VITAL SIGNS

Social distancing and PPE

MORE have made creating rapport with clients harder than usual. How can managers and stylists use nonverbal cues as clues to ease client and colleague relationships? WORDS ANNA SCOTT THAN THAN WORDS

With the easing of lockdown, a new fear of returning to normality – or ‘coronaphobia’ – has emerged. Business owners and stylists need to be able to put clients and colleagues at ease by picking up on nonverbal cues. But with masks and visors on, and one-metre plus rules, this has been made much harder.

‘Social distancing seems to have made people warier in their behaviour and less interactive with others – smiling less at strangers, having fewer conversations in queues,’ says body language expert and ‘face whisperer’ Adrianne Carter.

‘Th ey’re not revealing the normal cues that help build relationships,’ she adds.

52%

of women who choose to have their hair cut at a barbershop say they do so because they ‘enjoy the atmosphere and casual vibe’ The most effective way

to deal with anxiety

and put clients at ease? Simply a good chat!

What is NVC? Nonverbal communication (NVC) includes body language, facial expressions, appearance, voice pitch, power and pace, and the use of space.

‘Th e words that we speak are a small amount of the impact that we have,’ says Jude Jennison, author and leadership expert on the role of NVC in managing staff . ‘It’s much more than that – what we are thinking, feeling, and our energy, emotions, intentions. Our body language is shaped by what we are thinking and feeling.’

Nonverbal cues must be read as a whole, Jude adds. ‘Somebody can fold their arms because they are relaxed, bored or defensive. If you read it in isolation, you can misread it. Misunderstandings happen

because we have made assumptions nonverbally and not validated them verbally.’

What to look for ‘Communicating with masks or visors on can be tricky as we can’t see the client’s facial expressions or lip-read what they are saying,’ says Liberty Rock, salon director of Kate Preston Salons in Fareham and Gosport. ‘So we really have to focus and read clients’ behaviour.’

She says a ban on hugging has been diffi cult for staff . ‘We have many clients who have been coming to us for over 20 years, so they feel like family. Not being able to give them aff ection has made us feel a bit cold, so we have to fi nd other ways to make them feel at ease.’

Noticing changes about a client or team member’s appearance, or how they hold themselves, has become important to make sure issues are addressed, she adds.

In Annette Munslow’s salon, Peaches Hair and Beauty in Derbyshire, the team had used mirrors to lip-read what clients were saying, but now this isn’t possible.

‘We use our hands to show where we are shaping the hair,’ she says. ‘We are interpreting each other’s body language and supporting each other by encouraging with smiles. You can see if someone is smiling by their eyes and how their shoulders lift.’

Hearing-impaired clients NVC is also important when working with people with hearing impairments. Hannah Klewpatinond, owner of HK Salon in Milton Keynes, went deaf in one ear three years ago, so she’s acutely aware of this. ‘We have some clients who have problems with hearing. All consultations are done over Zoom before appointments, so we don’t have to wear masks.’

If business owners have an employee with a hearing impairment, says Laura Chalkley, head of team for the NHBF legal helpline, they should ‘sit down with them following their wider health and safety training with the team and discuss any reasonable adjustments they may need to support them.

‘Th ey should also fl ag any employees with a medical condition or requirement on their risk assessments as there may be adapted mitigation practices which they can put in place to assist them.’

Relying on words Luckily, hair stylists are natural communicators, says Penny Etheridge, business coach, lecturer and presenter for the hair and beauty industry. ‘We are great conversationalists and used to adapting to diff erent situations that arise. Th e hairdressing industry will fi nd it a lot easier to adapt and work within the new code of conduct. After all this is ADRIANNE CARTER an emotionally led THE FACE WHISPERER industry, and how our adriannecarter.com client feels is important to us. CHECKLIST ‘We need to remember HOW TO IMPROVE NVC that it’s still important to talk to our clients about DO their home haircare.

Pay attention to your tone Accommodating lots of – voice pitch is an important clients is stressful, but part of NVC. stylists cannot forget to

Focus on others’ body recommend retail during language – when the words their service. Th is is an and the body don’t match, it is usually the body language that is more reliable.

Look at other people’s

nonverbal cues – people may be struggling and may not feel they can speak out. If we pick on any distress or struggle – such as fi dgeting, talking very quickly or a stiff body – we can help people when they need it.

Make eye contact, but not too intensely.

ever-important extra revenue stream that cannot be neglected.’

She adds: ‘And let’s not forget to keep talking to one another! During lockdown, many companies started hosting weekly Zoom meetings with their teams in order to keep team spirit and morale levels high. Even though it’s pretty frantic at the moment, we need to get back into the habit of having team meetings, preferably weekly, either in salon or remotely. Having positive conversations is the best way to keep each other motivated and focused.’

Liberty says: ‘Our team have been amazing, taking on all the changes we have made, creating what has become the new normal.’

Managers should still ensure there are opportunities for two-way verbal feedback with team members and make sure the meaning of any NVC they’re not certain of is clarifi ed with verbal communication, Jude says. ‘People will need to rely on words more than ever before.’

As businesses embrace post-lockdown life, not making assumptions about people, and honestly and openly communicating with them will be just as important as ever.

DON’T

✘Neglect your own body language and the importance of non-verbal skills in your communication.

✘Forget to practise improving your own NVC skills and incorporate eff ective nonverbal skills into your own communication style – being more aware of facial expressions and body language cues can revolutionise relationships.

✘Mistake a polite smile for a genuine one – working in such close contact with people, you should learn the diff erence between the two.