Improvability Blog

Before I got totally hooked on training and mentoring image consultants to build their own businesses, I used to run Colour Confidence workshops for the public. 

How my Colour Confidence workshops came about

I was never totally comfortable running one-to-one consultations but I really thought that’s what image consultants had to do!  Talk about being daft!  Who on earth told me that one? Actually, no-one had ever said those words. I just ‘assumed’ that’s what you had to do - and we all know what ‘assume’ means, don’t we?

It only took me around 17 years to fathom that one out, so don’t beat yourself up if you’ve just had that lightbulb moment for yourself.

I much prefer the dynamics of a group and so devised my own Colour Analysis workshop and workbook for up to 6 ladies.

I particularly remember the first Colour Confidence workshop of 2005 because it was so fabulous.

It still makes my day in a training course to see the light dawning as ladies start to see how and why certain shades just do nothing for them, and yet others make their eyes sparkle. I love what I do!

One of the ladies on that cold January day was a colour consultant who had recently trained with another company. Petronella arrived at our workshop a little confused about how to she was supposed to use the colour drapes with her own clients and had come along to see how I did it. 

• She was amazed when I only used about six drapes - and that was only towards the end of our 2-hour session
• In turn, I was amazed that image consultants are still being trained (by others) to use these darned drapes to distraction!

Making a rod for your own back

I have to admit that at one time I used to have over 180 colour drapes in my collection.

The problem with this is that when you’ve started going through 63 different shades of yellow on a particular lady, she wants to know why you’re not going through the 74 different shades of green as well. You’re just making a rod for your own back.

The brain can only absorb so many different shades, tones, and tints of one colour.  That’s why the swatch wallet is such a good aid to shopping. I found that:

• my clients were totally confused by the end of the endless draping session
• and I was excruciatingly bored by the whole process

so I stopped doing it!

You don’t have to use ruddy drapes!

These days, I wouldn’t dream of spending so much time on using the drapes. I can easily demonstrate the right shades for you to wear using lots of other methods which appeal to all your senses. 

I might include some drapes and, then again, I might not. It all depends on the individual client.

This is so much more fun than just draping someone to within an inch of their life.  And your client then only takes away information about the colours that she looks absolutely fabulous in - and isn’t that what she really wants to know?

Petronella went away from my workshop feeling very relieved that:

• there are several other ways to diagnose her client’s colouring
• she didn’t have to use the drapes at all if she didn’t want to
• she certainly didn’t have to use every single one of them on every single client!

And I reaffirmed all over again that interminable draping is just a pile of old balderdash and should have been slung out years ago!

If a loud bell has just started ringing for you, then you can learn all about these methods (plus lots more great content too) with my Advanced Colour Analysis for Image Professionals self-study DVD pack.

Since my article about the sad passing of Kathryn Kalisz Donovan, I’ve been inundated with emails from consultants in the USA and also Australia wanting to know if we can provide Extended Seasonal colour fans or books or wallets. It seems that Kitty’s family business isn’t able to supply the 12 Tones swatch books right now.

The following is from a newsletter that I normally only send out to wholesale catalogue customers.  If you’re looking for Extended Seasonal wallets for your own business, I hope this helps.

For use with the Extended Seasonal system of colour analysis

These wallets provide 48 swatches for working with the Extended Seasonal system.

For instance, if you diagnose your client as a Bright Spring, you could give her the Spring / Clear wallet from this range as it contains only the brightest Spring colours.

For use with some tonal systems of colour analysis

These wallets are also designed to work with one of the many tonal systems out there so if you are used to diagnosing the same client as a Bright Light, then you would also choose the Spring / Clear wallet.

If, however, you diagnosed your client as a Light Bright, then you would need to go for the Spring / Light wallet.

NB. If you don’t understand what on earth I’m on about here, then you don’t need to spend any more time on these wallets!

Wallet design

There are 4 cards with 6 swatches on each of 8 sides of card, which fold up concertina style to form a slim wallet designed to fit into a handbag, briefcase or inside jacket pocket.

Each wallet includes 4 sides of text inserts which give plenty of advice on how to combine colours, especially neutrals and basics, to produce both the best assertive and calming looks for your client. 

NB. This advice is all aimed at women but the text inserts are easily removed if you want to offer these wallets to your male clients too.

Alternatives to consider for seasonal work

• Ladies’ Seasonal Wallets - card wallets, 30 swatches, with no text
• Ladies’ Seasonal Fans - fans, 30 swatches, with lots of text aimed at ladies
• Ladies’ Mini Seasonal Fans - 30 swatches only, no text

Alternatives to consider for tonal work

• Ladies’ Tonal Fabric Fans - fans, 45 swatches, with lots of text aimed at ladies
• Ladies’ Safe Tone Fans - fans, 18 swatches
• Add-ons - fan inserts, 15 swatches which can be added to the Safe Tone Fans

You’ll find all of these different wallets and fans in the wholesale catalogue.

