Company cofounder Jane Wurwand gave a stirring speech about trust.
Jane Wurwand talks “trust”.Jane Wurwand talks “trust”.
DAYSPA had the pleasure of attending Dermalogica’s speaker event on February 22 at The International Dermal Institute (and company HQ) in Carson, California. Senior director of U.S. education Heather Hickman kicked off the morning by congratulating Dermalogica’s 100-hour postgraduates and Experts in attendance.
Company cofounder Jane Wurwand then took the stage for her presentation. She began by urging the audience—so-called “tribe members”—to exercise their right to vote (she’d even brought voter registration forms for those who needed one!) and cited a recent election poll that showed that people apparently favor candidates in whom they place the most trust. She related this to human connection: “It’s about believability, credibility and trust,” she said.
The veteran industry maven, who readily admits to operating in a “no-flake zone”, then talked about how important trust is in the skincare world. She observed that we have to “earn” trust—we don’t just “get” it, and that once it’s lost, it’s usually gone forever. She pointed out that the rewards for building trust are huge: loyalty, a repeat clientele and a full book, and that we need to regularly check in with ourselves, throughout our career, to make sure we’re upholding the same level of trust. Wurwand also stated that education is the foundation of our ability to earn trust—and that there’s no such thing as a completed education. “There are more and more opportunities to learn and perfect techniques,” she noted.
She told the crowd to not get fixated on the process—i.e., the small details that don’t matter—but to realize that the processes lead to a purpose: the “why”. And in this case, the purpose is a long-term relationship with the client.
Wurwand offered tips on building trust in the treatment room, including the following takeaways:
• Start building trust immediately—with eye contact—and allow new clients extra time.
• Set skincare expectations and goals up front and manage them consistently.
• Programs must be customized, not cookie cutter.
• Realize that a relationship with a client is actually a partnership. Tell them, “This is what I can do, this is what I want you to do, and this is what we can achieve together.” Offer a time frame, and don’t be afraid to lay out what you can’t do.
• Encourage clients to open up about their skincare concerns, which may not be what you’re expecting them to say. Examine their skin together using a mirror, while the client is lying down, to create a powerful moment of connection.
• Monitor the client’s progress—and make sure they’re using the product correctly (“FaceTime with them if it helps! Avail yourself of technology!”)
• Engage with clients and get them excited. Book their next appointment before they leave your salon, using powerful—not passive—language such as, “Next time you come in, we will do X and Y.”
Wurwand concluded by imploring audience members to “bring it big”, and referenced International Women’s Day on March 8. She also referenced the recent successful FITE—Future Independence Through Entrepreneurship—pilot program in New York and how it offers a pipeline for future entrepreneurs. She pointed out that everyone on the planet has a unique set of fingerprints, and that we’re all different.
“There are so many incredible stories in our tribe,” she concluded.
