Be whom you want to be – that is your best USP

I receive comments about my hair every day. Wonderful comments, always.

‘I love your hair!’… ‘That’s really funky!’… ‘Fabulous colours!’

But mostly: ‘I’d love to have the same haircut… but there is no way I could do it’… ‘It wouldn’t suit me…’ ‘I wouldn’t dare…’

My parents were hairdressers and I grew up in a salon; so, from a rather early age, I always fancied trying new styles and new colours and sometimes, there were no alternatives as my dad used to go on training and I had to be the guinea pig!

As a result, I had quite classic haircuts, others were more ‘out there’- mid-length or short. (I can’t do the long, glamorous and wavy style sadly)

The point I’m making here is that nothing was really a strict plan or any message I was trying to convey to others about me, through my hair.

It just happened because my dad suggested that a haircut would suit me or I saw my parents working on a client and fancied the same style or I got some inspiration from new magazines I read in the salon.

Fast forward 25 years and my beloved (and a tad crazy) hairdresser, Scott, is not too dissimilar to my father; he knows I don’t mind testing new styles or new products so he will always make suggestions to me. We get on well, he is passionate about his work and I trust him.

This means that for the last few years, I’ve ended up with a rather short haircut and lots of crazy colours in my hair!

It works. I love it. And I get wonderful and kind comments about it. What’s not to like?

So why can’t other people do it? Why the constant: ‘great on you but I couldn’t do it myself’ 

Scared of whom or what? I’m not taking a stance at modern politics or supporting a controversial organisation. I’m just styling my hair!

I must admit that when I first transitioned from running French clubs to a full-time professional Academy, I adopted a very classic style as I felt that people had to see seriousness in me. After all, I was selling something academic. I wanted to please. I wanted to portray that image that I thought people expected of me. If you look at brochures of the academy 10 years ago and me now (including growing wrinkles), you may see someone rather different.

The truth is that as years went on and my business grew, I became a lot more confident and decided that I could really be myself. (And you don’t have to wait for that, you can decide from the offset that the image of the real you is going to be your business and part of your USP)

Trust me, it feels amazing!

I still love to wear a classic suit occasionally but I will do it so because it’s my mood of the day, not because I feel that I have to, in order for people to take me seriously in my business.

We all know that people buy from people they like and therefore trust. There’s nothing better than long-lasting relationships with your customers: it’s way cheaper than having to acquire new customers all the time and it brings a bucket load of referrals! You can’t be someone you’re not for a very long time, so how will you build trusting and lasting relationships with your prospects and clients if you’re not yourself?

Of course, in business we need to adapt to our markets and our clientele, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t be authentic. Your business will ultimately grow around you, your personality, your work ethic and your long-term goals.

The more you are yourself, the more confident you become and the more successful your business will be.

So, have that funky red and purple haircut if you want to! (Scott is, I’m sure, available for new client consultations too!)