Trust The Process: How To Tell Your Clients It’s Worth The Wait
Tired of clients requesting major transformations in one session?! You’re not alone…
Hair by @hairordyechick / Words by @rainbowrage
Image via @xo.farhana.balayage
While we know the best makeovers take time and money, how can you convince your clients that sometimes it takes multiple sessions to give them the best (and healthiest!) results possible? We spoke with three stylists about how they approach this situation, and here’s what they had to say.
Honesty Is The Best Policy
It all starts with a great consultation. First, establish your client’s goals. Assess the history and current condition of their hair, then determine if these goals are achievable. “I always explain what obstacles we will most likely run into during the process,” shares Ivan Hernandez (@justhairobsession), a #ONESHOT Hair Painting Finalist.
The consultation doesn’t end there, so be available to guide your client throughout their color journey. “I allow my clients to feel comfortable contacting me if they have any questions regarding their hair, and I make recommendations for care in between appointments,” shares Ivan. “I always remind them that I am on this journey with them.”
Check out Ivan’s blonde bombshell transformation HERE!
Three Factors: History, Health & Budget
1. Hair History
You know your longtime clients’ hair better than anyone, but especially with newer clients, find out their hair history before setting any goals. Balayage specialist Mallery Share (@hellobalayage) recommends going back five years. “Depending on length, I can usually tell my guest where I can get them just by knowing what was previously done to their hair,” shares Mallery.
Check out Mallery’s major makeover HERE!
2. For Your Health
You should be clearly communicating with your client that maintaining the health and integrity of their hair is the most important reason for taking your time, especially when it comes to color corrections. “Slow and steady wins the race,” shares Kansas-based stylist Hai Tran (@hai.stylist). “Depending on the strength of their hair, it can only handle so much in a short amount of time, so the time in between appointments allows the hair to rest and restore back to its strength with proper at-home treatments.”
See Hai take his client from Level 1 to metallic blue HERE!
3. Beauty Budget
Always be upfront about time and money. “As service providers, we have to protect ourselves and our businesses with reasonable billing rates for the time we spend on our clients,” shares Hai. So, start your consultation by asking what your client’s beauty budget is. “If they have a beauty budget, I do as much as I can in that first session, then we set up a second session and see how much further we can go,” shares Hai. “If the client has unlimited money and time to spend at the salon, BUT their hair is on the verge of being compromised, we just need to be ethical and tell them no, then search for another option.”
Educate Your Clients
Manage expectations by showing visuals and educating your clients. Hai recommends telling your clients, “I can only do as much as your hair allows me to do in the amount of time given.”
Try these quick visuals by showing photos to demonstrate different levels of lift:
- “These are the possible results if we spend three hours, four hours, five hours, etc.”
- “These are the possible results if we lift the hair a to a Level 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10.”