Petunia emailed last week, “I have had a really good study of your extensive range of delicious colour swatches.

I’ve carefully considered using the seasonal fans with 30 swatches and the safe tonal fans with 18 colours as suggested in your Colour Analysis in a Box, but I am totally inspired by the tonal fans of 45 shades each and the 30 seasonal colours on fold-down cards (both shown left).

I’m a touchy feely person and like to feel the swatches too. What do you think?” Petunia

NB. It’s always dangerous to ask me what I think because I always tell it straight!

So Petunia received this from me in reply:

One thing to consider before you make a decision based on your touchy-feely personality is that not all your clients will be the same as you. What happens if they’re not at all touchy feely?

I’ve been where you are, oh so many times, spending ages trying to decide which wallets, how many drapes, etc. and at the end of the day, the customer couldn’t give a hoot.

Why is your client coming to you?

She’s not coming to be ‘draped’ in front of a mirror or because she’s desperate to have a swatch wallet! She’s coming for confidence and if you have to order a wallet for her after the consultation “because you’re different from all my other clients” then she’s going to have received extra special service which will boost her confidence and make her feel a million dollars.

Why I use what I use

I use the 6x safe tonal fans and the 4x seasonal fans (right) for demonstration purposes only. They’ve been in my kit for 20+ years and are used virtually daily.

I don’t use the seasonal card wallets for demonstrations because they will deteriorate over time as they get handled – the cards may crease if handled roughly, the black covers gets finger prints all over them, and the swatches will eventually get dirty from being touched by sticky fingers.

At least the swatches are protected within plastic sleeves in all the fans.

Also, in my training courses, just to make a particular point, I deliberately throw two of the safe tonal fans over my shoulder, across the room and onto the floor and they’ve managed to survived this aggressive onslaught for the past 10 years!

Invest in a demonstration kit

I would encourage you to invest in a demonstration kit, so that you can show people both seasonal and tonal so it’s easy for them to understand. You will use this kit every single time you see a client or give a talk.

Investing in a kit of drapes, wallets, fabric samples, etc. will pay huge dividends over the years and you should ‘write them off’ in your books - speak to your accountant or bookkeeper for specific advice about this.

But before you do, ask yourself these questions:

• Which drapes and wallets
  do I want to work with?
• And why?
• Is this just self-indulgence or are
  my choices designed to help my clients relate to what I ’see’?
• Do I need to provide alternative
  props in case they’re different from me?

So, Petunia, if the 45 tonals and the seasonal card wallets work for you AND you’re convinced that they’ll also work for EVERY SINGLE client you’re going to encounter, then order those.

What does your client want?

Remember, every single female client comes to you for confidence, some ‘me’ time, an experience. Sure, she also wants to know which colours to wear and would rather like a reminder to take away with her but does it really matter to her which wallet you give her? And does it really warrant hours of your time poring over lists of contents, whether the swatches are in the right order, etc?

I totally understand where you are with this. I’ve been there too, wasting my time on what I now consider to be trivialities, but I learnt that…

…the important work is how you make your client FEEL

Please, let me encourage… nay, let me exhort you to put your valuable energy into listening to what your client wants and then delivering exactly that.

And I’ll bet you a thousand gin and tonics that not one of them mentions a swatch wallet when you ask them what they really, really want.

I was so sorry to hear that Kathryn Kalisz Donovan had been killed In January this year.  I had absolutely no idea until a kind soul told me yesterday.

Kitty Kalisz was mad about colour and was the founder of Sci\ART a company dedicated to the study of colour therapy, colour analysis and its effects on human beings.

I’d often spent many a happy hour poring over the amazing amount of information on the website.  And I remember now that, at some time in the long and distant past, I definitely had a copy of her book ‘Understanding Your Color’.  I’ve searched high and low this morning but can’t find it so I must have lent it to someone (something I absolutely do not do at all these days!).

Kitty worked for 6 years as a colourist at the Munsell Color Co and then started to teach, developing her own colour analysis system based around 12 tones.

What always struck me about Kitty was her clear understanding that not everyone has either Warm or Cool skin tones, and that a percentage of the population have neutral tones. To me, this was evidence of a shining light in an industry that has been so guilty of sticking rigidly to what it thinks it knows without even questioning it!

Many so-called leaders in our field have not moved forward because they’ve stuck for so very long to that old, boring adage ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ so I always admired Kitty for being different and having the guts to say so.

By the way, if you’re wondering what on earth the 12 tones system is, I suppose it could be likened to the Extended Seasonal system or, as it was known in the good ol’ pioneering days, as the Flow system.  Yes, I know, we could get into all sorts of debates here so contact me if you would like to discuss it some more.

A memorial website celebrates the life of Kathryn Kalisz Donovan much better than I can, and we send our condolences to her family, heavily belated though they may be.