Something that I have been thinking a lot about lately is how important our job is as stylists to make sure we are listening to our clients and addressing their needs, as well as giving them new ideas when it comes to cut, color, or styling. The past couple of weeks I have had some clients who really drove home how much they rely on me as a stylist to share my opinion, as well as listen to what they have to say and give appropriate feedback. As I have been thinking about this, I just felt like I needed to share this with my fellow stylists out there.
Sometimes I think we forget how much trust our clients put in us to give them a style that is going to suit them, as well as suggest new styling options if they are feeling like they are stuck doing the same style every day. A new client I had recently told me, "I look to you as a stylist to tell me what new ideas you might have for my hair. If you can't tell me, then who can?" This was why she had left her past stylist, because she felt like she always gave her the same haircut and never seemed to listen when she said she wanted to try something different. I was shocked, and at the same time hoping that I had never made a client feel as though the only way they were going to get the change they wanted was in finding a new stylist. Lesson learned: when your clients ask what ideas you have for their hair, they are serious.
Another thing clients are always noticing is your sense of style. Making sure you have a style going on with your hair is important, as well as being stylishly dressed and make-up done. Again, I recently had a new client who told me that she booked with me because she liked my style and felt that I would be able to give her a cut she would like. I had another client tell me that as soon as she saw my hair and that it was in a cute style, she felt reassured that I would give her a good cut. Because we are in the fashion industry, clients are always aware of our appearance, and judging the work they think we would do based off that. Even if you are an amazing stylist, a client may be more likely to go to someone they feel is more put together because if you don't have any style yourself, why would they want to trust you with theirs?
As stylists, it is extremely important that we are always on top of our game and being sure to be aware of our clients' needs. Additionally, it is important that we our keep ourselves up to date on current trends so we are able to suggest different looks to our clients when asked. Keeping our own style up to date is also important, as clients are more aware of this than we may think. Some of the best stylists I know have a loyal clientele because they are able to meet these demands. Don't be the stylist that someone leaves for a stylist who they feel will better meet their needs!
