Are your clients brand driven?

[anneself]

I'm looking to change my manicure and gel polish products, I currently use Jessica and GELeration but am looking to change to INK London or The Gel Bottle. I wanted to know your valued opinions on whether you feel people are more attracted by the well known brands or whether the product is more important. I'm unsure whether to stay with Jessica and GELeration or change to one of the lesser known brands. I live in a fairly affluent area of Kent where the majority of salons use the Shellac, Geleration or Gelcolour. I am setting up a new home salon as I have recently moved.

Thank you from snowy Kent.

 

[wonderwoman]

I think as your a home salon you have that flexibility that i cant offer in sense of having a nice mix of brands. I have only heard good things of
The gel bottle. I think the best way is to trial them out and see longevity for yourself. Clients are brand driven but if you can offer them something else, they'll may go you way. I offer Cnd Shellac but have trialed out several others at the time of launch, opi, cuccio, nsi etc. I may dislike some colors and think they just gonna sit on the shelf but I have always stuck with what works for my clientele. xoxo

 

[Trinity]

I find clients are success driven rather than brand driven, they don't really care what you use as long as it stays on, doesn't damage their nails and makes them feel like they are getting a great service for their money (not necessarily cheap - but value for money). This comes entirely down to you, know your products, like Wonderwoman says, wear the products yourself to test their longevity, know your products chemistry, how it works and performs, what it's limitations are and then it becomes easy to convey that feeling to a client because they will know to trust you and what you tell them.

Yes some will have heard of Shellac, or even CND if they are google fiends but if your chosen product is good and performs well your confidence in it will inspire them.

 

[QueenD]

I'm having a similar problem at the moment as I'm looking to switch from OPI but some of my clients seem resistant to change. I think I'm going to trial another brand with a few clients and see what they think.I really want to change but equally I don't want them to go elsewhere if I'm not doing the brand they love.Its a catch 22.

 

[Trinity]

if I'm not doing the brand they love.Its a catch 22.

If they love it and you have a happy client base why change?

 

[CFBS]

I think having a well known brand helps to get new clients in especially when, as a home based salon, I don't have a fancy shop window. It can reassure clients I think that you're using quality products and charge accordingly.
You could have two brands of course but that takes more money.

Could you introduce more nail art, glitters, foils etc or more colours to rejuvenate the brand that you have?

 

[Ceiy]

I currently use CND Shellac but I’ve ordered a couple of INK colours to try on myself. They are arriving tomorrow. I don’t think clients care what you use as long as they feel they're getting a long lasting manicure x

 

[QueenD]

If they love it and you have a happy client base why change?

A few reasons really the customer service and training has been really poor recently and with the cost of the products as well to consider I don’t really feel like a valued customer.

 

[Leggibone]

I don’t think my gals are brand driven per se, I use a few different brands, and they are colour driven, and results driven, I know one of my gals can’t have cnd shellac cause it wont stay, but she knows if she chooses one of my cnd colours I’ll tell her that and she’ll pick and alternated. But because she knows I use trusted brands, and she’s going to get the results she wants she sticks with me, the rest of my gals know there’ll get the results and just pic colours they fancy. Because I have a few different options for brands I am able to offer a much wider range of colours then if I hade just stuck with one of them.
I’m not really loyal to one brand of the lot, i know which ranges I’m expanding, and which I’m keeping as they are.