Aesthetic medicine is a competitive industry. There’s always a new clinic behind you looking to poach your hard-won patients. Following these 8 tips is your best way to build a strong, resilient and profitable business.
1. Make customer service your first priority
If you’re committed to maximising your growth, great customer service is THE thing to get right. The best way to be a success in aesthetic medicine is to keep hold of your patients. But they’ll only stay loyal to a practice where they feel valued. And it’s easy to do. Just take care of the little things. Remember their name and other little details they’ve shared with you, ask them about their day – in short, let them know you appreciate them.
2. Develop a strong brand
What defines your practice? How do you want to position yourself? Are you a high-end practice with a great reputation for a particular treatment? A cutting-edge practice that’s ahead of the curve when it comes to innovations in aesthetic medicine? Or a high-volume, great value practice? You can’t be, and shouldn’t try to be, all things to all people. Really think about how you want to be perceived and where you can truly excel – and put it front and centre in all your marketing messages.
3. Display your credentials
Trust is important in any industry, but even more so in aesthetic medicine, where people are putting their looks – and potentially lives – in your hands. Don’t underestimate the importance of reassurance. Your patients should never have cause to doubt your credentials.
Frame all relevant certificates and put them on walls where your patients will see them. If you need to, get good quality copies made so you can display them in every treatment room.
4. Keep learning – and let your patients know
Commit to ongoing professional development. You practice can always be better. And make sure to communicate any new knowledge, skills and experience you’ve gained with your patients. They’ll want to know that you’re passionate about aesthetic medicine. Mailshots sent out by email, press clippings in folders in the reception area, photos on the walls – use any way you can to let your patients know you’re committed to advancing your expertise for their benefit.
5. Communicate with your team
Regular staff meetings can be incredibly constructive – both for sharing new ideas and airing any issues. So if you don’t already do this, find the time. Also, every member of your team should know the most important details about your practice – including the professional backgrounds of all practitioners, how many treatments they’ve performed to date, etc.
Create a crib sheet of the most important details prospective patients are likely to ask, and keep a copy by every phone. A phone call is likely to be your first point of contact with a new patient, so giving them reassuring answers to their questions will go a long way.
6. Make first impressions count
Obeying good phone etiquette will help leave prospective patients with a good first impression. A helpful, well-informed receptionist who answers the phone by the third ring with a friendly voice and warm personality can be the difference between a booking and none. This is where your crib sheet will come in handy. Your receptionist can go the extra mile and share important details about your credentials that may persuade a potential patient to choose you over your competitors.
7. How can you WOW?
What’s the difference between a good business and a super-successful business? The ‘WOW factor’. You want to be in a different league to your competitors so you’re the obvious choice. Always be thinking of ways you can stand out. Providing you’re taking care of all the other important things, it doesn’t really matter in which area you wow, just as long as you do! It could be your decor, letting your patients bring in their own music, free products to take home – anything to make you, and the experience you offer your patients, different from the rest.
8. Run a tight ship – and keep an eye on the numbers
Efficiency is important, so as well as revenue you need to keep a close eye on your expenses. Unnecessary spending can cancel out your hard work attracting and retaining patients. Better knowledge will help you make better decisions. So measure all the key metrics of your business as regularly as you can:
- Total revenues
- Revenue streams broken down by treatments
- Number of new patients
- Average number of patients per day
- Most popular treatment
- Most profitable treatment
- Percentage of revenues to overhead costs
- Average spend per patient
- Return of investment (ROI) for any promotional campaign
- Patient waiting times
- Average cost to attract/retain each patient
Getting to grips with this data will help you determine where best to spend your time, money and resources. It’ll also give you useful targets for improvement that you can share with your team.
Cosmetic Courses have offered accredited training courses in aesthetic medicine since 2002. For more information on any of our courses, please contact the team on 01844 318317 or email [email protected]. We also have an Online Academy where you can learn from the comfort of your own home.
Find out more information and frequently asked questions on Business and Marketing in our Aesthetics Knowledge Hub.
