Kim Bolsover
kim@improvability.co.uk
www.improvabilityEvents.co.uk

For personal stylists, image professionals,
coaches, consultants and fashion-preneurs
and anyone who wants to live their dream
by working with colour, style and fashion

16th May 2012

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Kim recommends:
A fabulous gift to give away to your own clients!
Feature article:
Stylists learning about Learning Styles
QuickTip
How to choose your colour analysis drapes

We've already received over 100 replies to my Style Personality survey and there's still time for you to join in. The full list of Style Personality Examples from this will be a huge asset to your business. You'll be able to use it in talks, workshops, consultations and in your promotional stuff too. Who says that image consultants can't share information?

I hope you've managed to grab your very own complimentary copy of my book to celebrate the first wedding anniversary of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge? If not, you can still get one until the end of May. it's yours when you order The Complete Resource Package - all is explained below.

And I'm as terribly excited as a ladylike Englishwoman can possibly be because I'm about to launch my brand-new business builders' program; it's for image consultants who want to get more clients, earn more money and build a sustainable business. Ever since I started my own journey of joining first one mastermind group, then another and yet one more, I have wanted to share the power of the thinking group with you.

My business wouldn't be anywhere near where it is without the input of other professionals - from my peers and my mentors. You just cannot do this on your own and I don't believe you should have to either! So watch your inbox in the next day or so for a way to get your place before we officially launch in a couple of weeks' time.

And (as they say in the movies) THIS is only the beginning.

A fabulous gift to give away to your own clients!

During May you can still save GBP 343 AND get your complimentary copy of

'Royal Wedding 2011 - Duke and Duchess of Cambridge'

The tiara, veil and earrings worn by the Duchess of Cambridge on her wedding day

You can reprint this wonderful 30-page memento and present it to your own clients as a bonus or free gift. They will be so impressed!

When you order The Complete Resource Package during May you'll save GBP 343 (USD 549) (AUD 552) AND also receive a complimentary copy of 'Royal Wedding 2011 - Duke and Duchess of Cambridge' This month, they celebrate their first wedding anniversary.

The Complete Resource Package Contains ALL our Digital Toolkits

This wonderful Royal Wedding memento will be added to your resources account by the end of May. See the website for full details of all the existing content of the Complete Resource Package, plus lots of brand-new content which will be added over the next 3 months, and great extra bonuses too.

Stylists learning about Learning Styles

"Hi Kim, I am currently going through the Ladies Style Training DVDs and enjoying it immensely. It was a real eye opener when you were talking about “asking the client what she wants” and creating her individual program as opposed to offering what I think she needs.

One area where I thought this could even be further fine tuned for the client to experience a better outcome and thus create future business would be to then “coach” her using her style of learning. Visual, Auditory or Kinesthetic. I know that you have to include all these types when teaching a group but I have a feeling that when you do a one-to-one consultation, you quickly and instinctively know how to teach them and eliminate the irrelevant information that they won’t enjoy or absorb.

I can’t tell how they learn and if I ask they usually don’t know. Is there a way to diagnose their way of learning early in the meeting to personalize the consultation more? Maybe a quick little questionnaire would work, but I don’t know the type of questions to write down. Any tips would be greatly appreciated." Karburga, Australia

Dear Karburga,

Thank you so much for your lovely email. I am so glad that it’s really ringing some bells for you.

It's immensely refreshing to hear a consultant wanting to improve the experience of the client and you are absolutely right - this will set you apart from the usual tick-list approach adopted by so many consultants.

The dreaded lurgy - consultation by checklist

I've lost count of the number of times I've listened to clients telling me about their dreadful consultation-by-checklist experience. You know, the one that goes something like:

'The client has now been here 17 minutes, so I should have completed items a, b and c from my checklist, and by minute 43 I will have finished items d, e and f. Then all I have to do is slap a wallet in her hand, give her her coat and shove her out of the door...'

