I haven't done much grooming, but I've been working on handling Thor's paws (he refuses to learn "shake"
).
Anyway, he has gotten much more blase about me handling his paws. It was very simple. In the morning when I rub his tummy, I will gently hold his paw for a second or two, then release and praise. Nothing to stress him out too much. It made a huge difference in a short amount of time. If your honey is really scared, maybe start with just touching his paws, and then work up to holding, and then grooming.