A Lesson on Professionalism
Have I ever told you about this girl named Tanisha? If not, buckle up and sit tight because you’re going to want to hear about my experience with her.
Tanisha was a girl I knew when I was a freshman in high school. She was a senior at the school I went to and I always thought she was so pretty with her gold tooth on the side of her mouth, her naturally curly and long eyelashes and her flawless caramel brown skin.
She was known for fighting a lot within the neighborhood and because of that, it landed her in juvenile hall a few times. But to me she was cool and she just so happened to be REALLY GOOD at doing gucci braids. I felt super lucky that she accepted me as her client and she braided my hair. I just loved her work.
One day, I had an appointment scheduled with Tanisha to have my hair braided again and I was prepared with the 6 packs of braiding hair she told me to buy. I was so excited to have my hair done that day and for the days leading up to that appointment, all I could do is imagine how bomb I was going to look with my fresh gucci braids.
I showed up to her door, rang the doorbell and waited...
No answer.
Not even a sound like someone was moving around in the house. So I ring the doorbell again and I wait...
Still nothing.
Confused, I ended up walking back home trying to understand what had just happened. Since we didn’t have cell phones back then, I had to wait to call her from my house phone when I got back home.
Still no answer.
I kept calling and leaving messages until that evening hoping that she would pick up the phone…but she never answered.
So I looked at all of the hair I’d bought thinking, “what am I going to do with all of this?” And after a while of thinking about it, I went into the bathroom, stood in the mirror, ripped open all of the packages and did my best to mimic what I’d seen her do to my hair at my last appointment. I was desperate for my vision of being fly with my gucci braids to come to fruition and I refused to let a ghosted appointment deter me.
After several hours in the mirror with tired hands and tired shoulders, my braids were done. They didn’t look as perfect as Tanisha’s braids. In fact, they were a far cry from her skills. But they weren’t bad.
So although I wasn’t completely happy with the outcome, I was satisfied enough and felt prepared to look good for school the next day.
I never heard back from Tanisha. She never returned any of my calls. And I never called her again to book another appointment. To this day, I have no idea of what ever happened to her because I didn’t see her in school after that and considering her past, I assumed something must have happened to land her back in juvenile hall again.
But whatever happened, her actions helped me to learn a few things after being ghosted for my gucci braid appointment.
The best lesson was I learned that as long as I was dedicated, I could learn and do anything I put my mind to without having to rely on anyone for my happiness. I learned that I am fully capable of learning anything and with time and practice, I will eventually get good at whatever I set my mind to.
The second lesson is what I want to share with you today.
As lash artists, we are creative people. Many artists don’t have a background working in an organized way in the corporate world. And if you do, it’s very likely that you never were very good at that job. Or you left the corporate world to start your own business because you felt like having your own business would give you the freedom to live your life on your own terms.
I think most business owners feel this way and this isn’t the problem at all. What IS the problem however, is the way many artists run their business.
Doing things like Tanisha where you’re showing up late for clients, not showing up at all because you may have been up late the night before and forgot you had to work the next day. Or constantly rescheduling your client’s appointments…
OR
Things like overwhelming clients by talking about your personal life and your personal drama. Or not being in tune with your client to read when they just want to come in and relax without talking.
OR
You have an insane laundry list of rules that clients have to follow because you never had boundaries to begin with in your business so now everyone has to pay for your mistakes.
All of these things can hurt your business. It can hurt your business to the point where you don’t have a business a few years from now. And I’m pretty sure you didn’t get into business to lose it.
So the second lesson I learned that I think is important for every lash artist to understand is this. It doesn’t matter how talented you are or how incredible your lash art is. A bad experience is enough to overshadow talent and skill. And it’s enough for really great clients to bad mouth you or worse, never support your business again.
So if you thought that you were so amazing that people should feel honored to work with you or to be in your presence, put your ego aside and think again. There are a lot of talented artists out there. And more are coming which means, clients have a lot of options to choose from and they don’t need to settle for an experience that’s less than what they think they deserve or that they’re paying for.
These days it’s not enough to be a good artist. You can truly set your business apart by giving your clients a great experience every time they come in for an appointment.
So how can you create a great experience for clients? Here are a few ways:
Be organized and efficient when managing your work schedule. You should always know when appointments are on the books and be prepared to show up for that appointment to serve your clients.
Arrive at least 15 minutes early and set up before clients arrive. When you are ready and relaxed before the client even walks through the doors, your client can feel that energy. Not to mention, it feels more like a premium experience as a client when you know that all you have to do is show up and relax because you have everything prepared and ready.
Make sure your workspace is pristine clean. Changing your bedding for every client, cleaning your tools and cleaning your workspace so no dirt and dust builds up that clients can see helps them to let down their guard and relax when they’re with you.
Dress neatly and if you wear makeup, keep it neutral and fresh. Your client’s lash appointment is not the time to express your individuality or to outshine your client. It’s the time to make your client look and feel their best. They are the star of the show.
Avoid oversharing about your personal life. This is a business, not your personal time to chat up clients. Its ok to share general details like if you have a pet or your favorite food. But keep conversation about yourself to a minimum and make it all about the client. When client’s talk about themselves, they feel more connected and heard by you.
Always do your best work. And this ties back into the first point. When you show up early and you’re relaxed and prepared, it makes it a lot easier to give your clients your best without feeling rushed.
When you follow these basic principles, you won’t have to create a laundry list of rules because you’ll attract higher quality clients. If you do have a handful of offenders, have rules for those specific people but don’t impose them on everyone because it can be a huge turn off to doing business with you.
Running your own business has so many benefits. It allows so many artists to express their creativity and meet some amazing people. But with it comes a responsibility to serve your clients at the highest level possible in order to be successful. and have a business that lasts. Keep these tips in mind for your business and whatever you do, don’t be like Tanisha.
Just a note… I’m grateful for Tanisha. If it weren’t for her, I would have likely never attempted to do my own hair that day or discovered I had talent in the beauty industry. If it weren’t for her ghosting me, I may have never gone on to obtain my cosmetology license or become a lash artist that now helps artists master their lash artistry and attract amazing clients. So although she probably doesn’t know it, she served a really big purpose in my life which I’m grateful for but on the flip side, we can all learn from her what NOT to do in our business.