Many clients will feel anxious before receiving a tattoo, even if they have many on their bodies. After all, they might worry about the pain, question their design taste, and be fearful of infection.

Your responsibility as a tattoo artist or owner is to make every customer feel relaxed, welcome, and comfortable. Easing their nerves will make an artist’s session much easier while enhancing the overall experience and increasing the likelihood of word of mouth. Read on for advice on how to make clients feel relaxed at a tattoo studio.

Create a Comfortable Setting

Comfort is crucial to easing a customer’s nerves and anxiety. Helping clients to physically relax could make them feel more at ease during a consultation or when sitting on a bed or chair for a tattoo. Also, your customers may need to sit or lay on a bed for many hours, so it is important they feel comfortable and pain-free. Incorporate premium tattoo furniture into your studio to ensure clients and staff feel comfortable and supported during short or long tattoo sessions. For instance, you’ll need a comfy tattoo bed for long sessions and artist chairs with ergonomic support to prevent back pain.

Be Warm and Friendly

A warm and friendly welcome could make a client feel instantly at ease at a studio. If you greet a customer, maintain eye contact, and try to be personable, they might feel in safe hands during a consultation and when sitting on a tattoo bed or chair.

Try to put their nerves at ease and show genuine interest in each design to ensure they don’t feel judged for their chosen body art. Also, it might help if you walk some customers through the process to put their minds at ease regarding cleanliness, pain, and aftercare.

Give Customers Time to Get Comfortable

When a customer arrives for a tattoo session, don’t jump straight in. Give them time to get comfortable with their surroundings, calm their nerves, and mentally prepare themselves for a tattoo, especially if they seem anxious.

A little small talk as you set up a workstation could banish jitters, and they might feel more comfortable knowing where the restroom is in the studio. Also, discuss the position you need a client to sit in, but try to be flexible to ensure they feel as comfortable as possible.

Distract Your Clients

The studio’s atmosphere can determine if a client has an enjoyable or nerve-wracking experience. Attempt to distract clients from any pain they are feeling, which will make a session more bearable. For instance, play music that a client likes to take some of their focus off the needle. Also, you could encourage them to watch a movie on a tablet or a TV you’ve installed. They could even listen to an audiobook or podcast on their headphones. Make these suggestions to them if they are feeling nervous. In some cases, all an artist might need to do is talk to the customer to take their mind off their discomfort but try to avoid talking about the pain.