Jacqui Pierce Talks Manicures at IBS

At IBS New York yesterday, nail specialist Jacqui Pierce, provided nail technicians with tips on offering five-star nail treatments to impress clients and leave them anxious to return. In her class, Innovative Manicures, she said that there is more to a manicure than just painting the nails. She recommends considering the following elements:

1. The Welcome Ritual: There are several different welcome rituals to choose from, depending on the theme or concept of your salon. The waving of aromatherapy oils, the pouring of water and the washing of the hands are all ways to help clients relax before the nail service.

2. Protocol: Help clients get more for their money by offering them something extra along with their treatment. For example, if the treatment is called the Chocolate Martini Manicure, offer clients a chocolate martini to sip on. Pierce suggests creating a Summer Sorbet Manicure for the upcoming season and make it unique by putting the lotions on ice.

3. Presentation: The presentation should reflect how you want to deliver the treatment and the message you want to send to clients. According to Pierce, there are several ways to enhance the appearance of the treatment, such as using bamboo trays, martini glasses, or ceramic bowls (which are both environmental and economical because you will tend to not use more product than necessary and you can easily reuse the bowl).

4. Detail Technique: Pierce suggests using gauze instead of cotton to remove nail polish, as it doesn't shed any hairs that might get stuck in the polish. She also recommends providing clients with their own nail kits to let them know that sanitation is important to you and it also allows them to maintain their manicure at home. If entire nail kits are not in the budget, she suggests using new nail files and orange wood sticks on each client.