1. Chapter 4 Communicating for Success

2. “Everyday do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow
“Everyday do something that will inch you closer to a better tomorrow.” – Doug Firebaugh

3. Objectives List the golden rules of human relations.
Explain the definition of effective communication.
Conduct a successful client consultation.
Handle delicate communications with clients.
Build open lines of communication with coworkers.
LEARNING MOTIVATION (WHY?)
It’s story-telling time.
This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Everybody got mad about this because it was Somebody’s job. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody asked Anybody. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
Communication is one of the most important words in any life or business. If you are an effective communicator, you and your career will move forward and most likely thrive. If you are unable to communicate effectively, like our four friends in the story, the road to success and accomplishment will become blocked with numerous obstacles, many of which can become too difficult to overcome.
One of the biggest mistakes we made each day is to underestimate the power of communication. We simply take for granted that communication is a tool, without realizing that this tool can help make or break us. Your daily communication can dramatically propel you to new levels of success or even hasten failure. So let’s take a closer look at how you can use this tool to help achieve your goals and dreams.

4. Human Relations
Webster's Dictionary: A study of human problems arising from organizational and interpersonal relations; a program designed to develop better interpersonal and intergroup adjustments.
The best way to understand others and interact well with them is to understand yourself. Good relationships are built on mutual respect and understanding.

5. Human Relations Basics
Social interaction required.
Personal security
Handling difficult situations
Social interaction required: When we feel secure, we like to interact with others. We can help people feel secure around us by being respectful, trustworthy, and honest.
Personal security: When we feel secure, we are happy, calm, confident, cooperative, and trusting. When we feel insecure, we become worried, anxious, overwhelmed, angry, suspicious, uncooperative, and sometimes hostile or withdrawn.
Handling difficult situations: Some people create conflict wherever they go; they are rude, insensitive, or so full of themselves that being considerate doesn’t enter their minds. Try to remember that these people feel insecure or they wouldn’t be acting this way.

6. Handling the Ups and Downs
Respond instead of react.
Believe in yourself.
Talk less, listen more.
Be attentive.
Take your temperature.
Respond instead of react: When you react, you are no longer in control. Take deep breaths and tell yourself that you don’t have to take a negative situation or behavior personally.
Believe in yourself: Trust your judgment, uphold your values, and stick to what you believe is right. Develop a strong sense of self-worth.
Talk less, listen more: The same letters that spell listen also spell silent! Remember the old saying that we were given two ears and one mouth for a reason.
Be attentive: Pay attention to what the client’s wants and needs are. If a client is too aggressive, ask your supervisor for advice. At all costs, remain calm and practice active listening skills.
Take your temperature: If you notice chronic negative personal behaviors while you are on the job, pay careful attention to what is happening. An important part of working in a service profession is taking care of yourself first and resolving personal conflicts so you can properly take care of your clients.

7. The Golden Rules of Human Relations
Communicate from heart – problem-solve from head.
A smile is worth more than a sneer.
It is easy to make an enemy and harder to keep a friend.
Ask for help.
Show you care by listening.
Tell people they are great.
Communicate from your heart; problem-solve from your head.
A smile is worth a million times more than a sneer. And causes less wrinkles.
It is easy to make an enemy; it is harder to keep a friend. And you have to be a friend to have a friend.
Ask for help instead of just reacting. Watch what happens.
Show you care by listening. Try to understand the other person's point of view.
Tell people they are great. Even though they don’t always act great.

8. The Golden Rules of Human Relations (continued)
Be right, not righteous.
For every service you do for others, do something for yourself.
Laugh often.
Be patient with others’ flaws.
Build shared goals; be a team player.
Listen.
Being right is different from acting righteous.
For every service you do for others, do something for yourself.
Laugh often. An average child laughs over 400 times per day; an average adult laughs only 15 times per day. If you are more childlike, you will live longer.
Be patient with other people’s flaws. They might even be more patient with yours.
Build shared goals; be a team player. Be a partner to your clients, as well.
Listening is the best relationship builder. Effective communication skills include being an attentive listener.

