Today let’s talk about how you, as a hairstylist, can rock your chair! I’m referring to the chair you’re behind while you’re working on your clients’ hair. Essentially that chair is your business. It’s your livelihood. And rocking that chair is so important to the success of your career!
And by encouraging you to rock your chair, I’m referring to the experience you’re providing for the clients that are sitting in your chair.
To rock your chair, let’s explore your five senses and how to utilize them to your advantage. The senses I’m referring to are sight, sound, smell, touch, and feelings/emotions.
When you think about the services you provide for your clients as they sit in your chair, what are their five senses sensing?
Sight
Take the time to go into your salon and look at your chair and station or suite with fresh eyes – as if you’ve never seen it before. Sometimes it’s helpful to have a co-stylist or maybe a friend that doesn’t come to the salon very often to look at your space. How tidy is it? Is the area clean and organized? Is your chair clean. Is the bottom shiny and clean? Are there little hairs around the edges? Is the baseboard dirty?
When your client is sitting in your chair, how neatly are you working? Are your scissors clean and laid out neatly? Or are they jumbled and have hair on them? What about when you open your drawer? Is there hair in your combs and brushes or are they clean and laid out neatly? Your mirror? Is it clean and shiny or does it have smudges and fingerprints on it?
These are just a few things your clients see when they are sitting in your chair. There are so many other visuals so please use fresh eyes and make a full inventory of areas that need to be improved…and then improve them.
What are your clients seeing?
Sound
Next, pay attention to what your clients hear when they enter your station or suite. They usually hear the music that’s playing. You might not have any control over the music selection or volume, but if you do, make sure it’s portraying the vibe you want for each client. Your music choice, and the volume, is so important. In some of my past blogs, I talked about your ideal client. Your dream client. Consider what your dream client would want to listen to and play that.
The second thing your client will hear is your voice. Are you talking too loudly? Or too soft that they strain to hear you? How confident Is your voice? What are you talking about? I hope it’s not about the night before when you drank too much. Or about all your problems. They are paying you for your service so the conversation should be focused on them.
What are your clients hearing?
Smell
Now it’s time for a good sniff test! Our sense of smell has more impact than we realize. Smells can trigger memories so you want to make sure you leave good memories for your clients.
Are you a smoker? If so, does your clothing smell like smoke? What about your breath? Maybe you don’t smoke, but did you just eat? We all know that if our breath smells bad, it’s very uncomfortable for our clients. What about your body odor? There are some people who have an issue with this. If you need to reapply deodorant between each client, do it! But be careful not to use overpowering perfumes or fragrances as many people have allergies to strong scents. You can have flowers at your station. A beautiful bouquet will positively impact you and your clients’ sense of sight and smell.
What are your clients smelling?
Touch
What about touch? How are you touching your clients? Are you confident with your touch or are you too soft? When you give them a shampoo, is it just a quick shampoo, or do you take the time to give them a thorough massage? Do you massage all the way around their head and the back of their neck?
They will remember your relaxing shampoo and massage and will look forward to that part of their hair appointment. Your touch might be the only human touch some of your clients receive. It is such an important part of the client experience with positive, lasting impact.
What kind of touch are your clients experiencing?
Feelings/Emotions
The last sense is how you make them feel. This final sense encompasses all the other senses. How comfortable do you make your clients feel? Do you listen to them? You have two ears and one mouth so you should be listening twice as much as talking. If you take the time to listen more than you talk, you will gain instant trust with you clients.
Do you make eye contact with them while you are consulting with them? Do you sit at their eye level or do you stand up tall over them? Think about how it feels when someone is standing over you. If you sit with them at eye level, it’s an instant comfort. How relaxing is your shampoo?
What are your clients feeling?
Success for Hairstylists
Every thoughtful gesture you provide to your clients will make all the difference. And it shouldn’t end when they leave.
Send your clients a written thank you if they’re new or send a note to repeat clients just to let them know how much you appreciate them. Give them a call if you gave them a new style or new color and ask them how they’re liking it and how they feel about their new styling routine.
If you rock it on all five senses, Friend, you are going to be so successful!
You are going to have raving fans knocking down your door to sit in your chair. You’re going to have a waiting list. You’re going to be able to charge more money for your services because your value will be instantly skyrocketing.
And do you know what the most important thing is? Gaining your clients’ trust. That can also be the hardest thing to do but when you rock it on all five senses, you will have their trust. You’ll also have their loyalty. And they’ll happily refer their friends!
On Point Hair Academy was created for stylists like you who need just a little help (or a lot of help) in different areas of their hairstyling business. You don’t have to take this hairstyling journey alone.
Let’s connect!
Sign up to receive On Point Pro Tips, my free educational email for motivated hairstylists who want to succeed.
You'll receive valuable tips, tricks, techniques, updates, inspiration, and answers to common questions asked by hairstylists just like you.
If you’re ready to take charge of your future, sign up now!
Remember, your work is not about you. Your work is about how you make your clients feel.