A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The same is true in the salon business—your business is only as strong as your weakest stylist. But the good news is that people can become stronger if you put in the time and effort to develop them. In this article, we’ll go over the seven steps for putting together a salon training program, so you can level up your stylists and increase your bottom line.  

Step 1: Train for ROI 

The first step in developing a salon training program is to figure out what type of training will have the best return on investment (ROI) for your business. You may find that there are a lot of areas where your stylists need training and have trouble deciding where to start. To simplify things, consider what type of training will produce the highest ROI and start there.  

For example, if 60% of your revenue comes from hair color services, it would be a good idea to begin with color training. Other valuable trainings might be more business-oriented, such as customer service soft skills, social media marketing, and filling your book with repeat clients and referrals. To keep your stylists engaged, determine which service and business areas they’re most interested in and see what overlaps with a higher ROI. 

Step 2: Develop Clear Goals 

Once you’ve decided which training areas to start with, it’s important to develop clear goals for your salon training program. Setting goals will help your stylists understand what is expected of them, as well as help you know whether your program is successful. Focus on goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based—SMART goals. 

Let’s take a basic goal and turn it into a SMART goal. Say your training goal is to “make your stylists better.” As a SMART goal, that might look something like, “By the end of this month (timebound), my stylists should be able to do a formal updo (specific & relevant) without assistance (achievable) in under 90 minutes (measurable).” Have your stylists create these goals with you. When they’re part of the process, they’re more likely to be invested in your goals and work to achieve them. 

Check out our Guide to Owning Your Hair Salon

Step 3: Create Your Salon Training Program 

After your SMART goals are set, you can then create a training program that will help you reach them. Since you know the desired end result (your goals), you can work backward to determine what needs to be included in the training for your stylists to be successful. For example, if you want someone to create a curly bridal updo, you may want to include mini trainings that discuss hair prepping, curling technique, pinning technique, and so on. 

There are a few types of training you can include in your program for a well-rounded learning experience: formal and informal training. Here’s how you can incorporate both: 

Formal Training 

Formal training is organized and structured to meet specific learning objectives. To create a formal hair stylist training program, start by outlining the steps that you think are necessary to reach your goals. Then, go back and review each step to see if something is missing. Try to put yourself in the shoes of your stylists and not assume they know something they don’t yet. You may also want to ask for honest feedback from your trainees to see if there are terms or concepts that they need or would like more in-depth training on. 

Informal Training 

Another type of training that can help your stylists develop is informal training. Informal training is essentially learning by experience. For example, if a client comes in for an ombre, you can invite your salon assistant to participate and become more familiar the process. Rather than going through the motions like you usually would, take some extra time to quiz your assistant with questions to give them a chance to problem-solve and try it themselves.  

Step 4: Implement Your Training Program 

Once you’ve outlined your training program and asked for feedback, it’s time to put it into action. If the training is required, make that clear and make sure you give people plenty of advanced notice about the training so they can fit it into their schedules. Holding trainings on a routine schedule will help your stylists prepare for them and keep the information fresh in their minds. 

Pro Tip: Perception is everything. You want to frame your training as something fun and worthwhile, not just a mandatory work task. Brand your training program in a way that will get stylists excited about it. Consider branding it as a fun workshop or a way to “get certified” by your salon on a particular topic, so they perceive more value in the program. 

Step 5: Evaluate Your Program 

Continuing to put time and effort into a training program that isn’t accomplishing your goals is a waste. To ensure your program is effective, give your stylists an assessment to determine whether they’re developing the skills you want them to. Depending on the training, you can give a multiple-choice test or have them practice their new skill and assess it yourself. 

As you’re evaluating your training program, revisit your SMART goals. Are you meeting or on your way to meeting those benchmarks? Are you seeing a financial impact? Using the SalonBiz app, you can do this easily by referencing your reports to see if there has been a revenue increase since implementing the training. If yes, congratulations—your training is working! If not, you’ll want to rethink your approach and make adjustments until your reports are trending in the right direction. 

Step 6: Celebrate Milestones 

Another important part of a salon training program is finding a way to celebrate milestones. For example, once people complete a training, commemorate their hard work with a certificate of completion. You could also create stickers, badges, or even symbolic titles (i.e., master stylist) that people can show off in your salon and put on their resumes. Encourage your stylists to add their certifications and updated titles to their online bios too, so they are visible to their guests when they book online.   

Step 7: Get Feedback 

Want to have the best salon training program in town? Get feedback from the people that completed it. If you want to improve continuously, you need to find out what people liked and disliked about your program, what they found helpful, and what they felt was missing.  

An easy way to do this is to create a short survey that trainees can complete after the program. Here are a few questions you can ask: 

• On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate this training?  
• What did you like best about this training? Be specific.  

• What about this training can/should be improved? Be specific. 
• Do you feel this program helped you develop your knowledge and skills? How so? 
• What areas were missing that you would’ve liked to review?  

Once you receive feedback, make sure you review it and use the information shared with you to improve your future training programs.  

Simplify Admin & Increase Your Bottom Line with SalonBiz 

Developing a salon training program can be a time-consuming administrative task. With an all-in-one solution like SalonBiz, you can leave the admin to your software and spend more time increasing your bottom line.  

SalonBiz is a seamless salon management software tool that manages everything from online booking to automated email/text confirmations. The best part is that we offer 1:1 training, an online training library, on-demand classes, and unlimited technical support to help you and your stylists reach new levels of success.  

Book a demo today to see how SalonBiz can simplify your day-to-day tasks and help grow your business!