Browse Adela Muñoz’s Facebook page and you’ll see image after image of kaleidoscopic nail art: pumpkins and ghosts at Halloween; bright flowers in spring; elegant bridal looks year-round. “My clients have always been brave enough to go all out,” the OPI educator says. Nail art is just one of the reasons nail services have been on the upswing in recent years, stoked by today’s oracle of style, social media.
“Social media plays a huge role when it comes to consumers who want to see the latest nail trends,” says OPI Ambassador Elsa Barbi. “It’s up to a salon owner or nail tech to offer the services that are trending on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Periscope.”
Barbi has some some strong arguments for why a salon should add nail services. “Any salon can benefit by increasing profits, expanding clientele, and expanding its service menu. Why not add more service dollars to your ticket? You can also cross-retail nail and hair products,” she says. “It’s all about adding to a service ticket and keeping your client dependent on you for their hair and nail services.”
Barbi says clients who come in for a color service are ideal prospects for anything from a basic manicure or pedicure to a gel service. “Any of those can be done in 30 to 45 minutes, which is perfect timing for a color processing,” Barbi says. “You can introduce nail services with a simple polish change then gradually add more services,” Barbi suggests. “OPI GelColor is as easy as polishing nails and available in colors that your clients are already familiar with, making it an easy add-on service.” Before opening her own business, Artistic Nails in Fontana, CA in 2008, Muñoz worked in a variety of settings, including a high-volume dedicated nail salon and part-time in a full-service salon. She recommends that kind of experience for nail techs just starting out. “I tell my students to try everything,” Muñoz says. “Doing nails at elder care facilities, on cruise ships, in a spa... There are always people on social media looking for mobile techs to do special events. Sign up for everything.”
And don’t forget about retail, which Barbi calls techs’ and salons’ most often missed opportunity. “Many nail techs don’t feel comfortable about ‘selling’ to their clients,” she says. “But remember, your clients rely on you to keep their nails healthy.”