by Gary Cole
|
Subscribe to facepainthq | |
| Browse Archives at groups.google.com | ||
If you want to join the world's largest e-mail discussion list for face painters then enter your e-mail address in the box to the left. Get connected to beginner and professional face painters from all around the world. Ask literally any face painting question you want and get real answers to help you progress as a face painter. It is free and you will receive tips on how to paint a particular face, how to stop the line when its time to go home or how to build a successful face painting business. Share your photos with others or if you have a need ask for help and the painters will e-mail you a face painting idea for your upcoming event.
One of the most often asked questions for a face painter is "how do I stop the line?" You know the scenario, we have all had it happen. Either you are at your one hour event where they would normally have 12 to 15 children and 45 show up. The other scenario is when you are at large public gatherings and no matter when you stop, there are 30 other kids that still want to get their faces painted. You are either going to have to work for free or learn how to cut off the line.
In the first scenario you can handle a lot of the problem by telling the mom or the person in charge of the event "As we state in our flyer", or "as I said to you on the phone, we can normally paint 12 to 15 faces per hour (or whatever your speed is)". Then ask the host: "would you like me to stop as soon as I finished the one hour or would you like me to stay until all of the children are painted?". Trust me, if you are open and honest about how many faces you can paint in an hour, then you will be able to resolve this problem real quick. To complicate matters, you might have another event to go to and you really need to get out of there on time.
If you aren't able to determine your speed per face or not able to stand up and demand fairness, you will be working for free and also be late to your next event. Be fair, but be firm. There will always be the "can you do just one more face?" It is inevitable. A worker is worthy of their hire. If you are going to work for free, know it was your choice. Don't moan about how people take advantage of you, it was your decision to work for free.
If you follow the following check list you will get out of there unscathed, knowing you were fair and unabused. Heck, you can learn to end the line with charm and guilt free.
1) learn exactly how many faces per hour you can do
2) when you are in a "no way I can do all of these faces" mode, make a
determination on what you plan to do
3) if it is a private party at the onset, negotiate for a longer stay or state
upfront, all faces will not be painted, there simply is not enough time
scheduled
4) assume it is totally up to you to end on time, to do otherwise will only disappoint
you
5) if it is a private party determine how flexible you are, choose for yourself.
If the party is going to only be 10 minutes over in time and it does not bother
you, then go for it. Personally, I decide on the 10 minutes of free time based
on how I
am being treated and the crowd I'm painting. You choose for yourself what you
are willing to do for free.
6) most people have access to a computer and a printer. I
suggest you go to the office supply store and purchase some of the 6 label per
sheets. Pull up your favorite graphics or word processing software and print out
some nice labels that have your logo on them that say "Sorry, but I am the
last one in line". Depending on the event you might also add "We will
be painting faces again next week from noon to 4pm" or "I hope to see
you at the next face painting event". Put a sheet or two of these in the 3
ring binder you show your faces in. Always take it with you for these overtime
situations.
Time to get serious...
7) Keep your eye on the line as you are nearing the end of your day or event.
Make a mental note of how many you think are in line wanting to get their faces
painted. Think of your speed-per-face and do a quick calculation. When the time
left is just about the same as the number of kids in line you need to start your
plan.
8) I would err on the side of having to stay an extra five minutes. Once you
have stopped the line, gear your time per face to end perfectly. If the children
for some reason are only picking easy faces then those last couple faces do some
extra detail to fill up the last 5 minutes. On the other hand, if they seem to
be taking the harder faces either paint slightly simpler versions of that face
or ask them to pick a different face since you are about to close. You also of
course pick up your speed even though you are tired. Generally
they do not have a problem when you say "can you pick a different face?
That face takes too long and we still have other children to paint and only ten
minutes left."
9) Ok, you have now decided to stop the line. The calculations have been made
and you are ready to start your decent. Get one of the paint brushes you have
already used and load it up real quick with paint (any color you choose). Then
tell the person you just sat down to please wait a moment as you need to shut
down the line. Get up from your chair and put a dot you can easily see on the
hand of every child currently in the line. From that point on, no-body that does
not have a dot on their hand will get painted. Sometimes a child will be gone
and the parent might be holding their place in line. In that case put the dot on
the parents hand. Two children went to the bathroom?, no problem, put two dots
on that parent's hand.
10) On the last two parents in your line place your sticker on their back that
says "sorry, I'm the last in line". I suggest you put it on two
different parents (of two different families) because sometimes a parent gives up and walks off and then
your end of line is jeopardized. I suggest you put it on the parents, because
they GENERALLY can take the heat of those moaning about their children not
getting their face painted. If there is no parent then just put it on the kid.
11) Tell the last kid in line, if they tell others "I was suppose to tell
you that the line has been stopped for the day and if you don't have the pink
dot (or whatever) on your hand, you will not get painted." Tell him/her,
that for that you will make their face the best one of the day.
12) Some have even suggested that at that point, bend the line around and put the
end right next to the start of the line. People generally won't cut in line but
have no problems in getting in at the end. I find this makes things too crowded
but it IS very effective. I figure... no dot, no painting. I've done this so
many times, I feel like it becomes a challenge to end exactly on time.
13) Stay firm, no dot, no paint. Don't accept any excuses or whining from
that point forward. Believe me you are going to hear just about every
version of "can you just paint my child because it is her birthday" to
"she is crying because she did not get her face painted, can't you do just
one more?". It sometimes gets down right funny the excuses they can
come up with for "just one more."
14) You will get the above "just one more" from the time you end the
line until after you have painted the last child. Don't give in. If you start
feeling bad and let in one child in you are going to have the parents and
children turn on you. It is better to say, "I'm sorry I have another event
to go to and I need to leave on time" than it is to deal with the angry
"HEY, You turned me down because you said the line was over and then you
let THAT child in. If you can paint THAT child, then why can't you paint MY
child?" AND THIS WILL HAPPEN. It is just better to calculate the best you
can, moderate your speed, BE FAIR BUT BE FIRM.
15) If you have multiple painters at the event and you have shut down
multiple lines then when your line is finished and time has run out, then take
those that are standing in the other line.
15) With some practice you can say with a smile, "sorry, the line has ended
and we need to leave on time. I hope to see you again at our next event!!"
16) And as a closing comment never let them see you sweat.
SNAZAROO products available
http://www.snazaroo.us/products.htm
Volume kits available from SNAZAROO http://www.snazaroo.us/volume.htm
The 10 commandments of face painting www.snazaroo.us/10.htm
Tips for face painters (well over 100) www.snazaroo.us/tips.htm
Check out the many FAQs (frequently asked questions) on the web for face painters. You might check out the drop down menu at www.snazaroo.us on FAQ's.
