2009 Sharpener's Jam Report

Yesterday ended the 2009 Sharpener's Jam. I plan to put in a more extensive blog on the details, but from all accounts it was the best Jam ever. It was more like a family reunion than anything else .. even for the newbies who were enjoying their first Sharpener's Jam. Below is the list of some of the ideas shared at the Jam.

• Bonika Shears Sharpeners Jam 2009 Ideas
  
• George Ross FL 4 months sharpener
  Be open with the stylist, tell her what is going on. Explain problem and what will be done. Get feed back and adjust until they are happy. This results in trust and repeat business.
  Round the tip of the shear to keep stylist from cutting fingers when point cutting.
  Send note to each stylist after visit a salon.
  Yellow page advertising under sharpening. Had 5 calls last week.
• THIRD PLACE Jim Turner SC 41 years
  Look for burs on clipper blades. After sharpen look for burs along the edge of the teeth with a magnifying glass. Not sharp unless there is a bur. Debur with a scrub brush and valve cleaning compound.
  Test groomer scissors on cotton balls thinned out. This works for groomers who cut fine poodles.
  New rideline method less chance to rock, ride is more even. Lay on plate heel to top. Pull across, not up and down.
  Battery operated drill / flathone for salons with no place to plug in your equipment.
• HONORABLE MENTION Ed Wozniak NC 5 years
  Look up shears sold 4 – 5 years ago and contact the stylists. Told them he wanted to check up on the shears. Most are in new salons and can get pass the “gate-keeper.” Try to get their cell phone number when write a receipt for shears so you can find them later.
  Portable Hair Show. Set up the miscellaneous items from hair shows in a old scissor display case. Gator hair clips, highlight combs, razors. Put price list in center.
• Fred Mueller KY 4 years
  Cardboard spray guard “swarfenator”
• SECOND PLACE Terry Fisher NC 25 years
  Improve the “spirit” you carry to your job. Customers will love you, not because you are a good sharpener but because they like you. Learn their names, touch them and tell them “I really appreciate your business.” To love this business you must love people. Make the customer your own. Mental attitude is to bless that person.
  Bubblegum machines Gave a cheap shear in order for stylist to place a gumball machine in their salon. Had his sharpener name on the machine. Made money from the machine and every customer became loyal sharpening customer.
  Sammy Cheema GA
  4 things are important. Honesty, integrity, patience and self confidence. (not cocky!) Be professional, generous, kind and patient. It pays in the long run.
  Bobby (Maury) Harris
  Keep your faith. Love your Lord, love yourself and your customers will love you. Watch movie “Fly Wheel” Money is a necessity but it doesn’t need to be a priority. God will supply our needs.
  Take trade-in of a ruined shear for price of sharpening toward an inexpensive shear.
• Ken Buken OH
  Give something away to paid sharpening customers… pair of cheap scissors, babywhack, scissor case Write on card customer information 3 X 5 pull a name out of a tub.
• Jay Hunter GA 9 years
  Be sure your plates do not fill with swarf. It will scratch the surface of the shear. Wash your plate to get a better shine.
  Fill one case with shears organized by price to show to customers. Have a monthly promo. 30 day warranty. Sharpen on site. If at 12:30 – 1PM you get both groups.
  Have your sharpening kit and set up very organized so can sharpen quicker.
  Appointment card Leave schedule card behind with date and call to confirm a week before.
  Tips improved. Spray water on 15 or 30 micron plate. Lightly rub and roll tip, cut on paper towel. Fixes tips that pull tissue.
• FIRST PLACE Chris Maholick GA 2 years
  Put Plexiglas on cover of the aluminium case. Made a special comb display. Keeps you from looking like every other salesman.
  Business cards needs your photo. Use the back for promotion.
  Sweep up hair in a salon. Ask about them, don’t tell them about you. Read the “Little Train that Could.” Smile when you walk in the door. Sharpen knives discounted for the policemen.
  Shorten tips. If tips pull they may be slightly bent. Look at closed scissor horizontal and just shorten out the tiny amount that is bent. Don’t try to bend it.
  Belt Sander Eraser to clean plates. Buy at Sears, Lowes, etc.
  We all have to learn to sell. Recommended books from library: Zig Ziglar, Tom Hopkins, Jeffery Gitomer. www.gitomer.com Free Sales Caffeine newsletter.
  Payment plans. Make “installment plans” (payment contract) Have terms put on a 4 ¼ by 5 ½” paper. Get cosmetology license and drivers license numbers along with name and address.
  Study competitor’s scissors. Test your competitors to check out their work.
• Harry Megowan FL 5 years
  Repair too sharp tips. Run tip across fingers to see if the tip will cut stylist run open shear tips across a 30 micron plate. (no machine)
• Billy Hime TN 2.5 years
  Ask God where am I going today. Don’t start with a negative about yourself.
  Use degreaser on waterstone to clean. Just a few drops in a quart spray bottle.
• (TIED FOR HONORABLE MENTION) Shawn Swartz FL 16 months
  Take trade-ins. Most stylists have a newish shear they don’t like. Fix up and resell.
• Mike Borsch OH
  Simple Ride Polisher Glass on board 5 X 7 Use finest automotive rubbing compound from auto parts store (not a scratch remover). About 10,000 grit. Polishes and leaves a fine film of wax to get that final smoothness. Won’t change the ride, it makes it close smoother and feel better. This is in addition to the Shapton stone and this will add an additional polish and smoothness without washing out the tip.
• Robert Lonski OK 3 months
  Continue to educate yourself because technology changes. Don’t worry about competition, keep yourself educated. Always praise your competition.
• Chuck Bigelow MI 4 years
  Way to remove deep nicks. When there is a big chink in the shears remove the metal needed at the proper angle with a 100 micron grit. Then go through the steps of sharpening.
  Don’t drink until after ya done working.
• Alex Manzo FL
  Clipper sharpening customer retention. Offer customer what they need, not what you have to sell. Customer savings, customer loyalty, competitive protection. Puts on label “last sharpening” when a blade is ready to go. (clipper blades) Create a bin for the customer charge them $5.00. The bin holds salvageable parts that you use only for that customer. This saves them money, protects your customer from competition because they no they have their parts. They can at anytime get all their parts back. (the $5.00 pays for the bin) Make an inventory sheet for the customer.
• Ron Ellis FL 5 years
  Replace business. There is attrition and you need to make up for those who leave. Go in ready to sell.
  Don’t discount from one person to the next. Have one price and live with it.
• Frank Davis WI 19 years
  75% of stylists do not know who sharpened their shears. Stylists are less loyal than groomers.
  Cover the whole area around your customers or you may loose them. Stylists talk so don’t charge a different amount for different salons. Also, don’t assume your competitors have the entire area.
• Bill Hall TN 20 years
  Sell something that is a higher price. Sell good quality 10” and 8” carbon combs and clips. Don’t need too many. It gets too complicated if there are too many choices. Stylists like to brag about prices. They will say they pay $600 - $900 when they paid $200.00.
  How to fix nipper point. 90% of nippers with problems is not because they are dull but because the tip is bend. Use gorbet file (jewelers file) knock bur away, go on inside, create a fine bur with the file and polish with polishing pad, bring back the point on a worn 30 micron, polish inside and out with a polishing pad.
  Buy a second Scimech machine. 2 is better than zero.