Should Nail Pros Fear Amazon Selling Pro Nail Products?

-- SUZE ORMAN, FINANCIAL GURU

There is a common belief that if professional salon products are accessible to consumers that nail salons will lose business. Today we dispel the popular myth that professional products available on Amazon have a negative impact on salon services. What does “access” mean and what do nail pros really need to worry about?

WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY
Little known fact, consumers across all industries (not just the salon industry) have always been able to get their hands on professional products. If you know someone who knows someone or the right doors to knock on; a person looking for a particular legal or illegal product can get it. This predates the internet and the rise of Amazon. Who in the throes of holiday shopping, has not turned to the internet marketplace like eBay or CraigsList to pick up hard to come by or limited edition items? Raise your hand if you’re guilty.

NOT YOUR BABY
A lot of nail techs lose sleep over Amazon selling to consumers, as if it could lure clients away and destroy the profession. We know the fear of losing clients is real and scary. It’s your livelihood we’re talking about. We’re here to assure you, the folks buying pro nail products are mostly aspiring nail amateurs or your fellow professional nail techs looking for last minute products and easy shipping. Nothing to see here. Your client is not going to ditch you because they watch YouTube tutorials, bought an acrylic kit, and magically gained countless hours of hands on experience. The DIY folks were never planning to marry you in the first place. They might date you on and off; but don’t expect a long-term committed relationship. Buying a commercial grade cooktop does not make you the next Michelin three star chef; in the same way having an Olympic sized pool does not make you an Olympic gold medalist.

IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU
More than ever, we want to remind you that Young Nails is a company that loves our nail pros. It’s always been about you. Everything we develop, the products and the many forms of online content, has been for our professional audience. Clients book services with nail pros because they want to treat themselves and have a certain kind of experience. The kind of products you use are only part of the equation; the rest is the technique and customer connection only you can do. You are the secret ingredient. All along the way, we are here for you. Any nail pro knows that in order to do nails at a high-level; it takes a serious commitment plus years of honing your specialty. Enhancements are not easy to execute, service upon service. Consumers who do nails on their own, do it as a hobby. It’s a separate thing entirely and the standards are completely different.

HERE TO STAY
A lot of people have questioned why we have a presence on a sales platform like Amazon. It’s a pointless exercise to fear something that you cannot stop and don’t have any control over. Amazon is here and it’s here to stay. We need to pick our battles. The convenience that the site offers consumers is a example of supply and demand. For many years, we held off from it. YN products were being sold on Amazon by third parties without our permission or any true brand affiliation. Back then, if you found YN products on Amazon, there was no way to know who was really selling it to you and what was in those containers. We as manufacturers did not know how they got there either. As a company, rather than risk products being knock-offs and subpar quality; we had to protect you and the YN brand.

THE UNIVERSE IS ABUNDANT
There is a market for everyone and plentiful clients for every nail tech. Cheer yourself on and wish your competition well. There is no time for negativity. If something is going on in your business and clients seem to be thinning out; your time is better spent by looking within. Is there something you lost connection with? Is there room for any new curiosities and improvements? Is your marketing situation dialed in? How can you recalibrate if something is lagging? Do I have a good sense of what the trends are and am I able to deliver them? Am I taking myself and my business seriously or am I playing the victim to my own act of self-sabotage? Step back and be open to the idea that sometimes things just need a realignment and reevaluation. Yes, even your business. Your clients aren’t going anywhere if you offer exceptional service: the good work plus the positive vibes. If you can check off those boxes, then perhaps too, even higher pricing won’t be a problem.

**This is an adaptation from our YN Biz Talk playlist on YouTube, “BIZ TALK: SHOULD NAIL PROS FEAR AMAZON SELLING PRO NAIL PRODUCTS?”
***Follow our YN YouTube Channel and click here to watch the full discussion here: