5 ways training can help build your business

Matrix global design team member Paul Falltrick provides his expect advice on five areas that benefit from investment in training:

Training for Newly Qualified Hairdressers

Newly-qualified hairdressers who are just about to take on their own clientele are at a really important milestone for their career. This is the time to nurture your new talent; look at their strengths and areas which they could improve upon and create a tailor-made training schedule to give them the best start in their career. I always find that these young talents coming into the salon are incredibly enthusiastic and eager to broaden their experience, so review their individual skills and match them to the relevant course. It’s important to balance training, helping the individual to improve any skills that they perhaps aren’t as strong on, while also growing their speciality areas. I always suggest a combination of hour-long sessions, one-day or week-long courses for a rounded approach.

Courses for Front of House Staff

Lots of salons concentrate on training their 'hair' team, but equally important is front of house, as they are the first and last port-of-call for clients in the salon. Your front of house team should be clued up on retailing and be up-to-date with the latest product information so they can effectively manage any enquiries of walk-in clients looking to buy product, as well as to offer further information following stylist  recommendations to end their experience on a high. Matrix offer Retail MOTs, where they assess the effectiveness of your retailing in salon and our front of house team are always heavily involved in this process to ensure this service is constantly evolving and improving. They'll also sit in on group meetings with our stylists, so they can build up their knowledge of new products and how they are used. It's important not to have a rigid schedule when it comes to front of house training as it will be needed in so many instances – when the team changes, with new product releases, seasonally etc.

Training for Juniors

Any business owner should be looking at their team as an investment into the future of their company, and salons are no different. Juniors are embarking on the start of their career, which is why it's so important for them to have strong foundations to build upon. I'm a huge advocate for regular appraisals and catch-ups during this career phase, as juniors are absorbing so much information. What they learn now will shape the hairdresser they become in the future. Introduce a pyramid mentor scheme, where each of your team has a mentor that’s in the position directly above theirs. This is a great way to encourage an open atmosphere in the salon that isn't intimidating for new people and motivates your stylists to look at how they can progress to next level.

Customer Care Training for Management Staff

The management team are vitally important as they oversee the running of the salon. It's essential that managers are able to make decisions; they must take ownership of their role and have clear parameters about what are their responsibilities and the areas that full under the remit of the salon owner. In my experience, customer care training comes highest on the list for managers. I tend to send my managers to businesses that I feel are aligned with where I want my salon to be - for example a 5-star restaurant. Experiencing how we want our clients to be treated is invaluable, as they can then assess how it made them feel and translate this into the salon. Furthermore, managers should be the most clued up on the salon software system so they are able to generate needed information quickly when required.

Inspiration Training for Hairdressers

Hairdressing is a creative industry, which is why activities and training that inspire the team are essential in my book. Whether it’s attending hairdressing shows, visiting fashion and art exhibitions, taking part in competitions or attending seminars, the whole team should be involved – it’s a great way to boost creativity and motivation.