Being a hairstylist is rewarding in many ways. For starters, you have a chance to interact with the public while simultaneously providing a service that people need and want. You can also leverage your gifts and talents to build a successful career. Check out the information below regarding the five habits of successful hairstylists that can help take your career to the next level.
1. Master Time Management
Time management can be a challenge in just about any career. However, there are some professions in which failure to manage time well can have devastating consequences. Working as a hairstylist is definitely a profession that requires exceptional time management skills. If you’re like most hairstylists, you’re constantly communicating with clients either by phone, email, social media or in person. Even if you have administrative support, there’s still a lot of responsibility associated with being a hairstylist.
Improving your time management skills might be as simple as scheduling dedicated time to answer direct messages or developing a daily to do list. Either way, being strategic with your time is critical. It’s also worth noting that your ability to manage time well enables you to respect your customer’s time by ensuring they're in the chair as scheduled. This will be appreciated more than you know.
2. Get to Know Their Clients
Working as a hairstylist requires relationship building skills. The simple act of getting to know your clients is important because it cultivates an environment of trust and comfort. When this happens, there’s a greater chance of receiving referrals because they'll inevitably speak about the great stylist they have. In fact, fostering good relationships by intentionally getting to know your clients is the best way to increase word of mouth referrals.
Something else that happens when you build client relationships is you come to better understand what they want. Keep in mind that getting to know a client requires you to pay attention and listen to what they’re saying. Active listening can be a secret weapon as a hairstylist because it will help you truly understand the needs of your clients.
3. Showcase Their Work
Simply put, a picture is worth a thousand words. This is why it’s important to showcase your work. For starters, it communicates to clients that you’re experienced and have a proven record of success delivering exceptional results. One of the best things you can do is provide before and after pictures. These days, it’s incredibly easy to showcase your work on social media. Whether you choose to use Instagram, Facebook or another social media platform, you can’t afford not to share images of your work. Having this information online is like having a 24/7 marketing campaign.
4. Provide World Class Service
The key to customer service is providing undivided attention. In fact, if you treat every client like a VIP while they’re in your chair, you'll absolutely increase their level of satisfaction. Quite frankly, many stylist lose business because they failed to provide the level of service their customers expected, which is a problem even when the hairstyle is satisfactory.
5. Request Feedback
In the service industry, it's important to measure what you want to improve. This is the reason why you should request feedback consistently. More importantly, soliciting reviews can help to grow your client list because you can post testimonials online as a way to draw new clients. This is easily facilitated with a follow-up email and a link to provide feedback.
By implementing these habits, you can exponentially increase your chances of success as a hairstylist. It almost goes without saying that honing your styling techniques should always be a top priority.
