Are you looking to become a best-selling 'Ready to Wear' wig stylist in the industry? Whether you are just starting out or looking to increase your sales, there are key strategies to achieve success in the competitive world of wig styling. Here's 5 tips from Zak, who's focus is to create ready to ship wigs for our website.
Practice and Find What Works For You
One of the first steps to becoming a successful RTW wig stylist is getting the skills needed to turn out great wigs. I worked with a couple of wig stylists and watched tutorials to expand on my existing hairdressing skills, but not everything will suit you. The way stylists cut, tease, pack, set and dress out is so different! Initially I was overwhelmed working out who was correct, but then I realised its just taking bits that worked for me to enhance what I was already doing. Not everything will work for you and that's ok! Try different things and just have fun finding what you enjoy.
Don't Worry About What Others Are Doing
Being tasked with selling styled wigs off the shelf can feel like an enormous pressure. The best advise I was given is not to look at what others are doing. It causes major imposter syndrome, you see someone else selling out within minutes and yours aren't. Is it because they are doing that? Is it because I need to do more of this? It limits your creativity and takes away from the fun of styling. I learned to create what I am feeling, it helped me find my signature with less resistance and it's so much more enjoyable.
Be a Master of Your Own Work
Another lesson for me this year is to not aim to be a jack of all trades. I simply just do not enjoy the process of creating some styles and there's some technicalities which are challenging. If your goal is to offer everything regardless of whether you hate doing it or have a lack of skill, customers are likely to notice inconsistencies and it can begin to damage your reputation for quality. Focus on what you're great at and challenge yourself to create styles which are right for you, not what you think you should be doing to sell to everyone.
Your Signature Will Attract YOUR Clients
Showcase what is authentically you. Your signature is those little details that just come through in each wig you present. The way you cut, the amount of volume, your dressing out and finish. Your customers will become familiar with those little touches and they enjoy your work, that is what brings them and others to you. Drastically changing or abandoning your signature will alienate your customers and you'll be starting all over again. Even loyal social media followers may no longer recognise you or the work they came for, instantly killing engagement. Once you find your signature, embrace it and enjoy the organic evolution so your customers can enjoy the journey with you.
Trust Your Colour Intuition
I know what's going to sell and you probably know too! Followers love scrolling and they'll comment 'you should do this in blue' or 'you never make yellow wigs', but its not a commitment to buying them if you do! The chances of someone needing a yellow wig this Friday is slim. Trust your gut when choosing what to make in ready to go wigs, we know what sells and if that queen seriously needs a yellow wig, they will absolutely come through to commission it. I focus on our RTW best seller package as its proven and then I pick colours I love for variety. I look forward to those and usually they sell because so much love went into them. When planning your release, if you want to sell wigs, accept that you've got the best chance with 2 blondes, 1 copper, 1 brown and 1 black.
With these tips Zak has built a fabulous customer base and you can too! Remember, being authentic to yourself and doing your own thing sets you apart from the crowd. Trust your intuition, don't fill the shelves with wigs for the next discount code!