Memo for PM masters: how to earn the trust of customers

Alina Alexandrova , certified master expert of the national level Brow Artist, make-up artist (experience ⎼ more than 10 years), linergist, technologist-methodologist of the SHleyf training center, teacher of the author's course on manual tattoo techniques fast and easy, point tip, "Eyebrow correction 6D, work on mistakes”, judge of the 3rd and 5th open international competition Luxury Lashes & brows (2015⎼2016), judge of the first open championship of Ukraine Brow Pro (2016), judge of the 2nd open international championship Beauty WEST (2016), speaker of the forum "Eyebrow from A to Z" (2016), judge of the championship Brow Expert (2017), judge of the international championship Microbleding and brow design (Moldova, Chisinau, 2017), speaker of the Scientific and Practical Conference on Permanent Makeup (Kiev, 2017)

The desire of the client is the law. The client is always right. Is it necessary to believe in these dogmas? The correct answer for me is this: the main thing is that the client believes in it. So how do you immediately earn the trust of a client?

Let's omit the elementary tools (your appearance, order in the workplace, your grooming and the quality of the PM on yourself). Let's start with the simplest rules that you should use every day:

• remember that you will no longer have a chance to make a second impression on a client;
• call the client by name;
• take care of the client even after the service;
• remind about the upcoming service, correction in advance;
• believe in yourself.

The faith of an advanced master is only in the professionalism of the work. The end result should be in harmony with the appearance of the client: the hand and handwriting of the master is absolutely not visible, but only the dignity and beauty of human nature are emphasized.

So how do you explain and prove to the client that you are a professional with a capital letter, that you study fashion trends or even create them yourself? These are long conversations and persuasion, holding “master classes” with a client, a portfolio and a demonstration of their work, and often it is thanks to photos and recommendations that they end up in the master’s office.

First of all, it is important to remember that you do not need to spend time proving your professionalism. So what can save time so that the discussion of the upcoming procedure takes a matter of minutes? For a master with experience and hundreds of clients, this will not be difficult, although everyone has curious and knowledgeable ones.

Categories of clients and features of working with them

I will share my principles of working with a client. From the first seconds of acquaintance, I feel the client's attitude towards me. There are several categories of clients. The main part comes on the recommendation (word of mouth), the other part - after reading the photos of my work (social networks). And there are so-called transit clients (urgent service, non-residents, replacement of the master). Whether they stay with you or will be in active search further, it's up to you. Perhaps my advice will tell novice permanent makeup artists how to attract and retain a client.

When a client comes to me on a recommendation, he is positive, relaxed, trusts all my actions, as he has seen the finished result. Feel free to sign an agreement on our cooperation. Often this procedure is quick and comfortable for the master and the client.

There are a lot of works “before”, “immediately after the procedure”, “healed result” on my pages in social networks. The category of clients that comes to me from the Internet carefully monitors the photo reports of procedures, so when these people get into my office, they give me an exam, a check on the level of qualification. I understand them and absolutely openly answer all questions, because now there are a lot of “expectation-reality” type masters on social networks (I mean newcomers to our profession who use Photoshop, all kinds of filters, expose other people's work). Nowadays, you can find a lot of plausible information on the Internet, so the client is aware and can easily check your competence. After the "exam" questions and answers that satisfied the client's curiosity, he relaxes, trusts my work and gives me the opportunity to create beauty.

The last category of clients is the most interesting. "Conscripts" must be shown a photo of the work (healing dynamics), briefly and clearly comment on the whole process, make them carefully read the protocol of the procedure. For all clients of this category, the final confirmation of your professionalism will be the demonstration of permanent makeup on a colleague, employee. After a detailed discussion of contraindications, sketch, color and technique, you can safely get to work. It is important to convey to clients from other cities that a permanent make-up procedure without correction is not considered completed after one and a half to two months, it is imperative to issue a care memo, which includes the materials that were used during the procedure - this way I give another qualified master the opportunity to accept the correct solution for a repeat procedure.

Work not from scratch

In case of replacement of the master, I cannot carry out the procedure without prior consultation. We need photos, personal communication (term of tattooing, number of procedures, symmetry, desired color and technique). After all, most often the desires do not coincide with the possibilities. I recommend remembering the golden rule of a professional permanent: if you decide to cover someone else's work, then remember that all responsibility lies with the last procedure. Accordingly, if a previous mistake of another master appears (color, old form), the client will blame you. Therefore, the ideal solution to avoid misunderstandings and claims is to start by deleting old work.

At this stage in the development of permanent makeup, there are several types of chemical removal (salt, acid, alkali, oxide). The safest and with an easy rehabilitation period are those removers that lighten one or two tones without damaging the outer integument of the skin. This is enough to cover some jobs. In my practice, I most often work with laser removal. When the laser cannot cope (“does not see” beige, green shades), sometimes I use more powerful removers.

The number of procedures is selected individually. The readiness to work with each client almost always gives me pleasure. I don't see some of them very often, so I get bored and pleasantly surprised at how my procedure looks on the skin after a year.

Not just gingerbread

Of course, it is important to work on predictable pigments, to know and choose the right techniques and color for each type of skin, but only a real permanent guru can understand and feel the client's skin. If you consider yourself as such, you can safely work with those who give you pleasure and profit. But there are a few exceptions where job satisfaction is at stake.

When a client starts haggling about a permanent makeup service, and you have an appointment for the next month, then this is at least strange, so you can refuse such a person. When a client is late or does not come to the procedure, while making an appointment for the third time, the charter begins to operate, which should hang in the office of every master who respects his time. Usually a fine leads to mutual understanding and respect for my time. For me, it is half the cost of the procedure. That part of the clients who do not take this measure can absolutely rightly choose any other master.

This does not mean that due to my workload and busy schedule, I scatter clients, I just appreciate working time, I invest a lot in my development as a master and personality, I create beauty with pleasure.

Mutuality of love and respect with the client is built not only on hugs and friendly kisses, but also on the observance of certain rules, even if they were invented by you personally. Just remember: they must be absolutely fair and clearly formulated, then you will see that women (and the bulk of them are them) will like your “play by the rules”. I wish you all good luck and positive undertakings in our difficult and interesting profession of a permanent makeup master.

The material was first published in Permanent No. 2(10)/2018