Enticing male clients into the salon

Forget the wash-and-go culture of yesteryear; the noughties man is prepared to invest serious time, effort and money on making himself stand out from the crowd.

In fact, Professional Men's Grooming Research carried out last year found that the male grooming market is growing at a rate of 10 per cent a year.

Despite the change of attitude, men still aren't flocking through salon doors, with as little as 20% of revenue coming from male clientele. 

So what can you do to increase the number of men coming into your salon? Award winning barber Chris Foster from Gentlemen's Tonic, Mayfair, shares his suggestions:

• Create the right environment - It's really important that you consider the environment. If you can have a dedicated men's area to make them feel completely at ease but if that is not possible simply get some men's magazines for them to flick through, even consider televisions showing sports. A few salons are now introducing private rooms for men where they can have colour, as guys don't particularly like sitting in front of women while having their highlights done.



• Make a good first impression - How does your salon look to a man as he walks past? Is it inviting? Do you include men's services on your menu? Loads of Unisex salons are packed with men simply because they have signs up with special offers for men and salon images. It does not mean the salons are any less feminine.



• Know your men - What's key in creating a bigger male business is knowing what your man likes. You need to identify what your male clients' wants and his problems. Guys find it really difficult to talk about their hair problems like baldness, dry scalps even hair colour.



• Education and innovation - If you are interested in increasing your male business then you need to educate your staff. You would not allow your colourist to apply color without training, so invest in clippering courses and product knowledge courses on male grooming ranges. Wet shaves will become a big thing again in salons so find a reputable grooming range who will offer the right advice.



• Choose your services wisely - I really do believe the way to increase your male business is by introducing more services for them. I work at a salon where there are a huge amount of services on offer including sports rubs, hot towel shaves, foot and hand treatments (which we don't class as manicures and pedicures). It's all about how you present services - keep it simple, price it right and you have got a winning combination.



• Remember to retail - Guys love to spend just as much as the ladies do. Increasing your retail section for men will only increase your sales. Be careful not to over spend and make sure you create a demand for it by asking the men and women who visit the salon what they want.