Improvability Blog

Here’s an email I received from Ethelreda who trained with me in both Colour Analysis and Ladies’ Style. She was about to deliver her very first Style consultation and was naturally a little nervous:

“Kim, Please can you send me the Dressing Points quiz and the 6 pages of Style Personalities – Natural, Classic, Dramatic etc. and anything else you think I will find useful tomorrow.

I am not so sure how to begin with Style – this pure white-haired Winter lady has had her colours done in the past by someone else. She loves bold reds and blues and black and white. She is probably curvy and always dresses femininely – low cut tops with a skirt and jacket, etc and never trousers! 

Am thinking I should begin by doing her Colour Personality and even draping her to make sure she is wearing the right colours.  Then do the quiz and let her look at the Style Personality descriptions. I’m certain that I won’t have time to do body shape, scale and all the other things. I am finding this a lot more complicated than colours but good fun.” Ethelreda, UK

Dear Ethelreda,

Before you dive in and offer this lady everything in your tool box, you need to take a deep breath and take control.

This lady has booked a Style consultation with you, so deliver exactly that.

<- This style?
It looked so much
better in the shop

Where to start

I would just check her colours using page 13 from the Colour Analysis manual, either on paper or in the back of your head.  There’s no need to get involved in draping if it’s going to cut into your style time. 

This lady sounds a Cool Winter to me.  If she needs (or would like) a full colour consultation or update, then book that for another time. 

You can do colour and style in any order that you think is right for your client (and for you, of course) but I wouldn’t offer them both at the same time.

Your client is only going to remember 20% of what you tell her, she’s only going to remember 3 important points (and right now, you have no idea which ones they might be!), and one of those is going to be the very last thing you say as she walks out of the door…

Style personality

Style personality is the most important bit of the first Style consultation, because she will be able to identify with it immediately.  It’s all about her, and that’s what your client wants to know.

Body shape

Doing the body shape first can often produce the opposite effect as ladies do not see their bodies the way the rest of us do, and it is often a process of adjustment to come to terms with the analysis of various bits that she’s not keen on, and this may take some time. 

Create trust first by doing something ‘psychological’ and fun, and then hit her with the body shape and scale stuff when you’ve got a real relationship with her. 

Then, shift the emphasis back to the positive and soften the ‘blow’ with ‘how to put it all together’ including colour and all the other evidence you’ve collected on the Image Profile.

Timing

See how the timing of this consultation goes and, if you find you’re really trying to fit too much in, then split future Style consultations down into two (or more) sessions. You could do Style Personality in one, and body shape, etc. in the next one.

And if all else fails…

… have a good laugh.  If your client enjoys the session and goes away with some useful information that she can use today, you will have succeeded.  The detail is not as important as you think right now!

Good luck, Ermentrude, and let me know how it goes. Kim

We have so many more Ladies’ Style resources now!

By the way, everyone who trains with me now with Ladies’ Style in a Box automaticlaly gets their own online resources account. This already contains all the handouts and quizes that Ermentrude was asking about (above) plus lots more besides.

Take a look at what you get:

• Getting Started – An 11-page document to help give you some ideas of what to do with all the information in the Ladies’ Style training course (including the 10x DVD boxset) and the online resources below:
• Style Personality Client Handouts for 6 different types (plus 2 extras)
• Ladies’ Body Shape Handouts for 3 different body shapes
• Client Feedback Form – personalise for each client
• Blank Image Profile form – which you can personalise for each client
• Image Profile Examples – two real-life examples with specific wardrobe needs so that you can test your new skills out
• Style Personality – 3 different methods of helping you and your client discover her own style personality, and what else she’d like to be!
• Body Shape – 5 ways to determine your client’s body shape without using a ruddy tape measure or having to touch her at all!
• Additional Information – Shopping for your Body Shape, Shopping for your Style Personality, Dressing Points, Shapes and Lengths, Types of Necklines, Glossary of Necklines, Types of Waistlines, Visual Fashion Dictionary, Worldwide Size Tables, Vanity Sizing, Size Survey Results
• Business Ideas – articles, hints and tips on how to market your services, how to run style workshops, and how to create programmes for your clients
• and, of course, my very own (and rather essential) Ladies’ Style Training Manual

Find out more about Ladies’ Style in a Box Training options.

"Kim, I was scrolling through the earlier newsletters that you sent me. I found one about ready-to-print templates and some online resources at 75% off if I purchase the complete package at this great price?

If yes, are there two different pro packages – one for colour consultancy and one for styling? 

I am a personal stylist but I offer colour consultancy as part of my service so Ideally I would like to have styling and colour template for my clients? Does the ‘Complete Resource Package for Image Professionals’ include colour forms?" Clementburga, Australia

Dear Clementburga,

The Complete Resource Package contains all of the digital resources on that website.

It has been designed for image professionals already trained in colour analysis, personal style or men’s image who are looking for ready-made client handouts, ready-to-use articles, proven ready-to-implement ideas, hints and tips for marketing and building their business

The package is crammed full of content, far too much to attempt to list here, so you can browse the extended contents descriptions here.

Please note that the Complete Resource Package
is NOT a substitute for any of our training courses. 

These digital, online, downloadable resources are for consultants who already know what they’re doing!

There’s one package and it includes client handouts for seasonal and tonal colour analysis, ladies’ style personalities, men’s image, and fashion trends.

It also includes loads of articles and information about hair colour and style, and lots of business stuff too – getting started, business building, business marketing and lots of newsletters you can freely use to get your message out there.

Save a huge, enormous, incredible 75% and also get free updates for 2 whole years!

I suggest that you check the content for yourself as what you mean by ‘colour forms‘ and ‘styling and colour template for my clients‘ might be completely different from what I think you mean! If you get stuck, email me.