Not mine...
My father was a hairdresser.
He permed his hair, listened to disco, and spent his days with a very colorful group of employees. He co-founded the most prestigious salon in the tri-state area of that time, grew that business, and moved on down the road....literally.
He has since developed and owned multiple salons in central New Jersey. Having experienced first-hand his life-long dedication to this profession we share, I have come to possess a certain conviction about the following lessons to live and do business by:
- If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Keep positive chit-chat behind the chair, no negative talk. Not only is it a downer, but not-so-nice talk can come back to bite you.
- Less is more...
- It costs more to be "right" than to be "wrong". Unhappy clients, and unhappy people, are inevitable. Sometimes it's smarter and more profitable to let them go than to keep trying to please.
- Be grateful. Appreciate loyal clientele. And remember, a satisfied client is a potential source of referrals.
- Believe in your worth.
- Learn something new every day. EVERY day.
- Listen to your clients. Get to know them. When considering a new style or color, it's extremely important to consider lifestyle, maintenance, and other factors that could interfere with the her enjoying her new look.
- Enjoy coworkers, celebrate differences!
- Cut family members hair extra short so they don't return as often for freebies! (I had to include this one for fun!)
- "Whisper, Talk, or Scream" has always been the question my father asks his client during a consultation to help her describe how she'd like her color/highlight. I happen to think this is GENIUS and adopted it myself. My clients always smile when I ask the question because they can completely understand the language. As hairdressers, we talk in coppers and neutrals, strange letters and numbers. Using a language that the client can understand is key to finding out what she really wants!
