5 Tips for the Men in Your Chair

By now, you know your guys are some of your most lucrative and loyal clients. So you have to treat them right…and keep them coming back. Looking for some pointers? Here are five things barbering pros Matty Conrad (Canadian Men’s Hairstylist of the Year) and Mark Bustos (founder of #BeAwesomeToSomebody) recommend for the men in your chair.

1. Cut Square
Matty and Mark both agree: men’s cuts should be square-shaped, because square cuts work best with men’s face shapes. Here are some pointers for cutting square:

• “To create straight lines, always point your fingers straight to the ceiling as you cut to keep your shapes square,” shares Mark. “Your hands don’t naturally bend to follow the round of the head, so this will guarantee nice, straight lines.”
• Keep your elbow low, says Matty. “When you’re working upward, you’ll have a natural tendency to pull slightly away from the top of your section, and that is going to preserve that corner. As soon as you pick your elbow up, you’re going to have a tendency to round the shape in.”

2. The Anchor Trick
“When you’re dealing with a client whose ear doesn’t fold easily, use your finger as an anchor—both holding the ear down and guiding your clippers to work close,” shares Mark.

3. Keep Him Coming Back
When you have a plan for the future, it will keep your male client interested. Here are two things you can say to keep his interest piqued.

• “Something like, ‘We should think about going shorter for summer next time,’ is one way you can broach the topic of future appointments,” says Matty.
• Mention things you want to try out on his hair. “I just saw this great look on Tom Hardy and I think it would be perfect for you—we should try it next time.” When you name drop a hot, man’s-man actor, he’ll be happy you put him in the same realm as Tom, plus it shows you’re paying attention to what’s trending.

Products Used

Matty Conrad: “The Art of Handsome” Webinar

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4. Flip Your Comb
Game-changing tip from Mark: when you scissor-over-comb, you CAN find a guideline. Hold the comb with the teeth facing toward the head. When you start combing up, any hair going over the spine of the comb is what you cut, and the comb acts as a guideline. Genius!

5. Master Your Outline
Finally, here are eight barbering tips for how to master your outline with Matty Conrad. Watch the video below!