Oh yes, I put my hand up to this - in dire shame and regret, of course. I've been there myself but, thankfully, after at least three hundred years of not using the common sense I was clearly born with, I finally 'saw the light' and started treating my clients with a load more respect.

And amazingly, I soon had more work than I could handle.

These days, we're apt to refer to this as the Law of Attraction. I prefer to call it, "What you give out, you always get back; and usually it comes back to you ten-fold."

So, stuff the system and, for crying out gently, put the client first.

Take the time to learn how your client learns

Understanding how your client thinks and learns will be a major step in making her feel special.

We all learn primarily by using one of three learning styles - Visual, Auditory or Kinaesthetic - but the majority will most probably combine two of them.

Visuals 'see' the world. They understand something better if they can see it.

Auditories 'hear' the world. They get more information from how you say things than from what you are saying.

Kinaesthetics 'feel' the world. They get more information from touch, emotions, and gut instincts.

Visual, Auditory or Kinaesthetic?

Which one are you?

Before you start diagnosing anyone else, you need to find out which one YOU are. Until you understand how YOU operate, how on earth can you advise other people?

In the Advanced Colour Analysis DVD training course (which I know you have already Karburga) I cover the whole subject of learning styles on Disk 2 and it includes a questionnaire that you can use to find out which one you are, and then again with your clients.

However, if you don't feel comfortable with a questionnaire or maybe you just haven't got time then just provide for all three types:

Visuals - drape them in front of a mirror. Show them a look book, pictures, videos, etc.
Auditories - talk to them, give them handouts to read aloud, let them take their own notes, perhaps with a digital recorder
Kinaesthetics - let them feel the drapes and give them exercises to do; the more physical these are, the better

Tell everyone your own story and allow them the time and space to let them tell you theirs. Then observe them. Look at how they react, and what seems to work best for them.

I go into so much more detail about the different behaviours of each different type on the Advanced Colour Analysis course. This is a learning process in itself that you will have to allocate time to practise if you want to master this

No-one is purely visual, purely auditory or purely kinaesthetic

... so don't go allocating one single learning style label to your clients.

We all have to learn to use a mix of the learning styles to be able to operate in different societal groups and to get along with other people who may learn in a different way from us.

This is why you must provide for all three types, for every client, at every consultation or workshop, every single time.

Then you won’t wear yourself ragged trying to be some kind of super psychoanalyst. In fact, if you do, you’ll probably just end up rather ‘psycho’, which can’t be good for you or your clients!

My advice?

Relax, and enjoy!

The Advanced Colour Analysis DVD training course

is available to buy on its own
Or it's included in Option 4 of Colour Analysis in a Box

How to choose your colour analysis drapes

In my article, ‘You are not a lump of meat!‘, Silburga had just received her Seasonal Drape Starter Set containing 60 drapes. We also provide a Tonal Drape Starter Set with 90 drapes. Here’s a bit of background information to help you understand the discussion that Silburga and I were having. If you’re just starting... read the full article

May 16 Attending my new business mentor's training
May 17 Full-day meeting with my STA mastermind in Leeds
May 19 Watching the Heineken Cup Final with plenty of Guinness lined up - both teams are Irish; Ulster vs. Leinster
May 23 Business meeting with my local Chamber of Commerce
May 24 Attending Enterprising Women lunch organised by Chamber of Commerce
Jun 1 Meeting with my 7fM mastermind

Award-winning mentor, trainer, speaker, author and publisher for personal stylists, personal coaches, image professionals and fashion-preneurs, Kim Bolsover is also an independent colour trainer for Wella's Master Colour Expert trainers. She has 32 years' experience working with colour, style, appearance, behaviour and communication, and also in mentoring image professionals to build their own successful businesses.

I wish you everything that I wish for myself.
Regards

Award Winner
Most Inspirational Consultant Running An Image-Related Business
IFIC Spirit of Inspiration Awards 2009

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