People don't want gels!

[1999judy]

I'm having a real problem at selling myself with gels. People don't want them as much as they want acrylic and it's really getting me down. I really love doing gels and feel that I've mastered them well but people always say they don't want them as they've had them before (not by me) and they are not as strong as acrylic. I feel that they are just as strong but everyone wants acrylic nails. Have been a bit bossy today and talked a couple of people round to the idea as I feel that they are better suited to gel but how do you word it?
I feel that people write gels off before they even know what they are. Any ideas how to promote them a bit more?

 

[Carmen]

I just want to say how funny it is in different parts of the world in regards to what people want. Everyone here wants gels!! Pack your bags and move to Canada!

When people ask me the difference, I explain to them that gel feels a little lighter than l&p, it doesn't have a tendancy to yellow like some l&p's do, and it's more flexible. Gel is also completely odorless and very natural looking (not that l&p isn't).

Maybe try to convince people to give it a try and tell them they'll love it. I heard most people who try gel after l&p tend to prefer it. Sorry I'm not much help. :Love:

Carmen

 

[1999judy]

I just want to say how funny it is in different parts of the world in regards to what people want. Everyone here wants gels!! Pack your bags and move to Canada!

When people ask me the difference, I explain to them that gel feels a little lighter than l&p, it doesn't have a tendancy to yellow like some l&p's do, and it's more flexible. Gel is also completely odorless and very natural looking (not that l&p isn't).

Maybe try to convince people to give it a try and tell them they'll love it. I heard most people who try gel after l&p tend to prefer it. Sorry I'm not much help. :Love:

Carmen

I just think that some people are better suited to gel but they don't even want to give it a go. I think it looks natural looking as well but I don't think my clients want to look natural!

 

[beautynails]

I'm having a real problem at selling myself with gels. People don't want them as much as they want acrylic and it's really getting me down. I really love doing gels and feel that I've mastered them well but people always say they don't want them as they've had them before (not by me) and they are not as strong as acrylic. I feel that they are just as strong but everyone wants acrylic nails. Have been a bit bossy today and talked a couple of people round to the idea as I feel that they are better suited to gel but how do you word it?
I feel that people write gels off before they even know what they are. Any ideas how to promote them a bit more?

I'm in the same situation. I've only gotten a few of people to try gel, once they do they love it but it's so hard to get them to try:grr: . they've usually had it with someone else & it sounds like they've had it just applied more like polish, with no building. In my area people seem to use gel because they can't be bothered doing nails properly & it makes people think gel is weak.:irked:
I tell peeps that a gel isn't gels, that there are many different products & also that people do them differently. People also think that gel is a different kind of product so I them that it is acrylic in a different form.
The clients I have managed to convert were ones that were having probs with L&P. When they come back & their nails aren't what they could be, I tell them I'm going to try them on gel to see if it suits them better & suprise suprise it does:lick: .
I think when I do new pricelist etc i'm going to change my wording so they say liquid & powder, & gel acrylics, so people get the message that they are both acrylic, but they'll prob think they're new products.:lol:
Hopefully the day will come when peeps will learn to listen to what's best for them instead of thinking they know more than me.

 

[NAIL FRENZY]

It is actually quite strange because when I first started people just did'nt want to entertain the idea of l&p. Now I am the same as you, people just don't very often want gel. I just do my usual consultation and then make my suggestion. If they are really stubborn and I really think they would be more suited to gel, I ask them to try it once and if they really don't like it I will give them l&p next time. Most of them stay with the gel, but the majority of my clients are l&p.

 

[Cathie!]

I guess that's what makes a difference if you are a full service technician...you can offer whatever suits their needs, after your client consult.....just for your reassurance every gel client round about here in Bristol has bought into the organic thing....it's all about your education at the end of the day!

 

[bling nails]

hi judy,
i had this problem with clients, they wouldnt touch gels.
i only did acrylic in my early days...tried gel once and thought how crap it was....now after mastering gels i love it and so do my clients.
over the past months ive had new clients who have asked for acrylic when booking over the phone. when thay come in i give them a full consultation and ask why they prefer acrylic...most replied saying that other technicians have tols them how gels are weaker, damaging to the natural nail, and cause allergies. sad i know....

i explain everytime..
1/ the gel i use is as strong as acrylic
2/ gels dont damage natural nails...if there is any damage caused its due to the tecnician over filing natural nails.
3/ the gels i use don't cause allergys...ive had allergys caused by using others gels but the one i use doesn't.
4/ i give 100% guarantee that if the client does not like gels, i will remove and replace with L&P.....this is what usually makes them go for gels.....and i have had NO one come back and complain as yet.
5/ try to apply 1 gel nail if the client is still not sure.

i think its down to being confident in what you do, the clients can see you are and they put their nails in your hands.
im sure your clients will see that gels are as good as L&P and it may take time but worth it......all my clients were L&P, now i only do ONE...all the rest have tried gels and never looked back.

 

[1999judy]

I guess that's what makes a difference if you are a full service technician...you can offer whatever suits their needs, after your client consult.....just for your reassurance every gel client round about here in Bristol has bought into the organic thing....it's all about your education at the end of the day!

Hmmm maybe that's the problem - ORGANIC doesn't do it for the majority of clients here. My gels are actually cheaper than l&p but they want acrylic up ere in't North West of England! MY education is good but my clients education is, shall we say?, not so good.

