Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/1489006
72 ASCP Skin Deep Winter 2023 Examine the Eyes Direct eye contact, or the lack thereof, can be an indication of the client's comfort level. Holding eye contact means they're comfortable with you and content with their appointment. Even dilated pupils can signify they're pleased. However, if "they don't make direct eye contact with you, they instantly look away, and shift their eyes when you try to make eye contact with them," you might be working with someone who is feeling distressed, explains Karen Donaldson, a celebrity communication, body language, and confidence coach. Eyes that shift around the room or dart from object to object indicate discomfort. On your end, it's important to make eye contact, make sure your client notices your eye contact, and maintain the eye contact in a friendly and approachable manner that puts the client at ease. Donaldson also suggests looking for rapid blinking. "A different blink speed than normal signals they are nervous and anxious," she says. This is a sign for you to slow down and start providing more comfort and explanation to calm their nerves. Check Their Smile Smiles can be deceiving. Sometimes, clients might use a smile to shield a bad day when they're in public and feel like they have to appear "normal." You can tell whether a smile is authentic by looking at the entire face. According to Donaldson, a smile is not authentic when it only involves the lips rather than the entire face. Look for rounded cheeks and crows feet around the eyes. This type of smile is called a "Duchenne smile" and, according to research, it comes off as more intense and sincere than smiles that only use the mouth. 4 Consider Their Body Positioning Clients who are more closed off and unhappy might angle their body away from you and turn their head. On the other hand, if they're happy, they may engage in mirroring. This happens when they subconsciously copy your body positioning. Mirroring could happen at any time during an appointment: during the consultation when they mimic the crossing of your legs, or after the appointment when they follow your cadence as they exit the treatment room. It might also be found in the tilt of their head, the inflection of their voice, or the placement of their hands. Mirroring is a sign of comfort, trust, and synchronicity. Donaldson • Distance: Everyone has a personal bubble that varies in size depending on the social situation and the person they're interacting with. • Facial expressions: Simple movements of the face, such as an upward or downward turn of the lips, jaw drop, lip pursing, or wrinkling of the nose, can quickly convey emotion. • Gestures: Moving your hands to wave, point, open your palms, cross your arms, or give a thumbs-up can convey meaning without speech. • Movement: This includes the way you walk, the pace at which you move, the way you nod or shake your head, and the way you hold your posture. • Tone of voice: While not the same as body language, the way you say something can have more of an impact than what you say. This includes inflection, pitch, and volume. • Touch: Outside of performing services, touch can include the use of handshakes and shoulder touching. HOW TO NOTICE YOUR CLIENT'S BODY LANGUAGE A friendly smile from your client is the easiest marker of a successful appointment. But what people project on the outside isn't always how they feel on the inside. They might be projecting a happy demeanor even though they feel extremely distraught over a stressful day, a personal relationship, financial woes, or even the loss of a loved one. So, while you might take their smile as a warm welcome to treat them like you would during any other session, you'll want to take things a step further and examine what their full body is doing. After determining whether a client is truly happy, you can use the situation to favor both of you. A truly happy client is one who might be more willing to linger around, purchase retail, consider add-ons, and book future appointments. If someone is evoking joyful body language, seize the opportunity to solidify that client relationship. 93 percent of your interactions with a client aren't what you say, but rather how you say it and how your body looks when you say it.