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Eight ways to overcome anxiety and channel nervous energy to perform your best

Whether you are looking to certify, enter a grooming competition or other highly visible display, the seasoned pros seem to have total control over their situation: calm, cool, and collected in their thoughts.

Looks, however, can be deceiving. Beneath the surface of total control, even the most seasoned, show-savvy competitors get butterflies in their stomachs. They experience the same sort of show jitters and performance anxiety that plagues those who compete at lower levels. But seasoned stylists eventually learn to use those gut-churning sensations to their advantage. They productively channel their nervous energy rather that allow negative thoughts and feelings to overwhelm them and interfere with their performance.

Everyone gets nervous. It’s normal – even the elite in the pet styling world become nervous – but they learn to work with it. You have to train yourself to like the feeling and see it as an asset.

A Bundle of Nerves

Performance anxiety reveals itself in many forms: stomach misery, sweating, shortness of breath, fidgeting, tension throughout the body, chattiness, uncharacteristic silence. Some stylists are wracked with anxiety from the moment they wake up the day of the competition or certification, others get a burst of butterflies just before entering the stage.

No matter how or when performance anxiety occurs, it usually is fueled by the fear of failure. Many stylists place great pressure on themselves to do well. Others feel compelled to do everything in their power not to disappoint their employers, fellow staff members, or family members. Those who enter the contest arena or testing site with a client dog have the added responsibility to do a good job to please the owner. Some groomers are deathly afraid of embarrassing themselves in front of an audience.

To a certain degree, many people are predisposed to being overly anxious. It’s a part of their persona and temperament, just as some folks are normally laid-back or unflappable.

Actually there’s little difference physiologically between excitement and fear. While one person says, ‘oh boy, here I go’ the next person is saying ‘Oh no, here it comes again.’ The feelings are much the same. The difference is that one is positive while the other is negative.

Those that work through anxiety may be nervous prior to performing, but they are able to set aside the negative feelings and focus on the skills they need when it’s time to compete or start testing. In contrast, stylists who can’t get past their nervousness extract less and less pleasure from competing or testing. Worse still, performance anxiety can crush confidence and divert attention for completing the familiar steps of an established trim, which reinforces the feeling of being unprepared.

Because dogs are highly attuned to our feelings, they can sense when something is amiss with a groomer’s emotions. Although some dogs are not rattled by what they sense from their handlers, others become increasingly anxious, especially when they are already distracted by the sights and sounds of unfamiliar surroundings.

1. Set Yourself Up To Succeed

Select a good dog you feel comfortable working with, choose a trim you are familiar with, and study high quality reference material.

2. Develop Proficiency and Skills Beyond What You’ll Test

You’ll be more likely to succeed when you start at lower level that’s less challenging than what you are accustomed to at home, whether that means choosing a simple trim to execute, a smaller dog to work on, or a better coat to scissor. Everything you do should be easier, not more difficult, when you’re in a show or testing atmosphere: that’s what builds confidence.

3. Simulate the Show or Testing Experience

Attend small clinics or go to a trade show or conformation dog show and hire a seasoned competitor to be your coach. Videotaping yourself adhering to the time restraints of typical grooming class is highly beneficial as well

4. Focus on the Task

To heighten awareness of the specific challenges that lie ahead, plan your trimming process on the dog. Dissect the time you have allotted for each area of the dog, visualize the finished profile you want to create – see the velvet scissor finish. Think through the entire haircut, don’t just start whacking off hair and hope for a positive outcome.

5. Accentuate the Positive

Negative thoughts take a toll on your mood as well as your confidence, and they can inadvertently slip you up at an inopportune moment. Concentrate on modifying your thoughts in a positive tone. Remind yourself to keep your shoulders relaxed, your hand smooth and steady, and move with your hips and knees when you are scissoring.

6. Rely on Imagery to Get You Through Tough Spots

Imagery is more powerful than internal dialog or self-statements when it comes to helping a person access his or her internal resources. For that perfectly scissored coat, think of crushed velvet.  Or visualize a photo or a drawing of the perfect dog you want to create. Close your eyes and take deep breaths envisioning the image perfectly in your mind. Focus on a positive image rather than thinking about failure or a disaster.

7. Give Yourself Time to Regroup

When all your preparations are accomplished – your dog is bathed and fluffed, you’re dressed to step into the ring, your tools are in order – give yourself a break from the hustle and bustle of the competitive environment and take a few moments to gather your thoughts.

8. Turn it Into a Learning Experience

Everyone wants to win but facts are facts and the placements only go so high. When I would head to the ring, I always wanted to give my best performance, but I’d play a mind-game with myself too; I would say to myself “Melissa, what’s the worst thing that could happen?” The answer was always, “I could be out of the placements with my dog. I’ve dealt with a lot worse…” One of the best learning tools you’ll ever get is personal critiques from seasoned pros. The grooming tips you can pick up at a show are invaluable to your career as you gain grooming knowledge.

Feeling you can compete with confidence allows you to enjoy the experience. You may always have to work at managing your nerves, but as your self-assurance grows and you learn to channel your thoughts productively into your performance, your anxiety will dissipate. And when you’re done competing, you may even think, “That really wasn’t so bad after all.”

Get used to your anxiety. Don’t be rattled by the way it makes you feel. Embrace it and eventually you’ll discover how to use it to put your best foot forward in every competition.

Pet bathing and drying seems to be a huge time challenge for many professionals. Many of you are all overflowing with pets to bathe during the summer season. I thought this would be a great time to review my time tested “game.” I loved to play this game whether it was with 8 or 80 dogs a day! I’ve done it both ways and every number in-between over the years.

If you are one of those high volume shops doing 40 – 70 or more pets per day…  that’s a lot of toe nail trimming no matter how you look at it!! How can you get more done in less time while not letting the quality of the work suffer? Here’s my method –  it’s a fast paced game with lots of variables to mix it up every day. After all, whoever thought pet grooming was going to be a boring job?

