Building a democratic process is essential to getting your staff on board with a new solution

Having the right tools can make all the difference when it comes to running a beauty business. New technology can mean more efficient operations, more clients, and a healthier bottom line. But no matter how fantastic the new tech you have your heart set on is, you won’t get far without buy-in from your company’s key stakeholders. 

In the beauty and personal care industry, this task poses a particular challenge. Getting people to change is never easy, but beauty pros often have developed a well-oiled daily routine. If you’re going to advocate for altering that system, you will need a strategy.  

Wondering where to start? Then this blog is for you. Here are our top three tech advocacy tips for beauty business execs.

Get hard data

Even the most change-resistant people in your organization can be swayed— provided the benefits are communicated clearly. So take a look at the processes you want to change and calculate how much the new system will save your organization, both in time and money. But don’t just stop with what the business stands to gain. Translate those savings into benefits your stakeholders will experience personally. 

Maybe the new solution means that your salons can take on more clients per day, which will make your CRO happy. Or maybe the payroll and accounting team will longer have to do some hated task. Whatever the particulars are, figure them out and communicate them to stakeholders involved in terms that connect to their day-to-day. Gathering and analyzing this data is time-consuming, but it’s worth it. Even a demanding transition process is palatable if the payoff is good enough.

Think long-term

How does this technology fit into the vision for your company? Your business is a brand and a culture with a trajectory, and everyone is an integral part of that growth. Naturally, you’ll want to show all your stakeholders how this solution complements the goals and ethos you’ve created together. If you can do that, then they’ll see the tech as a logical next step on the journey forward.  

Part of that vision should include how the tech will help you with the problems of the future as well. As important as it is to show the impact the solution will have on current operations, scaling comes with unmet challenges — so you’ll want to illustrate how your technology can meet those demands too.

Do your research

When you’re building your case for new technology, bolster your arguments with in-depth research. This can include everything from professional reviews to customer feedback; just make sure the content is credible. There are many resources when it comes to online reviews, but there are a few standouts. In beauty and wellness technology, your best bets are review sites like Capterra, G2Crowd, and GetApp. 

While you may have a favorite solution in mind, don’t forget to give stakeholders a sense of the alternatives. Almost everyone in beauty is their own mini-business, so give them a seat at the table by laying out the options. Make a list of the pros and cons of each possible solution and let them know their opinions are critical to the final decision. 

For the most part, the more democratic you can make this process, the smoother the eventual integration will be.