One of the greatest challenges a new hairstylist faces when starting out in their career is becoming a master at their craft. Not only does it take time but it also takes a lot of patience and practice.
When I started out as a new hairstylist, I was young. Even though I was in my late teens, I looked like I was about 12 years old, and I had a difficult time understanding hair cutting techniques. So building my clientele was quite a challenge. How could I expect clients to trust in my abilities when even I had no confidence in my abilities?
It wasn't until I became a single mom and was forced to make a higher income to support myself and my boys that I discovered the changes I needed to make to become an extremely successful hairstylist.
Eventually I went on to master my craft, own my own salon and train other hair stylists as well.
Who knew that out of everything I've experienced in my four-decade career that training hairstylist to become successful and confident would become my passion!
Boost Your Confidence
Here are five proven strategies to boost confidence and unlock your hairstyling success:
1. Know The Foundations
If you want to become a master at hair cutting, you must have a strong understanding of the foundations of hair cutting. I'm referring to the different techniques that are used in cutting hair. There are only three: one length, graduation and layering.
By learning how to create each one of these techniques and combining them with the understanding that short hair directs and supports long hair, you are on your way to becoming a master at hair cutting.
If you need help in this area, you can learn how to master your haircutting skills in my self-paced online course, The Classics of Haircutting. This course will teach you the foundations with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions. Don’t miss out on this career-changing opportunity!
2. Core Artistic Disciplines
Acquiring strong core artistic disciplines is essential to becoming a master at hair cutting. Actually, artistic disciplines are essential for any other skill that you choose to become known for in this industry as well.
Some examples of artistic disciplines include the partings and sectioning you use while cutting. The positioning of your body, your hand and your arm are vital for consistency and true mastery. These disciplines are your map to success time and time again.
As artists we’re very creative but unlike famous artists like Vincent Van Gogh, we have be able to recreate our work time and again for our clients. If we can’t consistently give them the cut they want, we won’t retain a solid clientele. Essentially we’ll be continuously rebuilding our client base and that leads to career burn-out.
3. Consultation is key
I cannot stress the importance of the consultation process enough. You must understand your client's expectations so you're able to guide them in the right direction and give them what they’re looking for. Here are some tips on the evaluation portion of the consultation and here are some steps for a great client experience.
4. Stay inspired and updated
Invest in education. There’s no substitute for in-person classes. So when it's possible, attend hands-on workshops and trainings. Follow leaders in your industry on social media. Join memberships that further your education and inspire you to be better than you are. Online education is also beneficial and I encourage it so you can stay inspired. And it’s a tax write-off. You have no reason not to continue furthering your education.
On Point Hair Academy offers a comprehensive online haircutting course, haircutting workshops at The Socialon by Hair HQ, and will travel to your salon for hands-on classes.
Check them out here.
5. Practice makes perfect
When you learn a new technique, it must be practiced before you truly master it and it becomes part of your skill set. Warning: don’t practice on your paying clients! Practice it on mannequin heads or nonpaying clients until you feel confident in your new technique.
It’s only after you practice something over and over that it becomes part of you.
As an example, have you ever driven home from work and when you arrived, you thought “Oh my gosh, I was so caught up in my thoughts, I don’t even remember driving here!” The reason that happens is because you have driven that way so many times and your body just automatically knows where to go. It’s become instinct.
This is the same thing that happens when you learn artistic disciplines and you practice them enough to where they become part of you. It becomes a doorway for you to embark on your own creativity. This is what masters and leaders in our industry have discovered.
If you want to become a master at your craft and build a successful hairstyling career, incorporate these five proven strategies into your daily business routine. Watch your confidence and your income soar!
If your skills aren’t where you want them to be, I highly encourage you to find a trusted hairstylist to mentor you.
And if you don’t have anyone available who's at the level where you want to be, consider On Point Hair Academy. There are many options available to help you advance your haircutting skills, your business expertise, your personal growth and your client relationships.
On Point Hair Academy education and Own Your Chair blog were created for stylists like you who need just a little help (or a lot of help) in different areas of their hairstyling business. You don’t have to take this hairstyling journey alone.
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Remember, your work is not about you. Your work is about how you make your clients feel.