The document discusses improving client consultations in beauty salons. It recommends asking clients four simple questions focused on their priorities, concerns, and goals for a treatment, rather than lengthy forms. This helps therapists better understand clients' needs and tailor treatments, while saving time. The salon owner Kelly saw increased retail sales, time savings, and staff motivation after changing to the recommended consultation approach.

1. Learningwhatclientswant
Each month, our resident business guru Jaclyn Hughes tackles a reader’s problem. This
month, she shows a Tyne and Wear salon how client consultations can improve service
26 Professional Beauty August 2010 Professionalbeauty.co.uk
BUSINESS SURGERY
THE SOLUTION
Jaclyn says Our industry is con-
tinually developing treatments and
products that will maximise results.
However, our questioning skills
have not developed alongside this.
Many of the consultation forms
offered by product houses are so
detailed, the clients may feel like
they are filling in an application to
move to the other side of the world.
In theory, some of this information
is relevant, as you can gain specifics
about the client, their lifestyle and a
history of which products they use.
Although, in reality, every time I
have completed one of these forms
the therapist doesn’t actually read
the information I have taken the
time to provide. And often they ask
the same questions I have already
answered on the form and the treat-
ment still isn’t tailored to me.
I explained to Kelly that most
spas and salons have a short turna-
round time so it’s better to ask just
four simple questions based on
neurolinguistic programming:
rWhat is your number one prior-
ity from the treatment today?
rWhere are the three areas you
would like me to focus on?
rWhy do you think those areas
are dehydrated/tight/sore/red?
rWhen would you like to see
change/results by?
You may wonder why we haven’t
asked about their skincare routine or
the products they are using. This is a
more traditional style of questioning
to find a gap in their routine. These
questions actually remind the client
they have products at home, or that
they have previously wasted money
Jaclyn Hughes is managing director of Ultimate Training
Solutions, which coaches beauty salons, spas and brands.
She also owns Ultimate Spa in Notting Hill, London
on products that never achieved the
results they wanted. The therapist
may also use this as an excuse not to
sell to them. If you think of any other
retail experience, such as when you
go to buy shoes, the sales assistant
will not ask you what shoes you have
at home. They never try to find a gap.
We advised Kelly to remove what
we call silly questions, to achieve
better answers, better results and
more satisfied and happy clients
without adding further time or cut-
ting time from their treatment.
We also asked Kelly if she had a
cupboard of inappropriate face,
hair and body products that she had
accumulated over the years. Many
of us do, so you can be sure your cli-
ents have them. When we look at
the stockpile of products we have,
we all get that feeling of wasted
money and lack of belief in whoever
sold these to us. We explained to
Kelly that we have a much greater
chance of losing clients’ respect if
we fail to recommend to them and
they buy inappropriate products.
It is always better for the client to
say no, but for us to know that we
have recommended quality prod-
ucts that will help them.
We told Kelly she would be
amazed at how much she found
out, because these questions are
designed to make clients think
about the real reason they are in
front of us and focus on their prior-
ity. It stops the therapist judging,
answering for them or being pre-
sumptuous. We run a great risk of
offending people, making them feel
inadequate or overloading their
brain with technical questions
prior to a treatment. We may even
get the generic response of,
“I’m just here to relax”, because
we have asked silly and non-
specific questions.
Examples of silly questions
include: “How does your skin feel?”
(A: depressed); “What brings you
here today?” (A: my feet); “How do
you find your skin?” (A: on my
body); “What’s your main
concern?” (A: world
peace); and, the
worst one of all,
“Would you like to
take anything
with you today?”
(A: no thanks).
We need a consultation process that helps
us understand our clients better, but also
helps us retail better and saves us time. What
consultation forms would you recommend
to offer the best results in a busy salon?
Kelly Taylor, owner,
Taizen Skin Therapy, Whitley Bay,
Tyne and Wear
GOT A PROBLEM?
Could Jaclyn help you improve
your business? Email her
your questions at help@
ultimatetrainingsolutions.com
Solutions, which coaches beauty salons, spas and brands.
REALITY CHECK
Check how effective your
consultations are by asking:
r How many clients say, ‘I just
want to relax?’
r How many people say they
haven’t got time because the
form is too complicated?
r How many clients buy retail
products from you?
r How many times do you
answer questions for clients?
r How often do you skip the
consultation process because
you have run out of time?
DID IT WORK?
Kelly says It took a little while to
get used to changing our questions,
and not asking, “How does your
skin feel?” after each treatment was
strange. However six weeks on, we
have seen a big change in retail
sales, time saved and staff motiva-
tion. We have always maintained a
busy salon throughout the tough
climate and retail sales have always
been good, but after training and
following Jaclyn’s advice, we have
seen an even bigger jump than we
could have imagined. Clients now
tell us their number-one priority
before we have even asked. PB
THE PROBLEMTHE PROBLEM
026PB0810_Hughes.indd 26 07/07/2010 15:35