Welcome to another Tuesday Tips! I really wish I had some exciting introduction to write every time to you guys, but I am not that type of girl. "Hello Gorgeous/Beauty/Queen" seems so plaaaayed out. My personality is straight to the point, so my blogs are too.

This week I want to talk about “over promising” and why you want to avoid it at all costs.

When I started at my first salon in hair school, the owner and master stylist always reminded us to "under promise and over deliver." Easy enough. But then what happens when you have been out of hair school for one week, newly licensed, and you have a color correction of your dreams (nightmares are dreams, right?) walk into the door. Hello $600 dollars, lots of box hair dye, but the end goal is a gorgeous blonde.

You under promise.

You have a bride reach out to you on The Knot. She sends you her inspiration photos. She wants to look like Kim Kardashian (but natural, of course. *insert eye-roll*) You look up her Facebookprofile, but none of her photos show her with any makeup on except for mascara. Features wise, she is as far opposite from Kim K. as possible, and remember she said "not a lot of makeup."

You under promise.

This is where trials and consultations will save you. You invited your client to spend some time with you, but make sure if you’re opening your kit and utilizing your skills and tools that you’re charging your client accordingly. A consultation can be complimentary. For complimentary consultations, remember to limit them to around 15 minutes. Anything longer than that where a service is being performed is a trial, and you should charge for your time and tools/products that are going to be used.

What to include in your consultation:

Price: Estimated** If its hair, tattoo cover up, etc.

Process: Is this one session, two sessions, or more? Do you need lashes, air brush, or more makeup than the client is used to?

Photos of their inspiration: Remind your client this is only an inspiration, and they’re not guaranteed the same exact results as the photos. Ask discovery questions to see which parts of the look they’re most inspired by.

Photo of your previous work you'd think they'd enjoy, especially if you’ve done a similar look to the one they’re asking for.

Payment Plan

Contract

Even with the consultation, under promise. If you think it will take two sessions, tell them three. If you think they will feel like its a lot of makeup for them, take the time to pause periodically and ask them questions. This will be an opportunity for you to gauge whether you can continue to build intensity, or if you need to scale it back.

A trial and/or consultation can save you time, energy, and client miscommunication. It can be what goes from a bad Yelp! review to a great one. WE are the pros. We have to remember that clients, even though many are savvy, are not in our industry. With social media and celebrities, the expectations vs reality are sometimes unrealistic. It’s up to us to communicate and ask questions. Give them your honest comments and concerns. At the end of the day; we are the professional. Not YouTube. (Unless, you also have a YouTube channel. But, really, you in real life are the professional. YouTube is just the platform to share).

Okay, see you next week!