 

[ADiva1]

When I started doing nails in 2004 - I was only doing l&p and no-one was interested. They wanted gel! I no longer use l&p and mainly use gel. So I have the opposite problem to you.

Do you wear your gel enhancements regularly? Let them have a look to see how lovely strong and shiny they are! X

 

[Cathie!]

Hmmm maybe that's the problem - ORGANIC doesn't do it for the majority of clients here. My gels are actually cheaper than l&p but they want acrylic up ere in't North West of England! MY education is good but my clients education is, shall we say?, not so good.

I meant that potential clients had heard through media and other techs, that gel was organic and that's why they were asking for it...not that I was saying yeah gel is organic :hug:

 

[1999judy]

I meant that potential clients had heard through media and other techs, that gel was organic and that's why they were asking for it...not that I was saying yeah gel is organic :hug:

Pmsl no hun I didn't mean it that way, I mean that they don't care about it because they all want L&P! I don't think they care about whether it is organic or anything else - they want to look like Chantelle or Posh Spice! And me saying "try this it looks really natural" is making them worse!

 

[beautynails]

Pmsl no hun I didn't mean it that way, I mean that they don't care about it because they all want L&P! I don't think they care about whether it is organic or anything else - they want to look like Chantelle or Posh Spice! And me saying "try this it looks really natural" is making them worse!

OMG why would any1 want nails like posh. ick.
Don't know how natural can be bad.

 

[HAILZTONES]

I know this may sound a bit silly, and I don't normally make a habit of doing this, but the other day I did a couple of my own nails with L&P on one hand and I already had gel on the other. I was just trying something out as I always wear Brisa myself. A few clients who wanted L&P were quickly converted to the gel when they saw mine and how lovely, shiney, natural and strong they looked. The strange thing was the Brisa had been on much longer than the L&P, the colour, the white, everything looked much nicer than the L&P, even though the L&P nails were finished with the UV finishing gloss, the Brisa still looked better.

Hayley x

 

[Leslee]

A few clients who wanted L&P were quickly converted to the gel when they saw mine and how lovely, shiney, natural and strong they looked. Hayley x

I was just going to say the same thing. Best advertisement I got for gels were my own nails. Plus, I wear natural tips, buff off the shine and oil them so my nails look very real. Most people do not have a clue I'm wearing tips and gels... just like everyone else. People are shocked to find out my nails are enhancements. I get asked all the time what I put on my nails to get them to grow so long and pretty! Um... tips and gels? LOL! OMG, what are gels? Who does your nails? They're even more shocked when they find out I do my own. The little weird thing of buffing off the shine has brought me more biz than I can begin to tell you!

 

[PLAOH]

I was just going to say the same thing. Best advertisement I got for gels were my own nails. Plus, I wear natural tips, buff off the shine and oil them so my nails look very real. Most people do not have a clue I'm wearing tips and gels... just like everyone else. People are shocked to find out my nails are enhancements. I get asked all the time what I put on my nails to get them to grow so long and pretty! Um... tips and gels? LOL! OMG, what are gels? Who does your nails? They're even more shocked when they find out I do my own. The little weird thing of buffing off the shine has brought me more biz than I can begin to tell you!

I think I may give the 'buffing off the shine' a go. Most of my ladies who have moved from gel to L&P have done so because they don't like the shiny look of gel. When your nails are that shiny, people know you've had your nails done.

 

[beautynails]

A few clients who wanted L&P were quickly converted to the gel when they saw mine and how lovely, shiney, natural and strong they looked.
Hayley x

Doesn't work for me. I usually wear gel ( but sometimes l&p),peeps always like but still want l&p.

 

[pazzy]

I do 50/50 gels and acrylics. Both systems look as good as each other...sometimes if they are having probs with a particular system I suggest they give the other sytem a go as a try...or just one nail and then let them make up there own mind, they then settle for that system forever.

 

[tinkywinky]

God that's weird,I do acrylic and keep getting asked for gel. You need to put a list of five USP's of gel - in other words unique selling points on why gels are good - aren't they supposed to be less damaging for the natural nail (so biosculpture & alessandro users/salons tell me - but I do acrylic so this is not my opinion)

They are also very good for overlays if you can sell the coloured gels to someone who has short nails and tell them that they will grow with the nail and encourage nail growth etc.

Don't know too much about gels, but I think people need educating. Why not print something off about brisa to give to your clients??

hth's xx

 

[Susie H]

I don't do gels yet but yesterday I was asked what the difference was. I said one was an air activated acrylic and the other was a U.V. light acttivated acrylic, and she said, oh right, so gels give you more time to play with the acrylic and get them looking just right, then she thought a bit and said, that must meen les filing and messing about with them, that got to be better for your own nais hasn't it?
out of the mouths of babes, or in this case a 15 year old chav:biggrin:

 

[Leslee]

I think I may give the 'buffing off the shine' a go. Most of my ladies who have moved from gel to L&P have done so because they don't like the shiny look of gel. When your nails are that shiny, people know you've had your nails done.

Try it. I buff it off with a yellow buffing block, then I oil the HELL out of them with olive oil. I tell clients you have GOT to oil them. LOL! Which is great because they'll DO that. They won't oil their cuticles, but they'll oil those natural looking nails to death to make sure they stay looking natural!

mwaaa ha hahahha h haaaaaaaa! *evil grin*