REPRESENTING YOURSELF EFFECTIVELY
by Hair Stylist Saleemah Staten

A Teachable Moment

When I communicate with my students in our online Facebook group, I sometimes think of our conversations as, “Teachable Moments”. This, piece, written by Hair Stylist Saleemah Staten, is the result of one of those moments.

.....Celebrity clients are rarely easy. There are many reasons for that. Celebrities have many handlers, so an artist is never sure what is really going on when the handler of the client says, “We just don’t have the money,” or my favorite response was always “Well, can’t you help us out this time, it’s coming out of his/her pocket”. The thing is, they––the poor celebrity, usually has really deep pockets.
..... While it’s rare that anyone is going to say that to superstar makeup artist Sharon Gault, or Pat McGrath, High Fashion Hair Guru Frederick Fekkai or Neeko, or Fashion Stylist’s Lisa Michelle or Rachel Zoe, you on the other hand, with the one or two up-and-coming celebrities on your resume could run head-long into that sob story more often that you like.

.....Saleemah’s insight after our conversation may help you to become a better negotiator in the near future. The name of the celebrity client has been removed to protect the innocent.

Former PYP Grad: Saleemah Staten

Job Title: Hair Stylist

PYP Workshop: Los Angeles, Dec 2008

Topic: Representing Yourself Effectively

Conversation: June 2010

Hi fellow colleagues! I just want to share a few key lessons I learned from Crystal Wright's Packaging Your Portfolio & Marketing Workshop but did not appreciate until I had to put them into practice.

.....Recently (June 2010) I was contacted by a celebrity client's agent to work as a hair stylist on one of her upcoming projects. I was overly excited about the opportunity. Since I am not represented by an agency and realize that negotiation is not my strong suit, I cautiously attempted to cover all the bases in representing myself effectively. However I still encountered some issues that caused me to reach out to Crystal for more help. Here are a few points I had to re-learn and practice until I was confident:

1. Listen, listen, and listen some more to your potential client's concerns and/or requests so you'll be able to do more than provide a service, you will also be able to offer suggestions that can help make the project run smoother overall.

2. Ask more questions than you answer. While online casino download I was being asked if I could handle a plethora of tasks, I was given limited information about the assignment, and didn’t feel confident enough to ask the tough questions.

Asking lots of questions with regard to your responsibilities, details of the project, etc. will help you [realistically] assess the logistics of the assignment and make informed decisions on the most effective way to make the project work for everyone.

3.Be firm and confidant when giving out your rates as well as making known your expectations. People can sense if you are not confident and may use it to their advantage.

4.Take copious notes prior to submitting a deal memo to consummate the deal. Verbal negotiations are great as long as you follow-up all conversations with written details via email.

5. Although every experience can be utilized as a stepping-stone [never] be afraid to turn down a gig if you feel in your heart that you are the only one compromising.

Remember some clients have agents and/or managers negotiating in their best interest. If you are not in a position to have someone speak on your behalf it is important that you represent yourself effectively so that you can do your best work in the most creative environment possible. In that environment, you will be able to leave your mark, and the door wide open for future business!

Saleemah is an east coast hair stylist with
a burgeoning celebrity clientele.

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