It’s not a mystery but it is like cooking a meal. The larger and more extravagant the meal (with multiple dishes being served), the more complicated the timing and the choices get to be. With a few dogs, it’s pretty simple – the choices are limited. Add more dogs and the variables increase.  Move to a full blown shop pushing through 50+ dogs and you have something like a full force, successful restaurant that is managed by an experienced head chef.  OK, so how do you manage your bathing and drying roster so all the pets are done to the highest degree of quality and proficiency, just like getting multiple dishes to the table all done to perfection and hot?

The Three Basic Rules & Guidelines to Follow

#1.       Review all the dogs on your roster for that day or session. This game works best when you have multiple pets arriving at one time so you can stagger them according to coat type, size, and degree of difficulty.

#2.      Do your largest and furriest dog first. Something that can be bathed and then lightly high velocity dried to lift and separate the fur. By spending a few minutes with the high velocity dryer on each pet, it allows a clear view of any special needs of that animal while enhancing airflow to the coat once it is placed in an inactive drying situation. Bathe and set up the coat on all the bath and brush pets first, starting with the largest and most time consuming dogs, working down the line of difficulty to the least difficult of the bath and brush pets. Once all the bath and brush pets are bathed, then proceed with dogs that need active drying to yield the best results.

#3.      Your goal on all trim dogs is not only to get the pet clean, but the coat needs to be tangle free and as straight as possible for the finished trim. After all the B&B pets are bathed, start washing your trim dogs. Start with the pet that has the heaviest and straightest coat – something that can sit for a few minutes while you bathe your other haircut pets without risking the coat drying before you get to an active drying method. Let the pet sit in a warm place wrapped in a towel. Proceed washing the next pet based on size, coat density and curl factor – less curl hits the tub before a curly coat – curly coats such as Bichons or Poodles go to the tub last. Once all the trim pets are bathed, start drying. The first pet up on the drying table should be the one that has the curliest, but lightest coat since that coat type will dry the quickest. If the coat dries before an active form of drying can take place while the coat is still damp, it will be impossible to remove the curl unless you re-wet the pet. Once the curliest coats have been fluffed dried so they are absolutely straight, move to the next kinkiest or wavy coat type – also weigh in the coat density factor. A lighter or shorter coat will need to go before a heavier or longer coats. A typical example would be that you have two dogs of equal size and similar haircuts like a 1.5 on the body and a fuller leg style. One dog is a Lhasa and the other is a Maltese/ShihTzu mix. Normally the Maltese cross would have a lighter density of coat than the Lhasa, thus the Maltese mix gets dried before the Lhasa. Continue this process moving from the curliest coats down the line. The key is to get to a coat before it is dry so the heat of the dryer can straighten the fur out. Remember, the goal is always to have a straight, fluffy, mat free coat to finish. Curls and kinks in the fur make it impossible to execute a trim that is smooth and sleek. If a coat gets too dry, it must be re-wetted and the drying process started over.

There are many variations to how this game gets played out to be effective. It is what makes a day interesting to a professional pet stylist. The better you get at this game, the faster you will be able to get through multiple pets without sacrificing quality. Think about what we do in the terms of food. An average home cook should be able to get 2-3 dishes on the table at the same time. A first-class home cook should be able to handle a meal with 4-5 dishes and at least 6 people. Seasoned home entertainers can handle an elaborate holiday meal for 20 with ease. A professional chef will master an entire shift serving over a 100 meals and all their side dishes with it all arriving to the table hot and beautifully prepared.

How far can you push yourself – before you get lost in the order of bathing pets? Test yourself and see how you do. It’s a fun game that can be challenging yet really invigorating. The more dogs, the more fun, and reward when it goes smoothly!

Happy Trimming

Melissa

There are five basic drying techniques that professionals use on pets. They are based on size, coat condition, coat type, and personality of the pet. The coat type often will dictate which technique is used to produce the highest quality result. The different drying methods are:

• Towel Drying
• High-Velocity Drying
• Stretch Drying
• Kennel Drying
• Blanket Drying

Today I’m going to focus on the most important drying method to master – stretch drying techniques. The term ‘stretch drying’ is also referred to as ‘fluff drying’. The two terms can be used interchangeably. Becoming proficient at this drying method will increase the quality of your grooms while decreasing the amount of time it takes to groom each dog. Bottom line: that’s money in your pocket!

Stretch Drying

To get a quality finish on most clipper and scissor finishes, the coat needs to be as straight as possible. The goal with stretch drying is to remove the natural wave or curl from the coat. Typically, stretch drying is used in conjunction with high-velocity drying. It removes the last bits of stubborn curl while getting a coat dry. It is also a good drying option for those pets that do not tolerate a high velocity dryer well, especially around the head area.

Stretch drying uses mild, warm air with rapid, light brushing only where the air is striking the coat. It’s like the reverse of using a human curling iron, where you want to hold the hair around the iron for long time to get a tight curl. There should be between one and four brush strokes per second depending upon the length of the hair. The brushing technique together with the warm air sets the coat straight and gives the fluffy appearance. The better the stretch dry, the faster and easier it will be to finish the trim. A well-executed stretch dry is the only way to get a beautiful finish on a hand-scissored coat.

Dryers used in stretch drying will have a heating element that creates air temperatures from warm to very hot. Always be aware of the air temperature out of the dryer. Air that is too hot could be uncomfortable for the pet and, at worst, may burn its skin.

There are stand dryers designed for this process or a small, hand-held human hair dryer with side air vents can be used. The small, hand hair dryers normally are attached to the stylist’s waist or held in a bracket that hangs from the neck to place the dryer at chest level.

