WARD'S WORLD
Professional curiosity
Keeping yourself and your team curious about the jobs you’re doing, the industry you work in and the potential for new opportunities is vital for success, writes Hellen Ward
I recently had lunch with my oldest school friend who was sharing a story on something health related. An issue had remained unresolved for some time for a friend of hers, despite numerous visits to medical professionals. Fed up with being fobbed off, they sought another opinion and finally got to the root of the problem, but being undiagnosed for so long had meant that treatment was sadly palliative and not curative.
Speaking of those who didn’t query the ongoing symptoms, my friend Ali hit the nail on the head when she said incredulously ‘Where was their professional curiosity?’ At what point, she argued, did they bother to be inquisitive about previous diagnosis being incorrect, questioning their ruling out of potential causes and start getting exploratory about what could be happening instead?
Competitor analysis
Personally, I need professional curiosity to be able to do my job well. I encourage my own professional curiosity and actively seek it out in my management team. Being curious about and wanting to explore opportunities is part of what makes my work enjoyable.
Examining what other people do, how other salon owners run their businesses and what financial models they use is what keeps me fresh, inspired, motivated and (hopefully) motivating.
Anyone at the helm of a team or salon needs to nurture their own professional curiosity to drive their business and continue to develop their team. Being interested and analytical is a healthy mindset to adopt.
I recently judged a new initiative for PB’s sister magazine, Hairdressers Journal International. Led by Sean Hanna, the HJ Business Academy was created to provide real-life business education to young entrepreneurs in the hairdressing industry. While there are many creative initiatives, there are relatively few (if any) business-focused programmes for start-ups to glean business knowledge and mentorship.
In its inaugural year, it’s an inspiring programme and I really hope it builds and develops into a must-apply for anyone entering into a new venture. Sean is a brilliant guide and mentor and all the entrants told me they got so much out of the process, not least working with him and meeting each other.
I really enjoy participating in the judging process of any business-related competition and feel that the process not only helps and encourages aspiring salon owners and business leaders but gives me something back in return. Interviewing people and quizzing them on their plans, forecasts and strategy is always interesting and hopefully I can add value if they want feedback on my assessment after the judging process is complete. If they are eager to learn, they can’t do much better than getting the opinion of the judging panel (even if they don’t always agree with the overall result or assessment)!
Good listening
But it struck me that to be a good judge you really need some solid qualities. First, to listen well. I note down my observations and thoughts and when it’s time for questions after the presentations are complete, I try to gently probe with leading questions to steer the entrant into the nub of the comment or thought that’s piqued my curiosity. It’s that same professional curiosity that naturally comes to the fore in the judging process. I love quizzing candidates on their brand values, strategy and most of all, their numbers.
“People that aren’t
EMPLOYED, COMMITTED OR INVOLVED ENOUGH
to care simply
WON’T PRODUCE THE NUMBERS „
Another friend was running a fantastic promotion recently that her company had invested hugely in. The concept, stand build and branding had been fine-tuned and was the result of months of hard work, brainstorming and planning. But the agency staff the company had used to man it meant that the team were not emotionally invested in its success. Having “no skin in the game” led to some underwhelming sales figures and overall disappointment at the performance of the promotion. The aesthetics were fantastic, but that didn’t translate into financial results. Not only did they not really understand the brand story, but not being versed in the heritage, provenance, culture or even knowledge of the brand at a basic level led to some disinterested customer interaction. Not being engaged enough to stop passing trade and start a conversation, missing the key selling points and promotion USP, not using positive body language – all of this meant the promotion, although beautiful, didn’t reach its maximum potential. It was even more obvious to see the one employee that was there outperforming the agency staff threefold.
Fully invested
People that aren’t employed, committed or involved enough to care simply won’t produce the numbers. Using agency staff who could be promoting pet food or paint tomorrow is a false economy. A crack-team of sales professionals, all motivated by a good commission structure, is a much safer bet to safeguard the investment already made on such an activity. But of course, without that professional curiosity, it won’t necessarily succeed either. I’m always reminded of The Wolf of Wall Street story – “sell me the pen,” says Jordan Belfort, the theory being that if the candidate can sell something so mundane as a pen, they should be able to sell anything. The key is in listening and discovering the need: write my name down – you’ll need the pen.
Developing our team’s professional curiosity in their interactions with clients is key to ensuring they deliver consistent results, too. Consultation skills require regular retraining, and the savvy salon manager knows that training up an inquisitive therapist will pay dividends for both, but moreover for the client themselves. Exploring routines, regimes and concerns with gentle probing unlocks the upsell of treatments, services and retail that no “hard sell” can. One thing is certain, being curious will always pay dividends.
Hellen Ward is managing director of Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa in London, vice president of The Hair & Beauty Charity and co-founder of Salon Employers Association (SEA).