The most important skill you must take into the industry with you when you graduate with a Cosmetology (Esthetics, Barbering, Massage Therapy, Nail Technology, etc.) Education – is the skill to develop rapport with people. Notice, I did not simply say with your clientele – with people. What people? Managers, co-workers, clientele, and anyone who might send business your way.
Leo Passage, the president and founder of Pivot Point International makes the following statement, in the forward of the book People Skills: Your Personal Guide to Salon Success
by Robert Wright:
[Quote] As industry research points out, experts believe that as much as 80 – 85 percent of your success depends on your ability to deal effectively with people – your clients, your co-workers, the boss. (And only 15 – 20 percent of your success is dependent on technical ability!) [End Quote]
Mr. Passage goes on to tell the story of how he worked with a young designer who was only a few months out of Beauty School. Her combouts didn’t look as though they had been combed at all! Leo, on the other hand, was an award winning, world champion designer working in the same salon. Imagine his surprise when this young lady, whose combouts left much to be desired, became the highest paid hair stylist in the salon! Why? Mr. Passage states in the forward – [Quote] She took the time to learn about people, to consult with them about their needs, and to show that she cared…[End Quote]
There are many successful business people who understand the overwhelming importance of people skills. The good news is, you do not have to have a degree in psychology to begin to enhance your ability to develop rapport with people. There are numerous self-help books on success that will guide you in the right direction. If you are serious about being head and shoulders above the average beauty school graduate – check out some literature by the following authors: John Gray, Ph.D., Dale Carnegie, Anthony Robbins, Doe Lang, Ph.D., Zig Ziglar, Norman Vincent Peale.
One of my favorite inspirational authors, Anthony Robbins gives the reader unique ways to develop and strengthen people skills. In his book, Unlimited Power : The New Science Of Personal Achievement
, Mr Robbins writes an entire chapter devoted to The Magic of Rapport. Another chapter is dedicated to How to Handle Resistance and Solve Problems, and yet another chapter devoted to people skills is The Power of Persuasion. In the chapter describing the magic of rapport, the reader learns that to establish rapport we must create or discover things in common with one another – but we don’t create rapport simply through conversation. The most effective rapport is developed through words and physiology combined. For instance, a client is in your chair, they are speaking loudly – laughing – smiling – using hand gestures. You smile, you laugh with them, and purposefully use the same types of hand gestures when possible — your client soon will naturally feel something in common with you. Perhaps the next client speaks in a softer tone – you also speak in a soft tone. When you do this, when you mirror your client’s demeanor, notice how they respond. This is simply one effective way to develop rapport without ever opening up a book on psychology!
Doe Lang, the author of CHARISMA will teach the reader thirteen kinds of charisma. The author also teaches how to stop putting yourself down; how to find your true best voice; projecting the charisma within you; overcoming performance anxiety, and more.
One communication skill all beauty school graduates need to develop, is the art of reading another’s body language. How can you tell if a client is truly happy with you? Sure, you may receive a tip from them the first time you provide a service… but are they going to come back – again and again? Learn to interpret body language, and you will have a very good idea. If you do not understand how to use your own body language, and interpret other’s body language – you may be perpetually harming your own business activities in the salon and spa.
Those who are successful, whether knowingly or by accident, are most certainly body language connoisseurs. There are numerous books on body language, and endless web pages to scroll through. My favorite website has a link that will lead you through about 70 pages of information on body language. The link is on www.changingminds.org.
www.changingminds.org educates us that body language is a vital part of communication which can make up 50 percent or more of what we communicate. Body language comes in clusters of signals and postures, depending on the internal emotions and mental state of the persons communicating. Recognizing a whole cluster is incredibly more reliable than trying to interpret individual elements of one’s body language. Below are examples of different types of body language you can learn to interpret by understanding the cluster of signals and postures of your clientele.
• Aggressive body language
• Attentive body language
• Bored body language
• Deceptive body language
• Defensive body language
• Dominant body language
• Evaluating body language
• Power body language
• Relaxed body language
• Submissive body language
You can send signals with individual parts of the body as well as in concert. The following is a list of different parts of the body which communicate messages – many times unwittingly: Face, Cheek, Chin, Mouth, Lips, Teeth, Tongue, Nose, Eyes, Eyebrow, Forehead, Hair, Elbow, Hand, Finger, Neck, Shoulder, Chest, Back, Belly, Bottom, Hips, Legs, Thigh, Knee, and Foot.
Here are some foot body language examples. Tapping the foot can be a sign of impatience as the person gets into a kind of tense repetitive state. The foot becomes like a clock’s pendulum, marking and moving on time.
The direction a person’s feet are pointing is generally where they would prefer to be. If an attractive member of the opposite sex is in the vicinity, watch where the feet point. If there is an interesting conversation – do the feet point toward the conversationalists (then they like the conversation) or away (they really want to run in the opposite direction!).
As for me, if you could see me right now, I am facing you with my palms open (and a huge smile) and I am inviting you to come back and view my website in about 2 ½ weeks, because that is when I will be launching my website makeover with links to information on over 1,000 accredited beauty schools in the United States that I will be recommending to those who are thinking about choosing the best cosmetology college to attend. See www.finallywhatyouneed.com ‘s website makeover very soon!
[...] successful cosmetologists have people skills [...]