This Tuesday Tip is short and sweet. I have listed my favorite five discovery questions to make consultations a piece of cake. This will give you a clear path of where your next steps should be with your clients.

1. What do you love about the pictures you showed me?

- Listen and take notes.

- Sometimes they just like the picture. It happens.

- Note and vocalize conflicting views

2. Who is your celebrity style inspiration?

- The client who tells you Kim K. and the client that says Blake Lively are two VERY different clients.

**I feel bad for how much we dog Kim K. when talking about "high maintenance" or "non-natural". For the record, I think she is stunning.

3. What are you allergic to?

- This is crucial for clients who claim to have sensitive skin. Be prepared for them to not know what they’re allergic to.

- Many clients misunderstand sensitivity vs. using incorrect products.

4. What is your current makeup/skin care or hair care routine?

- This will give you an idea of what 'natural' means to them or how savvy they are with these products.

**Pro Tip: have them come to your consultation with their hair or makeup done. It will show their day-to-day look.

5. What feature do you want me to focus on? Or, what is something very important for you to have?

- For hairstylists: If the client says, length, you know to talk about the styles vs color vs damage

- For makeup artists: This lets us know what to minimize and maximize. This will let us know if they hate their forehead, love their lips, or would like 'striking' eyes.

- This is a great opportunity to ask them what they love about themselves!

- Take a moment to give education on how to achieve the parts of the look that they love at home.

See, I told you, short and sweet. Feel free to add in more discovery questions for additional blogs.

As always, remember to listen and write down your clients expectations. Take the time to communicate back to them what you heard. Sometimes, we think we are saying the same thing but we’re really meaning two different things. Letting them have time to re-explain to make sure everyone on the same page. For instance, what may seem like minimal, natural make up to you might seem excessive to them. Many times our version of cool tone blonde or no-warmth means something completely different to your client. Giving them the ability to explain their vision will eliminate frustration for all parties involved, and it will keep you from having to redo your hard work!