Eric aka “ET the Barber” was able to build his business (and an impressive Instagram following) because of his firm belief in hard work and putting clients first. His motto? “It’s not a haircut, it’s a lifestyle.” His clients know when they leave the shop, they aren’t just going to look good, they’re going to feel good too. He’s all about delivering a premium client experience while building meaningful relationships and improving his business a little bit each day. Check out his tips for making your barbershop experience stand out.

Check him out on StyleSeat, Instagram, and his website.

DELIVER AN EXPERIENCE NOT A SERVICE

In order to deliver the highest quality experience for my clients, I make sure to enhance every sense possible. I think about how it smells, what it looks like if my eyes were closed what I would hear, and how it ultimately feels. Overall, I am a very hygienic person and think “green” often, so most of my products are chemical-free. Every refreshment I offer is high-quality, even my water is alkaline water. During the appointment, I have “feel-good” music on in the background and depending on my client, I have a video playing, on mute, for visuals — something they can zone out into while listening to me or the chill music.

BUILD TRUST

Building relationships with clients is simple: be honest and educate them. Because, most of the time, you won’t be around to style it for them. If I can educate a client properly, then he/she can take those same principles and get the same service with someone else, assuming I’m unavailable. Most people think this would be a bad business strategy, but clients tend to trust you and talk about you more when you take the time to educate them. It builds rapport for the coming appointments. I also always take an extra 5-15 minutes being very picky with the client to show them I am thorough and precise with my work, and not out to rush them off.

MAKE THEM FEEL FAMOUS

I do this by taking portrait photos with my nicely set up camera and lighting with a backdrop. Then I ask for their social media name and feature them on my social media pages. This gives them great exposure, and for me, it’s great content for my page. I have had the opportunity to cut some high clientele and most people know that, so I try to give them the feeling that they’re no different! Most clients who use StyleSeat to book are looking for something different.They want to feel special. It’s a booking app, not a walk-in — these are all clues for us barbers and stylists ) to create an experience for them.

Looking for tools to help you run your business? Try StyleSeat here.

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