Exclusive interview with Stephen Gresty for STYLING Magazine

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SM: How did you start working as a professional hairdresser’s trainer?
I became a trainer at L’Oreal working with the main brands in the professional market L’Oreal Professionel, Kerastase, Redken and Matrix during this time various hairdressers asked me to work with them developing their business and their staff.

SM: Do you have any experience as а hairdresser?
I have no experience, it’s something I wish I had as I find cutting hair a true skill.

SM: How long did you work for L’Oreal?

I worked for L’Oreal group for 17 years ,during which time I was lucky enough to travel to many different countries.

SM: What exciting projects are you involved with at the moment?
The Matrix Sales University is a programme designed for distributor sales consultants, it’s really exciting as we have trained over 4,000 sales consultants over the last 4 years and it’s been really powerful in helping to valorize the role of a sales consultant . I’m also currently involved in the development of the L’Oreal Sales Academy, which has resulted in me training sales managers in Australia, Korea, Poland,Croatia, Russia  and China

SM: What is the most important thing to become a successful hairstylist and to manage your salon?
You have to care about your people and your clients, if you do that, along with hard work and careful planning you will be successful.

SM: What tips can you give to up and coming hairstylists?
Learn from others around you but don’t try and become them otherwise you lose your identity, take and idea and build on it.
If it doesn’t work ,change it . There is no such thing as failure, only feedback. Believe in yourself, because if you don’t no one else will either.

SM: Do you have your own company that is responsible for the educational training?
Yes my company is called Stephen Gresty R.O.I Ltd – the ROI stands for Relationships Outcomes Improvements . If you develop the Relationship, know what you desired Outcomes are then you will definitely experience Improvements.

SM: There are millions of hairdressers worldwide but only а few of them that are really successful, why?
As I said earlier what makes them different is that they plan and have a vision of what success looks like to them. But probably the biggest difference is that they also ensure that their business is financially sound , so they invest their time and effort into gaining a greater understanding of running a business as well as developing their artistic skills.

SM: Most of the hairdressers in our region think that to manage a salon all you need to know is how to cut and color hair. What can you recommend to them?
a) understand your clients needs;
b) communicate with your staff;
c) train your staff;
d) develop your salon as a brand, consumers love to buy into brands;
e) make the clients visit a total experience – perfect customer service to ALL clients not just new ones.

SM: We know that you are a very popular coach. Do you travel a lot?
I spend a lot of time travelling both in the UK and worldwide . I feel lucky that my job enables me to meet so many people from so many countries, I just wish I was able to take more time sightseeing when I visit all of these places . However it’s also helped me to have a global network of people that over the years have also become great friends.

SM: Your wife is a hairdresser too. Was she your student?
Not a student but when I first started in L’Oreal she was the manageress in one of my salons that I visited . So my best sale ever was to sell her the idea of marrying me !!! She is an amazing support for me ,given that we never have a routine week, month or year due to my extensive travelling.

SM: What is your opinion about STYLING Magazine, considering it is a new magazine on the market, what is its development?
The magazine looks very up-market and professional, the type that good quality,forward thinking  salons should be happy to be associated with. It is also a great communication tool for stylist and the images are inspirational for the salons clients. Anything that helps to raise the awareness and standards of hairdressing has to be good .