8 Lessons From A Winner

In June 2011,  Sian Adamson, owner of Beauté Salon in Dunedin, won the 2011 award for Best New Beauty Salon. I interviewed Sian to see what the rest of us could learn from her success.

IRB: What was the biggest factor leading to your win?

Sian: Having a 100% commitment to striving for excellence in everything we do, from the quality of our beauty treatments to the 'delighters' we strategically place throughout our client’s visit; and from our ongoing training to our marketing.

IRB: Why have you put a lot of emphasis on the customer experience?

Sian: Our industry is hugely competitive. So having a unique point of difference is very important. A lot of businesses talk about offering good customer service but in today's business environment you need to do more than that to be different. You need to WOW your customers each and every time they visit.

IRB: You see over 600 customers a month. What has been your biggest challenge in creating an outstanding experience for them?

Sian: Ensuring my team delivers a high quality customer experience consistently. As the owner, you need to have quality control checks in place because you can't serve every customer yourself, or observe every client interaction. The only way to ensure we are delivering service at the level I want us to is by following up with our customers.

IRB: You have six full-time team members. How do you get the right people doing the right things?

Sian: I start by finding out what they are really passionate about and where their strengths lie. Then I design a training plan focused on upskilling them in that area to build their confidence. This is also the time when I introduce the concept of, We are in the customer business. I truly believe if I can get my team members to understand everything we do has to be about enhancing our customer experience, then we have the foundation necessary to be successful.

IRB:  In hindsight, what would you do differently?

Sian: I would definitely have put our quality control checks in place sooner and I would have made my team members accountable from the start. I have learnt it's okay to want to WOW your customers, it's okay to want to

strive to be the best in your field and it's okay to hold your team members accountable for poor performance.

IRB: Has focusing on creating an outstanding customer experience made any difference to the financial performance of your business?

Sian: Absolutely. It takes time but the results do come, particularly in the form of client referrals.  When you focus on delivering an outstanding client experience, clients leave your business feeling incredibly valued and very happy to have done business with you. They can't help but share that experience with others.  That is the best form of marketing you can get and it grows your business.

IRB: What advice would do you have for the owners of small businesses?

Sian: Go for gold! Set high standards for your team and aim to create the very best customer experience.  Set clearly defined goals for EVERY aspect of your business, not just financial goals, and then measure, measure, measure.

This successful businesswoman’s experience teaches us eight lessons for business success:

1. Strive for excellence in everything you do.

2. Set high goals for every aspect of your business.

3. Aim to WOW your customers not just provide them with good service.

4. Put quality controls in place.

5. Find out what your team members are passionate about and where their strengths lie.

6. Follow up with your customers. To make sure they are getting a top-rate experience.

7. Measure, measure, measure.

8. Hold you team members accountable.