| p>Have you ever considered the value of training | | | | image. |
| employees in the art of giving GREAT service? | | | | 5 Profitability: 'the ability of a firm to generate net |
| The biggest complaint I hear from disgruntled clinic/spa | | | | income on a consistent basis.' Training leads to |
| owners is that just after providing comprehensive | | | | improved profitability and more positive healthy |
| service and ongoing technical training to team | | | | attitudes towards the relationship between educating |
| members, they up and leave taking all that knowledge | | | | clients and profitability for the clinic. |
| with them for the benefit of the next place they work! | | | | Of course there are many additional benefits of team |
| Unfortunately, there are too many owners with this | | | | training including the development of leadership skills, |
| mindset of scarcity around training. | | | | higher motivation, loyalty (yes it does happen) and |
| Looking at the issue, we first must acknowledge that | | | | better, healthier attitudes amongst your team. |
| this could be a problem, yes, training someone to | | | | Look to your suppliers for specific product training and |
| perform at their best for your business and having | | | | most of these organisations have some great ideas |
| them up and leave can be soul destroying if you are | | | | on the art of selling, some even have programs to help |
| looking at it from a victim perspective. Training is not | | | | you with this. Consider looking at what other |
| the only answer to a successful business; however it | | | | organisations are out there for sales training, the |
| is a very important cog in the wheel. It should be | | | | chamber of commerce is a good resource for this, |
| included as part of what you offer as a 'balanced | | | | also look at companies specialising in service training |
| team focused' business, and in today's clinic world we | | | | programs, and lastly don't discount industry specific |
| should very definitely be a people (team) focused | | | | experts as sources of inspiration, these people are |
| business. It was Mary Kay Ash that said "People are | | | | generally experienced in the Beauty Industry and are |
| definitely a company's greatest asset. It doesn't make | | | | more than willing to share their knowledge with you |
| any difference whether the product is cars or | | | | and your team. |
| cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it | | | | Raising the knowledge of you and your team |
| keeps." | | | | regarding service is a step in the direction of raising the |
| So here are five super reasons to offer regular training | | | | knowledge of the industry as a whole. The last few |
| to your team: | | | | years of technology has somewhat 'dehumanised' the |
| 1 Productivity: 'is a measure relating a quantity or quality | | | | buying experience of your clients and your team |
| of output to the inputs required to produce it'. | | | | (particularly younger members) have rarely been on |
| Productivity training should help the team work more | | | | the receiving end of great service, thus have not |
| effectively thus helping the clinic to achieve its long | | | | experienced the warm feelings that great service can |
| term goals. | | | | bring. The clinics that recognise the value of pleasing |
| 2 Culture: 'is a shared, learned, symbolic system of | | | | the client and embrace this into the future will be the |
| values, beliefs and attitudes that shapes and influences | | | | ones to reap the rewards that great service can bring. |
| perception and behaviour'. Training helps develop a | | | | Just a quick note on technical training, think about this; |
| culture of learning within the clinic, one of my favourite | | | | better educated therapists means better educated |
| quotes is 'knowledge breeds confidence and | | | | clients, and clients these days that are better educated |
| confidence creates sales'. | | | | are more inclined to spend their money knowing |
| 3 Quality: 'Quality is a measure of excellence; quality | | | | exactly what they are spending it on. |
| defines desirable characteristics of a product, a | | | | Let's face it, with the availability of the internet with its |
| process, or a service'. The team will value the added | | | | plethora of beauty advice and knowledge, you better |
| quality they can give to their clients, and clients will love | | | | be up with the play or your clients could end up being |
| the added quality they receive from well trained, well | | | | better educated than you! |
| informed team members. | | | | Oh and one last thought... Whilst understanding the real |
| 4 Image: 'the general impression that something (a | | | | fear of clinic owners of when they train their team in |
| person or organization or product) presents to the | | | | giving GREAT service they then leave, Please |
| public'. Ongoing Training and Development helps in | | | | Consider the implication to your Clients and business of |
| creating a better more professional clinic (and industry) | | | | NOT training them and they stay! |