n an industry packed with so much talent and art, making your work stand out to potential customers can sometimes feel impossible. Maybe you already have a few signature styles, but you don’t think that’s enough. If you’re overwhelmed trying to figure out what sets your work apart, sometimes the answer isn’t to go bigger, but to pay more attention to the details other groomers miss.
n an industry packed with so much talent and art, making your work stand out to potential customers can sometimes feel impossible. Maybe you already have a few signature styles, but you don’t think that’s enough. If you’re overwhelmed trying to figure out what sets your work apart, sometimes the answer isn’t to go bigger, but to pay more attention to the details other groomers miss.In the popular Malcolm Gladwell book, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, Gladwell examines this concept in great detail. There’s a quote from the book that states it perfectly: “There can be as much value in the blink of an eye as in months of rational analysis.”
Clients make quick observations when they see their freshly groomed pet—and even before. While it’s impossible to control everything, when you polish the small details in your work and presentation, you are more likely to leave the right kind of impression. Clients won’t know exactly what’s different, but they know the experience feels special, and that translates into how well they perceive their dog is cared for, too.
While these ups and downs are normal, a team that has everything under control leaves a better impression. Clients want to know that when their pet is in your care, the system your salon counts on is working correctly. Wouldn’t you feel better leaving your own pet with someone who is focused, organized and calm?
The way you present yourself says a lot about what goes on after a client walks out the door. Taking a moment to breathe and smile before you answer the phone or greet a customer at the front desk demonstrates your professionalism rather than whatever challenge you encountered moments earlier.
If you want to be even more detailed, one idea is to walk through the process as if you were a client. Ask yourself what the client sees first when they walk in with their pet and what the intake process is like, then repeat this for the pick-up process. Striving to see from an outside perspective can help inspire you.
At dog shows, fine-tuning every groom to perfection—right up until you get in front of the judge—is normal. In the salon, the same can be true. Before the dog walks out to the client, make a point of blowing off any excess hair and taking one final look. It doesn’t have to take much time either. The secret is creating a routine so you naturally remember the details at each step.
One way to start noticing even the smallest flyaways is by studying purebred dogs. Get to know breed standards and watch how handlers make dogs stand out, both in grooming and in how they present them. Handlers don’t rush through their motions; they take the time to bring the judge’s eye exactly where they want it to be on the dog. This is a unique skill that pet groomers can take inspiration from.
Don’t keep your commitment to making sure your work stands out to yourself, either. Are there any areas you are particularly proud of that you want to point out to your client? Demonstrating a passion for your work shows just how much you care.
When you’re committed to being the best groomer you can be, people will notice. This doesn’t just mean learning how to groom; it also means coming up with a routine that allows you to move with calm, confident style, and that guarantees no detail is overlooked.