The success behind great creative colour lies in the consultation, but what are the common pitfalls many hairdressers get wrong? Paul Mitchell educator, Victoria Panting, shares all.

The biggest mistake I see is hairdressers not taking enough time in the consultation to thoroughly understand the investment the client has in their hair. To clarify, when we are talking about ‘investment’, in this scenario we are talking about the financial investment and time invested. It is vital to understand this from the perspective of your client from the get-go to prevent any change of direction mid-appointment.

Let’s start with financial investment. This topic should always be handled sensitively, and I always like to give a personal tip – do not judge a book by its cover. 

Have an open conversation with your client about how much they have budgeted for their hair today; this will help you understand their financial comfort level. By having this conversation, you may find that what they want to achieve doesn’t sit within their budget,
so it allows you to recommend an alternative service. 

Other things to consider when discussing financial investment in hair with your client are how much your client has budgeted for haircare to maintain their colour. This means it’s more important to educate your client on the importance of home maintenance.

It’s also important to find out how often your client can afford to visit the salon for colour refreshes. Recommend a service with maintenance that matches their budget.

Next, let’s consider investment in time. How much time can your client invest in their hair? Today – if they are tight on time, can we achieve what they want within that time?

This also relates to appointment frequency – ask yourself will this service require a monthly visit to the salon, is this a realistic expectation for your client? If not, will an alternative service provide the longevity your client is looking for?

Finally, can you recommend any retail products which will help the client to maintain their look at home at a time and frequency that suits them? Setting realistic expectations when it comes to ‘investments’ is vital to a happy client.