We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jeff Hood. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jeff below.

Jeff, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?

I’ve heard so many people say that asking your family/friends to support your business seems “salesy,” and they avoid it. I would argue that asking the people closest to you is one of the most imperative steps to starting your a business.

When I was started out in menswear working for another company I lacked confidence in my skills, didn’t believe in what I was selling, and didn’t think that my close friends and family were my customer – so I kept what I did completely separate from the rest of my life. Over time, I knew I needed my book of business to grow and something had to change.

Finally, a switch flipped. I started telling everyone in my life about what I did and why I loved it. Even if you weren’t my ideal customer, I wanted you to know that “I sell custom suits.” I wanted friends of friends to know. I wanted the farthest reaches of my network to know that I was “the suit guy!”

It wasn’t at all about getting my family/friends to buy a product from me – it was about having as many ambassadors as possible, showing the people closest to me that I was passionate about succeeding, and that I wanted their support (however they could provide it) to get to the next level. I started to see my sales boom which led to more referrals, more confidence, and more love for what I do.

Fast forward almost ten years later and now I’m running my own custom clothing business and I wouldn’t be here today had I not thrown myself into my craft and asked my closest friends and family for support in the early days. Again, I’m not advocating to shake down your ten closest people to buy something – I’m advocating for finding passion in what you do, and not being afraid to show people in your life in a genuine way.

Jeff, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Two unique facts that have forged me into the person I am today – I’m adopted from South Korea and that I was a child actor on the show Barney & Friends for three seasons when I was younger. Both of these experiences made me adaptable and eager to work with people. Fast forward to post-college where I found myself working in the client service side of advertising – hungry to propel my career. I was met with the reality that in that business, you only move up when your boss moves up, and so on. A friend reached out to me looking to find a hire for a start up menswear business and I jumped at the chance. Back in 2013, hearing “start up,” got me excited even if I had no clue how to dress well, nor any traditional retail clothing experience – so naturally I jumped at the opportunity.

All credit to my manager at the time, Matt, for teaching me everything he knew. I soaked up everything like a sponge. Proper fit, measuring, pattern making, fabric knowledge, alterations, managing client expectations, business operations, design for a physical storefront, entertaining, advertising, public relations – he and I were a two man team that really operated our location like an independent franchise. I measured hundreds of clients and delivered thousands of garments in those first few years, honing my craft with each appointment. As I grew within the company, I started to help other locations open up their stores and was eventually head hunted by another start up company that was about to be acquired by a huge luxury retailer. I spent the next five years here training hundreds of other salespeople in the art of custom clothing, managing the custom clothing side of the business in a handful of locations, and then running a sales team. It took me across the country and eventually landed me in New York city where I built up the confidence to finally strike out on my own and build my business. Working there changed my life forever and I’m forever grateful.

Now you’re probably wondering – “this is all fine and good, but what exactly do you do Jeff?” Simple – I make my clients look good. Custom, one of one, built specifically for you – suits, sport coats, shirts, tuxedos, trousers, you name it. I come straight to your home/office/location, take all the measurements, then get to work on your pieces.

My sole focus is client experience and fit. I’m not concerned about my social media following nor the image of success. The biggest differentiator I offer is the convenience of meeting my clients where they are and the years of experience and clients I’ve worked with. Typically in our industry to find someone with close to as much first hand experience you would need to go to a showroom, or if you want someone to travel to you, they work for a larger company and may not have near the same level of experience – with me, you’re getting both. I also view the custom pieces I make as a collaboration with the client. We talk about fit preference and design together, rather than me spouting off from a “holier than thou,” place. I can also help guide the client if they’re unsure or want more direction from me. Think of my business as the “goldilocks,” of custom clothing – just right.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Centering on the customer, delivering on my commitments, and never thinking that I’m the “best.”

Here’s a breakdown of these three items individually. Throughout my menswear and business career I have always centered on the customer. That DOES NOT mean the customer is always right. Let me say that again. It does not mean the customer is always right. It DOES mean these three principles: you should be responsive towards your clients, listen to their concerns, and work with them to find a solution to their needs. I try not to over complicate it. Sometimes that can be as simple as a transaction. Client’s problem is that they need a suit. Solution? I sell them a suit – shot, chaser. Other times that means bending over backwards to make sure the customer is happy. As long as it follows the three principles above, you should try to do so.

The next one is incredibly simple. If you say you’re going to do something for a client or colleague, do it.

Finally, I never try to act like I know more than others in my industry. I’m always learning, always looking at other people’s successes and failures, always trying to level myself up. There are a lot of egos in the menswear world, and I’ve never felt like that was my style.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Take care of your clients and they will take care of you. My entire book of business has been built on two things, self sourcing and referrals.

I truly love what I do, so talking about it organically and not being afraid to ask for business comes naturally. I focus on having a genuine conversation rather than focusing on the end goal of getting a new client. Client’s who will truly appreciate your business and more importantly, be brand stewards afterwards, can sense when they’re being sold to and shut down. Take an actual interest in what the other person is saying and you’ll be amazed how quickly they’ll be interested in you.

Referrals, referrals, referrals. If you’ve truly centered on the customer, then they will most liked be happy to do what they can to share your business with others. If you’ve treated them like a number, they have no vested interested in helping you and most likely won’t. When you exceed client expectations, new customers are bound to follow.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jeffhoodcustom.com
• Instagram: @jeffhoodcustom
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-hood-1a697a25/