3 Reasons Why You're Not Booking Any Styling Clients
I recently got a message from a stylist who was on the brink of quitting on her dreams because she couldn’t figure out why no one was booking her personal styling services. After speaking to her, I realized that so many stylists go through this feeling of being stuck and not knowing what steps to take to get their business to the next level. If you find yourself having the same thoughts, these might be one of the reasons why your business has yet to take off as it should and how you can fix them:
YOU DON’T HAVE A NICHE
A master of all is a master of none. I always get messages from stylists asking me tips on booking more clients, then when I click on their Instagram profiles their bio is usually along the lines of “stylist to the everyday woman”. Who exactly is this everyday woman?
If you’re serving everyone you’re actually serving no one. Think about it, if you broke your foot would you go to a general practitioner or a foot surgeon? I thought so. Your customer wants to pay for someone who’s an expert in helping solve their specific problem not someone who knows a little of everything.
It’s worth taking time to really think about who your ideal client is-where does she live? What does she do for a living? How much money does she make? How much disposable income does she have? What are her goals and aspirations? What are her fears and insecurities? If you know exactly who you’re serving it will make it that much easier for you to find them and for them to find you.
YOUR IG SENDS THEM RUNNING THE OTHER WAY
More than ever, social media is of the upmost importance. I can’t even tell you how many jobs I’ve booked from IG alone, it’s an extremely effective and FREE marketing tool. Why not use it to market your services or post your work? There are over 800 Million users on the app; plenty of opportunity for exposure there, so tell me again why aren’t you posting your work?
The reality is most people aren’t going to go to your website first, they’re more likely to check out your IG when deciding whether or not they’re going to book you. Again, when stylists ask me for advice and I go to their IG and all I see are thirst trap, provocative pics (true story) or just pics of their coffee, I see a wasted opportunity to get booked. You can still post your latte art pics but consider creating a separate IG where you exclusively post work that’s going to bring clients in, like past clients, photoshoots, and style tips.
YOU’RE NOT NETWORKING
Social media is a tremendous marketing resource, but nothing beats good ol goin’ out and meeting new people. Potential clients are everywhere, but just remember who your ideal client is. That will determine where you hang around and who to give your business card to. So many people are sitting at home wondering why they’re not getting booked, news flash: clients aren’t going to pop up at your front door.
Sometimes you just have to get out there and pound the pavement. Put yourself in the places where your client would be. Want to style CEOs and powerful entrepreneurs? Immerse yourself in the most upscale neighborhood in your city, leave your business card at the fanciest hotels, or if you want to do closet cleanses and style moms, head out to those playground and parks. What I’m saying is you need to put yourself in the right places to attract your ideal client.
Want to learn more about marketing yourself as a stylist and how to network to raise your net worth? Sign up for our Stylist Masterclass, a self-paced online course that gives you the blueprint to becoming #bookedandbusy! Learn more info here, see you in class!