“Sales is more about ‘Loyalty’ than Practicality”

It’s a Wig(Nutique) Director Jinyoung Han

Jinyoung Han, Sales Director, It’s a Wig, with 17 years of sales experience in the hair industry, is better known to retail store owners as “Byouri’s Dad”. Underneath his friendly smile, he displays well-disciplined body language and manners. Even if you dig deeper, you will see how proud he’s of his company and learn about his unlikely background as a ROK Marine, multiple business failures, and a knack for sales. We were eager to hear his life story, when he arrived at the BNB office on a sunny day. Let’s start with how he ended up in sales.

‘Last salesman’ for a closing company

It’s a Wig has been his home for 10 years, but Director Han didn’t start his sales career at It’s a Wig. The first was Pia D&D, and the second was BBNY Euro. Coincidentally, both companies shut down within a few years of his employment. At BBNY, in particular, he was the last employee to work when the company’s late president, Hyun Kim, was diagnosed with liver cancer and had to wind down the company.

“I bought a Hyundai Sonata because I was newly wed at the time, and I drove it almost 250,000 miles to collect account balances. I knew not only the business owner but also his wife and children, so I had to do it. I helped winding down the company, and Mr. Kim introduced me to It’s a Wig because he knew both Chairman Jiyong Son and President Chulkyun Park.”

He stayed until the end because of his gratitude and faith in his boss, who had guided him many years.

“I started without knowing anything about hair. In the three and a half years at BBNY, I learned all about wigs from Mr. Kim. I toured Chinese factories with him, and so on. I worked harder because Mr. Kim believed in me. Getting paid more is important, but I’m not a utilitarian. I don’t think people’s lives are that cut and dry.“

Hair sales at a desperate time

Before he got into the hair sales, he was dealing with rough patches of his life. It was due to a business failure.

“I originally owned a deli in New York. For about six years. The business was going well, but I was fooled by a person… and it was gone overnight. At the time, there was a beauty supply store behind the deli. I was in the dark, and there seems to be a light. They were looking for a hair sales associate. I knew nothing about hair, but I had to make a living somehow, so I thought I should start at a small company to learn more.”

Another challenge

After two companies, I “learned the ropes,” mastered the basics of hair sales, and started fresh with a solid company. Personally, I was married, had a stable family, and everything was going well. That’s when the lure of business opportunity struck again.

“I worked at It’s a Wig for about a year, and the opportunity was too good to pass up. It was a subcontractor business for cleaning and vending machines for Hyundai Heavy Industry in Alabama. To become a supplier for a conglomerate, you have to know how to pull the strings. I had my dad’s connections there, and I used to run a factory in Korea and gained some know-hows from a deli business, so I was pretty confident.”

After excitedly telling his boss that he was going to start a business, he resigned and moved down to Alabama. How did it go?

“It got crushed. It’s not just knowing what strings to pull. I didn’t know what I was doing, and doing business with a big company wasn’t something you can do with a small purse. Within a year, I was deep in debt.”

After all, settling in sales

While living in temporary housing with my wife for a month, my bold business venture turned into debt. I reluctantly reached out to the company I just resigned from, and they threw me a lifeline.

“I thought there was no hope, so I called Mr. Park and he said, ‘Come right away,’ so I went right away. I got back to work. That was in 2014, so it’s been 10 years.”

During that time, he stayed on one path, paying off the debts from his failed venture. I’ve never been swayed by a recruiting offer.

“You can’t have it all at work, but at It’s a Wig, everyone knows me as the years go by. People know me, my boss knows me, so it’s my home town. It’s good for me to stay in one job for a long time, and it’s also good for my customers. It’s not about the money. Even if they pay me extra $20,000 or $30,000 a year, they don’t know me. When it comes to me, it’s home before work.“

The company threw a lifeline when he was in trouble, but even for that, his loyalty is outstanding. It’s also pretty rare in the sales world that he kept his post at BBNY until it was resolved. ‘Loyalty than practicality’, there’s a reason for this.

When asked, “I heard you had something special about the military service?”, he promptly answered, “I’m the 718th Training Flight of ROK Marine. I signed up when I was 19, so it’s been 28 years since I got discharged.”

Why would anyone sign up at such a young age for a military branch known for toughness? He had a simple reason. “I was like, ‘I’m going to serve anyway, let’s get going. At first, I was going to go into the Navy, but at the time, the Navy required 36 months of service and the Marine 32 months, so I applied to the Marine without thinking much. I struggled a lot in the beginning. haha…”

But the experience has stayed with him ever since.

“The 32 months taught me values like self-pride and a sense of belonging to a group. So I probably can’t love the company like my boss, but I love it much more than a typical employee.”

The company that keeps rolling out new products

We asked a question to the proud director. What can you brag about ‘It’s a Wig’ as a sales associate?

“The biggest thing is the new products that are coming out regularly. Regardless of the economy, a few new products come out every month. So our customers take us seriously when it comes to the product. As a salesperson, I’m always bringing something new every time. I tell my customers to sell discounted products at a discount and keep the margin when you can. That’s a big difference, and our biggest weapon right now.”