9. Communication Defined
The art of transmitting information, in the form of symbols, gestures, or behaviors, in order to express an idea or concept so that it is satisfactorily understood.

10. Greeting New Clients Smile. Introduce yourself.
Tour the salon and introduce others.
Be yourself.
GREETING NEW CLIENTS: Common rules of courtesy apply. Be polite, friendly, and inviting. Continuing to do so will earn clients' trust and loyalty. Remember these basics:
1. Smile. Keep your problems to yourself and put your best face forward.
2. Introduce yourself. Also learn your clients’ names and remember them. It has been said that a person’s own name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language. Calling people by their names sends the message that they are important to you.
3. Tour the salon and introduce others. Introduce the client to the receptionist if they have not already met and to anyone else you encounter on the tour. This helps the client feel comfortable and at home.
4. Be yourself. You may have heard it said that the way to success is to fake it until you make it. Well, in the words of Patricia Fripp, a well-known motivational speaker, it’s better to “make it so you don’t have to fake it!”

11. The Client Consultation
Intake Form (client questionnaire)
Hold Harmless Statement
Schedule time
Consulting with clients
NOTE: Have students refer to Figure 4-4 from their textbook to view an Intake Form.
Schedule time: When the client makes the first appointment, ask him or her to arrive 15 minutes early to fill out a questionnaire. The service should be booked to allow enough time to perform a quality consultation.
Consulting with clients: The consultation is the verbal communication that determines the desired results. It is the single most important part of the service. Keep the total look concept in mind as you proceed through the consultation.

12. Preparing for Consultation
Styling books
Hair swatches
Personal portfolio of technician’s work
All of the above items should be available at your station.
Be prepared to explain the portfolio photos.

13. The Total Look Concept Begin with research.
Analyze client’s personal style (classic or dramatic, for example).
Determine client’s lifestyle.
Take into account personal preferences.
UNDERSTANDING THE TOTAL LOOK CONCEPT
Remember that the nails, skin, and hair adorn the body and are reflective of an entire lifestyle. Start the process of helping your client make choices reflective of personal style by doing a little research. Look for books or articles that describe different fashion styles, and become familiar with them. This exercise is useful for developing a profile of the broad fashion categories that you can refer to when consulting with clients.
For example, a person may be categorized as having a classic style if simple and sophisticated clothing, monochromatic colors, and no bright patterns are preferred. A classic client would likely want a simple, elegant, and sophisticated look with respect to her nails.
Someone who prefers a more dramatic look is likely to be more willing to try new products and spend more time having additional services that will help achieve the desired look.

14. The Total Look Concept (continued)

15. The Consultation Area Clean Comfortable Uncluttered
Materials gathered and organized
Referencing intake form

16. Ten-Step Consultation
Review intake form.
Assess client’s current look.
Determine client preferences.
Analyze hair.
Determine client lifestyle.
Ten-Step Consultation Method: This method is highly effective whether you are about to perform a hair, skin, or nail service.
Review intake form.
Assess client’s current look.
Determine client preferences: Ask client what she likes and dislikes about current look.
Analyze hair: Assess attributes.
5. Determine client lifestyle: Ask client about career and personal lifestyle. Is the client a businessperson or does he or she spend a lot of time outdoors? What are the client's grooming habits? How much time will be spent on maintenance?

17. Ten-Step Consultation (continued)
Show and tell.
Suggest options.
Make color recommendations.
Discuss maintenance.
Review consultation.
6. Show and tell: Use photo collection to learn preferred looks. Listening is key. Reflective listening refers to listening, then restating or paraphrasing to confirm the client’s meaning.
7. Suggest options: Make suggestions based on lifestyle. Based on the desired service, consider characteristics of hair, nails, face, body shape, and so on.
ACTIVITY: Have students complete the Effective Listening Quiz.
8. Make color recommendations: This is called “up-selling” or “ticket upgrading.” Suggest haircolor to make the client’s new look complete. For example, you may have provided only a nail service, but a new color or texture service would also help the client achieve the desired look.
9. Discuss maintenance: Counsel client on required home and salon maintenance.
10. Review consultation: Restate everything you and client have agreed upon.

