HJ REPORTS: PHOREST SALON OWNERS SUMMIT

Salon management software brand Phorest welcomed more than 600 delegates from the UK, Ireland, and even further afield, to its annual conference in Dublin on 7–8 January for two days of networking and education

The Salon Owners Summit 2024 hosted a diverse speaker line-up under the theme of Elevate, helping business owners set goals for the year ahead.

Following a welcome from Phorest Chief Executive Ronan Perceval and an update on the brand’s ESG Phorest Forest initiatives, David Meade, researcher and professional speaker took to the floor. Focusing on growth mindset, David shared techniques for influencing your customers’ or team’s decision making - for example, did you know you’re 300% more likely to get a “yes” if you list the option you want someone to choose as number three in a series of options?

Sharmadean Reid, founder of Wah Nails and women’s empowerment platform The Stack World, then spoke about how to create client personas that genuinely help build your business. Focus on real people as a template so you can see how they grow and adapt, she advised, suggesting salons should write a mini essay in the client notes covering their passions, aspirations and heroes. “You can do this by researching them,” she added. “I always used to say to my team at Wah, if you had the same intention stalking your clients the way you stalk that guy you want to date, you could be selling way more!” She said most customers are driven by one of three things: achievement, belonging or power.

MOST CUSTOMERS ARE DRIVEN BY ONE OF THREE THINGS: ACHIEVEMENT, BELONGING OR POWER

Other key speakers included US-based hairdressing star Geno Stampora and salon mentor Nina Tulio, as well as a broad selection of the Phorest team, who shared updates to the platform including a referrals function, an automated wait list and an improved appointment booking screen. The final keynote of the event was TV hypnotist and brain hacker Keith Barry, who wowed the crowd by reading the non-verbal cues of audience members to determine what they were thinking and influence their actions.

Away from the main stage events, Phorest ran breakout sessions which included workshops on social media, sustainability and tipping insights. The entertainment across the two days included a Bingo Loco party on the Sunday night, and a lively event after party at Dublin bar and restaurant Nolita. Plus, for an event first, guests got to enjoy artwork from local Irish artist Amanda Jane Graham. The mission behind the artwork's was to celebrate the rich history behind the hairdressing profession.