We explore how proper diagnosis transforms stylists from service providers to trusted beauty guides, creating undeniable value that clients can't resist.
• The moment when you see a client's Pinterest dream but know it won't work with their current hair
• Why proper diagnosis builds trust, retention, confidence, and higher ticket prices
• Most service providers are customizing based on vibes, not science
• The three-part diagnosis system: Color Analysis, Face Shape Analysis, and Lifestyle Analysis
• Reframing "pushy" selling as showing what's possible and freeing clients from decision fatigue
• Using a hair strand microscope for team training to build consultation confidence
• People crave personalized beauty expertise - even successful professionals outside the industry
Text DIAGNOSE to 469-283-5590 to receive our free salon owner training guide with scripts, color analysis tools, face shape cheat sheets, lifestyle coaching prompts, and retail recommendation training.
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Episode Transcript
Have you ever had a guest sit in your chair, show
you a photo of a hair color thatthey saw on Pinterest or
Instagram and the second youpart their hair?
You already know this isn'tgoing to work.
You know you can see thebanding, the damage, the
brassiness that will happenbefore it even starts.
You know it won't last.
(00:21):
You know it's not going toflatter their tone.
You know the maintenance isgoing to stress them out, but
you freeze because they're soldon the dream and you don't want
to sound like the fun police.
You know that's what today'sepisode is all about how to
diagnose like a pro.
So you don't have to convinceyou, get to lead like a pro so
(00:45):
you don't have to convince youget to lead.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Yeah, awesome, sound like the fun police.
I like that one.
So let's dive into step four ofour nine step process, which is
diagnosis.
It's the one step that, whendone right, doesn't just grow
your salons average ticket, itgrows your trust, your retention
and confidence behind the chair.
So if your team doesn't knowhow to diagnose properly, they
(01:10):
are unintentionally damaging theguest experience and listen up,
that's leaving thousands,thousands of dollars behind.
You know, this is the momentwhere your beauty pros stop
being just a service providerand they step into their true
role.
Is that beauty guide?
And when that shift happens,the entire business changes.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
So good.
You know and here's what no onetells you Most service
providers are guessing.
You know they're customizingbased on vibes.
They're picking products bybrands, not by biology.
They're skipping the one stepthat actually makes a client say
wow, this person gets me.
(01:57):
You know, diagnosis is whereyour value becomes undeniable,
it's where your price makessense.
It's where your guest says yesto a product without you even
having to pitch it, because whena client feels understood, they
don't need convincing.
They trust you, they followyour lead, they tell their
(02:19):
friends and they stop priceshopping salons because they
know that they're going.
What they're going to get withyou is personal, it's not just
generic, you know.
So let me tell you a story.
You know, back in the black,very pearl days yeah, those
ancient times where, you know,we thought a track ball was so
(02:39):
cool.
You know, I was setting up myphone and I accidentally saved
my name is Linda cool.
You know, I was setting up myphone and I accidentally saved
my name is Linda.
You know, I blinked twice, hitthe wrong button and boom, linda
was born and for the life of meI couldn't figure out how to
change it.
So every contact, every BBM,every group thread.
It all said Linda.
And here's the kicker to thisday I still have friends who
(03:04):
call me Linda.
Why?
Because nobody ever correctedit.
It became part of my identityeven though it wasn't accurate.
And that's what your clientsare doing right now, walking
around with the wrong hair color, the wrong cut, the wrong
products, and nobody has takenthe time to say, hey, that's not
(03:28):
actually you.
You know, diagnosis is themoment when you help someone
remember who they are and revealwhat's been hiding underneath.
You know that's not selling youguys.
That's sacred.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
I love that that's not selling that sacred, that's
sacred.
I love that that's not sellingthat's sacred.
That's so powerful.
So let's break it down.
This is the three partdiagnosis system.
So, if you're a salon owner,grab a notebook.
This is a writer downer.
Um.
So these three steps are whatwe teach inside salon business
school and they're about tochange everything.
Um, how you coach your team,everything about how you coach
(04:05):
your team.
So the step number one first isthe color analysis, and this is
more than just seeing a shade.
This is not.
Hey, do you want to be warm orcool today?
Can you imagine asking a clientthat do you want to be warm or
cool today?
Like, uh, what does that evenmean?
Right, this is actually thescience of identifying undertone
(04:26):
, seasonality and energeticharmony.
And here's the thing yourclients have no idea this exists
.
You know, when you hold upcolor flags, when you point out
the clarity in their eyes withthe right shade, when you say
this color won't look, justwon't look.
Let me say it again this colorwon't just look good, it will
(04:48):
feel right.
You know you create a momentthat client will never forget.
You know, we once had a clientsay I didn't know red could look
this good on me.
