FeedNeed key to good customer relations? Ask a hairstylist
Jan 18, 2009
Prior to my career in sales, I worked for over 20 years as a hairstylist. How I got from here to there is a long story. It always was pretty clear to me that years spent working with people one on one in a fairly intimate setting was good training for a sales career.
When you think about your own experiences with a trusted stylist, you realize that there are a few things that they do very, very well. As salespeople, we could learn a thing or two (actually six) from them.
You are the expert
People come to you (or allow you to come to them) because they are looking to you for help and guidance. If your hair stylist said, "I have the perfect style for you!" before asking what you wanted, it's a sure bet that you would find another stylist who was a better listener.
The best stylists (and salespeople) are great listeners. Only after letting the customer tell you about their needs should you make a recommendation.
You are in control
You walk into a salon. You lay back in the shampoo bowl. You allow somebody to stand over you (literally) and take control. And guess what, you feel very comfortable because they are in control. The stylist puts a cape around you that weighs only ounces. But as long as you are wearing that cape, you will not run out the door. As a salesperson, what is your cape? What do you present to your customer that keeps them engaged through the entire meeting?
Let them have it your way
The old saying is "Persuasion is the art of letting people have it your way." Stylists are masters at imposing their will on customers and letting the customer think it was their idea. As a salesperson, how skilled are you at asking questions that help the customer decide to do business with you?
Kids grow up
If a hairstylist is in the business for the long haul, they know that children eventually grow up to become adults. I've seen stylists treat children badly, rush through a haircut and give no thought to the idea that this little person in their chair is actually a person! They don't realize that in a lot of cases, children drive the parent's decisions. (How many parents of small kids know that in trying to drive past McDonald's?)
The same is true with salespeople. If you think of the receptionist or an assistant as the kids of the family, ask yourself how you treat them? Do you ever consider that not only do they drive the decision-making of their boss, but they may grow up some day and be a decision-maker, too?
Book the next appointment
How do you think successful stylists build their business? They always book the next appointment before the client leaves. They know that if they don't book the appointment, the customer will forget or get busy or drop in somewhere else when the mood strikes.
How often do we have a great meeting with a potential client and we walk out with the promise to call in a few weeks or touch base before the end of the month? Then life gets in the way and we lose the business to someone else. Always book the next appointment or meeting and you will be perceived as a person who wants a relationship, rather than a quick sale.
You need tools
Hairstylists have shears, combs, razors, clippers, capes, foils, color, bleach and perms. They can't do their jobs without them. They also master the tools they have so that doing their job is second nature to them.
What tools do you have that you have mastered? Questioning skills, presentation skills, demonstrations, letters of referrals are all tools that you have at your disposal. Do you use them every day? Do you practice so that they are second nature to you?
Category: general