owns a salon who said she was happy for me to work in there, and would nt charge me rent till I got busy..How sweet is that..But guess what I ve put it on hold..for the simple fact Ive got more guaranteed work coming in from my other biz,at the end of the day I have to priortise the one that brings me in a permanant wage,to rely on nails alone is no good to me.

Some times I feel like saying sod it ,cant be bothered with the nails,all the advertising I have to go out and do ,and pay for and not get much response,gets so frustrating,when my other biz is just word of mouth,and I dont have to go out adverising,and it brings me in a permanant wage.

So I have decided just to do nails,one day a week,or eve,or weekends,I have an advertisement in the Yellow pages and on yell,and this is where all my calls are from,I dont think I could give in all together as Ive put far too much money into it,but who knows maybe through out the summer it may pick up...then Ill be moaning theres not enough days in the week!!