Have you ever wondered… how on earth do people know how to pick a stylist that is a good fit for them?! Where to even start? In this video, you will learn 8 questions you need to ask to save you the costly and time-consuming mistake of working with the wrong stylist because you don’t know what you don’t know. So get ready to learn how to hire the perfect stylist for you!
Question number 1:
How do I know you’re the right stylist for me? Or the million-dollar question: Why should I work with you? This is a really good and loaded question. Everyone is different and wants something different from a stylist. The first thing you need to make sure is do you like the stylist’s vibe and taste? Does he or she have the taste level and sophistication you are looking for? If looking sophisticated, polished, and well put together is what you want, you need to make sure the stylist looks pretty darn chic and stylish. Some stylists are in fact color specialists but don’t necessarily dress stylishly, which works for people who are only interested in wearing their best colors. The clients that I attract want to look polished and sophisticated so they look like a credible, qualified, and successful professional. They want to stand out and differentiate themselves with a branded style. It has everything to do with quality and branding. So, what you want to do is to be attuned to the language the stylist is using in their marketing. Although stylists should not project their own personal brand style on someone else, we all have an overall vibe or trademark, and most importantly taste level that will translate onto our clients. For example, although I will not project my own personal style on a client, it’s important to me that my clients look stylish and sophisticated even if their style is to wear jeans on a daily basis. So if looking more chic & sophisticated is important to you, you want to gauge the stylist’s overall vibe from the way they dress to the way their website and marketing look in addition to paying close attention to their languaging. If you don’t particularly like the way a stylist dresses, then keep looking. Don’t even pause for a second. It’s not the right fit. If you really like the way a stylist dresses even if it’s not your own style, start a conversation. You need to really like the stylist’s taste level. You also want to look for cues that talk about the results you want to achieve because all testimonials will sound nice, so pay attention to the languaging people in the testimonials are using. For example, my marketing language is all about defining a brand image and looking more sophisticated or polished and therefore more credible and successful. My testimonials talk about this and how my clients increase their income after working with me. I teach about colors, but it’s not my main focus. Define what you really want and then look at the testimonials.
Question number 2:
Where do you typically shop? The answer will probably be it depends on the client’s needs and budget. Then ask if it’s a limited budget, which store do you typically shop at? If the answer is in local boutiques or lower end stores like Forever 21, Zara, or H&M and your goal is to look more polished and sophisticated like a successful professional, then you know they probably are not the stylist you are looking for. Local boutiques have a very limited selection, which defeats the purpose of getting you the best array of options for your brand. The stylist probably gets a commission on the clothes you buy and the quality is typically not the greatest for what you pay for depending on the store. If the quality is good, the prices will be very high. So if your budget is limited, the answer should be in high-end outlet stores where you will pay similar prices if not less than the stores mentioned above, but get way better-looking clothes that will make you look like a really credible professional. I find the Discounted high end online sites and flash sales sites also great if not much better because of the greater selection.
Question number 3:
What kind of results/comments did your past clients have? Make sure the stylist talks about the results YOU want to achieve. It could be the type of look you want, how it affected past clients’ bottom line, or anything you want to get out of the service. Request to see their look book with before and after pictures of their clients. Do you like what you see? Even if the people don’t dress like you, do they look polished or stylish to the standards you would like to achieve? Also, look for cues in testimonials that speak to what you want and I would also look for signs where people talk about the stylist listening to their needs and not imposing their own style on them. Also, listen to what the stylist will tell you and the type of language he or she uses when it comes to results. Does it fit your goals?
Question number4:
What process and criteria do you use when doing clothes selection? This question is to make sure the stylist listens well and takes into consideration your wants and needs. Here they should definitely talk about using your intake questionnaire to respect what you want and don’t want. You don’t want them to pick silhouettes you already stated you didn’t want. This will result in a lot of time and money wasted on your part. The stylist should take into consideration your style, taste, preferences, flattering silhouettes for your body type, power colors, age appropriateness, and quality of clothes if your goal is to look polished.
Question number 5:
How do I know if you will listen to my wants/needs? The stylist should have an intake questionnaire (stylist asks a series of questions to know more about you, your style, your tastes, and your preferences). I personally have a question at the end asking to reiterate if there is anything I should know about that is important to you before going shopping. Sometimes, the stylist might want to push your limits a bit to open you up to new possibilities despite what you wrote in the intake form, which has changed people’s lives, but if there is something you are animate about, you should state it there. You should also refer to testimonials and see what people say. I have heard of stylists not listening to what their clients wanted and it resulted in a lot of time and money wasted. So make sure you do your homework. Contact the people referred to in the testimonials if need be.
Question number 6:
What’s your why? Why did you become a stylist? Here you want the stylist to have a deeper reason than I love fashion because this in and of itself is fine, but it might not necessarily speak to why does she care about you and your transformation. You want to feel a sense of connection to the stylist when talking about this. As long as you connect with the stylist and what she or he is telling you, then it’s a good start.
Question number 7:
Why is personal style important? How do you define personal style? As a speaker, leader, and entrepreneur, you are the face of your company and you need to represent your brand in a way that commands credibility instantly and that is authentically you. You also need to represent your brand in a consistent manner. For example, it’s not a good idea to wear a business suit to one speaking event and then decide you feel bohemian and decide to wear a flowy maxi dress to the next speaking engagement. People need to get who you are in a consistent manner as we all know confusion leads to a no. If you are a business owner or speaker, you need to define your brand style. Even corporate professionals benefit from having a clear brand style. They stand out and get ahead. Stylists who don’t mention branding when you ask them this question are probably not fully grasping the importance of it and probably don’t know how to successfully execute it.
Question number 8:
How do I know if it works? Here the simple answer should be along those lines: You will know by How you will FEEL and also people might treat you differently. You might see a big difference or a subtle one. Either way, it means you are now impacting people on another level and most likely inspiring them. You will also get more compliments than you are used to. A lot of people have a hard time believing it, but the perfect personal image unique to you and executed in a tasteful and quality-oriented way typically means more clients or business opportunities will come your way along with a higher income. If the stylist doesn’t mention any of this and simply says something like “you will look better and feel more confident” without mentioning any tangible results, I probably would keep looking.
I created a really fun and quick assessment that will help you learn more about your own style. Click here to access it. In it, you will learn what personal brand style you are, how you can inspire your brand and specific stores you should start paying attention to.
À la prochaîne!
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