Archive for Business Growth
Are You Catering to Silly Sally or Serious Sara?
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Silly Sally is that ridiculous Groupon aesthetic patient who wants the world for nothing. She responds to price only and then complains when she doesn’t get the service and results she is demanding. And, since she came for price, she leaves you for price.
Serious Sara, on the other hand, is the more affluent patient who cares more about service and results and is willing to pay a fair price for your skills and experience. She most likely found you through her girlfriend because she turns to her friends and family for possible solutions rather than fumbling around on the Internet for a deal.
I will take 1 Serious Sara over 5 Silly Sallys any day!
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For a Free Marketing Checklist, Visit www.CosmeticImageMarketing.com or call Catherine at (877) 339-8833. Her firm specializes in creative patient attraction – conversion – retention strategies to drive aesthetic profits.
Are You Opened For Business?
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My stove was acting up and I received a postcard from an appliance store in my area so it was the perfect time for me to look into replacing it. However, what should have taken me about 1 hour to do has drawn out to a 2-month project.
I first went to the website on the postcard and had trouble navigating so I called the 800# they listed and I had to call twice because I was told to leave a message and nobody called me back. When I did get through, I was transferred but the call got dropped. So I decided to visit instead. I drove over on a Sunday because I’m super busy during the week and Sunday was the only day I had available and, sure enough, they’re closed on Sunday!
I’ve never tried so hard to give a company money and I hope you’re easier to do business with than they’ve been.
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For a Free Marketing Checklist, Visit www.CosmeticImageMarketing.com or call Catherine at (877) 339-8833. Her firm specializes in creative patient attraction – conversion – retention strategies to drive aesthetic profits.
Office Manager’s Comments about the Receptionist
Posted by: | CommentsMy last Webinar entitled, “Initial Consult to Close” talked about how important the first call into your aesthetic practice is and here are follow-up comments I received from an astute office manager at a busy practice:
“I really just wish we could lock doctors down and let them understand how important the front desk position is for usually the lowest in pay – the most in pressure.
I love our front desk and that position has always been a treasure of mine in the past and even more now as I am new in this office. They are the first to arrive ( outside of me …LOL )– last to leave – last to take a lunch if someone else is not running on time – are responsible for the schedule – however don’t hear many times the good part – or never heard when working hard to fill in gaps – the first to hear the stress when a doctor isn’t busy … responsible for all paper work – a computer system that many doctors and care providers don’t even log on to … AND THEY are always suppose to have a smile as well … it’s a lot to expect when the position is your lifeline … staff need to know that they are supported and respected NOT just a receptionist … when they are out … my JOBS go by the way side … I need her – to do my job or mine suffers as well – the doctors need her to support them … and the patients deserve a calm friendly non-stress greeting.
I don’t always agree with stressing secret shoppers – as they seem to call right when the office has 6 people checking in and out – they have no back up – the fax is not working – the printer is jammed – you have a person who has just found out they have skin cancer and their deductible is $5,000 and it is their 90 year old father with Alzheimer’s or their 17 year old son and half of his lip will be taken off and his senior year he won’t be able to play his favorite sport. The first person you should be taking care of is the person in front of you and the person TESTING you has no idea what else is going on around the person they are asking all the questions and looking for the perfect answer.
Ok I will step off my soap box … I understand how important that job is and how long it takes ( dollars & hours ) to train that position. I don’t want to replace I want to train correctly and encourage growth. It’s hard to be at the front desk – hear other staff laughing and talking with the doctor or each other and feeling like you are not a part.”
This office manager really gets it and I applaud her for caring so much about her plastic surgeon and the practice’s success.
For a Free Marketing Checklist, Visit www.CosmeticImageMarketing.com or call Catherine at (877) 339-8833. Her firm specializes in creative patient attraction – conversion – retention strategies to drive aesthetic profits.
Customer service story gone wrong
Posted by: | CommentsI’ve been in a Masters Academy of Surgeon’s Meeting for two days and wanted to unwind with a massage in this swanky hotel where we’ve been staying. A couple of hours before my appointment, I get a call from the receptionist saying the masseuse is having car trouble and will be half hour late. Ok, sure, no problem, things happen. Then I get there and all is well and I’m half way through my massage when the masseuse and I both hear someone outside the room screaming and sobbing. It was so bad, we decide the masseuse should stop my massage and investigate and she comes back and says I don’t know what’s going on but it’s the receptionist on the phone. We finish the massage which is now not that great and I go out to pay and the receptionist is calmly sitting there and I asked her if that was her I heard and what was going on (I assumed she had just heard about Whitey Houston) and she casually says, “Oh, someone was upset and then says how was your massage.” So I say it was great until I heard all the commotion and she says, “Well, working at a spa is not it’s all cracked up to be!” What The ?!*#
Then to top it off, she says she needs a different credit card and I have to go upstairs to my room to check my bank balances on my cell and run back down to tell her there’s plenty on the card so she runs it again and says, “Ok, you’re good. Thanks.”
