Chit Chat
Have you ever wondered how people become so close with their hair stylist and often form a sense of loyalty and friendship with them? The other day I was in my hair salon waiting for my turn and I was observing a conversation between a stylist and their client. This stylist was asking questions and having a conversation with their client as if they knew them personally. It got me thinking and I soon realized I too have this relationship with my stylist without even knowing it. I tell her everything and she knows my family and friends. It is something about sitting in that chair that almost has magical qualities and makes you want to spill!
EQ
In a salon environment, having a personal connection with your clients is extremely important. I always hear people saying how they talk to their hair stylist like he or she is their best friend. Emotional intelligence, or EQ (emotional quotient), involves understanding emotions, managing emotions to serve goals, empathizing with others, and effectively handling relationships. If a business manager has high emotional intelligence, they are more effective at influencing others, overcoming conflict, showing leadership, collaborating in teams, and managing change (Cardon, 2018). These are all extremely important qualities to have when working and managing a salon. According to Joanne Magana, the national coordinator and director for business education for the Eufora Salon Owners Network, “A little effort spent on increasing your EQ tends to have a wide-ranging, positive impact on your life.”
FRIENDSHIP
In order for customers to feel comfortable with you, they must trust you. The first step to this is establishing a friendship with them. The stylists with the highest cliental often have high EQ. EQ contributes to one’s ability to communicate clearly and constructively, overcome nerves, gain courage to talk to someone about bad news, motivate team members to move towards a common goal, respond well to disappointment and failure, and more. Some ways to develop your EQ involve self-awareness, self-management, active listening, asking the right questions, avoiding the wrong questions, reading non-verbal communication, adapting to the learning styles of others, and relationship management (Cardon, 2018). For managers, increasing their employee’s emotional intelligence is extremely beneficial to success in the workplace. If their employees gain clients, it helps their business.
Teamwork makes the dream work!
A good way to do boost employees EQ is through a team exercise where 4 groups are formed. The groups are the “let’s do it,” “speculating,” “caring,” and “detail” group. Employees will find the group that best fits their style. Each group must answer 5 questions:
- 1. What are the strengths of your style?
- 2. What are the limitations of your style?
- 3. What style do you find most difficult to work with and why?
- 4. What do people from other “directions” or styles need to know about you so you can work together effectively?
- 5. What’s one thing you value about each of the other three styles?
This will increase awareness about other people’s preferences and putting EQ into practice, which increases empathy and allows you to connect with clients and be successful!
References
Cardon, P. W. (2018). Business communication: Developing leaders for a networked world. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
Soble, S. (2017, July 19). Boosting Your Salon Team’s Emotional Intelligence or EQ – Salon Management. Retrieved from https://www.salontoday.com/article/81582/boosting-your-salon-team-s-emotional-intelligence-or-eq
Bella Vita 