I’ve been a hairdresser. I’ve owned a salon. And I’ve spent nearly twenty years building Hairbond.
One thing still baffles me.
A barber spends forty minutes delivering a beautiful fade, sharp lines and a perfectly blended haircut. Then brushes the customer down and sends him into the street looking like a fluffy chicken.
No shape. No texture. No finish.
All that skill, only to fall at the final hurdle.
When did styling become optional?
Why Styling Isn’t Optional
I don’t believe most barbers are lazy.
Some are rushed. Some were never properly taught how to use styling products. Others know how to cut hair beautifully but lack the confidence to recommend what should go into it afterwards.
And some simply don’t like selling.
But here’s the contradiction.
You’ve already sold the customer a haircut. He’s trusted you with his appearance. Why suddenly lose your confidence when it comes to recommending a £20 or £25 styling product?
The best barbers and hairdressers I’ve worked with never needed a sales pitch.
They knew their products.
They understood when fine hair needed volume, when thick hair needed control and when a lighter cream was better than a heavy clay.
They trusted what they used because they’d seen the results.
And their customers trusted them.
A haircut doesn’t end when the scissors stop moving. The hairdryer, the brush, the direction and the finish are all part of the craft.
You wouldn’t expect a chef to prepare a beautiful meal and forget to finish the plate.
Why should a barber be any different?
The Real Economics of the Last Five Minutes
Let’s do some simple maths.
A barbershop completing 100 haircuts a week only needs ten customers to buy a £25 product to generate £250 in additional weekly turnover.
Across 48 weeks, that’s £12,000.
Not profit. There’s stock to pay for, VAT where applicable and other costs.
But that’s additional revenue without cutting another head of hair.
And the customer gets something useful in return.
He learns how to recreate the hairstyle at home rather than waking up the following morning wondering why he looks like he’s been dragged backwards through a hedge.
A few minutes of professional advice can add value long after the appointment ends.
Of course, those minutes have a cost too. If your appointment book is already full, you’ll need to allow time for proper finishing.
But rushing the customer out to squeeze in another haircut isn’t always the smartest business decision.
Sometimes the value is in doing the job properly.
Reframe the Jar: Service Over Sales
I’ve visited barbershops with beautiful retail displays.
Rows of expensive styling products arranged like trophies.
And there they sit.
Untouched.
A jar on a shelf has never styled anybody’s hair.
The best place for professional styling products is in the barber’s hands and the customer’s hair.
Show him what you’re using. Explain why. Let him see and feel the result.
If he likes it, tell him it’s available to take home.
That’s not aggressive selling.
That’s professional service.
I’m not suggesting every customer needs wax, clay or cream. Some prefer a natural finish. Others don’t want product at all.
Fair enough.
But the barber should have the knowledge to recommend the right finish and the confidence to demonstrate it.
If you don’t understand the products you’re stocking, learn.
If you don’t trust them, find something you do trust.
And if you’re worried about appearing pushy, stop thinking like a salesman and start thinking like the professional you are.
You’re not selling somebody a jar.
You’re showing them how to get the best out of the haircut they’ve just paid for.
Don’t Let the Last Five Minutes Ruin the First Forty
I’ve always believed the best hairdressers don’t simply cut hair.
They understand how people want to look.
They know their scissors, their clippers, their brushes and their products.
And they understand that a customer leaving their chair is carrying their reputation out of the door.
Forty minutes cutting. Five minutes finishing.
Don’t let the last five minutes make a chicken out of your customer.
Because nobody walking down the high street can see how beautifully you’ve blended the back of his head.
They see the finished haircut.
And that’s what they’ll remember.
Over to the trade.
Barbers and salon owners, do you finish every haircut with a styling demonstration, or do you leave product advice until the customer asks?
And if you’re not recommending products, what’s really stopping you? Time, knowledge, confidence or simply not wanting to sell?
I’d genuinely like to hear how you approach it, both at the backwash and behind the chair.