Stylist Success Tips: How to communicate with clients

As a licensed cosmetologist, it’s your job to make sure your client looks and feels like a million bucks. When a client has a great time in your chair, chances are you’ll secure a bigger tip, a return visit, and maybe even some referral clients down the road.

Making clients feel good in your chair means you’ll need to master the art of communicating effectively and professionally. It may sound simple, but it’s not! Giving your client the perfect cut and color, while trying to talk and make eye contact, takes a lot of skill and practice.

This can be especially challenging for newer stylists. That’s why some cosmetology schools, like Salon Success Academy, incorporate communication skills into their curriculum. Salon Success Academy students take a three-day customer service seminar with guest educator and beauty professional George Miller. Cosmetology students are also required to work inside the school’s high-end salon before graduating, so they get plenty of practice working with real clients.

So what’s the secret to great communication with clients? Here are a few stylist success tips around the art of communication that could help you and your clients:

• When you first greet your clients, you should exude self-confidence. This means having good posture, a warm smile, and an energetic personality.
• Once they do sit down in your chair, your next job is to really listen to what your client wants during the consultation. You should always ask your client for pictures to get a better idea.
• If the cut won’t work well with your client’s hair, or the color doesn’t go well with their complexion, it’s your job to explain this to them in a way that won’t hurt their feelings. Try to suggest a cut or color that’s similar to their desired style, but one which will work better for them. The more you can tell the client about what you’re doing, the more they’ll trust you.
• Keep the conversation professional. This means steering away from gossip and controversial subjects. Remember, it your client’s time to relax at the salon. It’s best to let them do most of the talking and for you to do most of the listening. If they don’t feel like chatting, you should be able to pick up on this, and respect their desire to just chill.

What are your best tips for talking with clients? Let us know by commenting below!

Salon Success Academy is a beauty school with five convenient locations throughout the Inland Empire of California. The beauty school offers in-depth, hands-on training in cosmetology and esthetics, as well as extensive preparation for the State Board exam and financial aid to students who qualify. Call 877-987-4247 to get started today!