Reaching Your Goals Through Better Consultations

Is your staff struggling to meet their add-on, pre-book, and retail goals? Taking a little extra time during consultations can make all the difference. Slowing down and focusing on the guest can lead to significant rewards. The consultation is more than just a starting point—it’s a pivotal part of the guest’s experience and determines whether they remain loyal or seek services elsewhere. Despite this, consultations often receive minimal attention during appointments.

One of the primary reasons guests don’t return is the perception that the salon didn’t listen, understand, or value their desired look. Failing to re-consult with existing and repeat clients compounds this issue. When clients feel their stylist is no longer invested in their style evolution, they’re more likely to try a new salon. Each guest who visits your salon hopes to encounter "the best" you have to offer. While technical skills are essential, the total experience matters just as much.

Contrasting Consultation Approaches

What stylists think a consultation is:

• Agreeing to what the guest wants to do today.
• Identifying guest concerns about their hair.
• Gathering client history, including adverse reactions.
• Conducting a hair and scalp analysis.

The salon strategist consultation:

• Seeing the consultation as an opportunity to elevate the experience.
• Offering your unique expertise to create value.
• Providing guidance and personalized suggestions.
• Recommending services and products to support their style goals.

Creating a Memorable Guest Experience

From a guest’s perspective, the salon experience is holistic. Beyond the technical execution of a haircut, guests expect personalized attention, current trends, and a stylist who genuinely cares about their satisfaction. Stylists can elevate this experience by emphasizing their expertise, engaging in meaningful dialogue, and tailoring services to meet individual needs.

To start, discuss your ongoing education and training. Sharing your commitment to staying ahead of trends reassures guests that they are in capable hands. Make it clear that their satisfaction is your priority by explicitly stating your goal: to ensure they love their look and can maintain it at home. For repeat clients, revisit their style history and suggest updates or new trends that suit them.

Ask thoughtful questions to uncover the guest’s preferences and challenges. Examples include: “How do you see yourself? Sexy? Trendy? Professional? Casual?” and “What challenges are you experiencing with your current style?” Delve into their styling habits, time commitments, and product usage. Understanding their lifestyle ensures you’ll recommend solutions that align with their needs.

Using Visual Tools and Planning Maintenance

A picture is worth a thousand words. Leverage digital tools like Google Image search, Pinterest, or your salon’s Instagram profile to collaborate on finding the perfect look. Visual aids help build excitement and ensure alignment between stylist and guest. Once a look is chosen, outline the services, products, and maintenance required to achieve and sustain it. Be transparent about the commitment involved and seek the guest’s agreement.

Break down the elements of a comprehensive style plan. Discuss shape for style, color for dimension, shampoo and conditioner for color preservation, styling products for daily upkeep, and the frequency of maintenance visits. This proactive approach ensures the guest feels prepared and confident in their choices.

Elevating Common Salon Services

Consultations allow you to transform common salon services, such as haircuts or blow-drys, into opportunities for more profitable, personalized offerings. By crafting a curated plan to evolve your guest's look, you turn a routine service into an exciting, tailored experience. This approach not only enhances client satisfaction but also drives additional revenue for the salon.

Consider the story of Mia, a hairstylist who found herself stuck in a rut. Day after day, she performed the same low-paying haircuts, blow-drys, and root retouches. At first, she enjoyed the rhythm, but over time, the monotony began to wear on her. She stopped suggesting new styles to clients and rarely discussed products or trends. Her appointments became predictable, and so did her paycheck.

As Mia’s enthusiasm faded, so did her clients’ excitement. Some moved on to other stylists who offered fresh ideas and inspiration. Feeling uninspired, Mia considered leaving the salon altogether. Her once-promising career seemed stagnant. What Mia didn’t realize was that the key to reigniting her passion and advancing her career was right in front of her: consultations. By rediscovering the art of engaging with her clients, suggesting personalized plans, and bringing creativity into her services, Mia could transform not only her clients’ experiences but also her own career satisfaction.

Providing Professional Guidance

Clients trust you with their hair, which means they look to you for professional guidance and suggestions. When you fail to provide recommendations or fresh ideas, they may feel like a valuable part of their salon experience is missing. Use every appointment as an opportunity to guide them toward styles, trends, or solutions that elevate their look. Offering thoughtful advice reinforces your role as an expert and deepens the client-stylist relationship.

Take, for example, two new stylists with less than a year of experience. The first stylist, overwhelmed by the pressure to create perfect, high-end looks, avoided offering new services or making suggestions. They doubted their skills and felt defeated, convincing themselves they weren’t cut out for the job. Clients sensed this hesitation and began to lose confidence, reinforcing the stylist’s insecurities.

The second stylist took a different approach. Acknowledging their limited experience, they embraced learning opportunities by attending classes and practicing new techniques. They started small, offering treatments and subtle enhancements their clients could easily agree to. Over time, as clients said yes and expressed excitement, their trust grew. They began asking about the stylist’s training and were eager to try new ideas. This mutual trust transformed the stylist’s confidence and paycheck, creating a bond that inspired loyalty and experimentation.

Mitigating Risks as a Stylist

Effective risk mitigation as a hairstylist requires understanding all variables and communicating them clearly to your guest. Begin by assessing the client’s hair health and history, including any previous treatments such as chemical services, perms, or relaxers. These details are critical for identifying potential damage risks, adverse reactions, or issues like hair breakage. A thorough hair health assessment enables you to minimize risks and guide your guest toward safer alternatives when needed.

Time management is another important factor. Before agreeing to additional services, ensure you have enough time to perform them without running behind. Treatment schedule planning is essential to deliver quality results without compromising other appointments. Additionally, discussing any concerns up front, such as how previous treatments might impact results, helps set realistic expectations and builds trust.

Another key risk is "sticker shock," which occurs when guests agree to services without understanding the full cost. Always communicate pricing clearly and ensure agreement before proceeding. Transparency about costs, paired with your professional recommendations, will foster confidence in your expertise.

Finally, the biggest risk is being perceived as boring or uninspired. If you repeatedly deliver the same look without offering new ideas, clients may view you as uncreative and seek a more innovative stylist. To prevent this, suggest personalized services and enhancements at every visit. Provide safer alternatives when needed and take the opportunity to guide your guest through new trends or treatments that complement their style. By consistently bringing fresh inspiration, you elevate the guest experience and strengthen their trust in your abilities.

Transforming Consultations into Loyalty Builders

Imagine if every stylist, nail tech, esthetician, and massage therapist dedicated time to thorough consultations. Guests would leave with a clear plan for their look, ready to invest in recommended add-on services, products, and future appointments. They would feel valued, understood, and confident in their decision to choose your salon.

Avoid the generic, uninspired question, “So, what were you thinking about doing today?” Instead, use the consultation as an opportunity to connect and strategize. The time spent communicating with guests about their expectations and desired outcomes transforms their experience. When guests feel cared for and supported, they’ll not only return but also recommend your services to others.

By prioritizing consultations, you enhance the guest experience and set the stage for ongoing success. The rewards of this focused effort will be evident in higher satisfaction rates, increased loyalty, and improved salon performance.

Summary

Incorporating more deliberate and thoughtful consultations into your salon’s routine can dramatically improve guest satisfaction and loyalty. By actively listening, asking insightful questions, and using visual tools, stylists can deliver a personalized and memorable experience. This approach not only helps clients achieve their desired look but also fosters trust and commitment to your salon. A strong consultation process transforms casual visits into long-term relationships, ultimately boosting add-on services, retail sales, and re-booking rates. Take the time to make consultations a priority, and your business will thrive as a result.