Picture this: A client comes into the salon every eight weeks, each time leaving with a fresh blowout that perfectly frames her face. But come day three, her hair has fallen flat, and she’s frustrated that she doesn’t know how to recreate the style at home. Though she hasn’t outright said it, she has expressed that she’s not getting the most out of her salon visits.
Adam Livermore, Oribe educator, experienced this with a client and realized he needed to act on it. "Having good hair is an ongoing process and I know my clients can't see me every day,” he says. In his mind, you're doing your client a disservice if you fail to provide them with the proper products, technique and strategy they need to achieve great hair at home.
While you may fear a drop in business from sharing your top-notch styling techniques with your clientele, Livermore says it has the complete opposite effect. "More happy clients walking around with fantastic hair every day means more referrals," he says. "The more in-depth I get in teaching my clients self-styling techniques and product knowledge, the more trust they invest in me as their go-to. They see how much art and science goes into the design choices I make for them."
Of course, your advice will vary greatly depending on who's sitting in your chair, but Livermore thinks there are a few key points you should hit during every appointment. First, make your client aware that shampoo and conditioner play a huge role in styling. "Choosing the combination and getting the frequency right will solve about 50 percent of your client's hair issues," Livermore says.
He also finds it helpful to teach clients how to perform the techniques while they're sitting in your chair.
"It’s the best time to teach them," Livermore says. "Sometimes I’ll tell them to put their phone up on my mirror and record the process so they can refer to it when they're at home. They can see exactly which products to use, how much to use, where to put it and which tools to use—there are no questions left unanswered."
For salon and at-home use, Livermore has a few go-tos that make the most of second-, third-, and even fourth-day hair. "My must-haves are Oribe Gold Lust Dry Shampoo to dry-clean the roots and Oribe Mystify to release ponytail kinks or wrinkles, hydrate the ends, protect hair up to 450 degrees and reactivate yesterday’s products," Livermore says. "A good moisturizer like Oribe Supershine Light is always a good idea, too. Clients can use it every day."