18. Retailing: What, Why, How…
This is what I recommend…
This is why it is effective for your hair type…
This is how you use the product at home …

19. Concluding the Service
Record results.
Record client’s reaction.
Note what worked and what didn’t.
Note retail products suggested and purchased.
Date and file card.

20. Handling Tardy Clients
Know salon’s policy.
If able to, serve the tardy client.
Identify habitually late clients.
Notify clients if you are running late.
If unable to contact client, approach as soon as he or she arrives.
1. Know salon’s policy. Does the salon set a limit on the amount of time clients are allowed to be late before requiring them to reschedule? If client insists on immediate service, explain that you are responsible for servicing the other clients who have arrived on time. Further explain that rushing through the service is an unacceptable alternative, as the results may not meet the client's satisfaction.
2. If able to, serve the tardy client. Be sure to let a late client know that you are only providing the service at this delayed time because you can do so without jeopardizing another client's appointment. You want to make sure the client knows, in a polite way, that you won’t always be able to serve him him or her if the lateness continues.
3. Identify habitually late clients. You have some options. You can either schedule them for the last appointment of the day, so their tardiness does not affect your other clients, or you can tell them their appointment is for 15 minutes earlier than the actual appointment.
4. Notify clients if you are running late. There will be times that you are running late through no fault of yours, or even your client’s, for that matter. Be sure you maintain a current list of client phone numbers and call, or have the receptionist call them and let them know about the delays. Give them the opportunity to reschedule or arrive a little later.
5. If unable to contact the client, approach as soon as he or she arrives. Explain the delay, let the client know how long the wait will be, and give the client the option of waiting or changing the appointment. Be sure to apologize for the inconvenience and show the client extra attention.
ACTIVITY: Ask for volunteers to come to the front of the class and role-play a stylist and tardy client. Have them reverse roles and replay the scenario. Also have students role-play the situation where the stylist is running behind. After the role play, have the observers comment on which stylist handled the situations the most professionally and why.

21. Handling Scheduling Mix-Ups
Never argue with the client.
Be polite and courteous.
Preserve your relationship with the client.
You've probably all experienced the embarrassment of arriving for a special appointment or meeting only to find out you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. As a professional, you should never argue about who is correct, and you must always be polite and courteous. Remember, in business, it’s not always about being right. It’s about preserving your relationship with your client.
ACTIVITY: Continue your role-playing activity. This time, have two students role-play the stylist and customer with a scheduling mix-up. Have one team role-play the stylist being wrong and one team role-play the client being wrong.

22. Handling Unhappy Clients
Find out why the client is unhappy.
Change result.
Offer options.
Never argue.
Call on supervisor or peer.
Defer to manager.
Confer with manager.
The old saying, “You can’t please everyone all the time” applies to beauty service clients as well.
NOTE: Ask the class what the ultimate goal is and let them respond. Certainly, the ultimate goal is to get the client to pay for the service and to return for more of the same. The secondary goal is to at least get the client to return for future services.
1. Find out why the client is unhappy. Ask for specifics by breaking down the service piece by piece for the client.
2. If possible, change the result. If you can repair the part of the service that the client is unhappy with, do so immediately if possible or reschedule the client as soon as possible. Enlist the help of another stylist who is free and explain what will occur to the client.
3. If you can’t correct the problem, offer options. If the hair is too short, for example, explain why you can’t fix the problem. Offer other options while the hair grows, such as conditioning treatments, and so on.
4. Never argue with the client. Telling a client how great she looks when she clearly does not think so will only tend to aggravate her further.
5. Call on supervisor or peer. They may have insights to assist you and make the client happy.
6. Defer to manager. If you’ve tried everything you know to do, you may need to call upon your manager to help. The client may simply need to deal with someone else at this point.
7. Confer with manager afterwards. Hopefully, the whole experience can be viewed as one of learning. Follow your manager’s advice and move on to your next client confidently and cheerfully.

