Client Consultation Part 1 of 2: Each New Guest Presents the Opportunity of a Lifetime!

For the past three years or so, salon owners have been asking me, “Sam, can you please focus on consultation skills?” Conducting a proper consultation seems to be a lost art, something once important that’s been thrown to the wayside. Especially when stylists become successful, they get too relaxed with their consultations. I have to be careful, because this has happened to me, too!

Today, guests are very intelligent. They know what they want from their hairstylist; often they even know the verbiage because the magazines they read are sophisticated about hair and fashion. So to do a good consultation, you need great questioning and listening skills. Communication builds wealth because people buy people—and then they buy things.

What happened with that exchange? Three things:

1. The handshake served as my ice-breaker.
2. I built in time to evaluate her personal style before having her change into a gown, because her clothes and shoes will tell me a lot about her. This isn’t about my taste. I must meet my guest’s needs and expectations in order to gain her trust and faith. Once I have that, I can begin to change her ideas a little if I want to.
3. By doing a scalp massage, I let the guest think that I’m relaxing her, but for me the massage provides information about her hair and head shape. I’m finding out where the hair is fine and where it’s dense, where the head is flatter, whether I need to build weight on the sides or where I may need to remove volume. Meanwhile, she’s thinking, “Wow, I’ve never had a salon service start with a nice scalp massage.” And even though I keep the massage very soft, some clients will not give me permission to do it all. These guests will usually say something like, “My scalp is very fragile.” That tells me that this person is not completely comfortable being touched. She may stare down at her lap a lot. I don’t push the scalp massage; instead I evaluate the head during the shampoo.

I follow up that initial discussion with a series of questions:

• How often do you get your hair cut?
• When was the last time you loved your hair cut?
• What do you like most about your hair?
• What do you like least about your hair?
• If you could change anything about your hair, what would it be?
• Are you using a mousse? (If “yes,” that tells me that she likes volume.)
• Are you using a lotion? (If “yes,” she likes her hair soft.)
• Are you using gels? (If “yes,” she wants hold.)
• How do you dry your hair? Do you use your hands or brushes? (That indicates whether I should design a wash-and-go style.)
• If you use brushes, what kind? (Her response tells me how soft she likes her hair.)
• Are you happy with the results of the products you use? (This lets me know whether she’s using the right type of product, and using it correctly, for the results she’s seeking.)
• Do you use a flat iron or a curling iron? (This indicates whether she likes her hair straight or curly.)

As a stylist, you should gather all the data that you can and record the information on a client card. Then, just as a doctor would prescribe treatment, make your recommendations. Respond to the data in front of you by suggesting services and products that directly address your guest’s challenges and goals.

Now the really important part starts. The first time you see the person, you have to set up the structure of the service. I’ll ask, “Clara, are you willing to participate in your hair cut?” Almost every guest will agree to participate. Then I’ll say, “I want you to hold your head still. Next I need you to keep your hands underneath the cape. If you want to measure your hair, that’s fine. I’ll step back and you can measure. But remember, I’m going to give you a very precise hair cut designed to blend many uneven pieces; when you measure it, I don’t want you to think you’re getting a bad hair cut.