Brush selection is based on the coat texture of the pet and the length of the fur. On most pets, a heavy slicker brush used with light strokes is preferred. If the pet has extremely delicate skin and/or a short fine coat, a soft slicker will be the brush of choice.

Start on shortest coat on the body that needs attention, moving forward over the body of the dog towards the head. Next, work on fluffing the rear legs. Proceed to the front legs and finish with the head, ears, and tail. Work only in the area where the air is striking. Make your brush strokes swift and light, one to four strokes per second based on coat length. When dealing with a heavy coated pet, line brush the area where the air strikes. Remember, the goal is to straighten the coat. Don’t move to the next area until the coat is as straight as possible and the fur is bone dry. Straightening some coats will prove more challenging than others.

When working on the head, always cover the eye with a finger to prevent an accidental scratch from the brush. There are cases of pets receiving eye scratches from stylists who were careless with the slicker brush. This is obviously painful to the pet, and in the worst cases, can lead to blindness.

Where light matting is still left in the coat, the coat can be de-matted and stretch dried at the same time. If for some reason the mat cannot be removed, make a mental note to return to that area and remove it after finishing the drying, but before the finish clipping and scissoring.

On many coats, a pet hair spray will hold the coat straight, just as it does for people, and allows for more effective clipping and scissoring. Apply the spray as a final step in stretch drying. Lightly spray the section. Set the spray with the warm air as you quickly brush it in. Make sure all mats are removed before applying the hair spray.

It is important to master drying skills. There are several drying methods and combinations to choose from, based on coat type, trim, and pet tolerance. Incorrect techniques or careless attention to drying will waste more of a professional groomer’s time than almost anything else.

An active form of drying always will yield the best results. Having a beautifully clean and dried coat also will lessen the amount of time it takes to execute the final grooming procedures on a pet. It will help you earn you the highest scores in certification testing. It will help you win grooming competitions. But most importantly, pets that have beautifully prepared coats will create return clients for your business and save you time.

As pet care ambassadors, it’s our job to keep things looking professional. There are plenty of salons and pet businesses that fall far below the realm of professionalism in my opinion.  I know the saying can be cheesy, but seriously, dress for success. Would you want to get have your personal pet groomed by someone who doesn’t take pride in their own personal presentation?

I know it can get tiring to dress up a little every day. However, our clients are entrusting us with the care of their pets. Like it or hate it, you can easily influence their trust factor simply by the way you look when you greet your clients. Think of yourself like your own brand. Don’t you want your product to be consistent and look great? Of course! And your clients are looking for that too.

A fashionable, well groomed appearance is essential when it comes to professionalism in this industry. When you are in a salon, kennel, pet resort, veterinarian clinic, or mobile grooming unit, you have to look the part. Come to work each day looking crisp, clean, and pulled together. Blue jeans and sweat pants ARE NOT professional attire! Black, white or khaki slacks work well. Longer skirts are great for women and so are skorts in warmer climates. Conservative shorts or capris may work for your environment as well. I’ve even seen leggings work when paired with an oversized, long top or smock. Look for clothing that is not prone to wrinkling or learn to iron!

Today, there are many options for hair repelling garments. There are all types of tops and bottoms in a wide variety of styles.  If you work in a salon with a dress code, this may be easier. If not, have some fun with the pet styling fashions that are available. It may even be a good idea to keep an extra outfit or smock around the shop as a back-up. If you get drenched or messy, a quick change will instantly boost your comfort level and mood.

And gals, remember, low cut tops and short- shorts are never professional!  If you have shorts that are too short or a top that is too revealing (especially when you are squatting down to pick up a dog), then you’re not displaying professionalism.

Don’t forget your footwear.  Most pet groomers are on their feet for hours. You are standing, lifting, bending, squatting, and twisting – all day long. Although clients may not be looking at your feet, having solid, supportive footwear will promote comfort for to you. Being comfortable allows you easily be warm and friendly to all your clients. Supportive footwear will also enhance the longevity of your career.  Over the long haul, your feet will take a beating.  Don’t skimp on your footwear. Invest in the best.

Scent is a very powerful sense. When it comes to your perfume (or fragrance you put on pets) be light-handed with the spray. Many people have allergies and are sensitive to fragrance. Plus, if you have multiple staff members wearing all different scents, it can be unpleasant for all. The same can be said for your makeup and hair color.  You want to appeal to a wide range of clients, so conservative is best in most cases. When in doubt, be a minimalist. Remember, you can always ‘be yourself’ once you leave the shop.

While we are on scent – what about your breath? If you are communicating to others – clients or coworkers – bad breath is down-right offensive. Brush, floss, and use a mouth wash regularly. Not only will it save your teeth, your clients won’t be offended as you discuss what trim will work best on Fluffy today.  Breath mints and gum can be helpful too in-between brushings. Lose the gum quickly once it has done its job. Chewing gum in front of clients is distracting and it is unprofessional in front of clients. The same can be said for eating and drinking on the floor. Keep snack and coffee breaks limited to behind closed doors.

Proper hygiene is crucial. It should go unsaid, but being clean and odor-free is a must. There is nothing more offensive – and embarrassing – than personal body odor. A famous quote from Zig Ziglar, who was a very success motivational speaker, said, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” Nothing could be truer!

Your own hair needs to be clean and simply styled. If your hair is long, get it tied back and away from your face. As your work with clippers or shears, you don’t want to be trimming a lock of your own hair as you scissor that leg. I hate to think of how many people with long hair have caught their tresses in the spinning grinder as they worked. Ouch! Or worse yet, drag it through anal gland expressions, defecation or urine.

Having a touch of jewelry is a nice finishing touch.  Done well, it always reflects positively. However, just like with fragrance – go light. A few simple rings. A durable watch. (and you always need to know the time!!) If your ears are pierced – stick with super simple earrings, something a dog can’t accidently catch in their paw, ripping your ear lobe. If you opt for a necklace, keep it tasteful. Don’t be in love with it. Dogs will catch it in their paws and break it eventually. The same thing with is true with bracelets.