I always thought I had to avoidit, but now I wear it all the
time.
I get so many compliments and Ifeel like me again.
And that client didn't just buythe color service, she bought
(05:09):
the lipstick, the gloss, the youknow everything.
Um, because when you showsomeone what enhances them so
powerful, like if you truly showsomeone what enhances them, you
unlock desire and that leads toaction.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
Yeah, nothing better when you unlock that desire.
I love that, jen.
And step two is the face shapeanalysis.
You know.
So this is where you begin todesign the frame, you know, so
you become the architect oftheir confidence.
You know, architect of theirconfidence, you know, because
haircuts aren't just aboutwhat's trendy, they're about
(05:54):
proportion, framing, balance.
You know, because what we knowis beauty has math behind it.
And when you stop and say, letme take a moment to study your
face shape before we decide on acut or layers, you know you
interpret their pattern of justlike.
You're no longer just copyingthose Pinterest images and
you're actually starting toco-create a signature look.
(06:16):
You know, and that's when theysay no one has ever done that
for me.
Guess what happens next?
Rebooks, raving fans, referrals, because now they're not
wearing a haircut, they'rewearing a design just for them.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
So good.
So we have step one, the coloranalysis, step two, the face
shape analysis.
So step three is going to bethe lifestyle analysis, and this
is we're going to berecommending what they actually
use.
Um, listen up, guys, we don'tsell fantasy, we sell function
shoes.
Listen up, guys, we don't sellfantasy, we sell function.
So we, we aren't more stylists.
(07:01):
So if you think about it, like,why aren't more stylists asking
questions like you know, howlong do you have to style your
hair in the morning?
Or another good one is like doyou go to the gym or are you
outdoors a lot or are you tryingto?
You have a special occasion,are you trying to grow out your
hair, you know, to a certainlength, or you're just trying to
maintain your look?
And so when you ask thosequestions, you, your
recommendation actually sticksbecause it actually fits to
(07:24):
what's important for the guest.
You know we had the um, aservice provider, run the script
on a guest who used to say noto retail.
Every single time You've everhad those clients in your salon
Like no, no, no, no.
But this time, after a fewlifestyle questions, she said
you know, honestly, I'm justtired of my hair Always feeling
(07:45):
dry by day two.
Boom, there's the diagnosis.
It's the diagnosis is actuallydry ends.
And then you get.
Then you're able to get theprescription, which is going to
be a hydrating leave in or asoap pillowcase or whatever you
may feel is best for her, and atthat time the client bought
both and she messaged the salona week later and she said this
(08:09):
is the first time in a year thatI woke up and didn't hate my
hair.
You know, that's the power ofasking the right questions.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I love that when, when they really have that
transformation and they let youknow, that's amazing, you know.
Let's, let's clear.
You know one of the biggestblocks that keeps most service
providers or beauty pros broke,and that's I don't want to sound
(08:41):
pushy.
Maybe you've heard this before.
As a salon owner, I don't wantto sound pushy, but here's how
we reframe that, because you'renot pushing anything.
Reframe that.
Because you're not pushinganything, you're showing what's
possible.
You're not selling products.
You're restoring identity.
You're not forcing the sale.
You're freeing the guest fromdecision fatigue and security
(09:08):
and even like underwhelmingresults, you know.
So if your team is stuck inthis belief that talking about
products or upgrading a serviceis salesy, then what they're
really saying is I don't believewhat I have is worth offering.
You know.
But when your team believes inwhat they're doing, you guys,
(09:31):
that's when they're unstoppable.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Yeah.
So I feel like, okay, thissounds great, but how like?
I feel like I know this, buthow do I implement it to our
team?
And so one of our favorite waysto teach this is through a team
game called the microscopemystery.
So this is definitely thewriter downer, and so this is
where we bring out a hair strainmicroscope Like.
You can honestly get these onAmazon.
(09:55):
I think the last time wechecked were they 20, $25?
.
Lindsay, do you remember?
Speaker 1 (09:59):
Yeah $25.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
You can actually, you know, get live models or even
use samples and you'll analyzereal scalp and strand conditions
using this microscope and theteam.
The service writers can work inteams to diagnose the issue,
match it to the right productand pitch it as if they were
talking to a guest.
We did this natural.
(10:22):
And go at a salon meeting andthe room lights up.
You hear people say things likehey, I never realized buildup
could cause thinning, or Ididn't know what that white
flake actually was until now, orlike this makes it so easy to
explain to clients.
(10:43):
And then you can give bonuspoints, not just for the right
answer, but for how well theydeliver it, because that's
really important as well.
You know, are they persuasive?
Are they confident?
Are they helping the guests seethe value?
