What Your Client Wants

I had a hair raising experience last week that lasted 4 days. Literally, it had to do with my hair, yet the whole thing raised much more than that. Sparing you some of the less necessary details, I risked going to a new hairdresser last week. (Men, stay with me here. This applies to you, too.) An hour-ish later, I left the shop with the color being drastically not to my liking, the cut wasn't it, and the style was definitely not me. That was Wednesday afternoon. By Friday, I felt I'd given myself ample time to determine if the new-ness about it would settle in, or it was simply not what I wanted. I determined the latter to be the case.

Then came the question of whether to go back to this same guy or go to yet one more new person. My logic said to give the same guy a chance to make it right, and if that didn't work, never would I darken his doorway again. Saturday I was back in his chair, and walked out of his shop 90 minutes later a happy camper.

What happened on Wednesday that caused the misstep? He never asked me what I wanted. He thought he knew what I'd like, based on his own professional expertise and his quick assessment of my appearance and personality. WRONG. He never asked me -- just kept telling me how great he thought that color would be, and how this shaping would be, and all of what he thought.

Have you ever done that with a new client? I suspect I've been guilty of it once or twice. Okay, maybe three times. It could have been a one-time sale this guy made if I'd chosen to go to someone else to correct it. Now he's got a very high likelihood of my being a loyal and continuing client of his. I liked what he did on the correction, and I liked how he handled the whole situation of wanting to please me to the best of his capability. He almost didn't have the chance to do that, and probably could have avoided the whole thing if he had first asked me things instead of making assumptions that he knew what I'd want.

Ask your client clarifying questions of the number of booklets, how they want them customized, how far in advance they need them, and anything else you think will help your client determine their own best decisions. Then give them what they want. They will be much more inclined to come back and buy more.

Until next time,
Paulette - asking what it is that you want
www.tipsbooklets.com