Having well groomed fingernails is what I consider a bonus. Working with dirty dogs and trimming toenails lends itself to dirty fingernails – even if you do a lot of bathing. Trimming poodle feet has a tendency chip fingernails. Personally I liked to keep my nails painted. Painted fingernails will hind all sorts of flaws. Unfortunately when you do a lot of bathing, standard nail polish has a tendency to peel off quickly – sometimes in as little as one day.  My solution was to have my fingernails professionally done every 2 weeks. Both acrylic and shellac nail applications seem hold up well to the abuse groomers put their hands through.   Plus it gives you a little time to pamper your most valuable asset – YOUR HANDS!

Pay attention to the details. Judy Hudson is one our popular Learn2Groom Training Partners. In her video, What I Know For Sure she shares this tip: It doesn’t cost a lot to be clean. It doesn’t cost a lot of money to be neat and tidy. All it takes is a little elbow grease. 

As pet care ambassadors, not only is it our job to groom pets – but it’s also our job to present a professional image for our industry. I don’t know any successful person that doesn’t sweat the details. Being impeccable, both personally and in your workspace, shows the client that you care about yourself. The message you are sending out is; You are confident with your skills. You are successful. You respect yourself enough to do the same for them – and their pet.

Life is like high school. Those things that made you popular start to matter again. Like it, hate it, fight it, but it is true. The competent and likable pet groomer will attract far more business than the extremely talented but socially deficient expert.

I learned this fact early on in my first business; my fleet of mobile dog grooming vans.

That business grew quickly. In less than a year I was already adding vans and hiring staff. I had a couple phenomenal pet stylists over the years. I’ve also had a lot of average groomers over the years.

They were two individuals that stood out in all my years of running that company.

The first one, let’s call her Annie, was a compassionate social butterfly. But Annie was only a so-so groomer. Not only did she adore pets – she loved people. Love them. Annie was a chatterbox. She was especially fond of the senior citizens. She’d make clients special little gifts for their dogs. She had tea with clients. Have lunch with clients. Bring in the mail. Shovel sidewalks. Heck, she’d even stop at the store and pick them up milk! Clients adored her.

Annie routinely started her day late — and worked late. Many times her days would be 10 to 12 hours. She’d casually arrived at base (which was my home) between 9:30 and 10 in the morning — after every other driver was gone. She was almost always the very last groomer back at base, many times after 8:00 in the evening.

Annie drove me nuts. Rarely did she make the six dog quota we required daily.

The second stylist, let’s call her Ruth, was an amazing stylist. Amazing. Not only was she extremely talented, she was lightning fast. At the time, she could groom me under the table. She always made quota, plus, took a few extra appointments almost every day. She loved to make money. Wasting time was not her thing.

Ruth was always at base early. Most days she finished before 3 o’clock. I loved Ruth. She made us a ton of money. She was fast. She was efficient.

But then I started to look beyond the revenue. I started noticing which mobile groomer had a fuller appointment book weeks down the road.

Hands down — it was Annie. Her appointment book was almost all waste booked solid for weeks in advance. Clients simply would not take any other groomer than Annie.

Ruth on the other hand — she was always booked but her dispatchers had to scramble to make it happen. Even though she was talented and efficient, she lacked the ability to communicate. Even though she was passionate for a job, it did not show in her personality. Clients weren’t knocking down the doors to book appointments with her.

I learned to embrace Annie’s compassion for the job and the people. To Annie, it wasn’t about the money — it was about the relationships that she formed. The friendships she made. The people and pets that she could help brighten their day. Annie was one of our most popular mobile groomers — probably just like she was in high school.

Ruth? Not so much. Ultimately, I had to let Ruth go due to her lack of compassion for people and pets. Her personality just did not reflect well on my company.

Professional pet grooming is about building relationships — friendships. It’s about building trust with your clients and their pets. It’s about being personable. It’s about being able to smile while letting your love of the job shine through.

If you’re one of those folks that were extremely popular in high school, you’ll have no problem building your clientele. However, if you or someone on your team is socially inept, minimize the amount of contact they have with your customers. Let an educated social butterfly be your front person. That might be you, the owner, or it could be a well-trained receptionist who has an extremely bubbly personality.

Whoever is initially meeting your clients on a regular basis, make sure they are instantly likable. Their compassion shows strongly in all their actions. These are the same skills all the popular kids in high school possessed. Even as adults, life continues to be very much like high school. If you are in the service industry, a full book means you are winning the popularity contest.

The best professional stylists are those who have developed a confident degree of dexterity with the clippers. Moreover, good scissor work is rarely found on a badly clipped dog.

The two just do not go together!

For maximum freedom of movement and improved efficiency, hold the clipper like a large pencil, between the thumb and fingers. “Palming” the clipper makes for clumsy, awkward clipper handling and puts the pet at risk for cuts and nicks. Concentrate on positioning yourself so that the clipper is pulled toward you and held comfortably like a pencil. There are rare times when holding the clippers in your palm will improve dexterity, but this applies to very few moves.

To create the least amount of stress on your fingers and wrist, grasp the clipper at the “balance point” so the weight is equally distributed between each end. Hold the clipper in the correct position, then rotate it between your thumb and fingers. This positioning keeps your wrist firm but flexible, yet allows for almost unlimited wrist movement. This hold offers access to the most difficult corners of the pet with minimum effort. Concentrate on minimizing your wrist action.

Allow the weight of the clippers to do the work. Your hand and wrist are simply its guide. As you move from the top of the pet to make downward strokes, simulate the same amount of pressure that gravity provided on the top.

Your hand and wrist will act as a shock absorber during clipping, leveling out the bumps and dents in order to obtain a satin-smooth finish.

