There’s a magic moment when the person in your chair looks in the mirror at you and asks, “What do you think?”

This moment when you’re looking at her and she’s looking at herself in the mirror, you’re on the verge of a “creative gap moment.”

You might say, “Well, you know, here’s where your hair is. But this is where I could take you. I’d like for your hair to have a bit more movement.” Or you might explore other creative fashionable avenues for her hair. She could wear her hair this way or that way. Even though it’s not long, you could still pin the hair up to create the illusion of an updo.

The gap is where your client’s experience may be expanded. Whether that gap gets filled will depend on a few factors. The main ones are the level of comfort that the stylist has with the client and the level of comfort the client has with her stylist.

When the stylist’s creative visualization of what’s possible gets transferred to the client, whether or not the client is up for it, the idea can spread. The client may tell a friend about her stylist’s idea. “She’s talking about taking me here,” she may say, going on to describe significant changes to her look. And her friend may glance at your client, cock her head, and say, “I can see that. Oh my God, I can totally see you doing this.”

In this way, a creative thought gets transferred to someone else who appreciates the potential new look.

Visualizing is like a virus, a fashion virus. It’s contagious. We see this in how influencers work their magic. People feel touched by their creative work. And it radiates out, touching many people, who also can visualize the new look.