How to Get the Guy(s) in 10 Ways

THE PROFESSIONAL

Do you want a client who…
Is a white-collar worker? Puts in long, hard hours? Cares that the world sees him as a put-together guy?

You need…
The professional businessman. This guy is usually found at the office or jetting around from others’ offices. Usually, he’s dressed in a full suit or casual business attire. He knows that his appearance does matter in his professional success, and he has to keep himself presentable from head to toe.

How to catch his eye

1. Tell him he’s OK. “Draw to his attention that it’s OK to think about how he looks,” says Christie Ford, spa director at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Va. When describing the service, make sure to explain that the services are not about vanity but about putting your best foot (and hand) forward.

2. Compliment his choices. Although everyone loves a little commendation, reassuring the professional on his excellent choice is always a good idea. “A lot of it is making the man feel good about choosing that service,” says Ford.

3. Consider his schedule. Business hours are from 9 to 5, and he may even work before and after that. If 9 to 5 are your salon’s hours, he’s not going to be able to fit it into his busy days.

4. Get in good with his people. In an area where there are often business travelers, The 316 Club in Chicago works with concierges of local hotels to make sure they know about their services for men, which co-owner Greg Savarese estimates make up about 75% of the area’s business travelers.

How to keep his attention

5. Give him all you can. Profile Spa & Salon for Men in Irvine, Calif., caters to a variety of men — including lots of businessmen — and offers auto detailing, shoe shines, and airport pickup and dropoff, which means he can get much more done in much less time.

6. Play it cool. Much like your professional businesswomen need to have a break from their busy days, businessmen do, too. “There has to be an aspect of relaxation; they’re running around all the time,” says Ford, whose day spa often caters to traveling businessmen.

7. Understand his professional life cannot be turned off. The “no cell-phone policy” is excellent for creating a relaxing environment, but today’s businessman is attached to his phone or PDA. Consider requiring all phones/PDAs turned to vibrate instead of off, or under the “Please refrain from cell-phone use” sign, add “If taking a call is completely necessary, please keep your conversation to a minimum. Thank you.”

8. Try to fix his workplace problems. Profile Spa and Salon for Men plans on adding on a massage aimed at the frequent PDA user.

How to give him what nobody else can

9. Send him packing. If he’s traveling often for work, he’ll need items to make sure he’s presentable at all times. Retail a travel kit created especially for men, so he’ll never be caught with a hangnail again.

10. Hand it to him. Retail a non-floral-fragranced hand lotion like Jack Black Industrial Strength Hand Healer, a favorite at Profile Spa and Salon for Men and the Grooming Lounge (Washington D.C.), so men can keep their hands handshake worthy.

THE TRENDSETTER

Do you want a client who…
Wants to impress others with his looks? Goes to the gym to improve his physique? Is open to just about any treatment that could help him appear more groomed?

You need…
The trend-setting guy. This guy is probably called a metrosexual by his friends. However, he probably would never call himself “metro” and appreciates that you don’t either. Instead, he prefers to think of himself as someone who simply takes care of his looks like any self-respecting man should. His profession varies — from blue collar to white collar — but his appearance is important, mainly because he knows that women do notice a well-kept man.

How to catch his eye

1. Become a heavyweight. “We do a lot of partnerships with local gyms,” says Stacia Stasnek, public relations and sales coordinator for American Male. “Their clients will get a discount at our salon, and our clients will get a discount at the gym.”

2. Tell him he’ll be a ladies’ man. Launching a new website called Bud.TV, Anheuser-Busch filmed advertisements for the website at The 316 Club. According to the owner, in a segment about what women want that is planned to air during games, the ads took men from local bars and sent them to The 316 Club to be fixed up for how women want to see them.

3. Tease him with a deal. American Male is doing a “test drive” program where clients can try out a Hand Detailing and a Foot Detailing service at half price because the company is confident that as more men try nail care services they’ll become loyal to the service.

How to keep his attention

4. Talk up your handy-work. “The guys who work with their hands a lot like hand detailing to have soft hands,” says Stasnek.

5. Keep things light. If he’s a guy watching his waistline, a huge glass of wine or full-calorie beer won’t put him at ease. Make sure your drinks include a variety, from light beers, to juices, to plain old bottled water.

6. Focus on the details. Although some men come to a spa or salon to relax, this man is in your chair because he knows the details matter. Make sure your cleaning under the nails and of the cuticles is meticulous.

7. Be like the Karate Kid. Show him how easy it is to wax on, wax off those unsightly toe hairs. Ease his 40-Year-Old Virgin fears by explaining how painless it actually is.

How to give him what nobody else can

8. Don’t raise a stink. Unscented lotions or ones scented with mint or citrus are common for men to try, but “it cannot smell like the female gender,” warns Jean Kolb, director of wellness business for Kohler Waters Spa.

9. Treat him right. The looks-conscious man already probably has a serious at-home regimen. Convincing him to use a matte strengthener to prevent peeling nails will take some convincing, but if any man will do it, this guy will.

