Talk To The Glass…
The great escape artist, Harry Houdini, had “penetrating” eyes. They would fix one like a magnet and seem to bore right into the brain. Dracula had those as well, I hear.
One of the most important skills for the successful cosmetologist or barber is “connection” - the ability to make the other person realize you are totally focused on them. One of the best ways to achieve this is looking straight into their eyes, unblinking, unhurried, steady.
What we sometimes fail to understand is how much the mirror in front of us hinders this connection. Well, very much! Try it yourself with a friend: have a short conversation “through the mirror” then try the same looking straight into each other’s eyes. You should notice a huge difference.
Of course, the mirror is an important part of our work. The secret is, every once in awhile, when it makes sense to emphasize a point or you are saying something to be remembered, turn from the mirror and speak directly to your client, with a “connecting” gaze and eye-to-eye.
As part of this effort to connect, I have found it very effective to pause for several seconds, as if weighing what to say or what they just said. It has an interesting effect as many people only look at you when they are talking to you.
It is a lot of little things that help make a professional… well, professional!
