It’s no industry secret that lash and brow services go hand in hand.  Nothing complements a fresh set of handmade volume lashes like the perfect pair of bespoke brows.  And when you’re scrolling through Instagram, looking at lash photos for inspiration, how often do you flick past a beautifully-blended cat eye closeup simply because the brow wasn’t even brushed into position?

Brows frame the face, but more importantly for lash stylists, they complete the look.  Even a tweeze and subtle brow tint can give your lash photos that extra wow factor, which is exactly what you need to stand out on your socials.  We all know that more impactful photos lead to more engagement, which in turn, can lead to more conversions.

Adding brow services to your lash bookings also gives you the added bonus of a higher hourly income, plus the prospect of converting your lash clients to repeat brow clients, too!

But the question is, how do we get our lash clients to start trusting us with their beloved brows?

Brows are personal, and they’re important: most clients know that it’s not worth the risk of messing them up, and so they’ll be reluctant to trust someone new with them.  If their brows are messed up, they have to wear them on their face for at least 2-4 weeks!

Ok, that’s great Joy, you might say, but I’m booked all day.  I can’t go adding in services here and there; I don’t have time!

Many lash and brow services can be performed in the same booking slot, or, if you time it right, only add about ten minutes onto the service time.  Here are some of the ways I make it work for me in salon – speed lashing not required!

Go Gently

Your client may not usually have their brows done, or they may think that their brows look completely fine as they are.  It’s important to start slowly with these clients, because if you go straight in with a dark brown henna, it might scare them off and then they’re unlikely to let you near their brows ever again.

Start by offering them a brow tint and tidy when they are already laying down, relaxing while you work your lash magic.  Compliment their brows, or gush about your own handiwork.

“I’m loving this set today, Jessica.  You know what would take it to the next level?  We could just pop a brow tint on while I’m fanning off your lashes, and it would really make them pop.  Would you like to give it a try?  It’s only an extra $x.”

Already relaxed and hopefully vibing her lashes before she’s even seen them, Jessica will likely say yes.  All you need to do is mix up some tint when you’ve finished applying your extensions, and then pop it on the brows, and leave it on while you fan off and remove the eyepads and tapes.  That will be plenty of time for the tint to process.

This is a double win: you get extra dollars in your hour, and your after photos are going to look so much better!  This is the best upgrade option when you’re booked back to back, as it takes only an extra minute or two to mix, apply and remove the tint.

Solve Their Problem

A tried-and-true sales tactic you may already know is problem solving.  You need to find out what your client’s problem is, and solve it.

These days, most of us lead busy lives, and it can be hard for us to get to multiple different locations to attend our beauty appointments.  You can easily use this to your advantage.

I can’t count the amount of times I’ve pulled out my phone to take my before photos, and my client has said embarrassedly, “Oh, don’t look at my brows; I’m due to get them done.”

This is a cue.  Don’t just reply with a little compliment or tell them not to worry about it.  The best way to respond is, “I can fix that for you while you’re here, Jessica.  I can pop the henna on now, and then wax and tidy once I’m finished your lashes.  It will only take an extra ten minutes or so.”  You could also tell Jessica your price, but that’s irrelevant by this stage: Jessica has just made and attended a brow appointment without even getting off the lash bed!

Mix up the henna first, and then while you are waiting for it to be ready to apply, put on your eyepads and tape and prep the lashes and brows.  Then you can apply the henna.  You can leave it on for the whole duration of the refill appointment for a dramatic stain, or remove it halfway through.  Once you’re done lashing, you can wax and tweeze if needed.

While this is probably best utilised when you have a small gap between clients, it’s a great and easy way to upgrade your client to a multiple service booking.  When you’re rebooking your client for her next refill in three weeks’ time, it’s even easier to say, “And will I add brows on too?”

Utilise Every Spare Moment

One of my favourite services to upgrade is a lash lift.  Lash lifts are fun and easy to do, but there is definitely a bit of sitting around and waiting for solutions to process, especially with the slower, keratin-based lift solutions.

The good news is, many keratin-based lash lift products are also safe to use on brows, for lamination.  You’ll likely get multiple applications out of a sachet (at least enough for a lift and a lamination!), so why not offer it to your client as an upgrade?

The best time to do this is when you’re applying the lashes to the shield.

“Hey Jessica, have you ever had your brows laminated?  I think your brows would be really perfect for it.”

“No?  What’s that?”

“It’s like a lash lift, but for your brows.  We can set the hairs into the position that you want them, so it’s much less maintenance when you get ready in the morning.”  (This bit is important, because as we know, lash lift clients are all about the low maintenance.)  “I’ll have enough solution left over from your lash lift if you’d like to give it a try today?  It will only take an extra few minutes.”

It’s very easy to time the brow lamination processing times with the lash processing times: brows generally have shorter times, so you can apply the solution to the lashes first, then the brows, and process them at the same time.

I challenge you to give it a try!  Just like add-on selling retail items, or upgrading classics to hybrid, your clients are often waiting for you to offer, and rely on your expertise to guide them.

Not confident in brows?  Pop on over to www.lashjoyacademy.com to check out our new 4-Day Ultimate Brow Mastery Course, and keep an eye on our socials for updates and special offers.

Original article written and published for Beauty Biz Magazine Australia.