Stylist Conversation Tips

As a salon stylist, your job is not only to style your clients but to hold a conversation with them while you do so. Much like a business to consumer transaction, it’s important to steer clear of close ended questions and ask questions that invite your client to answer with more than “yes” or “no.” While asking a question like “do you have any plans this weekend” sounds normal, changing your verbiage to “what plans do you have this weekend” will result in an elaborative answer. The more they talk about, the more follow up questions you can ask them. Here are three conversation starters that will leave your clients with an overall positive customer experience.

What do you do for work? Or where do you go to school?

This is a great ice breaker since it has a lot of room to explore. If your client responds with “Oh I am a product manager at Amazon,” you can follow up by asking “what product/project do you work on?” If your client responds with “Oh, I am a student at the local community college,” the next logical question for you to ask is “what field are you studying.” These are both great questions to start with since it will get your clients talking about where they are right now, how they got there, and where they want to go. The client will sometimes ask you what inspired you to be a stylist, in which case you get to talk about your journey and your goals. This is a quality conversation that can move you from the small talk bubble into the get to know you bubble.

What plans do you have for the weekend?

This question gets your clients talking about their hobbies. If your client responds with “I plan to take my kids to the park, and then drop them off at my parents so my husband and I can have a date night” you have just opened a box of topics to ask. Make sure to respond to their initial response first and then follow up by asking how old their kids are, and what area they live in. They may even elaborate on the park they go to in which you can jump in and talk about how you are always looking for great places to take your dog on walks. The weekend plans question really gets your clients talking about what they like to do for fun.

Who/what inspired you to make a change in your style?

This topic can lead to your clients talking about their favorite movie actress with the same hairstyle, a recent life event that is prompting an overall change in appearance, or anything in between. If your client talks about wanting Meryl Streep’s hair, go along with it. Then you get to ask your client what her favorite Meryl Streep movie is. If your client just got a new job and wants to channel a young professional, you get to share in their excitement during this momentous time for them. That’s the fun part about this question, you never know where it will take you, but you are guaranteed to learn something about your client in the process.

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There is not a specific sequence of questions that you should ask to every one of your clients as all of your clients come with their own stories. These three questions are designed to help stylists move the conversation in a specific direction if you feel a lull coming or need to realign the conversation. The key to good rapport is listening to your clients and showing you’re interested in them by asking follow up questions. It’s important that you showcase how much you put customer service first in your marketing strategy. At The Marketing Desks, we can guide your marketing so you can spend a little time marketing and a lot of time conversing with your clients.