The first step in launching your J.Hilburn business successfully is creating your Potential Client List. Sure, getting off to a good start includes starting your training, learning how to measure and fit your Clients, getting familiar with the suite of technology tools and marketing your new business.
But the most important element of a successful J.Hilburn business is making appointments with Clients.
Trying to launch a successful J.Hilburn business without a Client list would be like starting to build a house without building materials. Without Clients you can’t conduct appointments, which is the only way to get comfortable and have fun with styling, and of course start earning income! So, focus on your sales outreaches to make appointments immediately.
The faster and bigger you grow your Client list, the faster you’ll also:
- Start placing orders
- Receive referrals from happy Clients
- Grow your income
- Build brand awareness within your network
- Meet potential new Stylists through your Clients
Good news: You already know a lot of great potential Clients for your J.Hilburn business—you simply may not realize it yet! Making a written Potential Client List, whether you do this on paper or in an Excel spreadsheet, is a best practice for all new Stylists. We also have a fillable/printable Potential Client List PDF template that you can download, fill out, and print—we recommend printing 5-10 copies of the template so you’ll have room for all your names.
Your first Clients will be on this list, and you will continue adding new names for outreach over time. As you gain experience, you will sell virtually to men who live in different states, so make sure you include contacts who don’t live near you in addition to those who do.
We suggest making a list with 3 columns, categorizing each potential Client based on how well you know each person. List every name you can think of, and don’t limit yourself to men! The women you know can put you in touch with the men in their lives, so include them in your columns as well.
Your A List – Reach out NOW
Your A List men are those you know and who know you on a first-name basis, regardless of whether or not they live in your city or on the other side of the country. If you called one of these men today and said, “Hi, John, it’s Diane,” he’d respond with something along the lines of, “Hi, Diane, it’s nice to hear from you.” That’s the level of personal familiarity and ease we’re talking about.
Your B List – Reach out NEXT
Your B List consists of men you know of, but who may not know you. You may be connected through mutual friends or colleagues, or perhaps their children attend the same school as yours but in different grades. B List connections may also be prominent members of your community who you recognize. A conversation with a man from your B List will require you to reference how you know of him.
For example:
- “Hi, John! We haven’t met, but we have a mutual friend—our attorney Ben Johnston.”
- “Hi, John! You don’t know me, but I know you’re a prominent realtor in Scarsdale, where I live.”
- “Hi, John! My name is Steve. You don’t know me, but our children go to the same high school.”
Your C List – Reach out LATER
Your C List names are your “cold” contacts. They don’t know you and you don’t know them, and you don’t have a natural connection through another person or organization you can reference. Though you have no affiliation with them yet, you believe they would be wonderful customers for your J.Hilburn business. These are your cold leads, but they are worth pursuing as you get into the business more.
Who Do You Know and Where Do You Start to Build Your List?
It can be hard to remember everyone you’ve ever met! Here are a few suggestions to help you add more names to your initial list:
- Your phone contacts
- Your holiday card list
- School/church/club directories
- Current and past business contacts
- Current and past coworkers
- Your spouse’s friends and coworkers
- Social media connections
- Professional contacts
The acronym FRANK can also help jog your memory when creating your ABC List:
F = Friends
R = Relatives
A = Acquaintances (including friends of friends)
N = Neighbors
K = Kid/Kennel connections (parents, teachers, coaches, tutors, vet staff, groomers)
Start Making Your First Appointments with Your Inner Circle
Make your first 5 – 10 appointments with your “inner circle” contacts: men on your A List who you have the strongest relationships with, and who live close enough to you that it’s convenient to meet with them in person. Focus on local contacts for your first few appointments.
Then Expand Outward to Your Wider Network
Make your list as large as you can by thinking about all the people you know. The most successful Stylists acquire 50 – 100+ purchasing Clients in their first year in business (1-2 per week on average), so break this goal down to a monthly or weekly target for the number of new Clients you need to get there.
Be Consistent & Persistent
50 – 100 new Clients in your first year
=
5-10 new Clients per month, or 1-2 new Clients per week, on average