23. Handling Differences Consider generational differences.
Consider cultural differences.
When working with clients from different generations, the basic rules of professionalism apply. For example, older clients usually do not like gum chewing, slang, or the use of yeah instead of yes. A client may prefer to be called “Mrs. Smith” rather than by her first name. When meeting the client for the first time, you should ask how he or she prefers to be addressed. Younger clients will usually want you to be current on the latest celebrity styles. It is also important to be aware of different cultures. Never use cultural slang or regionalisms that you do not fully understand.

24. Getting Too Personal Be tactful. Be sensitive. Be professional.
Be respectful.
Your job is to handle client relationships tactfully and sensitively, with professionalism and respect. Do not attempt to fill the role of counselor, career guide, parental sounding board, or motivational coach. Attempt to keep topics neutral and about beauty needs.
ACTIVITY: Have students role-play handling different client issues. Use the activity found in the textbook as a guide.
ACTIVITY: Have students brainstorm about ways to get a subject that has gone far off- topic back to one of a professional nature.

25. Communicating with Coworkers
Treat all with respect.
Remain objective.
Be honest, but sensitive.
Remain neutral.
Seek help from someone you respect.
Don’t take things personally.
Keep private life private.
As a professional, you will be building relationships with clients, peers, supervisors, managers, and salon owners. Behaving in a professional manner is your first step in making meaningful communication possible. Your professional colleagues can assist you, teach you, and advise you; however, you must know how to seek out and accept such assistance.
COMMUNICATING WITH COWORKERS
Treat all with respect. Being respectful does not mean that you have to like someone. Focus on the person's talents and knowledge.
Remain objective. Avoid spats and cliques. When any team member behaves disrespectfully, the whole team suffers and the clients will notice the dissension.
Be honest, but sensitive. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes and avoid being hurtful or negative.
Remain neutral. Don’t pick sides. Don’t get drawn into conflict. Don’t gossip.
Seek help from someone you respect. If at odds with a coworker, seek out a third party who is not involved and can remain objective.
Don’t take things personally. If confused or concerned by how someone is treating you, find a quiet place and ask the person about it in a nonthreatening manner. The person may not even realize that he or she is giving off bad signals.
Keep private life private. The salon is NOT the place to discuss personal life and relationships. Save that type of discussion for your personal friends or family members.

26. Communicating with Managers
Be a problem solver.
Get your facts straight.
Be open and honest.
Don’t gossip or complain.
Check your attitude.
Be open to constructive criticism.
COMMUNICATING WITH MANAGERS:
Your manager has a vested interest in your development and success. You must try to understand his or her decisions and rules, whether you agree with them or not. Never ask your manager to get involved in personal or petty issues. His or her job is to make sure the business runs smoothly.
Be a problem solver. Only take problems or concerns to a manager if you also have a solution or two to offer.
Get your facts straight. Don’t waste the manager’s time on a problem that doesn’t truly exist.
Be open and honest. If you’re unsure of how to handle a situation, tell your manager and be willing to learn.
Don’t gossip or complain. Never tattle on coworkers, which might indicate you are a troublemaker. Approach the manager with a true desire to solve the problem, not just to vent.
Check your attitude. Take your own temperature and learn when you need a personal attitude adjustment; then make it.
Be open to constructive criticism. No one ever reaches perfection. Remember that your manager’s job is to help you achieve your professional goals. One way that is accomplished is by evaluating your skills and offering suggestions for improvement in order to achieve them. You must keep an open mind and never take criticism personally.