No matter what blade you use, it is important to maintain a consistent degree of “tip” to the blade, also known as “keeping the blade up on its cutting edge.” Imagine a pencil being held right under the blade as you guide it over the body. The closer the pencil is to the teeth, the higher the tip angle; the farther back you keep the imaginary pencil, the lesser the degree of tip. Generally speaking, the closer the blade cuts, the higher you need to tip the blade for it to be effective.

Every top quality stylist knows the importance of a clean pet. It is impossible to obtain a satin-smooth finish on a pet that has a dirty or filmy coat. On most pets, two baths with the correct shampoo is normally considered adequate to produce a squeaky clean coat. Rinsing the pet thoroughly is critical to avoid shampoo residue that looks oily on a dry coat and produces a film you can feel on your hands.

“Setting the coat up” is important to produce the finest clipper work.

This is achieved in a three steps:

#1.  THE DRYING PROCESS

The goal is to dry the coat so there is absolutely no curl or wave left in it. The natural coat of the pet – whether curly, wavy or straight – will determine which drying process will achieve the desired result. Correct use of a high velocity dryer can effectively produce a straight coat. Heat will “set” the coat straight. In some cases, the heat of the high velocity dryer, without the condensing cone, held against the skin in the final stages of drying will produce the desired effect. With very curly coats, hand stretch drying or hand fluff drying the coat using a stand type or hand held dryer is necessary.

Curly coats need to be as straight as possible in order to achieve a smooth, high quality finish. With a higher level of heat from the drying source, it is important to keep the air moving within a small section, while brushing in very rapid, light strokes, up to one to four strokes per second, just where the air is blowing. This will straighten the coat, just as a curling iron would curl a strand of human hair.

#2.  BACK BRUSHING

Back brushing is done with a slicker brush while brushing the coat against the grain. The pressure on the brush should be very light. The entire pad of the brush should make contact with the skin and coat. Keep the pressure light on the brush so the skin is not scraped, causing a potential “brush burn.” Back brush the entire coat once and make a clipper pass over the pet using effective techniques.

When the bulk of the coat is gone, repeat the process a second time to get a smoother finish. On the third back brush pass, look only for high spots or uneven areas. Minimize the number of passes with the clipper; otherwise the set up coat will be crushed.

#3. BODY ROLL

On drop-coated breeds, when a medium to long guard comb is used to clip the pet, a “body roll” is normally more effective than back brushing. The body roll simulates the natural shake of a dog, setting up the coat in its most natural position. Ideally, the pet will shake when it is placed on the table. Take advantage of this and make the first full pass with the clipper. If the pet does not shake when it is first set on the table, sometimes simply blowing lightly in its ear will encourage a natural shake. A body roll can be mimicked by standing behind the dog and grasping a small amount of coat, low on either side of the rib cage. Tug one side and then the other, making the skin and coat rock back and forth as it would in a natural shake. Most pets do not find this move uncomfortable as long as it is done quickly and gently. On the third pass, use thinning shears to smooth out any uneven areas.

Clipper work is not complete until no more coat is being clipped off and the coat is properly set up. If the clipper has been used effectively, there should be a minimum of thinning shear work remaining to make the pet appear smooth and polished. Areas that may need a bit more detail are around the outside edges of the feet, the ears, around the tail, under the front legs and the face.

The finished pet should have a nice, clean outline when viewed from all angles at a slight distance. Upon closer inspection, the coat should be of a consistent length without any clipper marks. If these steps are followed and the coat is properly set up, the stylist will produce a high quality haircut.

In my experience, the hardest part of running a business is STAFF!

Hands down the most challenging part of running a business is staffing it. Managing staff. Keeping staff. Paying staff. Keeping  them accountable. Keeping them productive. Keeping them happy.

And the real biggie – training them.

So let’s tackle the training challenge first. It’s far easier to hire basic labor than filling a position that requires skill. At our kennel, Whiskers Resort, we have an endless supply of dog enthusiasts that want to work in the kennel. With multiple colleges within our community, the labor force is easy to come by. After all, everybody wants to play with puppies!

But what about those jobs that require skilled labor? People like receptionists, bathers, managers and trainers.

One of the largest reasons I started the Paragon School Pet Grooming was because I could not find qualified groomers to operate in my fleet of mobile grooming vans. They just weren’t available. I still shudder when I think about it. There were times that I would have a van down for 6 to 12 months at a time before I could find somebody that could do the job. Not a very efficient way to run a business.

Working every day in a mobile grooming salon does not lend itself to a training environment. It can work if you just have to add polish to a skilled professional. But to take them from scratch? Nope. It doesn’t work. You just can’t afford the time it takes to train a new groomer – especially if you rely on YOUR productivity to pay the bills. Starting a person from scratch to become a competent groomer in a mobile just does not work!

To get a groomer that can work independently – with safety and quality – will take months, not weeks, to train. After all, this is not a skill that you can quickly show somebody how to do. It is not like showing them where the files are kept or how to use a coffee machine!

I’ve heard in some businesses, the company offers a new hire a two week training program. Then they turn them loose to groom ‘professionally. If that’s not a joke!!’ Okay – maybe in some circles they are out there calling themselves a ‘professional’ with just two weeks of training – but they’re not a ‘professional’ in my book!

Did you know that it takes the average person 3 to 7 times of hearing or seeing the same thing over and over before it actually sinks in? And that’s for an average learner. Sure, star performers might pick it up after the first or second try – but those people are few and far between. Most of us fall in the average category. We have to see or do the same task repeatedly before we do it correctly.

I’ve been in the pet care industry for over 30 years – primarily in the grooming aspect of the industry. Finding qualified groomers remains the number one problem in our field.

Finding talented grooming help was close to impossible was when I first stepped  up to the grooming table in 1979 – and it remains the same problem today. I have chosen to focus on this critical problem. I own multiple companies in the pet industry. On the educational side, my companies aid in training and personal development for both pet loves stepping into the field for the first time and for aspiring pet groomers and stylists.

