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The Steps to Excellence Within Yourself 1

91 SucceSS TipS

forHairdreSSerS

Jon GonzaleS

The Steps to Excellence

Within Yourself

2 91 Success Tips for Hairdressers The Steps to Excellence Within Yourself 3

Unleash the Power WithinDeveloping Personal Power

Do you know what you really want out of a hairdressing career? Transform today’s

challenges into tomorrow’s opportunity. Jon will help you build your own blueprint for your own personal, professional, and financial suc-cess. A trial and error approach to building a successful and fulfilling hairdressing career is just too costly.

Jon’s career spans over 40 years as a working hairdresser, salon owner, seminar leader, lec-turer, motivational speaker, educator, entrepre-neur, and author. He is a successful survivor of the school of hard knocks.

His practical, down to earth, educational pro-grams and seminars for salon owners, hairdress-ers, and students are receiving rave reviews for being imaginative, easy to understand, , and cost effective in helping his colleagues reach higher levels of excellence personally, profes-sionally, and financially.

Jon shares proven real-world insights that can only be taught by a fellow hairdresser and salon owner who truly understands the business and educational needs of his colleagues.

For information about quantity purchases and customization of Jon’s publications, and to learn more about his services, use the contact method most convenient for you.

Jon GonzanesHairdresser Career Development Systems

2872 Coast Circle, Suite 202 Huntington Beach, CA 92649

800-390-4237www.Hcds4you.com

© Copyright 2012Hairdresser Career Development Systems

All Rights Reserved


Setting Goals

1 Define and write down your goals clearly on paper. What are your expectations out

of a hairdressing career? Are your career and earning expectations reachable and realistic? Vague goals present vague results.

2 Make sure your goals are reachable and realistic. Then set new goals and take the

initiative to make them a reality. Goal setting will help you stay focused.

3 Separate your goals into three categories: Personal, Professional and Financial.

They do relate to each other, yet they need to be created individually.

4 Take small steps. It takes time and patience to build a successful hairdressing

career. You have to learn to walk before you run. Establish a solid learning foundation in the beginning of your development. Find a salon that offers training and educating.

5 Make each goal measurable so you know if you actually accomplished it. Put

numbers and dates on your goals to help you measure your progress.

6 Add a sense of urgency towards reaching your goals. This will keep you moving for-

ward. Complacency and denial are the biggest obstacles to reaching and making your goals a reality.

7 Stay focused on reaching your goals. You will be distracted by many people and

challenges for your valuable time. Many are well intentioned. Despite these distractions, you must stay focused and develop the self discipline to keep moving ahead.

8 Realize you will encounter many setbacks and challenges. Those are the dues you

pay while learning and gaining experience. Take each setback to your goals as a challenge to succeed and each triumph as an affirma-tion to continue. Believe in yourself always. Anything is possible when you believe.

9 Develop a self-management system to keep yourself focused. You and you alone

will have to provide the effort and take full responsibility for your own success or failure.

10 Prioritize your most important goals. Make sure you stay focused on each

goal before you move to your next goal.

11 Set daily short term goals to help you accomplish your long term goals. By

setting short term and realistic goals you will feel a greater sense of accomplishment.

12 Reinforce your ability to chart your own course in your life and in your career.

Do goal setting and goal achievement as daily exercises to help you positively get where you want to go.

13 Challenge yourself on your journey to success. Goal setting will help you do

that, while staying focused towards meeting those challenges.

14 Be a success by mirroring successful people who always set goals for them-

selves. They know what they want out of life, personally, professionally, and financially. Learn to associate yourself with positive, successful people.

15 Define your own purpose and plan for your life and your career. You will drift

aimlessly without a plan. Define clearly what will make you happy. You deserve to have everything in life you want. Allow yourself to be happy.

16 Clarify your vision of your ideal life— where are you now and where do you

want to be in one year, three years etc. Only you know what will make you happy.


