Today we will talk about how to conduct and conduct conversations. It’s a good idea to be ready to start and conduct a pleasant conversation with your guests. I describe a number of different techniques to do it with tact and ease.
The naive introvert
When I started in this industry, I was young, naive and introverted. For some people, this is not a lead, but I had to take the time to learn how to speak to people correctly. This is a broad topic, people have written books about it, but I’ll try to keep it brief.
DIY it yourself
I’ve already talked about how to welcome someone to a hair salon, it’s more of a general way of talking to people. It’s a guideline, you won’t be able to communicate perfectly all the time, but if you want to turn into someone who is confusing and someone who attracts kindness, communication is the key.
You are responsible
One of the things I’ve learned as a hairdresser is that you are responsible for the conversation. I have spoken to classic hairdressers who have told me to let the person in the chair dictate what is said, but I tend to disagree with that. Depending on where you work, a hair salon can be intimidating for those who pass by. Having that feeling of comfort for someone is part of your job as a hairdresser.
Thoughtful Listening
I find what is called Thoughtful listening very useful. If someone tells you something, rephrase the judgement and repeat it. Often this will put the guest on a way to talk about themselves or a topic of their choice, and if there is one thing you can be sure of, it is that people like to talk about themselves. To actively participate in the conversation, you need to continue to listen thoughtfully throughout the conversation. You would be surprised at how great a conversation you can have this way is.
Customize Your Answer
A small addition to Thoughtful listening is to personalize the information you receive and include it in the conversation. So if someone was telling you about the time they went to Cancun and you had been there before and you had an interesting story about Cancun, you could include that in the conversation before handing it over to your guest and allowing them to solve it. This involves both of you in the conversation and adds points on which your guest can build their conversation.
L-I-S-T-E-N
Which highlights an excellent point. You don’t need to let this tidbit slip out of the conversation, thereby interrupting your client and the conversation flow. When someone speaks, let them speak, listen. As an interlocutor, one of your greatest assets is to listen to someone and absorb the information. If you can remember details about a person’s life and the stories he tells you, you can remind him that you care about him and that you have a client for life.
Say your name 3-5 times
During the Cutting, say the customer’s name three to five times. People like to hear their names out loud. They like to hear that they know their names, it gives them a sense of security and comfort, and a comfortable customer is what they are looking for.
Compliment to your guest
If you can, giving your client a compliment for something, “Dope Shoes” or “That’s a great car you drove in” can start a whole conversation. If someone has already paid you a compliment, you know how good you feel. Something as simple as this can sweeten someone’s day and flatter them with you.
Be real
Whenever possible, make sure that they are real in your conversation. If you’re just flattering people for results, there will be people who will call it bullshit. So while it’s great to be free, don’t load it up like a inexpensive perfume.
Have personality
If you are Flat, people will have a flat response to you. If you are in this industry because you just want to cut your hair, then good luck. Laugh, smile, be light, it’s something that people notice and want to be around. If you are a personality, you will attract people to you.
Don’t be afraid of personal remarks
You know where or when you need to say these comments depending on the conversation you are in. We all know what grief is, we all know how painful it is to face illness and pass away. I am not afraid of difficult things when he shows up, and this has brought me closer to some of my long-time clients as our relationships have progressed. Heck, I went through a devastating annulment behind a chair, and my feelings didn’t allow me to keep it to myself. I have had so many interesting and deep conversations with perfect strangers about life, love and everything related to it. Intimacy, even among men, is not a terrible thing. Again, you will know if the conversation is unpleasant or not very fast, and these conversations can take place more with regular customers than with new ones, but try not to be afraid of it when it arises. Sometimes you don’t even need to talk when it comes to listening is all your client needs.
Search for common points
If your guest says something that he has in common with you, be sure to direct the conversation in the direction that you have in common. It works with the most difficult clients. If you’re a Democrat and your client is a Republican and you disagree on almost everything and you start talking about a ’57 Chevrolet, and that’s something you know, it can make both of your experiences a lot better.
The FORD model
For those of you who are struggling with the conversation, here is something I read a while ago that can help you get things moving and formulate questions in the conversation. FORD means “family”, “profession”, “hobbies” and “dreams”.
If you find it difficult to start a conversation with someone, you can first ask them about their family. How big is it? Are you the youngest? You can use the same structure when talking about your job, what you like to do and what you would like to do. “What do you do professionally?”, “What are your hobbies?”, and “what would you do if you won the lottery?”, are all good conversation starters. If you remember the acronym FORD, you will have a lot to discuss with someone. Also…in in this room, you can talk about your FORD. Your family, your job, your hobbies and your dreams are also conversation starters.
Be okay with the silence
If someone doesn’t want to talk…large…more time to focus on this discoloration. Don’t take this personally, relax and enjoy the silence.
How to deal with difficult topics
I have topics that I don’t want to talk about because they are personal and emotional topics for me, or they may not be topics that should be discussed in public or around young children who might be in the barber shop. When they get into the conversation, I’m going to bring the conversation back to what we just talked about and keep talking about it. If the person continues to talk about the topic, I will do it again, and usually they will understand it. If this does not happen, I will politely say that I prefer not to talk about it. If anyone is angry about it…listen to their complaints, ask them what they should do about it themselves and try to answer what they asked for.
If you HAVE TO, find someone to cut your hair and don’t let the emotions of the set influence you. As long as you listen to what you want, you will have a better time to help yourself. If things are going terribly wrong, ask the owner or someone who is your senior to come and deal with the Situation. If you are the owner, evaluate the Situation and treat it as you see fit. These matters will be very rare and very far from each other, but it’s a good idea to know how to handle problems when they arise.