It’s a Wig! Director Han’s pick of the month

Illuze Lace Boho Braid Romance 26”

Trendy Boho Style Wig with Romance Curl. 100% Professional Hand-Braided. Pre-Style and Ready to Wear, Glueless Install with Elastic Wig Band

Nutique Morissa

Daily wig with premium synthetic fiber, Easy Install Glueless Wig

Illuze Lave Boho Braid Water

Hot & Trendy Boho Style Wig. 100% Professional Hand-Braided. Pre-Style and Ready to Wear, Glueless Install with Elastic Wig Band

Illuze Weaving Straight 8″

100% Human Hair. Comes in basic and grey colors 280, 34, 44 & 51

‘Byouri’s Dad’ than Director Han

Director Han covers North and South Carolina, Alabama, and southern Mississippi. Most customers call him “Byouri’s Dad.” It speaks for the length of their relationship.

“North and South Carolinas are the states that I also had at Pia and Euro. I was a newbie in sales and didn’t know anything, so I was like, “Sajang-nim, what is this?” all day long. I’ve known them since I was a bachelor, and they’ve been good to me. When I told them I got married and had a baby, they asked me the baby’s name, Byouri, and that’s how I’ve been known to them. When I came back to sales after my business failed, they genuinely welcomed me with open arms and said, “Welcome back, it’s good to see a familiar face. That’s when I realized the rewards of being a salesperson.”

Among those long term relationships is his wife. A retail business owner he was doing business with watched him for three years and introduced him to his daughter.

“My father-in-law was afraid that if it didn’t work out, it would be awkward between us, so he first told me that she’s the daughter of someone he knew. After dating for five to six months, when we ran into each other at a restaurant, she told me he’s her dad.”

He had no idea what he was getting into when he first started out in hair sales, but it has given him valuable connections, life experience, and a family.

Byouri’s Dad’s sales philosophy

“First of all, I say a lot of thank yous to retail store owners. Whether they give me business or not, I’m always grateful because they keep me alive and my company going. The second is, I don’t think too much. For example, if you make a round of calls, you’re going to do the math before you dial a number, like ‘Oh, this place placed an order last month, so they’re not going to buy more now.’ My style is just call them right away. I just ask how they are doing, and see if they need anything or if they received what they ordered in good condition. They’re the ones placing the orders, so how do I know what’s in their hearts? Just say thank you regardless of the order amount, and I avoid friction with customers. Finally, YOLO! I’m a salesperson, but I don’t think about, “What if I don’t get an order tomorrow?” I just try to get through the day. It’s good for my mental health. Do your best today, and tomorrow will come.”

The burden of being a salesperson

No matter how seasoned a salesperson you are, the nature of sales is such that you’re bound to feel performance-related pressure. Director Han also tends to be a salesperson wherever he goes. He keeps his iPad near him even on family vacations.

“It’s our life. If I take a midweek vacation and go to Disney, how are my customers going to know that? When a call comes in, you answer it. Performance pressure is always there for you. It’s just how you take it.”

But even more challenging is the relationship with people. Director Han had the painful experience of having a customer, whom he helped out when the retail business was struggling, turn back on him when things got better.

“The position doesn’t make the person, but the position shows the person. When times are tough, they say we’re all in the same boat, but when things get better, they find a better deal. That’s when I felt the most regret. I got over it now. I’m sure he had his own business philosophy. I finalized matters with him stating I hoped that we would meet again someday with smiles on our faces. That’s honestly how I feel.”

Mastery in sales, outstanding self-care

On average, Director Han travels 4-5,000 miles a month. He’s basically out on the road for about 20 days. It’s the self-care that kept him going for 17 years in the grueling world of sales.

– stress management: “I don’t hold it long. If I hear something bad, whether it’s at work or somewhere else, I get a cup of coffee, smoke a cigarette, and just get it over with. That’s my routine. It’s as old as my career.”

– good impression: “When I travel for work, I always dress neatly and don’t drink with customers. Have a drink or two and then head to your hotel for a good night’s sleep? The next day, my face would be puffy and I’d be too tired to talk, so I avoid it.”

– start and end of the day: “You’ll laugh, but I travel by car, so I have everything in my bag, even a bathtub brush. I fill the bathtub after cleaning it while I organize the day’s orders in the hotel room. I go for a walk, come back, soak in a hot bath, then take a cold shower, and my day is done. And when I’m on the road, I wake up an hour earlier. That way I have more time to prepare for the day.”

–diet: “I’m not a big fan of bread. Especially for breakfast, I’m all in for Korean food. So my wife prepares a variety of soups when I travel. Radish soup, seaweed soup, and kimchi stew in separate containers, and some fruit and black garlic. The lunchbox is quite a load. I’m always grateful to my wife.”

My sales career? I’m only halfway now.

Seventeen years in hair sales, during that time a mere sales associate Jinyoung Han rose to a director rank. You wonder what’s in his mind for years to come.

“My end goal is to work at my current company until retirement age. I was told that the retirement age is 67 these days. I’m turning fifty this year, so I’ve got a long way to go. One more thing I’d like to add to my bucket list is to see all of the people I work with make it to the end in good health.”

Finally, I threw a hard ball. What if a golden business opportunity came along now?

“Uhhhh… if I get seed money out of nowhere, I’ll just dig a hole in my yard and bury it. I want to be able to work a job, get a paycheck, plan my life as I go, and raise my kids well.”

According to his life plan, he has another 17 years of sales before retirement, on top of the 17 years he’s already spent in sales. Bravo Byouri’s Dad for his Sales Life! Here’s hoping for his second leap.