Before Michael Gilman was able to say his vows, there was something else that his bride-to-be wanted him to do—get his nails done. So off he went to the salon for a manicure. And while he enjoyed the pampering that came along with having his nails clipped, shaped and polished, he felt awkward sitting among dozens of women.
“I thought to myself that if there were a place just for men, I would go there and other like-minded guys would as well,” says Gilman. In lieu of looking for that place, Gilman made it happen. In 2002 he opened the Grooming Lounge in Washington DC—a second location in McLean, VA soon followed suit—a salon just for guys to get the services they need in a locale they can relate to and feel at ease.
A RISING TREND
The idea of a salon or spa that only caters to men might seem foreign to some, yet men do not only constitute a large chunk of total spa visits in the United States, they also like to take care of themselves by purchasing skin care and other cosmetics. According to a 2013 study released by the International Spa Association (ISPA), men represent nearly half of the total spa market (47%). In addition, a Mintel study estimates that by 2016, the men’s skin care market could fetch up to $3.2 billion in sales.
While a men only locale might not be up your alley, tending to men with a bit more care (i.e. by truly making them feel welcomed) certainly is in your best interest.
“Men want a place of their own,” says Gilman. “It is often uncomfortable for guys to be mixed into a salon or spa atmosphere with women. Having their own place brings them to a new relaxation level.”
Daniel Francoeur, owner of Bodé Spa for Men in Ottawa, Canada, could not agree more. “Imagine women with their friends having manis-pedis and chatting. Then you bring a man in a next chair,” says Francoeur. “They are going to shut down and start whispering, he is going to feel out of place. You are hurting both clients.”
BRING IN THE MACHO
The trick to making a salon or spa more male friendly starts by appealing to their senses: sight, smell, auditory and taste.
Treat their eyes. Men-only waiting rooms and treatment rooms need to look like places they would feel comfortable hanging out in. “Tone down some of the floral stuff,” says Gilman. “Pick more neutral colors, including for the sheets that cover esthetic tables,” says Francoeur. Dark woods, metals, marbles and leather are materials that fit in with a more manly and professional look.
Give them space. “Our waiting room is very large and wide because men do not like to be sitting next to each other,” says Francoeur. “And they like their privacy in the treatment rooms as well.” Francoeur suggests having only two chairs available for facials to allow the wife or girlfriend to sit by and perhaps enjoy a treatment as well.
Size matters—when it comes to equipment and other necessities. “Make sure the equipment is more man-sized, as it is not really easy fitting a 250 lb guy into a regular pedicure station,” says Gilman. Francoeur concurs. He suggests looking for extra wide and long tables, as well as size 15 sandals and bathrobes “for that 6 ft 4 in and 300 lb client.”
Appeal to their smell. Incense, musk, citrus and eucalyptus are scents that men are more prone to embrace, while florals and fruits can be more of a turnoff. The same rule somewhat goes for treatments themselves. “For example, rose water is fantastic for skin,” says Francoeur. “But if the concentrate is too high in smell, the client is going to hate it.” Ginny Rodgers, manager of Studio One Eleven Day Spa and Salon in Wilmington, DE, says she switches scents depending on the season, and favors balsam oils or peppermint in the winter and perhaps honeysuckle in the summer.
Just like for everything else, music, advises Gilman, needs to be more neutral. Francoeur says that in his salon, clients and therapists can alter the music in each room based on their personal preferences, and clients are even encouraged to bring in their favorite sounds. In the waiting room, offer some magazines geared to male topics, from health to sports, travel and foods, as well as newspapers. And if you like to treat your clients, go the extra mile. “We offer wine and cheese on Tuesday and Thursday evenings,” says Rodgers. “We also have beer and some rum and brandy.” At the Grooming Lounge, clients get to pick from “tons of men’s magazines and just about every drink option you can imagine,” says Gilman. If nothing else, a big candy dish seems to do the trick at Bodé, as Francoeur finds that his clients like to indulge in sweets.
