On one of my monthly group mentoring calls we were discussing the colour analysis process, the final colour diagnosis, and how totally subjective colour analysis can be. I can’t tell you how proud I was of each of these fabulous ladies; having already shown that they understand that the main point of any personal colour consultation is to make the client happy, not necessarily to ‘get the analysis right’.
Colour analysis is totally and utterly subjective
…and don’t let anyone tell you any different.
There are no rights or wrongs when it comes to human beings and their emotions. For instance, if the Brightest Spring on the planet walks in and she insists on wearing the most Muted Summer colours known to man, then I need to get out of the way!
Now before you go getting all steamed up and insisting that professional image consultants ought to know better than their clients, I will most definitely show this lady what I think she looks fabulous in. But for the Brightest Spring who feels more comfortable in Soft-muted colours right now, there’s obviously some deep reason why she’s not ready to wear her Bright colours:
- She may be dressing to please a man, or her mother, or her boss, or her Great Aunt Ethel’s neighbour’s budgie!
- She may have broken up with her partner
- She could have lost her job
- She may just be feeling totally and utterly unworthy
- Or there may just be an ‘r’ in the month…
You can’t just dress a physical body (unless you’re a fashion stylist). You must take into account the psychology of your client. You have no idea why anyone is wearing anything – until you talk to your client and find out from the horse’s mouth. Anything else is pure supposition, and that’s a particularly daft way to try helping any client.
So our job as image consultants is to discover where she is (and why), where she’d like to go (and why), and to help her through the transition process; maybe even to create the process itself. After all, this business is about people and how they feel, not the drapes and certainly not the dratted swatch wallets. We have to take time to get to know our customers, to work out where they are in their own journey of life, and help them move towards what they really, really want – but only when they are good and ready.
Or, in my case, when I sense they’re ready, even if they can’t see it yet themselves.
Want to know more about my style of colour analysis?
Take a look Colour Analysis Training in a Box.