Let me tell you about Pam. Pam was one of the first estheticians I ever worked with. She was 60+ years old, worked just a few days a week, and was booked through the year. Her clients loved her, coworkers loved her, even the salon clients loved her. Pam was a master at connecting with people. I once caught a glimpse of her client notes (which were all kept, of course, on paper in a filing cabinet). They were filled with chicken scratch about clients’ lives: their families, what products she used, kids’ names...it was beyond thorough. As someone who’s not a natural hugger, I was always envious of how naturally she hugged (and sometimes kissed on the cheek) every one of her clients. Her clients would wait weeks for an appointment with her before being moved to another provider. The loyalty was amazing.
She was not using cutting-edge esthetic devices, advanced modalities, or trendy products (although she did give a mean facial) she genuinely made people feel cared for, safe. It was a pleasure to watch. The way she approached this business was different. It’s like time with her clients was only their time. No one else mattered. Her appointments weren’t just services, they transcended that. It was a time to catch up, to feel someone’s caring hands--to feel like the world was good again.
I learned from Pam that this business has little to do with skincare. It’s the connections we make, the fact that unlike many other careers, we get to physically touch peoples’ skin. In a world that’s becoming increasingly impersonal, we are right up in there getting personal. Our time with our guests is a little bubble that shuts out everything else. Her success didn’t come from social media or the latest trend, but from people feeling genuinely cared about and wanting to tell others.
When it was time for us to move and I left that spa, I was dreading hugging her goodbye. Lots. of. tears. I learned more from her than any training, conference or youtube video =)
She got it--the importance of the basics: we all just want to feel like we matter.