Personal Growth and Development

17 Achieve excellence with a winning attitude. You will succeed if you truly

believe you can. Always look for the positives in your life, and your job. You won’t notice too much of the negatives when you look real hard for positives. Your mind controls everything.

18 Realize that you and you alone hold the key to your own success or failure.

Your biggest obstacle to your own success will probably be you.

19 Understand that good is not enough anymore in today’s competitive

and changing business climate. Make a firm commitment to always reach for higher levels of excellence personally, professionally, and financially. Maintain a strong commitment to continuously seek higher levels of excellence by always working hard to maximize your full learning and earning potential.

20 Notice that success is not an accident. It’s hard earned. You will encounter

many obstacles on your journey to success. You will experience many peaks and valleys. Keep in mind that’s just part of the growing process. Learn from your mistakes and move on. Nothing worthwhile in life is easy.

21 Consider the idea that when the going gets tough the tough get going. Perse-

vere when you suffer setbacks and disappoint-ments no matter what it takes. Turn adversity into opportunities. You only a fail when you stop trying.

22 Realize you will become a success by always having tremendous faith and

passion in all that you do. This is an underlying belief about who you are in all aspects of your development personally, professionally and financially.

23 Dare to dream. Make big dreams. Anything is possible when you truly

believe in yourself. Follow your dreams because they are yours and yours alone.

24 Expect that the hardest part to achieving success is that you will be lonely at

the top. You may be lonely though you will eat better. Few people ever reach the top, because it requires sacrifice and effort. When the going gets tough most people quit. Use adversity as an opportunity to be a winner.

25 Carry a notebook and pen to capture random ideas when you learn some-

thing new. Storing these valuable ideas and information will help you grow. Every day is a learning opportunity. Always work hard to improve on yesterday.

26 Keep learning on a regular basis. The door to education is never closed.

The more you learn, the more you earn. Knowledge is power. The beautiful part of this profession is that there is so much to learn. After 40 years you can still be learning.

“The hardest part of climbing the ladder of success is getting through

the crowd at the bottom.”

27 Watch one of your co workers when you’re not busy in the salon. Learn

something every day. Keep an open mind to learning.

28 Keep your vision or goals no matter what anyone else says. You will some-


times be surrounded by negativity or well-intentioned people who will tell you that you will not reach your goals. Even well-inten-tioned loved ones may be guilty as well. It takes courage and self discipline to stay the course.

29 Believe in yourself when no one else does. That’s what will move you

forward and make you a winner. Quit worrying what others think. Live up to your own expec-tations, not the expectations of others. After all, you’re all that you’ve got.

30 Achieve personal, professional and financial excellence by knowing more

than how to cut and style hair. Broaden your full learning and earning potential as a busi-ness- minded professional to expand your opportunities and earning potential.

31 Learn to be a self motivator by reading, watching, or listening to something on

positive thinking 30 minutes every day. It can be generic motivational information or it can be specific to your industry as a hairdresser. The concepts are the same. Develop the power of positive thinking every day. You are what you believe.

32 Attend quality educational shows and classes. Seek out referrals and opinions

of other successful people in your own profes-sion and in others. Keep an open mind to learning. Make sure what you learn will benefit your everyday client. Stay focused on the basics.

33 Build a competitive spirit on your road to success. Refuse to accept defeat,

knowing that adversity and competition brings out the best in you. Learn from your mistakes and move on. Dare to compete. Competition will help you get better.

34 Strive to create value in yourself and in your skills through knowledge.

Working hard at creating a demand for your services allows you to raise your prices as a reward for your hard work. You will not only reward yourself but also contribute to the professionalism of your fellow workers and salons.

35 Develop a pleasing and enthusiastic personality. Smile a lot. These strong

people skills will give you a tremendous advan-tage over those who do not have these skills. You have a wonderful opportunity to uplift the lives of your customers and people around you. Be a joy to be around.

36 Learn some of the best lessons on your journey to success and happiness from

your mistakes and failures. This is part of the growing and learning process. Your success or failure will be determined by your attitude towards adversity. Turn adversity into opportu-nities.

