First meeting with a client: tips for a permanent makeup artist

Establishing contact with the client is the most important foundation on which all further cooperation with him will be built. A good first impression is the foundation of any successful relationship. Read about the rules of competent contact with the client and the difference in approaches in the material - an exclusive translation of an article published on the website of the international magazine for micropigmentation specialists PMU International. Magazine of Permanent Makeup (original article - link )

Permanent makeup is part of the service industry, so customer focus should be one of the top priorities for permanent makeup artists. The final result of the PM master's work, as well as customer loyalty, depends on whether the specialist can be trusted, how well he can communicate with the client, and whether the needs and expectations of the client are correctly understood.

How to connect with a client

Psychologists say that the general impression of a person develops in the first 15 seconds of communication. During this time, the master must not only show his professionalism, but also (and more importantly) establish contact and win the trust of the client.

The client's opinion about the permanent makeup specialist during the first meeting will be formed as a result of a combination of three main factors:

1. What does a specialist look like?
2. As the expert says
3. What exactly does the expert say?

What does a PM master look like? The appearance of a specialist working in the beauty industry plays the role of a calling card. The appearance of the PM master must be well-groomed, and this is the main criterion. Hair, manicure and makeup should always be in perfect condition; clothing must be appropriate, neat and clean.

Not recommended:

- Very short skirts, low-cut dresses

- Too many jewelry / bijouterie

- Too bright make-up

- Untidy hairstyle and falling "cosmas" of hair

- Very long nails

- The presence of strong odors in the cabin, such as cigarette smoke, heavy perfumes, food odors, etc.

The way the master PM says. According to the study, only 7% of information is received by people through oral communication; the remaining 93% are perceived verbally and through body language. In order to win the trust of the client and more effectively carry out further work, it is necessary to observe the ethics of communication and know some basics of psychology.

When greeting a client, the PM master should smile friendly. It is important to look into the eyes of the client during the conversation.

It is necessary to know body language - posture as well as body movements must be "open", so it is not recommended to cross your arms or legs or keep your hands in your pockets. The specialist should invite the client with a gesture to enter the office / salon. When sitting at a table, it is better to turn the body so that it is facing the client. It is also very important to be a good listener. During the conversation, it is necessary to show interest by nodding, agreeing, asking additional questions, etc. - this will make it clear to the client that the master is sincerely interested and is trying to understand the situation in detail. On the other hand, don't interrupt the client or show any signs of haste.

To establish contact with the client and gain trust, you can try a psychological approach called " mirror effect ". The essence of this approach is quite simple - you try to reflect the manner of speech, movements, etc. of the client, which makes the environment more comfortable and relaxing for the client. There may be several different levels of such adaptation to the client: verbal (intonation, volume, speed of speech), emotional (mood) and physical (body position, posture, etc.)

What exactly does the master PM say. In addition to providing the client with complete information on all issues, the specialist must also be attentive and polite, as well as a pleasant conversationalist. During the first meeting, it is very important to introduce yourself, get the name of the client and then use it as often as possible when talking.

During the conversation, the specialist should not only ask questions, but also try to clarify the answers received, saying something like “If I understand you correctly, you mean ...” - in this case, the client will know that his wishes are understood and will be taken into account during the permanent make-up procedure.

During the procedure, the master should not forget to comment on all actions, as well as ask questions about how the client feels, especially if he or she is undergoing the procedure for the first time in his life. At the end of the procedure, ask the client some important questions: “Do you have any questions?”, “Was the procedure comfortable for you?”. The interest shown in these matters will let the client know that you really care about his feelings and feelings.

Not recommended:

- criticize the client in any way, discuss his personal life, as well as religious and political views;

- use terms that are not clear to the client.

Understanding customer needs

Those clients who decide to apply permanent makeup usually know exactly what they want - they want the result to look beautiful. However, they may not be aware of the exact methods, methods, or approaches used to achieve the desired result. Therefore, one of the main tasks of the master would be to find out the needs of the client.

After establishing contact with a client, it is best to start the conversation with open-ended questions that require detailed answers, such as "What kind of makeup do you prefer in everyday life?" or “What style appeals to you?”

Then you should ask open-ended questions, the answers to which will help the master make the final decision: “If I understand you correctly, would you like to add more volume and brightness to your lips? At the same time, would you still prefer them to look natural or as if with light makeup?”

To make sure the client's needs are properly understood, the craftsman can draw a sketch. This is a necessary step before the permanent makeup procedure. The master of PM should keep in mind that the contour drawn with a lip pencil should look exactly the same as after the pigment application procedure. The client should be given the opportunity to see how permanent makeup will look on their face before it is too late to change anything. This will help to avoid misunderstandings, disappointments and conflicts.

Resolving conflicts with clients

Sometimes working with different groups of clients can lead to a conflict situation. There are three main types - difficult, incompetent or dissatisfied customers. To minimize the risk of conflict situations, it is important to understand the difference between all these types and develop a strategy that will help you deal with each type.

Difficult clients are those who don't want to listen to an expert's advice because they are really very opinionated. Sometimes the situation can be quite ambiguous: for example, a client's request includes green eyebrows or black lips. Would it be a good idea to accept this unusual order? Most likely, the result of such a whim will be the following: after a couple of months, the client is tired of such an extravagant image, so a session of removing the previous PM will be required. At the same time, all the negative feelings of the client will be associated with the work of the master, so terrible reviews can follow the situation and seriously affect the reputation of the specialist who agreed to such a request from the client.

To avoid this, it is important not to focus only on financial aspects, but to perceive the client as a person who needs our help. The master must explain why he/she does not want to follow the client's request, warn the client that the consequences may not be very pleasant (for example, an expensive and difficult permanent makeup removal course). If the client continues to insist on his request, it is better not to provide the service on the pretext that professional ethics do not allow the performer to do so.

Incompetent clients. Before starting work, the master must tell the client about all possible consequences , such as: the need for a correction procedure, the importance of subsequent care and possible individual reactions to the pigment.

Before starting the procedure, the client must sign a document confirming that the sketch has been approved and that the client is aware of all possible consequences of the procedure. In addition, this document should contain a list of services provided by the master - this will help to avoid liability for other people's mistakes if the client receives services from different specialists.

Dissatisfied clients. Even experienced professionals from time to time encounter negative reactions from clients after the procedure. Reasons may or may not be valid. Was it impossible to reach understanding? Or is the client a person who is ready to stir up a conflict for no apparent reason?

First of all, don't start defending or attacking the client.

Second, try to move the conflict from the emotional realm to the rational realm. It is a good idea to analyze the situation in detail, this can help to understand the cause of the client's dissatisfaction and resolve the conflict.

Finally, accept the customer's claims and try to rectify the situation and/or compensate for the damage.

Remember that your professional success in the beauty industry depends largely on communicating with clients. You need to be attentive to them, try to find an individual approach, give positive emotions, and then in return you will receive sincere gratitude, trust and loyalty of your customers.