10. Nip it in the bud. Send him packing with hangnail trimmers. Ragged-looking nails drive this man insane, and at-home-use nippers are the perfect solution for him in between appointments.

THE ATHLETE

Do you want a client who…
Is active? Works out for fun on a regular basis? Loves being in the outdoors?

You need…
The athlete. This man is often found at the driving range, on his mountain bike, or on the baseball field. He may have hand calluses from lifting weights, swinging a club or bat, or clutching the bike’s handle bars. His feet take a beating and may have callused heels and ingrown toenails, but his feet are especially important to him, because if one little thing goes wrong, it takes away from his activity time.

How to catch his eye

1. Think before you name. Mecca in Austin is a gym, pilates studio, and spa. In order to appeal to the plethora of runners and bikers in the area, the spa recently added a Sports Pedicure “because nothing takes a beating like the heel, toenail or ball of the athlete’s foot,” says the description.

2. Take up his hobbies. Mecca markets to runners through targeted media. “For instance, we might do an ad in a local runner’s magazine,” says Mecca assistant manager Melissa Mendoza.

3. Tell him he needs it. Although nail services are about beauty or vanity for some, for the athlete it is usually a necessity. “We do communicate to them that this is something they’ll need monthly,” says Mendoza.

How to keep his attention

4. Soak it to him. Kolb, whose spa sees many golfers, recommends using a soaking product to reduce calluses. Soaks are great for men, who often get squeamish when unfamiliar implements are whipped out on their arrival.

5. Look at his hands, too. Because his calluses probably aren’t just on his feet, you may need to work on his hands too. A little callus remover or cuticle remover will ease his rough spots.

6. Remember it’s OK to go deep. “Depending on the individual, the same massage techniques are used, however they may have to apply more pressure,” says Kolb. “Usually these hands are strong, so deeper massage is necessary.”

7. Get those cuticles looking cute. At Mecca, they have found many of the athletic clients’ toenails have a tendency to bury themselves beneath cuticles and skin, so they do dry cuticle work first to make sure the cuticle work can be cleaner and more detailed.

How to give him what nobody else can

8. Say no to the fun-gi. Anti-fungal treatments are great for helping him prevent common problems that often plague men whose feet are cooped up in sweaty shoes or have walked all over locker-room floors.

9. Teach him to become a foot fanatic. Sell him a good foot file that he can use a couple of times a week to keep his feet running smooth.

10. Send shivers down his sole. One of Mecca’s most popular foot lotions for athletes is a cooling mint formula that leaves feet tingling for hours. The men love the fresh sensation that keeps their feet feeling spry with every step.

THE GENTLEMAN

Do you want a client who…
Is a little more mature? Probably has more expendable income? May need a little more coaxing?

You need…
The older gentleman. This man has been in the same body for quite a while now, and he probably knows it well. This can be good and bad. He’ll be able to tell you what he likes and doesn’t, but he also may be a little more set in his ways and comes from a generation where professional male grooming was practically non-existent during his formative years.

How to catch his eye

1. Accept that he’s a family man. The Grooming Lounge’s general manager Brittni Knaap says Father’s Day is one of the lounge’s busiest times of the year. In their window, they promote with outdoor signage that tells sons and daughters passing by to opt not for a sweater or some other typical gift but for a gift certificate instead.

2. Talk to his wife, girlfriend, or lover. “We find their wives are clients (of Dolce Salon & Spa), and we market to them,” says marketing coordinator Theresa Sarna, who works with both Dolce Salon & Spa and Dolce Barber & Spa.

3. Work the local sports broadcasters. Ex-NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Sean Salisbury came in for services to The 316 Club. Shortly thereafter he talked about his experience on his sports radio show. “It was great to have one of the true guy’s guys of Chicago endorse us,” says owner Greg Savarese.

How to keep his attention

4. Tell everyone everything. “That generation is a little more hesitant to come in,” says Sarna. The client coordinators at Dolce Barber & Spa therefore can easily talk them through the services and the details of each.

5. Show him some class. Remind him of growing up in classy times with classy tunes. At Dolce Barber & Spa Frank Sinatra-type tunes are a favorite.

6. Plan your time accordingly. Know there are probably going to be two types of clients — those who will get maintenance services (and consistently returning) and those who need treatments and are first-time clients. The techs at Dolce Barber & Spa often see both, but their treatment clients often need quite a bit more work on their nails and soles. Make sure you book adequate time for the treatments.

7. Give her a call. If he comes in from a gift certificate, give the purchaser a call after he leaves to let her know that he came in and used the certificate and tell her how much he loved it.

How to give him what nobody else can

8. Keep him young. Men like looking older almost as little as women do. Unscented anti-aging lotions and moisturizers will help keep his skin soft and supple.

9. Help him be thoughtful. With all the women in his life (a wife, girlfriend, daughters, granddaughters, sisters, etc.), he’s sure to know of at least one woman who would enjoy the treatment he just received. Keep your gift certificate promotions in sight for him to see when he enters or leaves the spa.

10. Snip and clip. Toenail scissors are not only often easier for clients to use, but they also have a bit of a nostalgic feel for those used to the days back before clippers had toenail traps.