After getting into the swing of your career, it is important to stay organized. When your services, clients and the rush of your life has hit a start button, it can get crazy! On one hand, you are ecstatic that your career has taken off. On the other hand, since you are booked and busy it is important to prioritize organization and responsibility. When it comes to managing appointments, everything from making sure the dates/times are right and remembering the details of your appointments can be easy to miss. Although mistakes happen and everyone makes them, having a setup that will keep you organized and on top of things will always benefit you.
Forgetting an appointment, details of what you need for the appointment, showing up at the wrong time, etc. are all things that can be prevented with proper planning and time management. Here are a few ways that you can be the most productive, professional and organized makeup artist. It is essential- you do not want people to book you and then have you flake! It can affect how potential clients see you and your reputation for the future.
Have Multiple Calendars
It is extremely important to back-up information regarding appointments on more than one outlet. Just like backing up your photos on iCloud because you don’t want to risk losing those vacation photos, you should have the same mindset when it comes to your appointments.
This can mean having a physical calendar where you write down your appointments, having a calendar on your phone and also one backed up on your laptop or desktop computer. This is extremely important-things can happen and you cannot risk having all of your information accidentally erased or not tracked.
Having multiple outlets for a calendar keeps you organized and safe-this ensures that you have the information backed up elsewhere if anything ever happens to the original information.
Make sure to do regular back-ups. We tend to get busy in our everyday lives to think of tasks like this-but backing up your data on all of your current devices ensures your safety and the organization of your services. Nothing can be worse than knowing you have appointments and losing all of the dates and contact information! Yikes.
Include important details about the booking
Including additional information about your appointment will only benefit you. This can be as simple as writing down the client’s name or nickname and noting what occasion they are getting their makeup done for. Adding any information that they enclosed to you as a note on their appointment goes a long way. These details will show that you are personable and care about the needs of each appointment.
For example, if you have a makeup session for a mother-to-be on her baby shower day it is a good idea to note that when you create the appointment. Knowing this before the appointment is a great way to make a connection with the client and understand what the environment of the event is. This is a great tool to use small talk and have the client feel comfortable with you and understand that this is a special occasion in their life.
Many makeup artists may forget that they are a part of some of the most beautiful and memorable occasions such as weddings, baby showers, sweet 16’s, etc. Knowing the importance of the client’s occasion and what it means for them to look and feel beautiful on a special day is essential.
Also, remembering what the client has requested and any other information they have addressed to you shows you care about what they want and have worked to prepare for it.
Set reminders
It might seem obsessive but setting multiple reminders is important. If you set a reminder for an appointment for a week away, it is possible that you may forget. It is best to set a reminder for one week and one day before an appointment. It is better to already know about the schedule and be reminded again then be surprised and run the risk of ruining your schedule.
It will refresh your brain and remind you of the appointment and it gives you time to double-check the details and make sure everything is okay. It is also a great idea to check in casually with the client while confirming the appointment. Something like “Looking forward to doing your makeup for your shower tomorrow!” will let the client know that you are both excited to do the job and also on top of your schedule.
If you are professional and organized, other people will see that and value you for your services.
Do not book until you check your calendar first
Ah, this is important. I know that when an exciting opportunity arises, the first thing you want to do is jump up and say yes. However, even if you are positive that you have nothing planned for the time commitment you want to be 100% sure. By saying something like “That sounds great, let me double-check my calendar to see if I’m available” it is a good idea. This lets the person know that a) you are extremely organized and b) you are serious business.
Be mindful that if you gave your word to complete something it should be your priority. Flaking and going back on your word is unprofessional. Double checking your schedule can only help you- you do not want to book two appointments at once only to cancel on something you said you would go through with. Cancelling on a client is never a good look- you never know how that one connection can make it through to other people. Your goal is to satisfy your clients in every way possible and you want to be the makeup artist they have in mind if they are ever referring someone else.
Stay on top of trial services
This is a tip that many people tend to overlook- although trial services are not as stressed as the actual day of the event, it still is extremely important to remember. Many people don’t just do one trial but even two or three. The reason the trials keep happening is because they want the makeup look tweaked a certain way to fit their liking.
Remembering trial appointments is vital when trying to make a client happy. Finding a look that the client loves can be a process. Making notes about each trial and experience can help you with your next trial. This can guide you on what to do differently to fit the client’s needs and wants.
Remembering trial dates is also important because you may associate the date of the actual event with the client. However, if a trial is needed beforehand it should be stressed just as much as the actual date of service.
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These are just a few tips to keep in mind when starting your makeup career! Even if you are just starting out, it is never too early to become organized. Always remember to plan time extra time in-between. For example, if you have an appointment until 12:30pm do not plan a 1:00pm appointment unless it is very close proximity and you know it will end at exactly that time. Otherwise, you run the risk of being late.
Always plan ahead and leave adequate time between commitments to ensure that you will be there on time and prepared.
Our Extensive 5-Week Makeup Program and Master Makeup Program include a business, branding and marketing course where they also guide you on clientele services and etiquette. They also help you on building a website, making business cards and setting up a professional presence on social media. All of these tools tie into organization and staying on top of appointments!
