How to deliver an effective consultation

Ever done, in your opinion, a great consultation but been left confused by the fact your customer still seems baffled and unready to go ahead with the service you have recommended? Asks Penny Etheridge of the Radiant Hair Consultancy. Do you think you have started to go down the road of not actually recommending add-on services within your consultations even though you know the benefits to your clients because you’re just plain tired of having resistance thrown back at you? The fact is, a consultation is a form of sales communication. The difference being it’s your skills and knowledge with advice attached that are being sold. In a traditional sales pitch everyone is taught the most important thing you use are your words. Why?  Because words build relationships and people buy from people. Therefore, could it be that your consultation, although technically perfect, is failing to resonate with your customers because of the words that you are not or are using? Attitudes are often based on words. Change just one word and you can sometimes change your entire results from a consultation for the better. Keep it simple! Don’t get too technical with the service you are talking about. 7.1 plus 6 % means nothing to most clients nor should it. A mid ash blonde to disguise the warmth you see and don’t like at the moment does. I’ve seen many a hairdresser baffle their client with technical jargon then think it’s the client that’s stupid when they can’t make a decision. Make your consultation around solving a client’s problems and only dip into technical speak if they seem interested. Imagine you know nothing about hair and use the words you would need to hear to understand something. Have a Salon team meeting in which you all discuss what you think are technical words to explain a service and what are real words. Make up a board with the real words on and look at it every day. Practise using these words in your consultation’s until it becomes a natural language to you. Focus on value, not price. Its only right that a client should ask how much a service is. Please don’t look embarrassed when they ask! When asked the price reply: “The value of this service is £x amount.“ It’s as simple as that. A client is not looking for a discount if they ask the price they just want and need to know how much. So when asked, deliver the information then move on. Too many times I hear a stylist say “well its normally such and such price but we do give a 10% discount on Mondays or for new clients, for example. This is unnecessary information, the client asked for the price not for a discount.  The key is to focus on value never on price. Focus on emotions, not reasons. We like to think we're rational and logical when it comes to making purchase decisions, but if that were the case Gucci, Rolex, Dior would be out of business. It’s impossible to rationally justify the purchase of a luxury item: We may want it, but we don't need it. In fact, every purchase, no matter how mundane, satisfies an emotional need—if nothing else we want to feel good about the decision we made. Emotions play a major role in most purchase decisions. Never lose sight of how potential customers want to feel, healthier more attractive - gorgeous! In some cases, your customers may just want to feel good about seeing you. Never underestimate the likeability factor that most hairdressers possess. Focus on talking to your clients about how the haircut/colour will feel when they have had it done – for example, “You will feel brighter with added lights in your hair” Remember the consultation is an integral part of the service you are offering. Channel your energy into making the consultation a conversation focused on your customer's needs, motivations, problems, and emotions. The difference between delivering a WOW consultation to an average conversation is the difference between you having great days in the salon, more money in your pocket and a loyal, fan based clientele.   Penny Etheridge, founder of the Radiant Hair Consultancy, is recognised as a highly qualified and passionate business coach, lecturer and presenter for the hair and beauty industry. With over 30 years in the business, Penny has first-hand experience of owning salons and recognises all the issues a salon owner faces today. She is regional head of London for the Association of Business Mentors and is a member of the institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs. She also sits on the steering committee for the Hair Council. Penny is a certified NLP Practitioner and has been the recipient of countless industry awards for her work over the years.