37 Build a reputation for stability. Stay in your job long enough to establish

yourself instead of getting into the grass is greener syndrome. You will achieve your goals when you gain experience and create a demand for your services. Every time you make a job change you lose customers and start over. Before you contemplate a job change, discuss and resolve your differences with your boss.

“Most failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.”

38 Realize the demand for quality busi-ness-minded hairdressers and image

consultants will continue to grow. You will rise to the top by staying focused on your goals. There is a high drop-out rate of hair-dressers because they did not get the proper mentoring and education during their forma-


tive years. Many more will fail because they are unwilling to make the sacrifices and put in the effort needed to succeed. They will always be looking for excuses to fail. These are the people with less serious goals than yours. They are ill prepared to meet rising job market and consumer demands.

39 Maintain balance between your artistic development and your personal devel-

opment. This is the only way to achieve success and happiness for yourself and your family.

40 Establish a self-management system. Make the positive changes in your

life through a program of self discipline, self renewal, and behavior modification.

41 Work hard to achieve success and get to the top. There is no such thing as

talent without willpower. Hard work without talent is a shame. Talent without will power is a tragedy.

42 Develop strong work habits to move up the ladder of success. Those who do

not will fail. You are a creature of habit, so form positive work habits.

43 Take pride in yourself, your work, your profession, and your salon. Set high

standards for yourself. The higher your stan-dards the higher your rewards.

44 Work on your communication skills. Lack of communication skills is one of

the leading causes of customer loss. Successful hairdressers work at developing their commu-nication skills to better understand their clients’ needs. An important part of strong communication skills is listening to your clients.

45 Project a powerful first impression, by your appearance. Successful hair-

dressers know this. Make yourself look good so

your clients know you’ll make them look good. Look and act like a professional so you will be respected and compensated as a professional. Keep your appearance from undermining your positive impact on others.

46 Remember that you never get a second chance to form a positive or nega-

tive first impression. Greet your client with a warm smile by conveying a sincere and caring attitude toward your client. Let your clients know by your actions that you appreciate their patronage.

Customer Service

47 Gain a competitive edge by knowing and understanding the power of

customer service. Do your best to exceed client expectations by doing a little more than what is expected. Savvy hairdressers always focus on exceeding client expectations. Excelling at customer service should be a high priority for yourself and your salon.

48 Be mindful that each new client repre- sents your moment of truth and repre-

sents another opportunity to build referrals for yourself and your salon. Your key barometer in measuring your performance and productivity will always be positive word-of- mouth referrals.

49 Allow time for consultation with your client, especially if she or he is a new

customer. It is critical that you clearly under-stand the client’s needs and expectations. Lack of communication between client and hair-dresser is the number one cause of customer loss.

50 Book realistically without overbooking. Quality over volume will help you


establish a loyal and grateful clientele. Build a solid and loyal clientele by allowing time to clearly understand their beauty needs.

51 Treat each and every customer as a valued guest. Treat others the way

you would expect to be treated. Each client that visits your salon should experience a very pleasant and uplifting experience.

52 Learn to listen and understand your client’s needs. Then, offer your profes-

sional suggestions in an articulate manner. Make sure your client’s expectations are real-istic. Allow a little more time in the consulta-tion process with a first-time client.

53 Stay focused on making your client look and feel good about themselves.

True professionals always work hard at building the self esteem and self confidence of their clients. Strive to make your customers feel like Very Important People.

54 Invite customer feedback. Take customer criticism professionally rather

than as a personal attack. Listen and learn. Seeking out customer feedback will make you a better professional and keep your clients coming back and referring others as well.

“The secret of success could be learning at an early age that

you are not perfect.”

55 Seek out solutions for your cient’s needs regardless of how great the

challenge. The more you find solutions to your client’s needs the more you will be a hero to your customer.

56 Learn how to earn your clients’ trust and confidence by articulating in a

professional manner your thoughts, ideas, and credi- bility. You can always accomplish this through strong people and communication skills by focusing on the benefits of looking and feeling good about themselves.

