STAR Quality

How to become a great brand ambassador

North America’s Star Nail Artist Season 1 champion, ANASTASIA TOTTY, shares tips & tales from her colourful career

I ’m often asked how to become a successful brand ambassador, and the first step is to attend trade shows and industry events. These offer opportunities to network with brands and their representatives, and can help you find a nail family that shares your spirit.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to a brand and express your interest in being an ambassador, educator or representative. Attend as many classes and workshops as possible, to gain knowledge about industry trends and observe how others present to large groups of people.

Ask brand employees for their business cards and share your own, making sure that it lists your social media accounts. Brands often turn to social media to see how an individual showcases their work and engages with others, and to determine their style and professionalism.

In order to be a successful brand ambassador, you must work with a brand you love. You need to be an expert in its products in order to effectively teach application and removal techniques. In addition, it’s good to be a well-rounded professional, as you will be asked numerous questions within your role. When you are confident in your nail knowledge and have a genuine passion for a brand, it shows – and helps build trust with your audience.

To identify your strengths and weaknesses, I suggest competing internationally and gaining experience in an arena. This can also help you get recognised by brands and enhance your resumé.

Public speaking is often a challenge; some nail pros can create incredible designs, but find it difficult to explain the process in a way that captivates an audience, meaning a demo falls flat. Work on building confidence by recording yourself on camera and watching back. Take notes and ask those close to you for pointers.

Most nail companies sponsor events and support trade shows because they are vital for outreach and brand awareness. Brand ambassadors share a passion for innovation and education, and events are a perfect platform to network and discover products. Be willing to travel to represent a brand and learn about the company culture.

“In order to be a successful brand ambassador, you must work with a brand you love.”

Don’t be afraid to ask questions before you make any commitments, and recognise that working at events is a big part of the role – but it’s not all glitz and glamour! Events require a lot of work, preparation, setting and packing up stock, early starts and plenty of conversations.

You will spend days interacting with people and sharing your expertise.

A successful brand ambassador will be a great team player with a strong work ethic, who understands the importance of brand loyalty and the responsibility that comes with representing a company.

Anastasia

Meeting & greeting

LECHAT Nail Care Products opened the doors to its head office for a ‘Meet & Greet’ event with learning experiences for pros in the San Francisco area.

I wore these dazzling nails with crystal embellishments while I demoed the techniques used to create them. Some attendees watched me work for over two hours!

“A successful brand ambassador will be a great team player with a strong work ethic, who understands the importance of brand loyalty.”

Out & about

I spent a week in San Francisco Bay Area at the LECHAT headquarters for a brand ambassador reunion and training event. This is held once a year and offers insight into new LECHAT products and techniques. It also allows attendees to offer feedback based on their experiences and what’s trending with clients. The event helps the team at HQ form a strategy for the next 12 months.

It was great to connect with fellow brand ambassadors, and we enjoyed a day out, which included a boat trip to the Golden Gate Bridge. Being part of a community that has provided so much support and encouragement is truly a gift!