During the holidays, clients are busier than ever,” says Patricia Freund, vice president of  marketing for Cuccio Naturale. “Having a color on their nails reminds them of what makes them feel good. At this time of year, the shades can be comfortable and festive.”

Because clients are too busy to stop for a chipped nail, it’s the perfect season to build your long-lasting gel business, too.


6 TRENDS OF THE SEASON

1. Ring finger i.d. “A trend right now is to paint the ring finger on each hand in a complementary or contrasting color,” notes Mark Moesta, brand manager for China Glaze.

2. Glitter, gladly! “Each shade in our holiday collection is overflowing with glitter that will have your clients’ nails dancing with merriment for any special occasion!” says Gelish CEO & Founder Danny Haile.

3. Almond shape. Festive flashback: Freund says the shape of the nail front is trending narrower.

4. Red, Red, Red! The reds are never truer or brighter than at holiday time!

5. Comfort colors. “Things we love like coffee, sweet caramels and cinnamon are inspiring nail color because they make people feel good,” Freund says.

6. Texture. “From denim to leather and pom-poms to lace, it all goes!” says Melissa Hoogendoorn, Venique senior marketing executive, who notes that Venique’s white-hot texture this season is patent leather. “Tie texture into your own creativity!”

BIZ BUILDERS

Instructional Visuals:
Shoot your own still steps and videos. “Keep the techniques simple and fast,” recommends  Melissa Hoogendoorn of Venique. “This is a perfect opportunity to upsell product along with showing the client how to achieve the look!”

Gift-With-Purchase:
Ask your consultant to show you CosmoProf’s large selection of beautifully packaged nail sets. This year the gifts are so cute—eye-catching for retail sales, or keep them for yourself! Morgan Taylor offers nail techs a free sequin clutch with every 12-count Home for the Holidays display. 

Pedicure Images, Custom Designs, Sampling & Minis and Upfront Brand Merchandising:
Remind clients that toes peek out in all weather at holiday time!

“Use your windows for holiday displays, especially if you’re in a shopping area,” adds Cuccio Naturale’s Patricia Freund.  “People have dinner and walk around and get ideas.”

Make use of the merchandising materials available from CosmoProf. For example, Morgan Taylor’s Merchandise Kit contains window clings, posters, painted color books and appointment cards. A Morgan Taylor ad hanging in  NYC’s Times Square with imagery of lacquers shades and bottles has already generated media buzz that you can tell clients about.

Paint your own creations on a nail wheel or nail tips and show them off at your station, suggests Heather Liggins at Nail Harmony’s Gelish and Morgan Taylor brands. “That will ensure that when a client sits down at the table, the nail art designs are in clear view,” she says.

Help clients to sample lots of colors by stocking minis! Another way to introduce clients to a look is to offer one free nail, suggests Mark Moesta of China Glaze.

Remember that nail items are impulse buys! “Place your nail displays where clients can really see them,” Moesta advises.


UNWRAP THIS TECHNIQUE!

Excerpted from MODERN SALON HOLIDAY 2014, an exclusive custom edition with CosmoProf and Armstrong McCall to help salon pros plan and grow holiday business. See the complete digital edition at modernsalon.com/holiday.