Hey Guys, Joe Swanson here with a great interview I did with History and Artist Clayton Patterson about the history of tattooing in New York and the New York Tattoo Society meetings!

In this interview Clayton talks about the following:

1. His history of documenting the Lower East Side of New York.
2. How the New York Tattoo Society came to be.
3. His upcoming book about the New York Tattoo Society and his continued effort to expose the real truths about tattoo history!

Click on the PLAY button to hear this and much more!

Thanks for stopping by www.ThisIsTattoo.com.

If you do not watch you language in the tattoo shop it will affect your tattoo shops
bottom line.

Unfortunately, you absolutely must be aware of who is in the shop when you are holding a conversation with another client or another tattoo artist who works there.

It’s unfortunate but there are some tattoo clients who are easily offended when they hear foul language.  If you tend to cuss a lot then you will need to keep it reigned in when potential tattoo clients you don’t know are around.

As I said not doing this can and WILL lose you clients! Think about it, and then change it!  Doing so will result in more an increase in your tattoo business and more financial security!

I realized many years ago while tattooing in northern California that to ensure a connection with your clients that will make them want to come back to you for more tattoos, you need to know something about them.

It is imperative you know whether you are talking with a doctor or a kid who is still in high school?  Knowing this about your tattoo client will  will allow you to cater your language accordingly.

Think about it…if you talk to a doctor the same way you talk to an 18 year old he is going to most likely be turned off or felt talked down to.

Conversely, if you talk to an 18 year old the way you talk to your doctor client he is going to look at you with an even more glazed over look in his eyes than he may have had when he came thought the door.

Just remember as a tattoo artist you must be able to talk to your clients at their level!

Doing this will result in your client being more comfortable with you and their overall tattoo shop experience.

The future benefit of doing this is your clients definitely coming back to you for more tattoos time and time again!

I noticed about five years ago that when I started telling my new clients my name before I tattooed them and then after the tattoo was over my repeat business expanded rapidly!

One of the first things you should do when you meet a new client is ask them their name and tell them yours.  This will instantly tell them you are interested in them and start to break down the walls of nervousness and trust.

Your ultimate goal is to tattoo this person and then retain them as a client far into the future, right?

How are they going to know who you are, or who to send their friends to if you don’t tell them your name?

Make this a habit right now!  Telling people your name when you meet them and remind them of your name as they are leaving.  Make sure it is fresh in their mind as they leave the shop.

Implementing this one seemingly simple technique will absolutely pay dividends over many years to come!

Continue to be persistent with your business practices and as a tattoo artist you will stay as profitable as you can be.

Communication is not a one-way street.  You have to listen to your client’s ideas and build a rapport with them before you can lead them in the tattoo design direction you want them to go.

A saying I was taught 13 years ago when I first started tattooing was, “Tell ‘em what they need, not what they want!”  This saying can still ring true, but today you will have to listen before you talk.

By letting the client tell you what they want you will be able to articulate your ideas in a way that makes them believe they are getting exactly what they asked for!

You must take control of the conversation with your tattoo client and then directing that conversation to where you want it to go!

Stay tuned for more info here at www.ThisIsTattoo.com for great ideas to blast your tattoo business to the next level.

I learned many years ago I learned that when one of my tattoo clients walks through the tattoo shop doors it is imperative that I am helpful with them or they will not be coming back.   You must realize your attitude and helpfulness toward your tattoo clients will affect whether they will come back to you for more tattoos!

I was talking to one of my clients just the other day and she told me before coming to me she walked into another shop in town, but was ignore by everyone working there.

“I didn’t need much,” she said, “just a few simple questioned answered.”Being ignored she told me really sucked.  You should not smother your clients, just be helpful.  Ask if they need help when they first walk in, and make sure they know you are there to answer any questions they may have.

Tattoo shops can be intimidating, especially for first time tattoo clients.  However, if you are friendly, and are consciously mindful of your clients needs you will reduce their nervousness and absolutely increase the chance of them spending money.

Remember if you keep working at building your business you will see financial reward and guaranteeing yourself repeat business far into the future.

A clean tattoo shop environment can go very far when attracting repeat tattoo business.  I been told many times in my years as a tattoo artist that even if your clients are not asking bought sterilization, it is at the forefront of their minds.

You have to established your tattoo shop immediately as a clean/sterile one to not loose clients over the long run.

Here are 3 tips to creating a clean shop environment that is inviting to prospective clients:

1. Vacuum/Mop
2. Non-cluttered workstation
3. Clean Counter tops
4. Separated Sterilization and Tattoo Areas

If you are doing these things now then good job!  if not then you will need to implement them now!

Stay focused and stay profitable! Keep check out www.ThisIsTattoo.com for more great ideas to a better shop and more financially secure future!

For over a decade of years I have been tattooing and one question comes up a lot from my clients. That question is, “Do you have any designs I can look at?”

It is paramount in the success of your tattoo business for you to have some sort of reference material in your tattoo shop.

Even if you own or work in a custom tattoo shop there is nothing wrong with having some images for your clients to look at.  This can be any of the following:

* Traditional flash sheets
* Books
* Magazines
* Books of your sketches

Having something to look at is going to provide that client who is unsure of what they want a direction to go when choosing a design.

This is way to direct your clients to a specific style of tattooing you enjoy doing.  Some clients need to be pointed down a path.  Having good reference in your shop will help you accomplish this.  If you assist you clients with this process you will be more likely to sell them on a tattoo!  Then, make sure you give them a good experience so they will keep coming back for more tattoos!

Over the last 13 years as a tattoo artist I have been involved in some interesting shop talk about the tattoo industry!

How to create an inviting shop environment is something that has come up quite a bit.  Creating a comfortable shop where clients want to be is a must when wanting to draw repeat business.

Here are some things to consider when doing this:

• Create an inviting reception area
• Enjoyable music
• Show movies
• Provide water/coffee
• Provide candy/snacks

As I mentioned my clients have made a lot of comments over the
years about how they enjoy the comfortable tattoo shop atmosphere
I have been able to create in the different shops I have worked at.

These type of amenities are a must when ensuring repeat business from happy customers! Browse the rest of www.ThisIsTattoo.com for a ton of info about being successful as a tattoo artist!

As a professional tattoo artist for the last 13 years, one thing I have been told numerous times by my clients is they can’t stand when it is difficult to track down their artist.

What does this mean to you?  It means simply this…if you will make the effort to create consistent shop hours and ways to contact you, your income will skyrocket.

Calling a tattoo artist at the shop or going to the tattoo shop during the hours they are supposed to be there and finding the place locked up or the person not there is one of their biggest pet peeves.

Now I’m not saying you can’t take off when you want, or if things come up you can’t go take care of it…Life happens and you need to be able to adjust.  One of the greatest things about being a tattoo artist is the freedom we have to do that.

Just make sure your hours at the tattoo shop are consistent.  This will reinforce in your tattoo clients mind that they can count on you!

There’s not much worse for your bottom line than having your business labeled as flakey.

You must be known as the tattoo artist people can depend on!  Keep coming back to www.ThisIsTattoo.com for more info on how to increase your tattoo profits and build a successful tattoo business!