57 Show your clients that you really value and appreciate their business by your

behavior and actions. Taking your clients’ patronage for granted, especially your loyal clients, is a big mistake.

58 Focus your full attention on the needs of your clients while at work. Clients

have enough problems of their own. They do not need to be a part of yours.

59 Show a sincere caring attitude towards your client. You have a wonderful

opportunity to make your client feel very special and important.

60 Seek out the opinion of your boss or manager when in doubt. Your boss

will appreciate your efforts. A trial and error approach to understanding client needs is just unacceptable in today’s competitive job market. Customer loss affects everyone.

Contributing to a Professional and Positive

Work Environment

61 Be sincere and honest in all deal-ings with your boss, your manager,

co-workers, clients, and especially yourself. Honesty and a strong code of ethics is the foundation to building a successful, fulfilling, and financially rewarding hairdressing career.


62 Set a positive example by contributing to a team environment. A positive,

happy, and professional salon environment will be your reward.

63 Work hard to exceed your owner’s expectations by doing more than

what’s expected. You will be rewarded in many ways by management.

64 Keep lines of communication open with your boss. Seek an open dialogue

and understanding with management. They will greatly appreciate your efforts. They really are your best friends. Every owner wants their staff and salon to succeed.

65 Seek owner feed back on how you are performing or how you can improve.

They will appreciate your efforts.

66 Be understanding and supportive of your boss. He or she is under a lot of

pressure in running the business.

67 Show sensitivity and understanding when your boss or manager makes a

mistake. Take criticism as a way to improve your work rather than take it personally. You may not have the perfect boss at times, nor will you be the perfect employee at times. You’re both on the same team. Sooner or later you are likely to make a mistake and will want manage-ment’s sensitivity and forgiveness in return.

“To successfully combat gossip, ignore it.”

68 Remove yourself from salon gossip, jealousy, and pettiness. Stay away from

negative people. They will undermine your job, the morale of the salon, your livelihood, and the growth of your salon. This type of behavior

will only contribute to a negative and unhappy salon environment for everyone, including your clients. Misery does love company. Salons usually fail from within. Stay away from nega-tive environments.

Building an Enthusiastic and Upscale Clientele

69 Develop a marketing and advertising mentality. Pass out your business card

everywhere you go. Offer your services as an image consultant to women’s groups. Network with business groups in your community. Learn to market yourself and your skills as an image consultant and toot your own horn. Ask your friends to help you by having them give out your business cards to friends and relatives. Attend classes on marketing. The internet offers a wealth of information in this area.

70 Establish strong salesmanship skills, always remembering to sell the

benefits of your services and products. Your ability to sell your thoughts, ideas and skills to others will help you gain that all-important competitive edge in your community, and dramatically increase value in your skills and increase your income potential.

71 Tell your customers the benefits of how a product or service will improve their

appearance and self confidence. They don’t care about the chemical components of a product or process you will be using to get the desired results.

72 Ask for referrals from your clients. Give them a small incentive like a small

discount for all referrals. Your clients will be


happy to help you by referring their friends, relatives, and business associates.

73 Do outstanding work. Work hard to understand and exceed client expecta-

tions. Your customer is your walking advertise-ment. She or he gets compliments. You also will be complimented.

74 Create strong people and communication skills. Your job is not only making

your clients look good but also feel good about themselves. Smile a lot. Be a leader in making people happy.

Client RetentionKeeping Customers

75 Treat every client that visits your salon like a valued guest. A happy and

satisfied client will come back, and will refer friends, family, and associates. A recent study showed that 67% of all dissatisfied clients were unhappy not by the work, but how they were treated.

“Always try to be a little kinder than necessary.”

76 Be aware that another survey showed 96 percent of people who

were unhappy with their hairdresser never complained. 91 percent never returned. It is extremely important that you seek out customer feedback.

77 Understand that when you lose a customer, everyone in the salon is

affected. Negative word-of-mouth advertising

affects everyone. You contribute to the reputa-tion of not only yourself and your salon’s image, but also the image of our profession when clients are pleased.

