Source: Nuovo Salon

Terry McKee, co-owner of three Nuovo Salons in the Sarasota, Florida, area, is a self-proclaimed “lifelong learner” with a passion for the beauty business. He’s also a working hairdresser, and has spent four decades behind the chair servicing his loyal clientele.

Recently, McKee achieved an impressive stat, selling $32,500 in Aveda retail in 2022, working just three and a half days per week.

Cracking the Retail Code

Nuovo’s distributor, Aveda Florida, recognizes Aveda stylists in Florida who sell $30k or more in Aveda retail behind the chair each year. This year, McKee was among the honorees, which also included Nuovo stylists Sharline Sanchez and David Roodbeen.

McKee has hit the $30k in the past, but this was his first year hitting it with reduced hours behind the chair.

“I did it without selling,” he says. “I educate and recommend to almost every guest I see.”

He also asks a lot of questions. “We work with coach Jay Williams, and he has taught us to turn everything into a question.”

So instead of telling his clients what products work best, he asks thoughtful questions like, “Does your hair feel dry?” or “What are you shampooing with these days?”

And questions lead to answers. “There have been times I’ve asked a client why they use a certain product,” McKee says. “They’ll tell me a friend uses it and loves it, which gives me the opportunity to direct the conversation back to the client’s hair and ask if that product is working for her.”

McKee says he’s well aware of all the products his guests see every day on their social media feed, on TV or get recommended from friends. “But I am the only one who can give them a personal recommendation based on their hair.”

But the guest’s entire appointment doesn’t revolve around retail. McKee finds balance in the conversation, catching up on personal lives before he talks hair.

“You don’t want to speak about products the whole time,” he says. “You also don’t have to dive deep into personal information, but you need to build a relationship.”

McKee also gives a lot credit to his guest care team.

“They help close the sale, especially if I don’t have time to walk the client to the front desk. They will come find me and see what I recommended,” he says.

Incentivizing the Team

To motivate his team to recommend retail, McKee borrowed an idea from Van Michael Salons.

“If an individual sells $30k of Aveda in a year, they get a 10 percent bonus check,” he says.

Several Nuovo team members receive that $3,000 bonus each year, and McKee maintains it’s totally achievable.

“We coach our team’s thinking, which causes emotion, which causes behavior, which causes outcome,” he says. “Recommending retail is part of their responsibility to both the company and the guest, and it’s simple.

All you have to do is talk about it.”

And don’t overthink it. McKee says he also relies on the power of Aveda’s signature aromas.

“You can plant a seed at the shampoo bowl by saying, ‘I’m using Nutriplenish on you, doesn’t it smell wonderful?’ and leave it at that.”

He circles back to the product conversation at the end of the appointment, but sometimes his guests beat him to the punch.

“If they see a new product in the salon, they often ask about it,” he says. “I tell them ‘that’s not for you,’ or ‘we’ll talk about it,’ depending on whether or not it’s right for them.”

That honest communication has created trust with McKee’s clients and sets an example for his team.

“We train our new stylists to be active listeners and I watch them like a hawk,” he says. “Some people I nurture to be more forthcoming, and others I coach to pull back and actively listen—you just have to be aware of the different personalities.”

A lifelong learner never stops learning, and McKee is passing his passion for learning along to his team members every day.