Lash Team Coach & Mentor - Part 1 - How to Develop a Coaching Plan

Posted by Maryann Matykowski on July 06, 2018

Welcome to LASH TEAM Coach & Mentor! This series will dive deeper into team building strategies for your lash business success! When you are developing your business, recruiting, hiring, mentoring and coaching should all be part of your business plan. In this post, I will be focusing on the part of your plan that involves “coaching” your team members. As a business owner, it is your responsibility to lead your team with the vision you have for your brand. You will be responsible to take on the role of a coach and create a cohesive plan to take your team members through. Having a set plan in place will let your team know you are serious about their growth as a service provider in your salon or spa.

What is a Coach?

Let's break down what the definition of a coach is so that we can outline a proper coaching plan. A coach is considered a noun and in its definition, you can find these related synonyms:

• Instructor
• Trainer
• Manager
• Teacher
• Guru

Then, there is the business dictionary definition of a coach:

Extending traditional training methods to include a focus on (1) an individual’s needs and accomplishments, (2) close observation and (3) impartial and non-judgmental feedback on performance.

We will be referring back to these definitions to help you hammer out a successful coaching plan for your salon or spa.

Instruct Your Team Members

Under the dictionary version of the definition of coach, the word instructor comes up first. But why is being an instructor important in your coaching plan? Answer: Developing a clear action plan for your team members gives them a sense of direction, a clear foundation to build from, and guidelines and goals to be met in order to take them to the next level. As an instructor or trainer, you can shape your team to provide your service at the level your brand will be recognized for. You should work closely with your team on a one-on-one basis or in a group setting to teach them what they need to know. When taking on the instructor mentality, you should be thinking:

• What skills does this team member need to develop to get to the next level?
• What ideas have you developed to walk these team members through to get them to the next level?

Remember that you may have team members at varying levels of skill and will need to implement a strategy for each skill level. You do not want a more seasoned member to have to repeat skills they have already mastered—this is not productive and can create boredom. As an instructor, you will need to evaluate your team’s development on an individual basis — some will learn and develop more quickly than others. Remember that when you are training members, constructive advice, not criticism is the best method for progress. You can gently lead an underperformer with encouragement and compassion.

Example of My Coaching Plan as an Instructor

All coaching plans should be unique to the different team and business needs, however, here is an example of a plan that works well across the board when training team members: First, I evaluate the team member at the basic skill level. If they are solid but rusty, I would require the team member to go through a week or so of shadowing. My team member would sit near me and observe my service from consultation to completion. I would explain what steps I am taking, why I am taking these steps and what the desired result should be. I always reserve a bit of time for questions so that the team members can squash their doubts and concerns. I then ask the team member to perform several tasks related to the service to see if they “got it”. If they are struggling, I know where to focus more attention on the next training. I have found that getting that first step in any service down is key in managing your team member and client’s expectations. In my coaching plan, we spend quite a bit of time training the consultation. This is where many client and team members can get in the weeds - an incomplete consultation or not having a consultation can wreak havoc. Your team member needs to know what questions to ask apart from the intake or release form. There are many other factors that can complicate a service that we may not be aware of if we don’t ask questions.

Be The Guru of Your Team

Now, let's dissect another part of the definition of the word coach so that we can continue crafting the best coaching plan. We are going to think about how you can be a guru when creating your coaching plan. I know this may seem odd to say, but as seasoned professionals, we will refer to ourselves as "Lash Gurus”. By definition, a “Guru” is a leader in a particular field. If this is how you define yourself, then make sure your own skills are worthy of others aspiring to get to. A” Guru” is someone who has mastered their skill and has received recognition from their peers —they have studied hard, practiced hard and are well known in their field of expertise. After you have gained this title, you will need to set up skill markers for each member to meet before they receive a merit increase and/or additional responsibilities. From the newest and least experienced to the most skilled, you need a plan for your business development so that your team members are always progressing.

Choose a Development Plan for Your Business

There are many development plans available for salon or spa owners to choose from. Many vendors have coaching plans available to utilize within your team — some are free while others can be pricey. First, I would recommend that you personally go through one of these plans — you need to experience what your team will be going through to be able to implement the plan effectively. The best coaching plan touch on:

• Development of technical skills
• Personal progress
• Confidence building
• Overcoming objections
• How to turn a no into a yes
• Perfecting your consultation
• Upselling and rebooking your clients
• Meeting and surpassing sales goals
• How to raise your prices without freaking out!

Focus on Your Team's Needs

No matter what kind of plan you choose to follow, your team members will always be thinking “WIIFM” or "what’s in it for me?". If you make your team members believe that your coaching plan will benefit them financially, personally and mentally, you will have succeeded. What's more, your team will understand the definitive steps they need to take to complete each phase of your coaching plan. As they move through the steps, they will develop better skills, more confidence and lastly, more compensation. I know we all love what we do, but at the end of the day, we want to be compensated for our hard work. In order to do that, as leaders, we need to create a clear plan on how to do this. When the plan is followed well, your team will receive monetary compensation and recognition. You, as the leader, will receive the same in the form of a great business reputation, an increase in the number of clients as well as a solid reputation in your community. Choosing and implementing a great coaching plan will be a WIN-WIN for your business and your team members! Do you use a coaching plan for your team members in your business? Have you seen any results or changes? Let us know your favorite coaching tips and plans in the comments below!