What’s amazing is for the past 3 days, I have worked with more than 20 employees at this hotel who helped me with my meeting and this one little, young, drama queen at the end of my visit has tarnished what was otherwise a great experience. It’s reminding me how lightly some physicians treat the importance of their front desk staff. Crazy….
For a Free Marketing Checklist, Visit www.CosmeticImageMarketing.com or call Catherine at (877) 339-8833. Her firm specializes in creative patient attraction – conversion – retention strategies to drive aesthetic profits.
Catherine Interviewed During AACS Conference
Posted by: | CommentsI gave several talks at the recent AACS Annual Meeting in Las Vegas and a reporter asked to interview me about who a “preferred patient” is and how to encourage them to return and refer. Enjoy!
The Anatomy of a Successful Staff Meeting
Posted by: | CommentsMost staff don’t like staff meetings because they can be boring and don’t accomplish much of anything. You can change a dull meeting into an interesting meeting staff is eager to attend.
Here’s how to perk up your staff meetings:
- Meet on the same day and time every week or every month so nobody can say they didn’t know. If you keep switching the day and time, you’re sending a message this meeting isn’t important enough to put in stone. And, frankly, staff will only take it as seriously as you do – so put in on the calendar and stick to it.
- The physician must be present at the meeting. That means not on the cell phone or otherwise distracted. Again, the staff looks to the physician for guidance so show you care by paying attention.
- Use the Sandwich Agenda:
- What went right
- What didn’t go right and suggestions for how to fix it
- Goals for the week or month
This way, you started out positive, you covered a little negative in the middle and then you ended on a positive note.
- Have each staff person rotate and run the meeting so no one person has to do all the heavy lifting. It will keep everyone alert and they’ll learn a lot more when they actually have to present. They will also be more polite to others because they now know how it feels to be in the front of the room rather than in the back.
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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 can you find the right cosmetic surgery practice team players?
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Good candidates are everywhere good service is provided. Think outside the box. Look for new cosmetic surgery practice team members at a high-end restaurant you dine at, 5-star hotels in your area, at your exclusive hair salon, high-end retail boutiques, the department store cosmetic counter or anywhere else quality services and products are sold.
Talk with the well-groomed, well-trained staff that understand the importance of awesome customer service and find out if they are interested in making a change. They’ve already demonstrated they know how to treat customers so they are most likely going to treat your aesthetic patients with the same quality service.
One more place to find exceptional staff is with your own happy patients. They chose you over all the others so they like and trust you and can explain that to new prospective patients and they are your walking/talking testimonials who can show your work off and that’s golden!
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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.
Do You Have the Right Team in Place?
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The team you surround yourself with can make or break your cosmetic surgery practice – period. Getting the right team players on board is difficult and ever-changing but vital to your success.
So, do you have the right team in place? And, do they know their main job is to promote you and your aesthetic services and that starts with impeccable customer service?
If you’re not sure if you’re surrounded by team players, hold a friendly staff referral contest. Keep it short and simple. Give your staff refer-a-friend cards with their name on them so you can track their efforts. Use business-size cards since they are inexpensive to print and your staff can conveniently carry them with them during their daily lives.
Now for the next 30 days, they should refer their family, friends, hair salon stylist, gym buddies, club members, etc. Whoever has the most referrals come in for an appointment within the 30 days wins the grand prize which should have been on display in the lunchroom the entire month to keep them motivated. You want to make this a great prize such as an iPod, flat screen TV or shopping spree.
But here’s the point. You’ll find out whom your team players are and if you have staff that didn’t bother to participate; I suggest you find new staff.
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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.
Answer the Phone!
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I gave a talk at the AAFPRS Fall Meeting at Moscone Center in San Francisco this past weekend to the assistants, office managers and patient coordinators. The talk was entitled, “Mystery Call Critiques: What You Need to Hear.”
Since we offer mystery shopping to our clients, I was able to bring examples of good calls and not-so-good calls. My staff and I are still surprised at how many offices take their telephones so lightly. They either don’t answer in a friendly tone, don’t answer at all because they’re at lunch or don’t bother to ask us any questions to bond with us.
Did you know if you lose just one aesthetic patient per day and that patient was worth $2,000 to you (very low by the way), that adds up to $528,000 PER YEAR?! Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t it worth it to you to make your phones a priority? The prospective patients you spend so much time, money and effort getting to call you is wasted if they never get past your phones.
Give yourself a raise by giving your receptionist scripting and protocol so she knows how to professionally bond with the caller and ask for the appointment. It’s well worth a half-million dollars.
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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.
Good Job Cross-Promoting Aesthetic Services
Posted by: | CommentsI recently had a Botox and wrinkle filler session with a plastic surgeon. He was great and I looked better, so all was well. But, that evening I did develop some bruising – that didn’t really surprise me, but what did surprise me was an email I got minutes later. His nurse, whom I met briefly while I was there, emailed me and offered to do a quick laser procedure to help minimize my bruising if I had any. How great is that? I called her and ran back in for my little laser procedure and my bruising is significantly better. Now I know about her and her laser procedures – and I plan on going back for more! What a great way to show you care and promote ALL of your aesthetic services.
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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.