TALK THEIR TALK
Although the majority of treatments offered to men are essentially the same as those offered to women, the choice of words to present these treatments matter a great deal. Perhaps one needs to mix a bit of their psychological skills with some marketing savvy, yet one thing seems certain—at least according to Francoeur and Gilman—some words completely turn men off. At Bodé and the Grooming Lounge, men do not get a pedicure, they get a Foot Fix or a Foot Treatment. Aside from the choice of names for services, the words used to describe them and the way therapists address clients must be scrutinized as well. “Avoid more fluffy spa language,” says Gilman. “We steer clear of technical words only aimed to make us look smart, and that only makes the guest feel confused.”
PICK SOUGHT-AFTER MEN’S SERVICES
According to the 2013 findings released by ISPA, men’s most sought after treatments were massages (83%), pedis and manis (37% and 33%) and facials (31%). “At this stage, men are pretty much rookies in the spa game,” says Gilman. “So we start with services that help them do the basics like clean up skin problems, take care of their nails, relax sore muscles, etc.” Francoeur finds that although massages were big at some point in his spa, today esthetics is what men want when they seek his services. “Skin care is huge, foot care is huge, hand care not so much,” he says. Francoeur suggests that when a spa or salon is ready to make the plunge toward more men-friendly offerings, get the staff on board to make decisions as to what will be made available—and be very specific. “Are you willing to do waxing?” asks Francoeur, before going into graphic descriptions of some waxing treatments for men.
TRAIN YOUR STAFF
When it comes to training, both Francoeur and Gilman are adamant. “Learn the technical aspect of men’s care,” says Gilman, to which Francoeur adds, “It is all about education.” Indeed as Francoeur brings up, there are simple rules that apply to everyone, but the reaction that men get differs from that of women. He makes his point with waxing services. “We wax huge areas in the back and chest and we do not do that for women,” says Francoeur. “They are not told how to care after a wax, then they go on a beach vacation and they start to break out with acne and they never want to get waxed again.”
The same fact applies to men or women—treatments well done can turn anyone into a loyal client. Francoeur shares the story of a client, who on his 65th birthday came for his very first spa experience. “He came for a Face Lift, ear wax, nose wax and brow wax. He also got a Foot Fix,” says Francoeur. “Now he comes back religiously every month and a half. He said, ‘I had a little bit of arthritis and I could not walk a lot.’ After the Foot fix, we trimmed his nails properly, took care of ingrown nails, he started to enjoy walking more. He has lost weight because he can move now and be active.”
GET THE GUYS IN AND COMING BACK
Getting guys to come in for some services might seem like the tricky part. While Francoeur and Rodgers both gained their following from their previous venture—Rodgers used to work at a fancy barber shop and Francoeur owned a spa where women would bring in their partners—attracting male clients is a bit of a mix of what works for women as well, yet focusing on the web is definitely a must. “It is not like they go to their buddies and say, ‘where do you go?’” argues Francoeur. “Men do not talk too much about that kind of stuff; men look for stuff online. We know the web is very important.” Rodgers concurs. “I set up an internet site […] which attracts most of my clients who come in today,” she says. Social media, Twitter, Facebook and blogging rank pretty high too, adds Francoeur. Getting involved with the community has worked well for him also. Giving away treatments as prizes to local events has helped spread the word about Bodé. “Usually people want to know about the experience, how [the services] went,” says Francoeur. Then appealing to your current female clients is yet another way to go. “Most of your clients have brothers, fathers, boyfriends, you can show them, ‘look I have a whole menu for men,’” he says.
WORDS OF WISDOM
If increasing your male clientele is one of your goals, here is some advice from those who know best how to cater to men. “Make it authentic and do not just carve out one room and use the same personnel, but a different room. It needs to really be a different destination,” says Gilman. Rodgers agrees and adds, “make sure it is all to themselves. If you ask most men, they will tell you they do not like certain things when coming into a unisex salon.” Rodgers cautions that unlike women, who enjoy the chatter with their therapists, men do not. “These gentlemen are usually corporate and white collar workers and they have a lot of mental stress. They do not need to hear all about your problems. Concentrate on the client.” Finally, Francoeur suggests dedicating a separate menu and questionnaire for men. “Print off a completely separate menu, do not put them together,” says Francoeur. “Avoid using the same questionnaire than for women. Men do not like to be asked when was their last cycle of if they have menopause. They want to see that you show them that you care.”
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