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Deborah Dowling (pictured), national educationmanager (consultant division) P&G PrestigeProducts and Laura Douglas, senior scientist, P&GPrestige Products, have been involved in the development and sales training for Boss Skin andits latest launch, Healthy Look

What do men need from their skincare? How will their regime be different from a woman’s?One of the biggest differences between menand women’s skin is that men shave… Butother than that, what men need (as withwomen) is a good cleanser. Recommend agood non-soapy face wash and also make surethey exfoliate a couple of times a week. Bytaking off some of the dead skin, men will geta better, more comfortable shave. A goodlubricant and blade is also important. Byworking shave gel into a lather on the face it

will help soften and lift the hairs for a bettershave. And men should always shave with thegrain of the hair, not against it.

A good moisturiser is also crucial. Guys wantdifferent things from their moisturiser. In theBoss Skin range, we have a gel as well as acream. Some men like the cool water-likeappeal of the gel, where other men prefer thecream and opt for it because it has SPF.

Guys like to keep skincare as simple as possible. They don’t want too many productsand complicated regimes – we just have clean,shave, moisturise and specialty products.

What are some of the major concerns menhave with their skin and how can theycounter them?Some guys get in-growing hairs. A good exfoliator will stop that – but tell them not toexfoliate too often. Another concern is thatmen tend to have oilier skin. Some guys thinkthat to solve the problem they must wash andscrub their skin all the time – but the skin willreact by producing even more oil to try torebalance itself. Men need a good cleansingroutine if they have oily skin, but shouldn’t betoo harsh with it.

Are men more happy to browse for their ownproducts these days and are they more opento increasingly ‘vain’ items such as self tan?Vanity in the men’s market is definitely evolving more and more. When we were looking at where to take Boss Skin next theidea of wanting to look healthy kept coming up– and a lot of guys had already tried fake tans(even though they may not want to tell everyone about it!) Younger guys especially aremuch more savvy about the world of grooming

How to sell... Male Grooming

Are customers knowledgeable about themen's electrical market? Consumers know about basic features and ifthey are buying a new shaver will often go outwith a list of "must haves" – for example, itmust be rechargeable, have a trimmer andmust be easy to clean. However, they are lessknowledgeable about recent innovations inshave technology. For that they generallyresearch before making a purchase, and information is gleaned from the Argos

catalogue, recommendation from friends/familyand internet research.

Are most men's electrical products actuallybought by men? Or do a lot of women buy fortheir men?Around a third of all shaver purchases in the UKare made by women as gifts for the men in theirlives.

Is there a peak sales period for men's electricalitems? For shaving, the peak is definitelyNovember/December in the run up toChristmas. The increase in sales can start asearly as October and is fuelled by media investment from brands in November/December.

Are men willing to be converted from wetshaving to electrical? Most men will be loyal to one method as theirpredominant shave, however there is a lot ofdual usage depending on the circumstances. Forexample, some men will wet shave for an interview or before a night out because theybelieve it gives them the closest shave, but willuse an electrical shaver before work for convenience. The Gillette National ConsumerStudy 2005 showed that there was a rise in thenumber of people exclusively dry shaving.

Is there a 'checklist' of questions that assistantsshould ask men to help ascertain which modelwould be best for their needs?

• Foil versus rotary is the first question thatshould be asked - in turn that will guide brandchoice (Braun only does foil, Philips only doesrotary, and Remington does both).

• Budget consideration is key because the majority of men and women will already havea predetermined price ceiling that they will notbe prepared to go over.

• Do they have sensitive skin? • Is easy and convenient cleaning important? (If

so they need a washable or a clean and chargemodel.)

• Do they want a rechargeable model? • Do they want a shaver that would also be able

to trim other areas - eg beard, moustache?

What about when it's a woman trying to buyfor her particular man?When it comes to women purchasing for theirman, rather than asking questions, an assistant’skey role should be to educate women in the category and provide reassurance. Due to a lackof category knowledge there is a need toempower/educate her so that she feels equippedto make the decision for her man. As womenperceive electric shaving as HIS territory shewants to buy a product that meets his needs andwants to have the reassurance that the productdelivers on his benefits, not hers. Any adviceyou give needs to be based around the man, andnot female orientated benefits such as colourand design! Benefits such as a closer shave, lessirritation, the latest technology and top of therange all provide reasons for reassurance.

Amy Wright is business managerfor male hair removal at Braun.Her responsibilities include managing volume and profit targets and producing marketingstrategies. She has been with the company for a year following four years in marketing roles at Kimberly Clark

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and how important it is. There’s definitely anevolution into the ‘enhancement’ end of theproduct market, which looks likely to continue.

