Archive for Aesthetic Marketing
Holiday Gift Certificates
Posted by: | CommentsThe Holiday season is here and there’s no better time to ask for referrals strategically through gift certificates. Think about what a win-win they are: your patient is happy because you helped them finish their Holiday shopping quickly and easily; the receiver is happy because they got an unusual gift they might not have gotten for themselves; and you’re happy because you have a new patient.
The secret to gift certificates is to promote them. It’s a big secret in most offices but these don’t sell themselves. Have an eye-catching display with a sign that says, “Need a Quick Gift?,” mention them in your patient newsletters and email blasts and be sure your check-out staff asks if they would like to add a gift certificate to their day’s order before she rings them up.
Gift certificates really can be the gift that keeps on giving!
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For a free download of Catherine’s book, Visit www.YourAestheticPracticeBook.com or call Catherine at (877) 339-8833. Her firm specializes in creative patient attraction – conversion – retention strategies to drive aesthetic profits.
Plastic Surgery is More Popular Than Ever
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I was interviewed by Newsweek: the Daily Best in an article called Plastic Surgery is More Popular Than Ever. The gist of her research indicates
Why is the Aesthetic Patient is REALLY in Your Office
Posted by: | CommentsYou want to do everything you can to learn why the new patient is there to see you because here’s a hint: There’s a chance there’s more to their answer then originally stated.
If you and your staff bond with the new patient and let them talk, they may tell you the real reason they are there and the circumstances involved. I guarantee – it’s often not the price but something else you would never know unless they told you and they will only tell you if they feel a connection to you.
Here’s a real life example of a patient coordinator story told to me:
The patient coordinator was told by the new patient during her initial consultation that her hair stylist referred her to Dr. Smith because he was the best and his office was close by. The back story was that the patient learned her husband was going to divorce her so she desperately needed to use up the $20,000 limit on her credit card before he shut the credit card down. This consultation had nothing to do with price, competition, shopping around or negotiations – but you would never know that unless you bond with and make the prospective patient comfortable enough to open up to you.
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For a free download of Catherine’s book, Visit www.YourAestheticPracticeBook.com or call Catherine at (877) 339-8833. Her firm specializes in creative patient attraction – conversion – retention strategies to drive aesthetic profits.
Are You a One-Hit Wonder?
Posted by: | CommentsIf you spend all of your time, money and effort getting a new patient to say yes to you and then never see them again after their procedure, you are doing them, you and your pocketbook a disservice.
The patient liked and trusted you enough to say yes. The hard part is done. The least you could do is reciprocate by staying in touch, following up and seeing how they are. You can do some of that with post-op follow up appointments. It shows you care and gives you more opportunity to bond with the patient.
However, there’s a group of patients who won’t bother with follow-up appointments. They’re happy and don’t feel the need. That’s the group you want to reach out to throughout the year and give them other reasons to visit you.
An aesthetic patient has endless needs so it’s almost guaranteed if they had an issue with their looks, there’s a really good chance another issue has their attention.
Keep in touch to keep them coming back again and again.
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For a free download of Catherine’s book, Visit www.YourAestheticPracticeBook.com or call Catherine at (877) 339-8833. Her firm specializes in creative patient attraction – conversion – retention strategies to drive aesthetic profits.
Where Are Your New Patients Coming From?
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s a 1-minute video with an exercise to determine where your big-ticket procedures are coming from. Hint: The answer is in the data so watch this, do the quick exercise and let me know what you find out:
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For a free download of Catherine’s book, Visit www.YourAestheticPracticeBook.com or call Catherine at (877) 339-8833. Her firm specializes in creative patient attraction – conversion – retention strategies to drive aesthetic profits.
Aesthetic Patients Come in All Shapes and Sizes
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s more important than ever for patients to see themselves in your materials. Patients need to quickly feel as if you know them, you understand them and you’ve helped others just like them.
For example, if Sally is a 57-year old white professional who wants a face lift, it’s best she see other 57-year old white professional patients who had a face lift. It’s even better if you have a 57-year old patient coordinator who you performed a face lift on so she can show her scars (or lack of) in person.
Or, if Cindy is a 30-year old Hispanic young lady with two kids who wants a Mommy Makeover, it’s best she speak with and sees patient photos of other 30-year old Hispanic young ladies with kids who had a Mommy Makeover and couldn’t be happier.
More “matching” strategies include:
- Have different Websites for different procedures
- Show a variety of demographics on your websites
- Show the prospective patient before/after photos that match their demographics
- Any staff person who matches a demographic and has had the specific procedure done should talk to the prospective patient about their own experience.
The point is, the more you can match your message to your market, the more successful you’ll be.
Feel-Good Marketing Works
Posted by: | CommentsAlmost every plastic surgery website I visit talks about how caring and compassionate the doctor is and how their main concern is for the patient.
Yet, patients tell me about how they were treated curtly, the doctor didn’t listen to them, they felt rushed, their questions weren’t answered and on and on.
Use that to your advantage. Answer your phones better than your competitors do. Treat your visiting patients better than your competitors do. Devise built-in “touch points” to reach out to your patients throughout the year in a feel-good, thoughtful way.
You’ll stand out big time from your competitors and make a huge impression on your patients who will return and refer.
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For a free download of Catherine’s book, Visit www.YourAestheticPracticeBook.com or call Catherine at (877) 339-8833. Her firm specializes in creative patient attraction – conversion – retention strategies to drive aesthetic profits.
Where Do Your Aesthetic Patients Comes From?
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s a quick exercise that puts aesthetic marketing in perspective. Open your surgery schedule and look at the last 30 – 100 surgeries you performed and ask yourself this:
Where did those surgical patients come from?
Did they come from your Website?
From your printed ad?
From another patient who referred them?
From a current patient who’s ready for more?
The last survey I did with my physicians they told me that, without fail, at least 70% of the surgeries they performed came from current patients and their referrals.
Then I have to ask, why wouldn’t you, in turn, spend 70% of your resources on your current patients who return and refer?
Don’t you think you’d get a better return?
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For a free download of Catherine’s book, Visit www.YourAestheticPracticeBook.com or call Catherine at (877) 339-8833. Her firm specializes in creative patient attraction – conversion – retention strategies to drive aesthetic profits.
Are Aesthetic Patients Thinking Commodity?
Posted by: | CommentsSkilled, educated, and experienced surgeons all over the nation call me almost every day complaining about today’s aesthetic patients.
They tell me the majority of patients they are attracting to their practice through Internet and advertising efforts are ridiculous.
Most of these “looky-loo patients” are price shoppers who haven’t got a clue about the education and training that goes into the good result they expect. They don’t know the difference between a skilled surgeon who’s had years of experience and a weekend-trained physician with good marketing and a charming personality. And worst of all? These patients want a fantastic result and great service, yet they don’t want to pay for it!
These types of patients believe aesthetic medicine is a commodity and they actually think anyone who calls themselves “Dr.” can make them look better. Really?
This is a dangerous trend in consumerism for the aesthetic market because most of the time, you really do get what you pay for.
There is a better way to attract aesthetic patients who appreciate and will pay for your expertise.
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For a free download of Catherine’s book, Visit www.YourAestheticPracticeBook.com or call Catherine at (877) 339-8833. Her firm specializes in creative patient attraction – conversion – retention strategies to drive aesthetic profits.
