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This seems like it should be simple, but in this job it can’t hurt to go over the simplest concepts and take a look at them in depth so that we can hold ourselves to a certain standard.
When I am receiving a service from someone I am well aware of how they look, what they look like and how they present themselves. If they are dirty, or smell poorly, or look uninteresting, I notice. And yes, I am biased, I believe we all are. As barbers, we want to make sure that we have overall positive interactions with those that sit in out chair. It takes very little to help create this.
I believe that people come to a barber for their ‘personality’, so why not be who you are? Why not present something that certain people are attracted to? If you want to be country and western, you should buy that big belt buckle and comb your hair a certain way and wear cowboy boots. If you want to be a classic barber, you might want to wear a suit to work everyday, with a tie or bow tie, and some Italian leather loafers. If you want to wear Jordans with ripped jeans, and fitted t-shirts that hang well over your belt line, then do that. I wear a hat every once in awhile (one a month, maybe less), but I think that you should let people see your hair while you are working. I believe this is presenting yourself and your persona as a barber, and saying that you take pride in yourself. Now if a hat is a big part of your persona (and I have seen people who have made it this way) then make sure your hat is crisp and clean. Knowing and having a personal style is something that can help differentiate you from another barber, so don’t be afraid of it.
Happy Holidays,
Martin
HOW YOU PRESENT YOURSELF
Today I am going to help you figure out how you want to present yourself to your customers, how to make sure that your grooming regimen is up to par, and to make sure that you are comfortable behind the chair and in your skin as well.This seems like it should be simple, but in this job it can’t hurt to go over the simplest concepts and take a look at them in depth so that we can hold ourselves to a certain standard.
When I am receiving a service from someone I am well aware of how they look, what they look like and how they present themselves. If they are dirty, or smell poorly, or look uninteresting, I notice. And yes, I am biased, I believe we all are. As barbers, we want to make sure that we have overall positive interactions with those that sit in out chair. It takes very little to help create this.
THE PERSONA
Let’s first take a look at myself, I am tattooed, I’m am 6’3, I generally wear a moustache of an unkempt variety, and I constantly change my hairstyle. This is my persona, this is how I present myself, and I am more than aware of this. People that are going to be my regular clients are going to be attracted to what I present as my persona. I have seen many people come and sit in my chair with a look of dread on their faces, I see how they look at me, and how I am perceived by them, but when I am at work I am very aware of how I come across, but I plan it that way. I am aware that my look is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea and I’m okay with that, I don’t need to be everyone’s barber, I just need to be the barber for those that sit in my chair and recommend me to others. If someone doesn’t want a great haircut from a large tattooed man, there are plenty of barbers that present themselves differently.I believe that people come to a barber for their ‘personality’, so why not be who you are? Why not present something that certain people are attracted to? If you want to be country and western, you should buy that big belt buckle and comb your hair a certain way and wear cowboy boots. If you want to be a classic barber, you might want to wear a suit to work everyday, with a tie or bow tie, and some Italian leather loafers. If you want to wear Jordans with ripped jeans, and fitted t-shirts that hang well over your belt line, then do that. I wear a hat every once in awhile (one a month, maybe less), but I think that you should let people see your hair while you are working. I believe this is presenting yourself and your persona as a barber, and saying that you take pride in yourself. Now if a hat is a big part of your persona (and I have seen people who have made it this way) then make sure your hat is crisp and clean. Knowing and having a personal style is something that can help differentiate you from another barber, so don’t be afraid of it.
SPEND MONEY TO MAKE MONEY
Make sure that you go out and spend some money on your clothes and your appearance at least four times a year. Keep your clothes fresh. You don’t have to spend a million dollars doing this, but make sure they are clean and tidy.YOUR PERSONA ISN’T EVERYTHING BUT IT DOESN’T HURT
What I am trying to get across is that what you present yourself as will influence the type of customers that you have. This is not to say that other types of customers won’t sit in your chair and not be happy. I pride myself in taking someone that sits down in my chair and making them a regular customer by cutting their hair well in the way that they want it. This is called versatility and while you don’t need it to be a busy barber (you can specialize in this industry and just cut high bald fades all day), the more that you can do behind the chair, the more chance you have of expanding your client base. If you can’t cut long hair, learn to.FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT, BUT DO SOME RESEARCH AS WELL
If you don’t feel like being a personality suits you, perhaps you have to fake it for a little while. I know when I was younger I definitely didn’t understand fashion and style very well, and I had as couple of awkward years that make me hang my head in shame. In this industry it can only help you to have a curiosity for fashion and current trends. Read magazines, listen to music, take a look at clothing and hair on YouTube videos, follow some fashion blogs and Instagram accounts. Fill your brain with information that will make you better at what you do.GROOM YOURSELF FIRST
I shouldn’t have to mention this, but I will. Brush your teeth, use underarm deodorant, use breath mints, wear clean clothes, iron the clothes that you need to, make sure your footwear is cared for, comb your hair, shave your face, cut your nails, clean your ears. You are in an industry where people notice these things. You can go further and get facials, get manicures and pedicures, wax unneeded hair, shape your eyebrows, thread your cheek hair. You are in the grooming industry, if you think any of these things makes you soft, you are mistaken, it means that you care for yourself and that you will care for your customers in the same way. Make a habit out of doing these tasks, schedule them into your calendar if you have to, or make a practice out of doing them every morning, or every night. It will become easier as you practice it.KEEP YOUR HAIR CUT SHARP
We haven’t even talked about how you wear your hair yet.You may say you’re too busy for a haircut, but no one is so busy that we can’t sit in our co-workers chairs in the morning, or at the end of the day, or during a moments where the barbershop isn’t busy and get your haircut. Take care of your facial hair, or shave in the morning. This represents to your customers how you can take care of their facial hair, and will give them a reason to want their beards and moustaches taken care of by you as well.TAILOR YOUR LOOK TO YOUR CLIENTS
You should tailor your look to the shop that you are working in. I gravitate a little more towards collared shirts and clean jeans with a nice shoe, but I work at a shop right now where I feel a t-shirt more represents the client base that comes through the door. I feel that a black t-shirt and jeans can represent a clean look that is very universal and looks classic while being understated. It really is what you are comfortable with, I wouldn’t ever wear sweatpants, but I’m sure someone who is much younger and engaged with fashion could pull them off in a certain outfit and barber in that.BE YOURSELF
All of this information could just be review for you, or it could be brand new information, but your appearance and how you want to present yourself is something that needs some thought put into it. Be the person you want to be, present yourself in a well thought out, polished way. Represent the barbering trade as well-groomed, well-presented personalities that others want to spend time around. Make sure that you keep up with the simple grooming that needs to be done daily, and make a habit out of it. Get new outfits and make sure that you keep them up to date. I have faith that we can do this together, and keep barbering classy.Happy Holidays,
Martin
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