78 Realize that a happy and pleased customer will be a goodwill ambassador

for you, your salon, and fellow workers. Posi-tive word-of-mouth referral is the cheapest and most powerful form of advertising. A client’s good or bad experience results in a pyramid reaction, so it’s important make those experi-ences good ones.

79 Acknowledge your client, especially a new client. Make sure new customers

have a positive feeling about your salon and you. In a service business, customers want to be served not neglected, unnoticed, or ignored.

80 Send a note of thanks and apprecia-tion to your clients at any time of year.

Holidays give you a particularly great opportu-nity to do that.

81 Remember the stylist’s four steps to understanding client needs—hear,

listen, restate, and communicate. Every one of those four steps is vital to your success and the happiness of your client.

82 Work hard to develop strong public speaking skills. A great organization for

doing that is Toastmasters International. www.toastmaster.org

83 Do whatever you can to create long- term relationships with your clients.

Short term relationships can only bring frustra-tion and uncertainty to your growth and devel-opment. Earn the respect and trust of each new customer. Your client has to feel appreciated and valued for this to happen. Warmth and a caring attitude towards your client will do the job if you’re sincere and truly care about exceeding client expectations.


Achieving Financial Security

84 Discipline yourself into saving your money on a regular basis. Review your

spending habits, monitor and track you’re spending, and do it regularly. The extra money you save can go towards your financial security.

85 Start now by learning about money. There’s no speed limit or age limit

in seeking financial security for yourself and your family. It is what you do with what you earn rather than how much you earn that determines your financial security. You work hard for your money. Make your money work hard for you by learning the fantastic power of compounding.

“Success is not an accident, it’s hard earned. The road to success is almost

always under construction.”

86 Set a financial goal and buy your first home or condo. Much of wealth is

created by home ownership. Take advantage of tax breaks and property appreciation.

87 Invest in education. Create value in yourself and in your skills. The more

you learn, the more you earn. Education is a powerful wealth builder and will open up a wealth of possibilities that will keep you excited about your work and future opportunities.

88 Open your own Roth or simplified IRA account. They are great wealth

builders and offer important tax write-offs.

89 Protect your credit rating and work record. Your credit rating plays a big

role when you want to buy a car, home, or start a business. Create a picture of stability.

90 Use cash instead of creating credit card debt. Credit card debt can hinder your

chances of achieving financial security.

91 Attend classes on financial planning. You’re never too young to start

acquiring knowledge about planning for your financial security. The earlier you start, the easier it will be to achieve financial indepen-dence.

About Jon Gonzales

Jon’s career spans over 43 years as an owner/hairdresser, seminar leader, business con-

sultant, educator, motivational speaker, and author. He is a graduate of the University of Hard Knocks.

His no-nonsense down-to-earth educational programs and seminars for hairdressers, salon owners, teachers, nail techs, estheticians—and everyone involved in the beauty profession—are receiving rave reviews. They are imagina-tive, easy to understand and cost-effective. His programs are widely acclaimed throughout the United States and Canada for helping his col-leagues reach higher levels of excellence.

Education is his only business

Excellence is his standard.

Jon shares his proven real-world insights that can only be taught by a fellow salon owner and hairdresser who clearly understands the busi-ness and educational needs of his colleagues.

Jon is committed to make Hairdresser Career Development Systems a truly educational com-pany you can trust and count on, free of any special interest groups.

20 91 Success Tips for Hairdressers

Jon is committed to helping his colleague’s reform education, raise their standard of living and improve the quality of their lives for them-selves and their families.

Whether you’re just starting a business or have years of experience, these tips will save you time and money, and serve as a roadmap in growing a successful and profitable business.

Follow Jon!For FREE monthly newsletters, weekly blog, business tips, success tips, ongoing special events and a web site filled with

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[email protected]

Toll Free: 1-800-390-4237www.hcds4you.com

JON GONZALES

www.hcds4you.com

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