It has always been extremely easy to enter the field of pet grooming. There are very few regulations of any sort. Anybody can start bathing and cutting hair off of the dog or cat, and call themselves a professional pet groomer. But that is so far from the truth. Those of us that spent years perfecting our craft know it takes time and dedication to become confident at all breed grooming. It takes years of practice and study.

Some of the ways that I have found to become a real professional include:

• Studying the AKC Complete Dog Book or your national all breed book
• Reading books produced by breed and/or industry specialist
• Attending workshops and clinics hosted by industry leaders
• Attending a grooming school – many have multiple programs to choose from
• Taking an on line study course from a reputable institution
• Attending continued education training at qualified grooming schools
• Watching videos produced by leading pet professionals

Even graduates coming out of quality grooming schools are not truly proficient. If they have graduated with above average GPA’s, they have given themselves a great foundation. It is the starting point of their career – but they are far from being a polished professional. They still need guidance. They still need coaching. They still need mentoring. They still need to study. And most of all – they need to practice A LOT!

So let’s get back to that hiring challenge. If you’re faced with having to hire a groomer, what should you look for. One thing I recommend is Attitude. Attitude. Attitude. I always look for somebody who’s got a positive, upbeat attitude. Someone who is receptive to new information. They need to be moldable. Adaptable. And they cannot be afraid of hard work. I hire on potential, not necessarily experience.

Once you have someone with a great attitude, helping them be best they can be is fun – and it can be very gratifying. Use the resources available to help them self-directing their own learning.  It will take time, dedication and patience before you see your new hire flourish but you can lighten your training load by taking advantage of many educational resources currently available. Heck, you might learn a thing or two yourself.

It amazes me that our industry has not advanced more in this area. Sure there are more grooming schools than ever was before. Yes, there are certification organizations out there – but they’re still voluntary. Licensing, in some states is starting to catch on. However, we’re still a long way from having even a basic comprehensive licensing program in place for pet groomers and salon owners.

Happy Trimming!

~Melissa

Marc LaFleur and Melissa Verplank enjoying the 2013 Bissell Blocktail Party             Photo by Michael Buck – Wood TV8

For those of us that work in the pet care industry, my guess is a lot of you are just like me. You’re a softy. When you see an animal in need, you just want to reach out and help. Dogs. Cats. Horses. Birds. Wild animals. Heck, I think my husband has lost track of how many times he stopped to assist a turtle crossing the road! Bet you’ve done it too.

Today there are so many animals in need. Did you know that according to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), half of the dog’s that end up in shelters are destroyed? It’s even worse for cats. Well over 50% are destroyed. There just are not enough homes for these animals.

This was the eighth year for the Bissell Blocktail Party. It’s a local event hosted by The Bissell Pet Foundation and Cathy Bissell (of the vacuum cleaner fame). It is a fund-raising event for local animal welfare organizations in West Michigan.

The Blocktail Party is the biggest fundraising event of the year for this organization. Participants enjoy music, ‘yappetizers,’ a silent auction, and mingling with fellow animal lovers and their four-legged friends. Last year the event raised $173,000 to help homeless pets in West Michigan.
My Whiskers Resort  & Pet Spa team has always been very active with this fundraiser. This year, Whiskers was a “Best in Show Sponsor.” Plus, many of our Whiskers team members were volunteers at the party, helping make the evening go off without a hitch.

And the best part – this year Marc and I were actually in town so we could attend the event! What a blast. We got to attend with all three of our ‘white dogs.’ The girls even got to sport their festive collars — something that doesn’t happen very often when they are patrolling the property on our farm.

The event was held on the grounds of Mangiamo, a wonderful Italian restaurant situated in the historic district of East Grand Rapids. At one time it was a lumber baron’s home. Then it went on to become a monastery. And later it went on to become a restaurant. A little known fact; before my husband became involved with the pet industry — he was a sous chef. He spent four years working in their kitchen!

When we got there, dogs and their owners were coming from every angle. They must’ve had close to 1000 guests at the party! I was amazed at the volume of silent auction items up for bids. Pets and people were mingling. Food and drink was plentiful. It was shocking that almost all the four legged guests were extremely cordial and exceptionally well-behaved.

The variety of dogs attending the event was immense. You could immediately tell dogs that came from rescue organizations. They got to sport a bright orange bandanna. It was remarkable how many orange bandannas were floating through the crowd – pure-bred and mixed breeds alike.

Cathy Bissell and her team have definitely had a very positive impact on pets in the West Michigan area. Even if your community does not host such an elaborate event as the Bissell Blocktail Party, there’s still lots you can do in your local area.

• First and foremost, as a pet professional, you are at the forefront of educating owners about the importance of staying and neutering.When a client adds a pet to their family, encourage adoption/rescue – giving a homeless pet a second chance.
• Donate your skills to make pets up for adoption more appealing with a fresh grooming.
• Make your business a donation drop site for items they need; food, towels, blankets, litter, cleaning supplies, etc.
• Designate a certain percentage of your sales or a particular service to be donated to one of your local rescue organizations. (flea baths, nail trims, simple upsell items.
• Become a foster home for pets in need.
• Volunteer at animal welfare organizations within your community
• Encourage microchipping for your clients so if a pet is lost, it has a higher chance of finding its way home.
• The majority of pet welfare organizations operate strictly through generous donation — donate money. (Donating the price of 1 grooming dog a week or 1 dog a month could go a long way in helping these organizations)

It was an honor to be a part of this event. It was a perfect night – the rain even held off for most of the evening. I hope the foundation was able to raise even more money than last year!

I’m proud of our Whiskers Resort team. Every time I turned around at the Blocktail Party, we ran into them… (It was extremely hard to miss Megan who has embraced creative styling.  At the end of her leash were brilliant orange and pink dogs! )  Many of our team members were wearing the official volunteer tee-shirts supplied by the Bissell Pet Foundation. Way to go gang!

