If you are a soon-to-be cosmetology school graduate, building clientele is probably one of your biggest concerns right now. Besides friends and family, who else do you know who will make appointments with you? As a beauty professional, it’s essential that you learn early on how to build your clientele as a hairstylist.
Attention, Soon-To-Be Hairstylists! Here Are Some Tips for Building Clientele
As a hairstylist, your book of business is your entire livelihood. Sure, you might get a few random appointments and walk-ins here and there, but your regular clients are the people who bring the most business. After all, they’re the ones that come to you no matter which hair salon you work at. A lot of work goes into building your clientele base and retaining your clients. Here are a few tips to help you when you start building your book of business.
Work on Skill Execution and Customer Service
Whether you are still a student or already working in the field, it’s important that you are constantly taking on new challenges and enhancing your skills. If you are well-rounded and offer excellent customer service during your appointments, just about anyone can go to you whether they need highlights, haircuts, or hairstyles for a formal occasion. Working on your skill execution will help you build your clientele.
Take Advantage of Social Media
As a student, social media is one of the easiest ways you can build your book of business early. Students have the opportunity to work on clients during their time in school while they are under supervision. When you are finished on a client and proud of the work you did, whether it be a style, color, or cut, post a picture on social media! Tell your friends and family to share it. Gaining as many followers as possible and showcasing your work is an easy and fast way to get the word out about your services, and you’ll have new potential clients interested in your services before you know it.
Build Your Brand as a Hairstylist
Like many other products and services that consumers buy, you are more likely to attract new clientele if you have your own brand. Think about the skills and services you perform well and the target markets you want to reach. Do you specialize in blondes? Maybe you’re great at color correction. Are you the best stylist when it comes to trendy, edgy cuts? Whatever it may be, make that your personal brand and make sure people know you are the go-to stylist for that type of service! Creating business cards can also help boost your brand awareness and salon marketing. Hand them out to your clients; it will help you build your clientele.
Practice Professionalism
It’s crucial to practice professionalism when working with clients. You’re providing a service to your clientele, and you should treat them as what they are—paying customers who care about their new looks. To throw out a few general tips, clients typically won’t return to you if they don’t like their final look or if they notice the following during the appointment:
- Talking about yourself too much
- Gossiping with other stylists
- The smell of smoke
- Bad attitudes
- Dirty workstations
- Poor hygiene
- Bad breath
- Negativity
Ensure you are respectful to clients and listen to their needs so that you don’t run into these issues.
Sell Your Clients Professional Products
Salon clients love when you recommend professional products to them. If a client tells you about a hair concern they have, or you notice something while working on them, recommend a product that might be good for them to use. This gives you a professional appeal, and the client will likely love their new product, too!
Build Your Skills and Book of Business With Brillare
Bottom line, if you want more clientele in the salon business, you should focus on having a friendly and helpful attitude. Build relationships with your clients and make them want to return to you. At Brillare, we teach you these skills and all of the skills necessary to become a talented, professional cosmetologist. Kickstart your career in the hair and beauty industry. If you are interested in applying to one of our programs, feel free to contact us today.