However, despite their increasing receptiveness to grooming, a man does notderive the same pleasure and leisurely attitudeto the shopping experience as women do - menwant quick, easy, and functional solutions. Inorder to capture the male customer’s attentionit’s important that assistants communicate in aquick, logical and factual way. Most men take abrief look at the merchandising and little noticeof all the product details, so we train our consultants to deliver sales techniques andarguments in a clear, factual way.

What is the best way to talk to men in-storeand what are the key questions to ask them tofind the right products for their needs?We have found men want to know that they’vebeen given a product that they want and need.

Generally men don't like to ask for help - butwith 'gadgets' like shavers, are they moreopen to advice? Surprisingly enough, men are actually willingto ask for help when it comes to shavers. Theywill buy a new model approximately every fiveyears and within that time the market changesrapidly. When the time comes to purchase anew shaver there are new features, new technologies and new ways to describe thesethat can make it quite a confusing purchase. Soadvice is welcomed!

How should electricals be displayed in-store? The first time a consumer comes into contactwith the product is generally at the fixture andin most cases all they get to see is the box. Thebest way to aid the decision-making processand to ensure a sale is to have the product ondisplay out of the box so that consumers cantouch and feel the product.

Do you have any other tips on selling men'selectrical products? We suggest displaying visible signage and category information (eg “How to Buy aShaver”) to help shoppers locate and understand the different sub-categories such asshavers, trimmers, clippers and spare parts.Replacement parts and refills should be positioned adjacent to the shavers and theproducts should be vertically segmented byessential-advanced-premium, placing the premium segment in the best fixture location.

They want to know what the product is, what itdoes and that it actually delivers the requiredbenefits.

Consultation and advice at point of sale iscrucial prior to making recommendations –especially when guys are not too sure whatthey’re doing or what they’re after. It’s reallyimportant to find out about his lifestyle - menare different and want different things. If youcan understand that, it will lead you to the products he needs.

The key is to ask open-ended questionswhich require a response other than a simple‘yes’ or ‘no’. You will receive much more information – and therefore can assess needsmore effectively. Eg:• “Tell me, does your skin feel comfortable or

irritated after shaving?”• “What do you prefer, wet or electric razor?”• “What products do you normally use?”

It’s also important to find out:• Does he work outside? • Does he work in air conditioned offices? • Is he always travelling? Different lifestyles cause different things tohappen to the skin, so understanding hislifestyle can help to guide you to a good recommendation. For example, if he’s outsidea lot he’ll need moisturiser with SPF. If he fliesfrequently he might need something to perkup the skin or something like Healthy Look tohide any pastiness! What moisturiser bestsuits depends on lifestyle – and guys get that.

What about when it’s a woman shopping for a man in her life? Should she be dealtwith differently? Our consultants would complete a consultation in the same way they would forthe man. However because women and menshop differently you probably expect that afemale shopper may want to spend more timeexploring textures, packaging, and mayrequire more detailed information withregards to regime and ingredients.

The key difference between the skincare needs ofmen and women is shaving - which is often a driverof product use. Many men enter the skincare category as a result of problems caused by shaving,such as dryness and razor burn. After shave balmshave traditionally been the main entry point to thecategory. Many men feel that using a product aftershaving improves the look and feel of their skin.

Men can also tend to have oilier skin thanwomen, so using the right cleansing product (i.e.face wash) can make a big difference to their skin.There is also a smaller section of men for whomageing is a consideration, and moisturisers such asNivea For Men Active Firming cream are successfulwith this audience.

There are an increasing number of men who arepurchasing their own skincare, but wives/partnersstill play an important role in making purchases.Currently about 43 per cent of men buy their ownshaving or skincare products. There are differenttypes of male shopper currently buying skincare

products – ranging from those who only buy oneproduct habitually, to those who have a large repertoire of products and brands.

In general, men do browse less at the fixture andare much more likely to know exactly what productthey want and buy it without looking for anythingelse. Those who are more involved in the categoryare more likely to look out for new products andtake interest in new technological developments.However the majority of men are still quite lowinvolvement and do prefer to be able to find whatthey want quickly. The focus for these men is quick,simple navigation of the category with logical product options in close proximity of each other.

In order to get the best out of a face care regime,the message for men is “Wash, Shave, Protect” –i.e. use a face wash product before shaving, thenuse a moisturiser or after shave balm post-shave.There is also definitely a move by men to use products which have previously been more femaleoriented. There is already high male purchase offemale gradual tan products, so the obvious nextstep is to develop products like this specifically formen. It is likely to take some time before theseproducts are commonplace in men’s bathrooms, butover time men’s grooming regimes are predicted tobecome as complex as those of females.

But at the moment, the best tip for selling to menis to keep it simple! Men are interested in what theproduct is going to do for them – not how it’s goingto do it, so messages should be straightforward andhighlight the benefits of using the product.

Rebecca Taylor is thecategory insight manager for maleskincare at Beiersdorf

UK. She has been with the companyfour years and currently works toturn shopper insights into initiativesthat will grow sales in the category

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