Earning Your Clients

One of the most important things you can remember when it comes to working in the cosmetology industry is that it’s a clinet-driven business. As a hairstylist, esthetician, nail tech, or otherwise you are a service provider and that means you are directly working with the customer each and every time on a personal, face to face basis. That means that your level of success in the industry - and thereby your income, is entirely based on your ability to earn new clients and retain the ones that you already have. For a student fresh out of cosmetology school this can seem very overwhelming and frightening even if one isn’t prepared to take on the challenge of building up your clientele and may seem especially difficult if you have no idea how to go about finding clients in the first place. Unfortunately many cosmetology schools are woefully inadequate when it comes to teaching their students how to earn a client base and keep them coming back but don’t fret - all you have to do is read on for some solid practical advice as to how you can build up a client base and make sure that they never want to leave you.

The most important thing that you need to be aware of when it comes to building up your client base is that your customers, ultimately, need to have a very good reason to come to you. If they don’t they certainly won’t make an effort to bother with you in the first place and it’s extremely unlikely that they’ll come back. You must have an excellent foundation of skills and talents in your field and it must be completely evident to potential clients why they should be coming to see you over the hundreds of other stylists that are likely in their area. The first way to accomplish this is simply to be really really good. Don’t just be another “pretty good” stylist out there - be amazingly good. Be the stylist that earns awards, has their work featured in magazines, is called out to style for photo shoots. Be the stylist that people turn to for a very specific aspect of the work and become famous for your ability to do just that. Don’t get swept away in a tide of so-so hairstylists, be one that stands out and makes their presence known. Study as much as you can in cosmetology school and then go a step further by tracking down famous stylists and quizzing them about their methods.

Remember to always be polite and respectful but don’t take no for an answer. Learn as much as you can from famous stylists, find mentors that can teach you more and will introduce you to others who can help you further your abilities. Any opportunity to learn is one that should be capitalized on. Make sure that you attend conferences and training seminars routinely so that you are always aware of the newest trends and techniques and never out of the loop. The greater your skills and abilities are the more clients you’ll have knocking at the door - it’s as simple as that. Stylists that can’t seem to stay afloat and are constantly struggling to make ends meet are doing so for a reason and it’s often because they simply aren’t advanced enough to be maintaining their own clientele. This may mean they need to take more courses, practice more, or possibly that cosmetology isn’t for them but whatever the reason they aren’t making and keeping clients happy which is a sure fire way to end up without an income. Become the best that you can at your job - give clients a good reason to come to you and continue improving on yourself and your abilities so that you never need to worry about them having one.

You’ll also want to be certain that you are preforming at your highest with each and every client. This may seem like an obvious statement but there are so many stylists who make it all the way through school only to come out the other side without having learned much and rarely putting any of it to good use. Your clients can tell when you’re doing a half-hearted job and they won’t appreciate it. Make sure that you go above and beyond for each and every client you work with and do more than just meet their basic needs. A client that feels like they were really taken care of is one who will come back because more often than not a client returns based on the experience they had as opposed to just their cut and color. Ensure that your clients are given the highest level of care and priority when they are in your chair and you’ll be well on your way to becoming quite popular with them.

When it comes to retaining clients it’s important that you do more than simply give them a great cut or color every time - this is of course absolutely necessary but it’s so easy for a client to get bored and want to try someone new so you have to make sure that you go the extra mile each and ever time you see them so that they are constantly impressed with you and the level of customer service that you continue to provide them with. This can mean doing a lot of different things for your clients and sometimes you’ll have to be creative and get specific with individual clients in the ways that you wow them but it’s essential that you do it for every client. Sometimes its as easy and providing drinks, magazines, or offering discounts for clients that refer friends or family in. Other times it may mean you do a little extra like giving a free deep conditioning treatment or a thoughtful little head massage to a client you can tell is stressed out. Things like that make a huge difference to clients who might otherwise feel like they’re getting a routine cut or color from their stylist. Little things like that can make your time with a client stand out.

You also want to make an effort to make your clients time in the salon as enjoyable as possible. When most people go to get a cut or have their nails done or some other treatment it’s a break to them - a time out of their busy day for them to relax and enjoy themselves. They don’t want to be rushed or annoyed or made to feel like their presence is an inconvenience to your or the salon staff. Their experience with you should be one they look forward to and are excited about and it should also be fun for them. No one likes to sit in a chair for an hour silently while someone cuts their hair. Make sure that you talk to them, ask them about their life, their work, friends, family and so forth. Let them talk to you about what’s going on with them and don’t just fake an interest - be genuinely interested. Care about them and what’s happening in their lives. You don’t have to be best friends but make an effort to listen to them and what is happening in their world. If they aren’t interested in talking (them - not you) then be sure to offer them a magazine, a book, or something else for them to focus on while you are cutting their hair. It’s awkward and no fun at all to just sit there and be bored so make certain that you’re doing all that you can to keep your client happy and entertained while you work. You may want to consider taking a public speaking course or a communications class that will make it easier for you to build a rapport with all your clients and keep things light and sociable when they come in. A speaking group like Toastmasters may also be beneficial for people who have a fear of talking with new people or struggle to find ways to “break the ice” as this is a vital skill for a cosmetologist to have. No matter how good your abilities to cut hair are if your clients find themselves bored to tears whenever they come in to see you they won’t be sticking around very long. While this may be frustrating to students or stylists that work so hard to be good only to find out that it’s all down the drain if they can’t make a client laugh it is the truth of the matter and something that you just have to accept and work around. Get good at recounting funny stories, stay up to date on a bit of gossip, and take a genuine interest in your clients lives and you’ll be just fine.

While these are all important things you can do to get clients and keep good ones returning the overall message here is to provide a really good service of genuine value and make sure that you deliver it to your clients in the most fun and enjoyable way as possible. If you can manage that you’ll be extremely well off in the cosmetology world.