Happy Trimming,
Melissa

P.S. Check out the clip below. Marc and I are interviewed at the party with the ‘white dogs.’

In a professional grooming salon, I think my favorite tool is a humble towel. I just never have enough.

I love the big oversized bath sheets for monster dogs. Large, thick bath towels are great for moderate sized dogs. The large towels are also fabulous for wrapping a wet pet after the bath too. Smaller sized and towels are super for more delicate areas, toy dogs or puppies. And once a towel loses its moisture absorbing abilities -they earn a second life being rags. In most grooming salons, having an unlimited supply of cleaning rags is always useful!

With my upbringing, I was taught to be extremely conscience of budgets. I love having an abundance of thick terry towels at my fingertips when grooming dogs. During the years that we were the busiest at the Paragon School of Pet Grooming, we were grooming anywhere from 60 to 100 pets a day. That’s a lot of dogs. That’s a lot of towels. I had a huge dilemma. My thrifty side hated spending the money on quality towels.

With a last name like Verplank – it’s pretty clear that I’m a Dutch. In fact, much of West Michigan is influenced by the Dutch heritage. One of the common threads that run through the Dutch gene pool is that we are pretty frugal group. We’re also extremely creative when it comes to pinching pennies.

I came up with a plan. We posted a sign on our front counter at the school. The sign said, “$.50 Off Your Next Grooming for Every Towel You Bring to The Paragon School.” Oh my gosh… the sign worked like a charm!! Okay, I figured we get a few clients cleaning out their linen closet. I thought we’d get a handful of towels. Was I ever mistaken.
Not only were clients cleaning out their own personal linen closets, they were also on the hunt for old towels. Friends. Family members. Neighbors. Coworkers. They weren’t shy. They’d ask anybody. Once they exhausted their immediate sources, they hit the streets. Little did I know, our clientele were avid garage and estate sale junkies!!

Before long, our regular clients were working for us salvaging worn and tired towels from the entire west Michigan area. They didn’t come in with a small pile of towels. Oh no. They come with garbage sacks full! Beach towels, bath towels, hand towels — gorgeous towels, thick towels, tired towels. They came in all shapes and sizes. And the best part. We were NOT picky.

The dogs didn’t care what color their towel was or how fluffy it was. If it was an absorbing piece of terry, we honor the $.50 off per towel offer to our clients. We could certainly use them all.

Our clients got so good at keeping us supplied with towels, we could only post the sign once or twice a year. Heck, some of the towels were so nice, they rivaled what I had in my own bathroom!

Honestly, where can you find towels for your grooming salon at $.50 apiece? Even if the towel was threadbare, we never quibbled with the clients. It all averaged out. In the end, this resource has always worked for us. We’ve been using this trick for almost 20 years. It’s the most economical way to keep our grooming salon stocked with high quality towels. Hopefully it will work for you too!

Happy Trimming,
~ Melissa

Are you looking to open a new shop where there isn’t a grooming salon? Expanding into a new market area with your mobile unit? Or are you worried about the new super store that just opened up down  the street? Maybe you are concerned about what will happen if you raise your prices.

Branching into a new market or new area? You are probably giddy with excitement over the prospect of all those new clients. Watching that superstore getting ready for its grand opening? You are probably worried beyond belief that you’ll lose clients. Are you fretting over how much to raise your prices? You are probably agonizing over how many clients will look for other options to get their dogs groomed.

Real worries.

Your current clients have four options. And your prospective clients have four options.  Here they are:
1. Use your service
2. Use a competitors service
3. Do it themselves
4. Not do it at all

Sometimes the biggest challenge you have with building a clientele is not your competitors. It’s your prospects.

So how do you win clients over? How do you encourage them to patronize YOUR place of business?  Simple.  Stand out in a positive way!

My Top Ten List of items you can do to start winning clients today.

1. Build Trust Through Compassion Towards the Pets & Their Owners
2. Look & Act in a Professional Manner
3. Cleanliness & Organization Skills Speaks Volumes in Every Area: Visually, Scent and Hear
4. Always Do More for the Client Than They Can Do For Themselves
5. Build Your Skill Level in Every Aspect of Grooming and Styling
6. Always Work with Safety at the Forefront of Every Action
7. Have Comprehensive Service Menu with Fair Pricing (that does not mean cheap!)
8. Be Consistent with Everything You Do
9. Have a Strong Presence with Your Website and Social Media Outlets
10. Smile – It’s the Best Sales Tool You Have – It’s Even Better When You Make the Client Smile!

Think about each of the 10 items listed. How can you put a positive spin on them? How can you make them unique to YOU? Each one of us is an individual. We all have strengths and weakness. The key to success is to play upon your strengths.

When you are a solo stylist, owning your own business, you have to be good at everything. Once you start to grow, that generally means hiring help. When you hire someone, don’t look for a carbon copy of yourself. Instead, look for someone that can complement your personality and work ethic. They will play off your strengths and offset your weakness.

No matter how well you do your job, the client needs to perceive the value of the grooming they receive on their pet.  It does not matter if YOU thing YOU are giving great service – the client has to KNOW that.

They have to value that great service. If they don’t – then they will look elsewhere to get their needs met. And many times, that means you are competing with the prospect themselves.

I’ve been testing this marketing method for almost 30 years. I started asking clients how they heard about us in the mid-1980s when I ran a fleet of mobile grooming vans.  Hands down, this marketing method has been my #1 form of advertising with every company I’ve run.  Mobile grooming.  Grooming salons. Grooming schools.  Full service luxury pet resorts.  If the company is based on service, referral-based marketing is the leader in getting new clients through the door.  It’s the #1 marketing method – period.

