Magazine for the professional nail industry.
Issue link: http://nailsmag.epubxp.com/i/128780
Weddings are synonymous with planning. Just as a bride should book a venue months in advance and schedule consultations for her hair and makeup, so should she plan out what she will wear on her nails. That translates into more planning on your end. Here are some ideas for keeping you and your clients on track. To Market, To Market While your loyal clients will probably already come to you for any nail needs, you can still get your name out there to attract more brides if thatÕs something you want to specialize in. Attracting out of town brides is ideal if your salon is in a popular destination wedding spot. > Michelle Cordes of Gene Juarez Salon in Tacoma, Wash., recommends networking with other regulars in the wedding industry such as bridal stores, wedding planners, photographers, and caterers. ÒMany times these people are a first contact for someone because it is a friend, and they take the recommendations those people make very seriously.Ó > Popular wedding publications, blogs, and sites are great venues for advertising. Nicole Cabral of A New Leaf Hair Studio in Bristol, R.I., dedicates a special blog to all the weddings the salon has done and advertises it on The Knot. > If you work in a salon that offers hair and makeup in addition to nails, make sure your coworkers are promoting your services too. ÒIt is very easy for them to ask if they have made plans for their nails and bring them to me for a consult if they donÕt have any plans yet. Many brides think automatically of hair and makeup, forgetting that people are going to be taking pictures of their hands,Ó says Cordes. > Make sure there is a special tab on your website marked ÒFor the BrideÓ or ÒWedding PackagesÓ to highlight these services. > Additional services such as airbrush tanning, makeup, skin care, massage, and conditioning treatments are all offered to the bride and her party at Bodicare Nails & Spa in Sewell, N.J. Offering many services in one location makes planning easier for the whole party. Price Point Weddings can be very costly, so make sure you have a package ready to show your brides in order for them to budget accordingly. If you are offering specials or promotions make sure to market them effectively so clients can get the most out of these deals. > A consultation will save time and money. Include the cost of the consult in the pricing. By taking 15 minutes to have a sit down with the bride before her wedding day you will have time to prepare a design and get a feeling for what she wants. That way on the wedding day you will be able to do her nails quickly. > Consider creative ways to sell both the bride and her party. Cordes once ran a deal that would allow the bride to get her nails done for free if five members of the wedding party signed on. > Nail tech Sam Rivenbark of East Coast Acrylic in Edenton, N.C., sets up her menu of acrylics, gels, and pedicures, but then offers free nail art to her brides. JUNE 2013 | NAILS MAGAZINE | 141