4 Communication Tips From Sam Villa

Sam Villa is one of the most-traveled educators in this industry. He spends almost 300 days a year traveling across the country and internationally teaching his craft. And with a career that’s continued for more than 40 years, he knows the ins and outs for communicating effectively as an educator and listening intently as a student. Here are a few takeaway tips from the one and only, Mr. Sam Villa!

1. Be Straightforward

• “Being onstage used to be all about the flash,” Sam says. Not anymore. Now it’s all about the education. And to educate, you must be straightforward.
• “Always tell your audience exactly what you’re doing, how you’re doing it and why you’re doing it.”

2. Recognize Your Audience

• Sam says there are four types of audience members:
  • the students: stylists who want to continue their education and choose to be there
  • the prisoners: stylists whose salon forced them to attend
  • the vacationers: stylists who went for a getaway weekend
  • the graduates: stylists who are going to be skeptical of your ways
• Sam says in order to be a good educator, you must recognize your audience and then change the way to communicate with them in order to be as effective as possible.

3. Give Your Knowledge to Others

• Just because you don’t have an “educator” title doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be sharing your knowledge. Use social media to post educational videos, tips and tricks.
• Sam says, “If you have the passion and the proper intent and purpose, you should be sharing your knowledge and your education with others.” Creating that persona on Instagram, YouTube or Facebook could be a stepping stone into a career as an educator.
• “If you give somebody something and you help them grow, I guarantee you, you’ll gain a fan for life and they will follow you for life,” says Sam. 

4. Always Learn Something

• To be an educator you need to continue your journey as a student. “I never stop learning,” says Sam. “I am always on the computer researching, I am always going to hair shows and I am always trying to learn more.”
• He recalled being at one hair show when a stylist turned to him and said, “Man, I didn’t learn anything from that class,” and he told the stylist, “Yes, you did, you learned what not to do.”

It’s Sam’s passion, knowledge and different way of thinking that has capitulated his career into what it is today. And because he is such an iconic hairdresser and educator that has given all of himself to this industry, he was honored at Cosmoprof 2017 by the PBA with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Behindthechair.com would like to congratulate Sam on all of his successes and thank him for the impact he has made, and will continue to make, on our industry!