Delivering the complete client consultation

Penny Etheridge of Radiant Hair Consultancy looks at the importance of the consultation to a successful salon business. I am passionate about delivering fantastic client consultation consistently. All too often hairdressers are blamed for poor hairdressing skills when it’s the delivery of the consultation that has not been skilled enough. For a client consultation to truly work hairdressers have to lead the consultation and manage with both authority and politeness a client’s expectations. Generally, I believe that not enough time and resources are spent on training in consultation skills for stylists and technicians by salons. However, frustratingly, as a business coach, I sometimes experience that when salons do provide training the more experienced hairdressers in the team can sit back with the attitude “consultation training is too basic for me now “. Unfortunately, here lies the reality. It’s often these more experienced hairdressers who have, over the years, kept cutting corners off their consultations to the point that home hair care, styling advice, and new hair trends, in fact all the issues that should form part of a professional consultation are simply missing. For me a great consultation has two distinct parts. The first consultation is when style/colour is discussed and agreed upon. The second part is the final consultation which takes place at the end of service and it’s this second consultation that so often goes AWOL.  Asking a client “Are you happy? “through the back of the mirror does not count as a final consultation. A final consultation is an organised review explaining the service you have delivered, a correct home maintenance plan and information on the next service they should be having. In addition, all consultation notes should be documented on a client history section in your software system. If you don’t have salon software make sure all consultation notes are added to your client’s history card. I believe recording this information is every bit as important as, say, recording a client’s colour mix. It’s this type of detailed consultation that makes the difference between professional consultations delivered by Industry experts to just another polite conversation from a hairdresser. Guaranteed, adopting this consultation approach will help build a loyal client following to your business.   Penny Etheridge, founder of The Radiant Hair Consultancy, has more than 30 years’ experience within the hair and beauty Industry. In that time she has won numerous industry accolades both for her own company and companies she has worked with. An active member of the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs, and the Hair Council Steering Committee Penny empathises with the challenges salon owners face today.