27. Employee Evaluations Approach event positively.
Conduct self-evaluation.
Share self-evaluation with manager.
Write down questions or thoughts.
Ask about promotions or pay increases.
Thank manager for time, feedback, and guidance.
Well-run salons provide regular and effective employee evaluations. Request a copy of your job description and the evaluation form that will be used to critique you. This is like having the answers to a test: If you know the criteria against which you will be evaluated, you can make sure to perform to the best of your ability in each area.
1. Approach event positively.
2. Conduct self-evaluation. Be objective and think through your comments about yourself.
3. Share self-evaluation with manager. This will show you are serious about your improvement and growth.
4. Write down questions or thoughts. This will help you have a meaningful exchange with your manager.
5. Ask about promotions or pay increases. Don’t fail to take advantage of this crucial communication opportunity to discuss your future.
6. Thank manager for time, feedback, and guidance. Don’t forget to put into practice the plan for improvement he or she has helped you outline.

28. Employee Evaluations (continued)

29. Summary and Review What are the golden rules of human relations?
What is the definition of good communication?
SUMMARY AND REVIEW
In a service industry such as the one that you have chosen, communication is key. You will be asked to interact with other human beings from all walks of life on a daily basis. It is essential that you can properly send messages so that they are satisfactorily understood by the receiver. You must learn how to effectively communicate with your clients, your coworkers, and your supervisors. You will learn that communication is far more than verbal. In fact, studies indicate that only 7 percent of your message is verbal (the words you say), while 38 percent is (how you say the words) and 55 percent is visual.
So our overall appearance, our facial expressions, our body language, our posture, and gestures make up 55 percent of the message we are delivering. Each element is important, and all elements are critical if effective communication is to occur.
Let’s review:
1. What are the golden rules of human relations?
Answer:
-Communicate from your heart; problem-solve from your head.
-A smile is worth a million times more than a sneer.
-It is easy to make an enemy; it is harder to keep a friend.
-See what happens when you ask for help instead of just reacting.
-Show people you care by listening to them and trying to understand their points of view.
-Tell people how great they are (even when they are not acting so great).
-Being right is different from acting righteous.
-For every service you do for others, do not forget to do something for yourself.
-Laugh often.
-Show patience with other people’s flaws.
-Build shared goals; be a team player and a partner to your clients.
-Always remember that listening is the best relationship builder.
2. What is the definition of good communication?
Good communication is the act of successfully sharing information between two people, or groups of people, so that it is effectively understood.

30. Summary and Review (continued)
What are the elements of the ten-step consultation method?
List at least four points for handling unhappy clients.
List at least five things to remember when communicating with coworkers.
3. What are the elements of the ten-step consultation method?
Answer:
-Review the intake form that your client has filled out.
-Assess your client’s current style.
-Ask your client what he or she likes least and most about the current cut and style.
-Analyze or assess your client’s hair.
-Ask your client about his or her career and lifestyle.
-Encourage your client to flip through your style books and point out styles, or even parts of styles, that he or she likes and why; then repeat back what the client says.
-Once you have enough information to make valid style suggestions, narrow your selections.
-Recommend haircolor.
-Discuss upkeep or maintenance.
-Reiterate everything that you have agreed upon.
4. List at least four points for handling unhappy clients.
-Try to find out why the client is unhappy; ask for specifics.
-If it is possible to change what the client dislikes, do so immediately; if this is not possible, explain why.
-Call on a more experienced stylist or your salon manager for help.
- After you have tried everything, defer to your manager’s advice.
-Confer with your salon manager after the experience.
5. List at least five things to remember when communicating with coworkers.
-Treat everyone with respect.
-Remain objective.
-Be honest and sensitive.
-Remain neutral.
-Seek help from someone you respect.
-Do not take things personally.
-Keep your private life private.

31. You have completed one unit of study toward course completion.
Congratulations!
You have completed one unit of study toward course completion.