Wild Beauty helps keep Europe's hair tamed. As the exclusive European distribution partner for Paul Mitchell, the Germany-based company has over 100 educators and 50 sales professionals promoting more than 100 different Paul Mitchell products and tools, in addition to operating hair salons throughout Europe.
To keep this large team of sales reps and freelance educators up to speed on the latest product offerings, Wild Beauty needs a simple yet powerful technology foundation. For every interaction with a salon, for example, Wild Beauty employees pull up photos, videos, and product documentation to support Paul Mitchell's latest products and collections.
The company tried using email, flash drives, CDs, and even an FTP site. But these methods were either clunky or too complex for staff members to adopt, so none stuck. “We have a diverse group of users,” explained Wild Beauty Board Member Noah Wild. “Not only do they range in age, but some use PCs and some use Macs — and there’s quite a variety of technological skill.” So Wild Beauty searched for a solution that was the right combination of simple, easy to use, device-agnostic, and reliable.
After the company executives explored several cloud-based options, they decided to implement Dropbox for Business, enabling employees to access the files they need from any device.
"We introduced the application and within 20 minutes, people could easily access their files." - Noah Wild, Board Member at Wild Beauty
And because many employees and contractors were already familiar with Dropbox, moving to Dropbox for Business was straightforward and simple. As Wild remembered, “It was great that people understood Dropbox so quickly. We introduced the application and within 20 minutes, people could easily access their files.”
Now with Dropbox for Business, the sales team can keep product information at their fingertips when they visit salons. And because files are automatically backed up to Dropbox’s servers, any employee can restore versions of documents easily, without burdening IT. “Dropbox for Business really helps us keep our costs down,” attests Wild. “Even as our business and file storage needs grow, our costs stay the same.”
In addition, the ability to instantly pull up photos and videos during visits with prospective clients has given Wild Beauty an edge over its competition. Instead of carrying binders of printed materials, Wild Beauty representatives can simply carry around iPads and access the necessary materials through Dropbox. This not only allows them to work more quickly, but also makes it easier for them to take down important information during the visit and even schedule follow-up meetings on the spot. “When our reps enter salons, they don't look like they’re going to take up a lot of the hairdresser’s time. They just walk in with their iPads and they can access everything they need on Dropbox. Not all of our competitors can do that.”
Because every minute with a potential client matters, Dropbox for Business has helped the Wild Beauty team better manage its time — allowing sales representatives to visit more salons and close more deals than before. “Dropbox helps us work more productively and focus on salon time, which is the most valuable to our business,” said Wild.
To see how Dropbox for Business can help your team be more productive and efficient, take it for a spin with our free trial.
