Archive for Successful Strategies
The Friendly Skies are Mean
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My staff and I were coming back from a software conference held in Phoenix and we got a great education on how NOT TO handle customer service.
We were already off to a bad start when we couldn’t get a simple direct flight from Phoenix to San Francisco, even though United and Continental recently merged. You’d think they would have so many planes and flights to choose from but no dice.
So, we’re forced to fly from Phoenix to LA on US Airways and then catch a connecting flight with United to SF. So far, so good UNTIL we get to LA and are instructed to leave the airport, grab a shuttle and go to a new terminal for United. There is no shuttle in sight so we hoof it on foot across the street, through a parking garage, back over a street, back through security AGAIN, up an escalator and a very long walk through the airport with at least 4 turns involved.
Even if we were world-class sprinters, we could not have made this connection. We get to the gate and were curtly informed we have missed the flight and she cannot help us and go to the customer service counter. There we are greeted with more sour pusses, NO APOLOGY and additional flack because I wanted to get upgraded and in a very snide voice, the rep says, “Why would you get upgraded?” and I said, “because I’m 1K” and now she sees that’s true but it didn’t get any better and still no apology.
We get a later flight and head over to the Red Carpet Club where we should feel at home and now we’re greeted by the this huge line, no smiles and more waiting while we have to pull out a boarding pass, the club card and an ID so you feel like you’re trying to get access to the Pentagon.
Now my assistant needs to use the bathroom bad since she’s needed to since this debacle started over 1 hour ago and is stopped by the cleaning lady who says she needs to wait for 2 minutes.
I honestly don’t see how airlines expect to stay in business with this crappy service, crappy attitudes, worn-down planes, waiting lines and a just plain miserable experience that takes any fun out of this yet costs you dearly to participate.
If I did business like this, I wouldn’t have a business.
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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.
Little Hinges Swing Big Doors
Posted by: | CommentsAs competition heats up in 2012 for aesthetic patients, it’s time to get serious about your aesthetic services and what you offer to the world. If you are committed to crushing it this year, you must have ZERO TOLERANCE for mediocre staff, sloppy processes and lazy practices that underwhelm your patients. Aesthetic patients today won’t tolerate being treated like second class citizens. They will give their disposable income to the practice that makes them feel special.
It’s the little things that pull you out of the fray and into a “class of your own.” Let’s start with your phones. A well trained receptionist can catapult your new patient conversions when they call and get a great experience on the telephone. What defines a great experience? A phone that is answered by the third ring, by a friendly voice, by someone who can answers simple questions about the procedure and the practice and who can ask for the appointment. Start there. Fix your phones for a great 2012!
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.
Golden Handcuffs for Your Best Patients
Posted by: | Comments2012 is going to be a challenging year for aesthetics thanks to lingering recession, Groupons, heavy competition, less Internet traffic due to the sheer number of competitors and fickle aesthetic patients who show little to no loyalty.
It is VITAL you corral your best aesthetic patients so they don’t wander off. It’s also cheaper than spending a fortune finding new patients. It’s also more fun to work with patients who know, like and trust you than total strangers who are apprehensive.
A great solution is the VIP Club Card. It builds “silent golden handcuffs” around your best patients who return often and refer their friends. These high-quality patients love feeling special and getting preferential treatment so use that to your advantage. Give them a unique VIP Club Card with perks and they’ll help you succeed in 2012.
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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.
Blueprint for Success in 2012
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s never been more important than right now to get strategic about growing your aesthetic practice. You can’t leave anything to chance and you certainly can’t “ride out” the slow times because you’ll never get going again. The best of the best set up automatic systems to ensure a healthy and consistent flow of aesthetic patients by focusing on:
· Attracting patients
· Converting patients to say yes
· Returning patients so they don’t wander off
· Referring their friends and family
Brainstorm with your staff to creatively come up with ideas for each area. For example, how could you attract more patients? Well, you can align yourself with the high-end hair salon down the block, you can test Facebook ads, you can send out a reverse-Groupon letter to your current patients, you can have a friendly staff contest and so on.
There’s no limit to the creative ideas to grow your aesthetic practice when you think creatively.
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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.
Hot Off the Press – Social Media for Physicians eBook
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Our new book is ready for prime time. I collaborating with Drs. Neil Baum and Andrew Schneider to bring you: Social Media for the Health Care Profession: The New Shingle for Today’s Medical Practice. Greenbranch Publishing is the publisher and handles fulfillment.
Social Media is here to stay so we wanted to take the mystery out of it. The e-book is designed to help you understand and implement an online
We covered the basics of social media by giving you a step-by-step, template-driven guide for Blogging, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. We made it so easy, you or your staff can implement.social media strategy for your medical practice.
Now you can take your practice to the next level and join the conversation going on around you (and sometimes about you).
How You Say Something Matters
Posted by: | CommentsI recently flew to Paris to meet about turning my books and products into French so we’ll see how that develops.
Since I’ve traveled abroad before, I know their version of “luxury hotel” and mine can be a few stars off so I didn’t take any chances. I booked a room at the Intercontinental Hotel near the Champs Elysees so I knew I would be comfortable.
I was not disappointed. Although their rooms tend to be much smaller than in the US, it was the perfect location and the bed was lovely.
But here’s something funny. The hotel knew I was coming in from the States because they had my California address so they left this nice note but when I opened it – it was in French! The message was completely lost on me because I don’t know a stick of French but I’m assuming they were welcoming me – I will never know.
The point I’m making is to be sure your message is clearly understood by your patients. Don’t use big words or medical jargon your patients may not understand and are too embarrassed to ask you to clarify. And be sure to proof your message, since one word can throw off the entire meaning.
Bonjour!!
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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.
You’ll “Thank Me” for This…Eventually
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s the Season of Thanks so I’m going to give you some harsh reality you’ll thank me for if you’re serious about growing your aesthetic practice profits more than your ego.
If you are serious about paying your overhead, supporting your current lifestyle AND generating extra capital to secure your future, there is ZERO ROOM for tolerance for waste, mistakes, sloppiness, indifference, stupidity, squandered leads and lost patients because you didn’t have the time nor the interest to see and deal with it.
You need to find the time and the interest to fight against those desperate to sell for less and work for free. They will hurt you in the short run but they’ll disappear in the long run.
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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.
Lay-a-Way Program Helps Conversions
Posted by: | CommentsThis weekend, I attended a conference where a very smart (and rich) guy was talking about the economic indicators for the next 4 years. Without going into the depressing and scary statistics about unemployment, the prolonged housing crisis, and government unrest, it looks like we are not going to see better times for awhile.
The good news is if you know that, you can adapt accordingly, so here’s an idea: Offer your big-ticket aesthetic procedures on the lay-a-way plan. Patients can put money down today to lock in their commitment and then make payments to you up until their surgery date. You can even decide on a monthly amount you will automatically charge their credit card.
While this may seem like a hassle or too much work, it’s well worth it if you have prospective patients who want what you offer but can’t afford it or don’t want to spend their money all up front.
This way, the patient stays loyal to you, they are grateful you gave them a way to get what they want and you have a patient on the books rather than a prospective patient who visits other practices to see if they’ll help them.
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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.
