“I don’t sell hair colour, I sell a new character”

Yes, Jordanna Cobella is an exceptional colourist. But she also understands what clients want, and how to entice them into her salon…

Jordanna Cobella

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In hairdressing we’re so used to selling the finished look, while other industries focus more on emotion. For example, Virgin Atlantic’s “I am what I am” TV ad campaign celebrates how everyone sees the world differently, rather than ‘selling’ flights.

So, I’m not selling hair colour. When I went blonde, it changed me in so many ways. I changed my make-up, I started dressing edgier, I expressed myself differently. I’d basically stepped into a whole new character – and it had started with my hair colour. And that’s what people are often looking for when they ask for a new hair colour: they want to become a different character. We need to tap into that psychology – and monetise it.

In the salon, everything starts with the consultation. Imagery is so important during a consultation – as we know, clients often bring in pictures of the kind of hair ideas they like – so I create a moodboard. But the imagery I use doesn’t depict the specific technique or trend; it shows the character who would wear that technique or trend. So, for example, alongside hair images I’ll include flatlays from Pinterest showing fashion, jewellery, interiors, accessories, food and drink and so on, that convey the mood and lifestyle of the character I want to set. And they’re not necessarily aspirational images, because I want my clients to relate to what they’re seeing – it could be a picture of a biscuit and a cappuccino. I’m basically taking a hair technique and using marketing tools that other industries use to get people to agree to a decision about their hair. The next thing I need to do is to name the trend. It’s important that it’s consumer-friendly, rather than technical, because if a client searched ‘Colour Blocking’, for example, she’d run a mile. Elle magazine renamed colour blocking the Gemini Hair Trend, which is far more accessible; I called it The Wisdom Streak.

Once the moodboard is ready and named, I print it out or have a copy on my phone as it is what I use to get the conversation going. But during the consultation I always give my client a choice of two ways to wear the trend – a more subtle way and a more daring way. So, I could recommend a soft tone to start with that can only be seen in certain lights, and then next time we could be braver and go for a darker tone. The psychology behind that is that the client buys into one of those options and feels more in control – also, you’re cueing up the following appointment. It keeps things exciting in the staff room too – there’s always something new to master.

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