It happens to every stylist.  You think that your appointment book is completely filled for the day and at the last minute, someone doesn’t show up.  Now, you have a forty-five minute block that is empty, wasted, and you are upset that the client didn’t give you any notice.

So what?  Make the best of it!

With a no-show lots of stylists, slow down, stop working and join in the conversations circulating throughout the salon.  Some will tidy up their stations or flip through recent beauty magazines and call it work.  When you do that, you loose some of the most precious marketing time that you will ever have.

Power stylists, those who are serious about building a huge business, make every minute count.  Put your forty-five minute windfall to good use by creating some future appointments from old customers or marketing yourself to new prospects.

Here are four ways to turn your cancellations into cash.

Keep Your Client List Handy

Browse through your customer list to see who hasn’t been in for a while.  Make a short telephone call to a few people to say hi and tell them that you have missed seeing them.  This thoughtfulness will result in a high percentage of appointments and turn down-time into ultra productive time.

Send Some Thank You Cards

Seventy percent of your income comes from about one quarter of your clients.  Identify which clients spend the most money and treat them special by mailing them a personal thank you note.  It’s one of the best ways to guarantee that their business keeps coming your way.  Just keep a box of cards at the salon so that you use you time wisely, until your next customer arrives.

Congratulate Successful Leaders

Collect a box of clippings from the local newspaper that showcases a person’s recent accomplishments.  Use your additional time to call their office or home and congratulate them on their specific achievements.  Somewhere in that conversation, they will ask about your profession and before you know it, you have a new customer.

Start A Facebook Page Just For Business

Sure you have a Facebook page for your friends and family but why not create a second account to promote hair fashion and extensions.  When someone misses their appointment, you have a few extra minutes to reach out to your satisfied customers through Facebook.  Invite them to tell their own fashion story online (in pictures) so people see the magic you worked on their hair extensions.

Logan is founder of Donna Bella Milan hair extensions and lashes and author of the Donna Bella weblog.