Neil Osborne explains how authentic questions enhance client interaction and engagement during consultations.
In a crowded aesthetic market where the most valuable currency is attention, it’s crucial to hook and engage your clients with authentic communication and interactions. So much so, that it’s almost become an art form. And at the heart of these approaches, lies a simple yet powerful tool: the question.
Why questions matter
Questions are the most useful and adaptable tool of communication. They engage, provoke thought, and invite your listener to participate in a conversation. Unlike statements, which can come off as one-sided, questions create a dialogue. They transform passive recipients into active participants, making them more likely to invest their time and energy in what you’re offering.
Consider this: when you ask someone a question, their brain is hardwired to search for an answer. It’s an instinctive response. For salon owners and staff, this instinct can be harnessed to create a connection between you and a prospective client. By posing a question, you’re not just delivering information, you’re inviting them to join you on a journey of discovery.
Crafting the perfect question
However, not all questions are created equal. A strong question is relevant, clear, and aligned with the needs and desires of your client. It should tap into their pain points, aspirations, or curiosity. For instance, if you’re offering a solution to a common skin challenge, a question like “Is your skin routine struggling to keep up with the pace of your life?” immediately resonates with people who are feeling overwhelmed. Why? It’s specific, direct, and most importantly, it speaks to the reality of your client’s everyday experience.
The goal is to create a moment of recognition – a realisation that you understand their challenges and have something valuable to offer. A well-crafted question does more than just grab attention, it fosters a sense of empathy and understanding, which are critical in building trust.
The psychology behind the hook
The reason questions are so effective in hooking clients lies in the psychology of human interaction. When faced with a question, particularly one that’s open-ended or reflective, people naturally engage in deeper thinking. This mental engagement creates a stronger connection to the subject, and by extension, to you as the communicator.
Developing a portfolio of open-ended questions allows you to truly discover and understand what’s going in your client’s mind. This technique is especially powerful during a consultation. An engaging question can significantly increase their involvement in the conversation, compared to a straightforward statement.
“A well-crafted question does more than just grab attention, it fosters a sense of empathy and understanding, which are critical in building trust.”
Turning interest into action
Once you’ve hooked a client with a strong question, the next step is to guide them toward action.
This is where the broader communication strategy comes into play. Your content should provide answers, solutions, or insights that address the questions posed. Doing so fulfills the promise implied by the initial hook and it builds a clear path to take them from interest to conversion.
Strong communication techniques, particularly questions, are essential tools in engaging and maintaining clients. They create dialogue between you, foster trust, and pave the way for meaningful connections. By mastering the art of the question, you and your team can more effectively consult and interact – both of which stand out from the crowd in a competitive landscape.
Neil Osborne is a master trainer, revenue growth mentor and entrepreneur. He’s dramatically grown hundreds of service-based brands and businesses with his Spendsuasion® method, and worked exclusively in the salon, clinic and aesthetic markets for more than three decades. Learn more at www.spendsuasion.com.au.
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