1. 138 SCRATCH
NEWCOLUMNIST
arn it! I did it again…
I pulled a hangnail
instead of trimming
and it hurts. What was
I thinking? You’d think
with over 18 years of
experience in the nailcare
industry, I would know better. I should
have got a mani/pedi. I love them, but
don’t have them as often as I would like.
This reminds me of how many of my
buddies don’t even think about nailcare.
So, what’s the big deal, guys? You are
one visit away from looking, and feeling,
like a well-groomed gent.
A manicure imparts a sense of polish (no pun
intended) and confidence; it shows attention
to detail. My girlfriends tell me they look
at a man’s hands and it speaks volumes
about the gentleman and his attention to
detail and fashion sense, or lack thereof.
I did some market research over dinner
(ok, it was drinks) with a group of friends.
The conclusion? Men, at least my friends, have
a severe case of salon intimidation. The men
I polled (bought drinks for) were confused by
choices on the service menu and whether
they could just walk into a salon and get a
service. This was unfamiliar territory…not the
familiar surroundings of the neighbourhood
barber shop where you could drop by and
get your regular cut. But, my friends who did
venture into this undiscovered territory and
have had mani/pedis really enjoyed them.
That started me thinking…what advice
can I offer salons to grow their male mani/
pedi business? Here’s a couple of quick facts:
CAVECAVE
MANiMANi
Orly International’s director of communications, JOHN GALEA,
offers a male view on the salon scene
RAMBLINGS FROM THE
“Men are creatures of habit;
treat them right and they will
soon be spreading the word
from man cave to man cave.”
• Male grooming is a $35 billion global industry
and has grown by 7% in the past five years.
• Those men who do visit a salon for a
haircut or other treatment go more
frequently than their female counterparts.
• Men, on average spend more on a
manicure service than women, $37.14
for men Vs $32.38 for women.
So, salon owner or nail tech, what do we do
to capture our share of this growing market?
My cocktail of market research yielded
the following ideas that may reduce salon
intimidation among male clientele:
• Man up your menu
Create a separate menu of services for
men. Keep the services simple and basic.
Tell your male clientele what they need.
Short and sweet…to the point.
• Market to the mate
Let your female clients know that you
offer male-friendly services and offer gift
certificates. The brave few who did man up
and head in for a manicure did because
they received a gift certificate.
• Make it visible
Make it clear that walk-in appointments
are welcome.
• Make it welcoming
A gender-neutral environment will reduce
salon intimidation. It will make the stranger
feel less strange and more at ease. I was
given great advice in my career regarding
developing a loyal clientele regardless of
what business you are in. Getting clients is the
easy part…keeping them is the hard part.
Men are creatures of habit; treat them right
and they will soon be spreading the word from
man cave to man cave.
Note - My hangnail has now since healed
and I’ve vowed to not pull, bite or in any
other way abuse my cuticles again.
industry, I would know better. I should
have got a mani/pedi. I love them, but
don’t have them as often as I would like.
This reminds me of how many of my
buddies don’t even think about nailcare.
So, what’s the big deal, guys? You are
one visit away from looking, and feeling,
like a well-groomed gent.
A manicure imparts a sense of polish (no pun
intended) and confidence; it shows attention
to detail. My girlfriends tell me they look
at a man’s hands and it speaks volumes
about the gentleman and his attention to
detail and fashion sense, or lack thereof.
I did some market research over dinner
(ok, it was drinks) with a group of friends.
The conclusion? Men, at least my friends, have
a severe case of salon intimidation. The men
I polled (bought drinks for) were confused by
choices on the service menu and whether
D
www.orly.com / www.graftons.co.uk
/ORLYBeautyUK @ORLYBeautyUK