Rob Smith is the co-founder of Slick, a salon management SaaS tool.He explains how Slick, which is catering to hair and beauty salons, aids in managing bookings, payments, website and marketing, and has seen expansive growth with over 2000 customers. Rob also highlights the importance of their quality product which has an 85% NPS and less than 1% churn.In the interview, he provides insight into the hair and beauty industry, explaining the reliance on pen and paper and the potential impact of digitization. Further in the conversation, he discusses their relationship with L'Oreal, their unique sales strategy, and challenges faced during COVID-19, among other topics.🔍Timestamps:00:00 Introduction and Guest Background00:42 Understanding Slick and its Market01:43 The Resilience of the Beauty Industry02:51 The Role of Slick in the Beauty Industry03:45 Market Size and Potential of Slick05:18 Exploring Different Sectors in the Beauty Industry07:04 Partnership with L'Oreal09:06 Fundraising Journey and Challenges14:18 Experience with Founders Factory17:03 Go-to-Market Strategy and Challenges21:22 The Importance of Business Education and Coaching21:41 Understanding the Impact of Referrals and Long-Term Value22:46 The Journey to the Right Business Model24:45 Overcoming Setbacks and Challenges26:05 The Power of Content and Education During Crisis27:33 The Role of Technology in Business Recovery28:33 Understanding the Impact of Macro Trends on Business29:26 The Importance of Linking Tools to Revenue Growth30:06 The Power of Sales in Business36:30 The Role of High Touch in Data Integration37:35 The Value of Sales Experience in Career Development39:48 Closing Remarks and Contact Information💡 Key Highlights- What Slick is and how it assists hair and beauty salons with bookings, payments, website, and marketing, focusing on small, independent businesses.- The resilience of the hair and beauty industry during economic downturns and the transition from traditional management methods to digital solutions.- Slick’s approach to scaling, achieving significant market share, maintaining a high Net Promoter Score (NPS), and low churn rate through a product that salon owners love.- The influence of the partnership with L’Oreal on Slick’s development, balancing corporate expectations with the actual needs of salon owners.- Insights into Slick’s fundraising journey, the role of L’Oreal in providing initial capital, and the challenges of aligning product development with market needs.- The effectiveness of a direct sales strategy in an industry with low digital search intent, leveraging local saturation, and word-of-mouth for growth.- Strategies employed during COVID-19, including community building, educational content, and feature development to support salons in reopening and thriving post-pandemic.- Rob’s book recommendation for SaaS founders, an entrepreneur or business leader Rob admires, an underrated SaaS tool that Rob recommends, and the best piece of advice Rob has received.-- LINKS -- ► Show Notes: https://nuoptima.com/saas-podcast/slick-rob-smith🔗 Follow NUOPTIMA:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexej-pikovsky-9743701/Website: https://www.nuoptima.com 🔗 Follow Rob:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-wp-smith/Website: https://www.getslick.com/🔔 Stay Updated: Turn on notifications to never miss our latest videos on growth tactics in SaaS, trends, and business insights.

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