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PSA: A client's offhand comment about her mom's hair totally changed how I handle consultations
I was doing a color correction for a new client yesterday, and she was telling me about her mom. She said, 'My mom always said her stylist never really listened, just told her what she thought looked good.' That hit me hard. I realized I sometimes get so focused on the technical plan for a service that I'm not fully hearing the person in my chair. I was halfway through mixing her formula when I stopped and asked her to tell me again, in her own words, what she wanted to feel like when she left. She said 'sun-kissed, not striped,' which was way clearer than her initial 'lighter but not brassy' request. I adjusted my foiling pattern on the spot. How do you make sure you're really listening during a consult, not just waiting for your turn to talk?
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christopher7137mo ago
Ask for a picture, like @jesse4 said.
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jesse47mo ago
Man, how many times have I heard a client describe a color with technical terms they don't even mean? I used to just nod and translate it into my own process. But a lady last month said she wanted "mermaid hair, not cartoon villain." That stopped me cold. I was about to do a standard teal formula, but she meant deep, shifting greens, not one solid bright color. I actually showed her three swatches on the spot. It clicked that she wanted mystery, not a costume. Now I make them point to pictures or use silly words. It's way better than just hearing "ashy" or "vivid.
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