Embrace Your Worth: Overcoming Emotional Discounting in the Beauty Industry

As a beauty professional, you deserve to be compensated appropriately for your expertise, experience, and talent. After all, this is the only way to stay in business in a way that is sustainable for your wellbeing and work-life balance.  

However, it's all too common for beauty entrepreneurs to struggle with emotional discounting, which leads to charging less than they're worth.  

What is emotional discounting?  

Emotional discounting refers to the practice of reducing the price of your products or services based on feelings of sympathy, guilt, or personal attachment towards a client, rather than the actual value of your work. Can you relate?  

This can lead to undercharging and undervaluing your skills and expertise, ultimately affecting your business and self-worth. In the beauty industry, we all tend to do it… but this can add up over time and cause major losses in profit for your business.  

Here are a few ways to overcome emotional discounting and to charge what you deserve... 

1) Cultivate Your Self-Worth Through Daily Habits 

A strong sense of self-worth is essential in avoiding circumstances of emotional discounting. Nobody will question the prices of a confident Solapreneur who stands by their worth. Here are some daily habits to nurture your self-worth: 

• Embrace gratitude: Begin each day by noting down three aspects of your craft, career or clientele that you are grateful for. This practice helps you appreciate your business achievements and recognize your unique talents. 
• Set realistic goals: Break your larger objectives into smaller, achievable tasks, and celebrate the little wins! Acknowledge your victories and treat yourself when you reach significant milestones. This is important when you are in business for yourself and helps to maintain a sense of growth and development.  
• Surround yourself with uplifting energy: Engage with fellow Sola professionals and participate in online and in-person beauty industry communities to find support, motivation, and inspiration from like-minded individuals on the same path. Sometimes it just takes the reflection of another passionate entrepreneur to breathe inspiration back into your day-to-day mindset.  

2) Hone your Craft to Stay Relevant and on the Cutting Edge   

Continually investing in your education and professional development will inspire deep confidence and enhance your skills. In fact, education and professional development is an investment that can never be lost, because it is an investment in yourself. Attend workshops, webinars, and conferences to stay updated on industry trends and techniques, and you will always have a reason to charge a premium for your expertise.  

The more you learn and grow, the more confident and self-assured you'll feel in charging what you're worth. Remember, you're not only investing in your skills but also in the success of your business and personal brand. 

Sola-Exclusive Webinars: Did you know that we host webinars once a month exclusivley for our Sola community? Keep an eye out on our social media or in your email inbox for upcoming webinars... and if you can’t join live, every single webinar is recorded and stored inside the Sola Pro App to watch (or rewatch) at your leisure! That’s right, endless education at your fingertips! By tapping into Sola Pro's educational resources, you'll stay ahead of the curve and continue to grow your skills, confidence, and business know-how.  

Sola Sessions: Experience Sola's transformative educational events, the Sola Sessions, to sharpen your skills, boost your confidence, and fuel your business growth. By attending these sessions, you'll benefit from expert-led education, hands-on workshops, networking opportunities, exposure to innovative products and tools, and valuable salon business strategies. Experience the magic of Sola Sessions to stay on the cutting edge of the beauty industry and unlock your full potential as a beauty professional.  

3) Explore What Your Peers Are Charging and Find Pricing That Works for You 

Understanding the market and your competition is essential when determining your pricing. It also helps give you a confidence boost when you realize that people are charging much more for the same services. Here are some tips for exploring peer pricing: 

• Research the market: Investigate the pricing structures of other beauty professionals in your area. Researching similar salon businesses will help you understand what your clients expect and what your competition is charging for similar services. 
• Offer value-based pricing: Determine the true value of your services by considering factors such as the quality of products you use, the time you spend with clients, and the unique skills, experience and expertise that you bring to the table. 

4) Showcase Your Experience, Qualifications, and Expertise 

It is important to make sure that your clients know about your professional and educational background and how it sets you apart from the competition: 

• Create a professional biography: Compile your education, certifications, qualifications, achievements, skills, and unique talents into a well-organized, bullet-point list or paragraph with succinct and potent details about your background. Include any world-renowned teachers, programs or techniques that you have studied with that are worth associating with. A comprehensive professional bio not only reinforces your own understanding of your worth but also instills confidence in your clients. By presenting your background and expertise in a polished and trustworthy manner, you can reassure new clients that they are in good hands.  
• Showcase your work:  Let your work speak for itself by showcasing your creative talents through compelling visuals and client feedback. Demonstrate your artistry with before-and-after photos and videos, on your website, portfolio, social media and/or professional listings. It is also good to gather testimonials from satisfied clients and put your favorites on your website and/or social media feed.  
• Build your reputation online: Elevate your reputation by featuring your portfolio on your website and social media channels. Keep your online platforms up-to-date by consistently adding your latest creations and narrating your journey of success. By actively sharing your accomplishments and engaging with your audience, you let them in on the behind the scenes hard work that has gotten you to where you are in your professional journey.  

5) Set Boundaries and Stick to Your Pricing 

To maintain your professional image and self-worth, it's crucial to set boundaries and stick to your pricing: 

• Establish clear policies: Clearly communicate your pricing structure, cancellation policies, and payment expectations to your clients. Put them online, list them on your booking page, write them on signage in your salon – whatever you have to do to stick to your guns when it comes to pricing and payment. This can be a touchy subject, so the more you have in writing, the better!  
• Avoid emotional discounting: It's only human to feel compassion for clients facing financial hardship. Still, it is crucial for your business that you maintain a balance between empathy and valuing your work and time. 
• Have a list of affordable recommendations: If you have certain clients that simply cannot afford your services, instead of turning them away cold, it may help to have a short list of budget-friendly peers that could use referrals to their salon. This way, your clients will not feel like you left them high and dry. A good recommendation goes a long way in making somebody feel supported – and you do not have to feel guilty for falling outside of their budget. Plus – you’ll probably be helping a friend expand their client base. Win-win-win!  
• Plan discounts strategically: Instead of succumbing to emotional discounting, plan your discounts and promotions strategically. Consider offering loyalty programs, limited-time offers, or referral incentives that benefit both your clients and your business, without compromising your professional worth.  

@bespoke.hairstudio 

When you know of a client particularly in need, make sure they are in the know about the offer, to make your services attainable, yet on terms that are comfortable for you. Discounts are ok if you are charging a price that you have already decided you feel comfortable with, and they get the opportunity to experience your services on a budget in a limited capacity.  

If you are still having trouble with emotional discounting or charging your worth, check out our blog on Raising Salon Prices. 

Remember, you are in business for yourself, but not by yourself! The Sola Fam is here to support you every step of the way.