While salon owners are busy fretting over minor details with pricing, promotions and the salon’s appearance, Sun Evolutions Global Sales Trainer David McFarland fears that all too many are overlooking the most important factor in their business: the people behind the counter. In this Smart Tan exclusive interview, David shares his perspective on this area of need he’s identified while working with salons around the country.

Q: Why do you think some salons have problems hiring quality employees?

A: What’s dawned on me is how everybody is so into the aesthetics of the salon and marketing to get customers, but they don’t pay enough attention to marketing for talent – marketing for who’s working there. When I clear away all the gripes and complaints, 99 percent of salon problems are the who, not the what and the how. It’s the who that separates good from bad. My idea is to flip flop it a bit, and salon owners and managers can really market the same way they sell products, but marketing all year long for finding good talent to work in the salon.

Click here to read the entire article in the latest issue of Smart Tan Magazine online.