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The state of mind of our clients before and after they visit our salons is vital to the success of our business. VITAL!
Discussing with a client about how she feels every time her extensions are removed from her hair, she said she feels bald, or bad about herself. Reflecting on how many hair extension clients feel that way and the trials and tribulations they experience when they have them removed. Then it becomes a question of, do they continue wearing extensions, or try to style their own, natural hair? At what point do they do this? What psychological skills do they need to acquire to handle living with their hair sans extensions?
Hair is so closely related to how we feel about ourselves. We, as stylists, are very fortunate that we can literally transform someone’s mood from bad to good in about one and one-half hours (given the client truly loves the result, of course). I believe in two things wholeheartedly. 1. If you can leave the client’s hair in better condition they literally feel better when they leave and you’ll win as a stylist. And, 2. If you can leave the client with a positive emotion attached to his/her visit with you, that will make them want to return. It’s all about creating a positive experience.
You can start to transform your client’s mood from the minute they walk through the door. You don’t have to become overly joyous; you just have to stay calm, grounded and positive. Sometimes, calm, positive energy is all a client needs to feel better. Let them vent and talk, or become relaxed and quiet. They are not looking for you to solve their problems. Many times, it’s simply a matter of being there to listen. That’s it.
Another important thing to consider when providing a client with a haircolor service, is the emotional feeling attached to the colors themselves. Sometimes clients want a change, and based on their personality, you can recommend a specific color that evokes a particular emotion.
Allow me to indulge you with the emotion and psychology behind the individual haircolors themselves.
RED creates passion and fire; YELLOW creates brightness; and BLUE invokes depth and coolness. These colors are your choices when performing a haircolor service. What emotion do you feel your client wants to project? What emotion do you feel the client might benefit from emotionally?
Red haircolor tends to get the most attention. Red cars and red dresses get noticed more quickly than other colors. Softer browns, on the other hand, tend to fall into the background and remain more subdued. Tune into your client’s vibe and create a haircolor that suits his/her vibe and her mood.
This is a very different approach to haircoloring. How does the client feel, and what color will work best to suit his/her mood? If she’s a bit more daring, perhaps add some yellow, to brighten her mood If a client’s haircolor is quite faded, and needs some grounding, add BLUE for depth to calm her down. See what I mean? Along these same lines are the COLOR SEASONS of Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Each season has its own emotion; its own mood. You can perform a color consultation based on the current season!
Although there are many different approaches to hair styling and color, the most important part of the client experience is how you treat clients in your chair, and how they feel when they leave the salon. Does their hair feel and look better than when they arrived? Are they leaving in a positive mood, whether happy, energized or relaxed? They are trusting you with a very important part of their identity; do your best to make them feel relaxed, positive and, of course, beautiful!
