Becoming a successful hairstylist requires grit, determination, and hard work. Hairstyling is a challenging skill to master and an even more difficult career to enter. Nevertheless, just like any other career, you can become successful with enough perseverance and passion. For beginners, it can be a little daunting at first. >If you think you are ready to enter the industry, here are five useful tips to help you jumpstart your career:
1. Invest in your tools
After you’ve received your license, get a good pair of hair scissors, thinners, and accessories that will complete your hairstyling arsenal. Getting the best equipment from the get-go isn’t necessary, given that you’re still a beginner, but investing in good-quality tools will help you do your job well. As you progress in your career, you can upgrade to higher-quality or even luxury equipment.
Here is a cheat sheet of what you need:
- Shears
- Thinners
- Section clips
- Brushes
- Cape
- Spray bottle
- Flat iron
- Combs
- Blow dryer
- Hair grips
- Pick
- Curling iron
- Hairdryer
- Rollers
- Hair products
2. Learn customer service
The key to effective client retention is excellent customer service. Learn how to communicate well with your customers, listen to what they want, and do everything you can to make them happy. If they happen to be unsatisfied with your service, offer free services to make up for it. It’s better than having them leave unhappy and not going back at all.
3. Don’t stop learning
A good hairstylist doesn’t stop with what he or she already knows. Continue learning new styles and trends, so you remain in-the-know. If you can’t take formal courses, watch tutorials on YouTube instead.
4. Promote yourself
Build clientele by selling yourself on social media, to your friends and family, or just about anyone that comes your way. At the beginning of your career, it’s going to be difficult to garner new clients, so letting everybody know that you’re a hairstylist will increase the chances of them coming to you for services or promoting you to people they know. Print out business cards to hand out, too.
Promoting yourself also requires you to look and act the part. That said, make sure you’re always presentable and professional. If you look on point with your makeup, hair, and outfits every day, people are going to think you’re good at your job.
5. Up your retail skills
Offer products to your clients and teach them how to use it at home so that they can recreate the hairstyle. If they are satisfied with the look, they are more likely to come back and purchase from you again. It’s an excellent way to earn extra income and gain the trust of your clients. Apart from products, you can also upsell other services that you think will make their hair look better.
Finally, the best tip for beginner hairstylists is to be positive. It may be difficult in the beginning, but that’s where everybody starts. So, take things at your own pace, be positive, and don’t forget to smile. Your success will come soon.