Because when a beauty pro orservice provider can do that,
they're not selling, they'reenrolling people in their own
(11:05):
transformation.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
I love that, jen.
I love you know that microscope.
And if you have a team, youknow of lash artists or you know
you offer facials you can usethat same tool to get up there
and show somebody up close totheir lashes, be like, hey, you
know, here's why it's importantthat you take this bubble lash
treatment home and use one ofour brushes.
You know, I want to show youthe little debris that's sitting
(11:30):
down there by your lash lineand if you cleanse that, your
lashes will last longer.
You know, helping them throughthat diagnosis portion, no
matter what area of the beautyindustry you're in.
And you know, I think one ofthe most important things that
we need to do is we either needto track it or trash it when
we're doing stuff, because youknow we have to know if it's
(11:52):
working.
You know.
So we need to know are all ofthe beauty pros doing the three
parts of the diagnosis the color, the shape, the lifestyle?
You know, are they upsellingthe full look, not just services
?
You know our clients rebookingfaster and buying more retail,
because diagnosis is a teachableskill and if you track it you
(12:18):
can grow it, but if you skip it,you stall your sales.
People look for another salon.
You know that's how you keepeating through.
You know that industrystatistic of only 24% of new
clients stay, you know.
So this is so simple.
Do not sleep on it today.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
Yeah, you know, lindsay, it takes me back to
when we were in Mexico last week.
You're like, oh, this soundsgood, but do people really want
this kind of stuff?
And I remember we were at amarketing conference and we were
the only salon owners there andyou know we're in the beauty
industry.
We like to have our hair done,our clothes done.
You know everything's lookingput together and I remember us
sitting at a table and at thattable eating dinner and there
(13:03):
was a group of people beside ofus and we got into the
conversation of color analysisand these are very affluent,
successful people.
You know some of them runningreally big companies, and you
know they were like, well, whatdo you think I am?
What do you think would lookbest on me?
Like, oh my gosh, I've beentold winner by, you know, you
know another company and I neverthought that was true for me.
(13:25):
And so, like, we spent the theentire conversation helping them
create a complete look, and sothat really got me thinking in
that moment.
You guys, people really wantthis, they're craving this and
we get to be the environment, weget to be the place that
creates this for them and, likeLindsay was saying earlier,
that's what's really going totruly create that.
You know that raving fan, thatthat um.
(13:47):
You know that client thatrefers every person they meet to
you because you created thattransformation for them.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
Yeah, I love that, jen.
You know and there's so manysimple tricks.
You know that we teach insidethe salon business school and
teach inside of our salon, likeyou know, just even one of the
people at the table that I wastalking to when we were talking
about color analysis, you knowshe was like I'm just so low
maintenance, I just wear my hairup in a ponytail all the time.
Well, let's look at what themost flattering spot is for your
(14:16):
ponytail, and so we just kindof adjusted where she was, you
know, kind of wearing a midponytail and, you know, based on
her face shape, if she wore ahigh ponytail it would lift her
face and really enhance her faceshape.
And so she just messaged me theother day and she said, wow, I
can't believe what a differenceit makes, like in pictures and
on video.
(14:36):
And so you know she was reallygrateful and you know this was a
simple dinner conversation,like Jen mentioned.
People really do crave this,you know.
And if you're ready to shiftfrom random recommendations to a
repeatable revenue generatingsystem, if you want to equip
your team with real consultationconfidence, we have an amazing
(15:01):
gift for you.
Go ahead and text the worddiagnose.
That's D I, a, g N O S, e, 2, 4, 6, 9, 2, 8, 3, 5, 5, 9, 0.
We'll drop it in the show notesso that you can send that over,
and what we'll do is we'll sendyou our salon owner training
(15:24):
guide.
And what we'll do is we'll sendyou our salon owner training
guide, the three-step diagnosissystem that sells without
feeling salesy, completely free.
You guys, we love you.
We want to send it to you forfree, and inside of it you'll
get scripts your team can startusing today.
You know, color analysis,teaching tools, face shape cheat
sheets, lifestyle coachingprompts, retail recommendation,
(15:48):
training and a framework tomeasure and track results.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Yeah, so this is the system we use in our own salons.
That um that's ranked in thetop probably 0.001% of the
country for new client growth.
So this isn't fluff, this isactually a formula.
So grab your phones.
Text DIAGNOSE D-I-A-G-N-O-S-Ethat sounded like a cheer right
(16:15):
D-I-A-G-N-O-S-E to 469-283-5590.
And watch your team go fromguessing to glowing, Because
when you teach your team todiagnose with confidence, your
guests leave saying I never feltmore like myself.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Awesome.
I love that.
We'll see you next week onSalon Success Secrets Podcast.
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