Introduction

Are you a hair student or starting a business as an extension stylist? Are you looking for ways to stand out from your competitors? With so many other hair extension businesses and stylists out there, it can seem almost impossible to make a mark in the industry.

Starting your own hair extension business takes skill, determination, and a few key pieces of knowledge. A big key to success, staying ahead of the trends and having the right guidance.

With that said, we have gathered our four suggestions for hair students who want to stand out from the competition. Keep on reading to learn more!

1) Specialize in something specific!

Position yourself as the expert in that specific area. Potential clients need to be able to trust their stylists, so letting them know that you’re knowledgeable in your niche helps build trust. You can do this by establishing your expertise on social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, etc).

It's often done by listing your achievements like your education, showing examples of your work like before/after pictures and letting your audience know what exact services you offer.

Being a jack of all trades isn’t always the most useful, as when clients are potentially spending hundreds of dollars, they’re looking for someone who has the knowledge and skill in that specific niche. So let them know in detail about your specialty!

Some examples of a specific area you could specialize in are: medical hair loss, blonde hair, etc.

2) Perfect your skill in that one specific area!

Learn everything there is to know about it and PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!! You want to make sure you keep updating your knowledge by surrounding yourself with experts in the field. Taking courses is always a great way to learn new techniques and network, helping you brush up on some skills that might have gotten a little rusty.

Immersing yourself in the industry, not only during work hours but in your personal time, is a fantastic way to become an expert. Most successful people eat, sleep and breathe their career; becoming their biggest passion. Award winning author Malcom Gladwell came up with something called “10,000-Hour Rule.”

Gladwell viewed the rule as a key to achieving world-class expertise in ANY skill. To a large extent, a matter of practicing the correct way, for a total of around 10,000 hours, was a common factor for most successful people. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.

3) Offer something that your competitors don't.

With so many other stylists out there, why should clients come to you over the competition? Offering a product or service that isn't offered by everyone else is a GREAT way to differentiate yourself from others in the industry.

Humans are instinctively drawn to what we perceive as a deal, meaning your overall value increases if they believe they’re receiving free stuff. For example, when cereal companies offer a free toy inside certain boxes. It is a proven marketing tactic that has helped increase the amount of clients for Hair Flair. Offering free consultations, sending clients home with aftercare packages, having the BEST quality hair and offering extensive education are just a few ways we stand out from the competition.

4) Having a great social media platform

Standing out online is no doubt going to help your business stand out in real life. Nowadays, when people are trying to pick who they’re going to get their hair extensions from, they want to see results. The easiest way to do this is to have a social media presence. It’s a great free way to showcase your skills and uniqueness to potential clients (posting things like before/after photos, tips & tricks, etc).

I mean, the numbers are staggering, over 60% of consumers rely on social media to guide purchasing decisions.

In Conclusion

We hope these suggestions will help you succeed and stand out from all the competition in the industry. We know it’s not easy to convince your audience that you’re the expert, but with a great service and added benefits, there’s no doubt you’ll start to rise up against your competitors in no time💜