Tuesday 1 May 2012
The importance of being earnest
I'm sat there comfy, I'm distanced from my thoughts, in the background is the familiar sound of the voice of my hair girl, we amble through conversations for near an hour.
When was the last time you sat down for an uninterrupted chat with any of your close friends for an hour? There were probably awkward gaps, distractions, phone calls, a screen of one kind or another to divert mutual attention. When we sit down in the chair in a salon, you have nothing but a set of blades and conversation and that's why being a good a hair professional is no easy feat. The real question though is what makes a great one?
Good hair professionals all share a key characteristic: they are interesting characters.
They may have the reputation of being air-heads, but I couldn't tell you how untrue and unjust that is. These are people who's careers are built on empathy with the people who sit in front of them on a daily basis.
Selection of a stylist is too much like going into selfridges. There's an unfortunate truth in how brand effects us, I'd like to say I don't go into selfridges, pick the brand I most associate with and then look at the clothes but unfortunately I do. If the garments were all catergorised by fit or colour in the stores we would likely come out dressed completely differently.
The same goes for a haircut. We currently look at the salon then get told, based on our price bracket, which of their employees will service our cosmetic need. You have no idea before you walk in whether Alison is going to be dolled up to the hilt and banging on about her latest trip to Ibiza or whether she's going to be sporting a purple Mohawk. That's important and nigh impossible to get an insight into.
Stylists can't do much to combat this, unfortunately the jobs they want are in the top salons where they become a segmented price bracket, if they engage well, they get promoted. To me, it's a mismatch. Why can't we all afford the luxury of having someone we share interest with for those all important hours every month? This is most likely the reason why we spend so much of our lives flittering through stylists and constantly re-evaluating that person we spend so much time with.
The title of this post is 'the importance of being earnest' and it spans both sides of the fence.
For a stylist, don't be afraid to promote yourself, be yourself and sell yourself. A stylist with great clients, who they find it easier to converse with, will be much happier in their job than one who cycles clients like the Tour de France.
There is nothing more difficult than keeping up hours of conversation with people so have a couple of go to topics and don't be afraid to ask peoples opinions on things. What's the worst that's going to happen? Even if you disagree on a point, you can take it tongue in cheek and use it as a point of amicable dispute. There's nothing more bland than the standard set of questions about 'where I'm going on holiday' and 'what I'm doing today'. These are your staples, just don't be afraid to mix it up. Keep up with the hot topics of the day and most importantly, share your interests, everyone loves passion and enthusiasm.
Although beware: some people just DON'T like to chat - try and keep it 50-50, if it's creeping above that then consider that the person may be in a bad mood or they're just there for the cut.
For everyone else, listen to your friends. Likelihood is that you share some interests with those you spend most of your time with. Don't know who to go to? Then ask them. We're constantly told that personal recommendation are the most successful, the reason for that being is they're the most meaningful because you share more with these people than anyone. You'll find your monthly hourglass shrinking in no time.
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