This is a 10 installment blog series of the top 10 things you should say, ask or tell (or should not) when consulting, selling to or interacting with a male client.

Originally I was to do a ten part series on consultation questions, but when I got to the third question I realized there are not ten questions.  Instead of a blog series I was going to end up with a single post.  I wanted a series.  I dug a bit deeper and realized that the guy conversations are short, specific and to the point.  I realized I can capture the total essence of guy haircut communication in 10 posts.  This would be a combination of questions, commands and statements.

Most importantly it is all about confidence and control.  Guys will be happy to let you control the interaction.  They just need and want to feel your confidence in the subject matter and the task at hand.  If you can ask the questions from a position of control and make the statements with a high level of confidence male clients will simple do what they are told.  Generally.

Talking point #1 – Consultation questions

The key to guy haircut consultation is shared below.

How long has it been since your last haircut? Is this interval normal for you?  These are the two big questions.  These tell us nearly all we need to know.  The answers and the form the answers take will provide the guidance we need to cut these guys up and send these guys out satisfied.

Hair grows ½” per month.  If a guy tells you it has been 4 weeks since his last cut you can be confident that ½” of what you are seeing is new since the last cut.  Six months = three inches.  This simple math lets you visualize what he looked like when he got up out of the chair last time.  Since, overwhelmingly the phrase “same as last time” is likely to come up in a few seconds.  Last time is something important to know.

Be aware of the way he answers as well as the answer itself.  There is a huge difference between “one month” vs. “I got my hair cut 4 weeks ago just before a wedding”. Short, simple, one word answers speak volumes.  Complete sentences, paragraphs and stories say something totally different.  The length and detail of his answers indicates the intensity of his interest in the conversation.  The rule of thumb is that if he provides one word answers never ask more than three questions.  If you probe deeper he will quickly begin to doubt your competence.  If he launches into a detailed story, listen up.  This is a guy who has clear ideas or at the very least desires more detailed attention and engagement.

The question of the normalcy of the haircut interval probes to his overall attitude and level of care for his hair.  There are guys who get a haircut consistently, every two weeks, for decades.  There are others who only find their way to a haircutter after they have been told to do so by a parent, spouse or legal guardian.  Knowing which camp this guy resides in will provide valuable insights into the service and attention he will prefer.

A client who has had their last cut 4 weeks ago and acknowledges that this interval is pretty consistent for them is a very easy client to make quite happy.  Do not over think the project.  Do not overdo the consultation.  Deliver a great haircut and move on.

Up next, “same as last time?”