Tips To Attract A Diverse Clientele

One of the best parts of owning your own salon is the ability to create your ideal clientele.  If you desire to work with textured hair, curl patterns and specialized needs but don’t already have clients with those hair types, it will require a bit of strategic planning to start attracting a new type of client. Some stylists may ignore the pull to work on client who are typically out of their comfort zone, but we encourage you to reach for more because at Sola get to be in business for yourself but never by yourself. You’d be surprised at how many men and women of color have difficulty finding a beauty professional who can provide them with the service and after-care knowledge specialized to their hair type. So we turned to our 2018 Faces of Sola, Mahogany Plautz, owner of Carve Salon in Minneapolis, Minnesota for a little advice.

Create A Plan

“When I was a kid, if I ever had any questions or challenges that I didn’t know the answers to, my mama would tell me to make a list.” Mahogany suggests the same in your business. Start by asking yourself the following questions.

•    Are you looking to broaden your skill set to bring in a wider variety of people to your business?

•    Do you currently have the skill to help clients of color if they were to walk through your door?

•    Do you have the passion to help them?

•    Do you have the products to support their needs?

Get Educated

If you don’t currently have the skillset, then now is the time to get the education and training you need BEFORE you start acquiring clients. “Maybe you want to play with different types of hair but don't have the skills to be confident working with all textures,” adds Mahogany. “I will let you in on a secret. Not one stylist was born knowing how to do it all. We all had to learn somewhere.”

But where do you get that kind of education now that you are out of beauty school? Consider the education from the manufacturers you choose to support. “I found myself drawn to Paul Mitchell because of their immense product list,” Mahogany says. “I come from multiracial parents so my family has every texture you can imagine. Paul Mitchell has something that works for everyone. I grew my skills and found my calling through their [Paul Mitchell’s] education. I learned about assessing diameter and curl pattern and why the curls react differently to different products. From there, I continued to seek out ways to educate myself and still do today.

Go Hard on Social Media

If you already possess the textured/ diverse hair skills, but your current client list does not reflect it, now what? Turn to your social media audience. “Reach out to people that have the texture you are wanting to see more of and be real. Tell them why you love their hair, invite them in, and take pics and post on social,” Mahogany shares.

Perhaps that is not your personality. No problem. Mahogany also suggests you find hair pictures that have the texture you want to work with and the aesthetic that goes with your brand and post inspiration photos. This is where you can tell your audience this is what you’re looking for and what you’d love to create. Your caption should reflect your appreciation for the hair and have a clear call to action.

“Everything should lead back to bringing in new hair to play with. I learned that little nugget being an ‘A School’ member with Nina Kovner's PassionSquared Academy. ”

Always Be Thinking Marketing

“Share your journey on social. Every class, every event, every mannequin head or tutorial you find some truth in, share with your audience” Mahogany adds. “Let them know you have a goal and are working towards it. Again it can only bring you joy and more hair to play with.”