Communication and Relationship building both play big parts in making you a successful beauty professional. Whether you are a makeup artist, hair stylist, or esthetician, you need to keep your clients happy and feeling important. Here are 5 ways to strengthen your relationships with clients, and keep them coming back for future appointments.

Encourage Them to Get Comfortable

Have you ever been to someone else’s house and felt like you weren’t quite comfortable? You may have felt like you didn’t know what to do with your hands, where to sit, or if you could take off your coat. Don’t let your clients feel like that when they visit you. Take their coat, offer them a beverage (if available), and encourage them to make themselves Comfortable.

The cleanliness of your station will make a huge impact on your client’s comfort level. Ensure to clean up after yourself. Present yourself professionally, and show them that you’re serious about your service. Be confident! You are skilled, and reassuring your client with confidence instills confidence in them.

Make Note of Things That Are Important to Them

Listen to your clients! If they talk about their kids, make note. If they shy away from some topics, keep those out of the conversation. Ask questions about ideas or topics that they bring up. Before they leave, tell them to have fun on their vacation or whatever other big event they brought up. Let them know that you were listening and thinking about what they were saying.

When they come back for their next appointment, bring up the kids or the job. When you remember personal details, they feel as though they were an important part of your day.

Be Honest

If you don’t think a haircut or color will look good on them, tell them. Don’t be afraid to use your expertise to drive them in the right direction. However, remember: there is a difference between being candid and being rude. Use tact to tell them your opinion. Bring up other pictures to show them your ideas. If you’re honest with them, they won’t be afraid to be honest with you if they don’t like the turn out. There is not a single relationship that doesn’t thrive on total honesty.

Follow Up

Ask them how their last cut or color was. What did they like about it right after? How did the color look after a few weeks? This shows clients that you are interested in them and their feelings. This also helps with the “making note” point. Make sure to jot down what colors they like to stray from or what cuts they don’t like.

The biggest follow up action to take is to ask to book them for their next appointment. Asking if you can book them a few weeks out for another visit shows them they you enjoyed working with them and are invested in their goals.

Know When to Keep the Conversation Going

It’s true, not everyone is outgoing and comfortable around strangers. Once you get to know clients, they may open up a bit more, but it’s important to take note of new clients and how they react. If they don’t seem to want to continue the conversation you’re having, move on to a new topic. If talking isn’t their thing, it’s OK to stay quiet. Sometimes that’s more comfortable for some clients. Just make sure to communicate on what you’re doing with their makeup, hair, or skincare service.

What Are Your Client Retention Tips?

What have you learned about retaining and improving client relationships? Make sure to share with us in the comments below!