In his book, ‘The Referral Engine’, John Jantsch states “Human beings are psychologically wired to make referrals…  Making referrals is a deeply satisfying way to connect with others — asking for referrals is just another side of the same phenomenon.”

Stop and think about it.  If you’ve been able to read a testimonial from someone else or someone has told you about their positive experience with the company, don’t you go into the buying decision more confidently?  If you have a recommendation when you need to purchase something, especially a service based product, don’t you feel better about it?  Of course you do.

Referrals can come from anywhere.  They can be spoken or written in the form of a testimonial.  Of course, your existing clientele is your largest pool of influence.  However, there are many other areas of opportunity to encourage referral based marketing.

Areas of opportunity:

• Your existing clientele
• Hairdresser (they know everything!)
• Local pizza joint
• Coffee shop
• Vets
• Pet supply businesses
• Dog parks
• Rescue organizations
• Trainers
• Pet sitters
• Anywhere people gather and talk

So what is the best way to encourage referral based marketing?  Don’t be boring!  People don’t talk about boring companies.  They don’t rave about poor or even mediocre service.  You need to stand out – in a positive way.  People talk about things that surprise and delight them.  They talk about things that bring a smile to their faces immediately.  They talk about things that make them feel instantly comfortable with your company and/or your service.  As John Jantsch says in his book, “If the marketplace isn’t talking about you, there’s a reason.  The reason is that you’re boring.”

The key with referral based marketing is it needs to come from the heart of your company.  It has to be the real you.  Day in – day out.  People are automatically drawn to kind and caring service providers.  Compassion is clearly obvious from the second they walk through the door.  They instantly know if you have their best interest in mind and will provide a quality job.  Perspective customers and clients can spot a fake a mile away.

A lot goes into successful referral based marketing.  It’s not an overnight process.  It embodies the entire core of your business.  The more areas that you can make a positive impression upon the client, the higher the likelihood they’ll talk about you after they leave.

In the last 20 years the marketing game has changed.  With the explosion of the Internet and social media marketing in the past few years, it’s become much easier – and economical – to reach out and touch your clients on a regular basis.  An appealing, professionally created website is the new Yellow Pages ad.  Electronic newsletters replace the old paper version.  Facebook allows you to generate images and encourage clients to interact about your company.  A comprehensive e-mail database allows you to stay in touch with your customers.

Referral-based marketing is about making a positive impression upon your customers.  The impression is so positive, they can’t wait to tell their family, friends, and acquaintances about the positive experience they have had with your business. What are you doing right now to get people talking about YOUR business in a positive fashion?

Happy Trimming,

Melissa

Suggested Reading:   The Referral Engine by John Jantsch

Before the grooming process got started.

This is what I saw before I even BEGAN the grooming process on this little dog. I clearly saw the end results.

I feel fortunate because I have been asked to judge the Rags to Riches Grooming Competition hosted by PetGroomer.com and sponsored by Double K. Industries.  This is an international online grooming competition in which photos are submitted of dramatic pet grooming makeovers.  I have judged this competition many times in the past and always look forward to this assignment.  It always amazes me what a skilled pet stylist can do with a dirty, overgrown, and extremely matted dog.

You know the scenario – the client walks in with a dog that is in such foul shape, you hardly know which end is the front or the rear of the dog.  The dog is filthy.  Its coat is extremely overgrown.  It’s packed with dead undercoat and/or mats and tangles.  Or worse yet, the coat is in dreadlocks.  The simple solution is to just shave it off.  We can all envision a clean – but naked pet.  Sometimes that’s the best option.

However, the dogs that really capture my eye are not the shave-offs.  An experienced pet stylist with imagination can see the end result before they even put their hands on the dog.

• They see the potential.
• They see a clean dog.
• A dog that is totally mat free.
• A dog that has style.
• That has pizzazz.

They can see the end result of a beautifully groomed pet before they even begin.

Begin with the end in mind.

I can almost guarantee that every past winner of the Rags to Riches Grooming Contest uses this technique.  But if you are experienced, I bet you do this in your salon every day too.

The Rags to Riches Grooming Competition takes this to the extreme, but this technique can work with anything.  Personally, I’ve used this technique with great success in many areas of my life, growing my businesses and my grooming career.

I first started using this principle when I read Dr. Covey’s book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People over 20 years ago.  Since then, there has been a wealth of material written about how to use this principle with great success.

When it comes to grooming and I see a dog come through the door, I instantly see the potential – the end result.  Most of the time, I can’t even remember what the dog looked like before I started unless I have a photo to remind me!

When it came to contest grooming, I would study dogs I wanted mine to look like – the end result.  I would take photos of top winning dogs.  I read books on structure and movement so I could clearly visualize the underlying structure of a well put together pet.  I would take photos of my dogs either wet or very short so I could clearly see THEIR structure.  Then I would draw the trim I wanted to execute on top of their photo.  This clearly allowed me to see the end before I even stepped foot into the contest ring or started scissoring.

If you have never studied this technique of goal setting and personal self-improvement, I highly suggest you spend some time learning it.  It’s highly effective and very fun! And the best part – you can apply it to ANY aspect of your life.

Happy Trimming,

Melissa

P.S.  For some great images where professional pet stylists had a clear concept of the ‘Begin with the End In Mind’, check out the following links to past winners of the Rags to Riches Grooming Contest:

WHAT THE JUDGES WILL LOOK FOR WHEN JUDGING:

• Most dramatic improvement in the dog’s appearance from the “BEFORE” to the “AFTER” photos.
• Best groomed dog.
• Degree of difficulty and skill required to perform the groom.
• Quality of the photograph of the groomed dog.

http://www.petgroomer.com/rags_to_riches_2012.htm

http://www.petgroomer.com/rags_to_riches_archive_gallery_2011.htm

http://www.petgroomer.com/rags_to_riches_archive_gallery_2010.htm