Catherine Maley, MBA - Attract More Patients and Profit» Business Topics from Catherine Maley Cosmetic Marketing Expert

To Discount or Not To Discount

Catherine — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:58:02 +0000

Once you lower your prices, it’s nearly impossible to increase them again without losing patients so I don’t recommend offering temporary discounts. You are always better off adding value instead. Patients love a good deal but it doesn’t have to be a cheap price. Bundling services to add more value is a great strategy. For example, free sunscreen with every laser treatment or every laser hair removal leg package comes with a free underarm treatment. This way the patient gets a little something extra and you keep your profit margins up.

Another great strategy is to offer a special price for a very limited time for a very specific reason so the patient knows this is special. For example, if the patient can have surgery on a Wednesday during a certain month, they can save $500 on the OR room since it’s less on a Wednesday than a Friday during that month. Or, a special Birthday Gift Card your patient can use to look their best on their special day and it includes a tight expiration date. The point is for your patient to feel as if they got great value. If you discount, make it feel special rather than random or ‘cheap’.

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Get Your FREE Marketing Checklist on www.CosmeticImageMarketing.com and see how you compare to top aesthetic practices. Catherine’s firm specializes in attracting cash-paying patients to a medical practice using PR, advertising and creative marketing strategies. Catherine can also be reached at (877) 339-8833.

Increase Aesthetic Patient Conversion Rates

Catherine — Thu, 20 May 2010 14:36:04 +0000

You increase conversion rates by getting back to the fundamentals: ensure your aesthetic patient goes step-by-step through your process so they are most likely to say yes at the end of it. This a well-oiled machine with no shortcuts and every step must happen every time to ensure the patient is comfortable, informed and compelled to move forward. The steps include:

-         Efficient Phones
-         Welcome Packet
-         Trained, friendly Staff
-         Comfortable, Clean Environment
-         Educational and Compelling In-House Signage
-         Initial Consultation with Staff (who are trained in effective aesthetic consultations)
-         Social Proof
-         Consultation with Physician
-         Closing with Staff
-         Thoughtful follow up

In today’s competitive climate, it’s all about the quality of the patient experience rather than just the sheer quantity. The “churn and burn” theory is no longer viable since it’s getting much too expensive to advertise that way. If a patient has called your office, taken time out to drive over to see you, meet you and ask questions, it’s your job to do everything possible to help them make a great decision.

Getting High Quality Referrals

Catherine — Tue, 18 May 2010 15:34:07 +0000

You get quality referrals by offering quality. The quality of your materials, your receptionist, your staff, your office, you and your services all dictate your values and what you deem important. If you have the finest quality everything – you will attract patients who see that as attractive and be drawn to you (this will also deter patients who are uncomfortable with quality and just want cheap). So, use quality to attract quality.

Then, by all means, when you do attract a quality patient to you, do everything humanly possible to keep them loyal to you. These patients can be golden to you so build a golden fence around them to they stay, pay and refer their other like-minded friends. Suggestions include inviting them to be an exclusive member of your VIP Club where they get special perks and invite them to be part of your Aesthetic Advisory Board so they can offer feedback and, of course, have them bring a friend so they, too, can get to know you.

Focus on the Buying Habits of Your Preferred Patients

Catherine — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:12:30 +0000

Consumer behavior is a complex subject since it involves emotions, personalities and life experiences. To understand your patients and their motives better, here are four groups of your typical aesthetic patients that will make up your practice.

Tire Kickers
This group doesn’t know what they want. They seem to have a lot of time on their hands because they will attend your events, eat your food, take your samples and never, ever buy. They may even book a consultation, go through the motions but never book a procedure. Do not exert energy on this group since it’s a waste of time.

Deal makers/price shoppers
This group is looking for the best deal in town, above all else. They have a tendency to regard cosmetic enhancement as a commodity and will spend much of their consultation negotiating with you and your staff. To them, it’s an art form to get you to lower your prices or throw in freebies. Beware of them. They will tell their friends they got a great deal from you just because they asked and this will set up a bad precedence in your practice.

Brand loyalists
This is your favorite group. They love you and would not go to anyone else. They wouldn’t even consider going to anyone else – even if they were ½ your prices! They are your cheerleaders, your advocates and your braggers. Treat them well and they are yours for life. Most of your efforts should be concentrated on this group and growing it to include their loyal friends, family and colleagues.

Luxury innovators/Quality shoppers
While this group wants only the best and will pay for it, they can be a pain in the butt. They want everything their way, you need to drop everything to stroke their egos and they have a tendency to flaunt their money (neuvo-riche?) and expect better treatment then your other patients get. While you should treat all of your patients with respect and special care, spending a little extra time and effort on this group can pay off since like people know like people and this can be a profitable group to appease.

Tip: Focus all your efforts on your brand loyalists and quality shoppers since they will make up 80% of your aesthetic profits.

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For more Free tips and videos, visit www.CosmeticImageMarketing.com. Catherine Maley, MBA is Author of Your Aesthetic Practice/What Your Patients Are Saying and her firm offers everything you need to succeed in aesthetic medicine. You can call Catherine at (877) 339-8833 or email her at info@CosmeticImageMarketing.com.

Be Easy To Do Business With

Catherine — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 17:23:39 +0000

It’s important NOT to project your assumptions on your patients and not to spend their money for them. You never know someone’s financial wherewithal so keep your options open.

An aesthetic patient may have the cash but may not want to use it – especially during uncertain times or they may not have all the cash and need an easy-pay alternative.

If you don’t offer your patients an easy way to pay for your services because the finance company charges you a fee, you are getting 100% of nothing! The patient is not going to wait until they have the cash. They will go to your competitor to see if they are willing to help them get what they want now rather than wait. Now you lose not only that patient and the revenues from that procedure but you also lose their future revenues and those of their friends.

When you offer financial alternatives, it can change the mindset of the aesthetic patient. Because now the patient is thinking HOW to move forward rather than IF they should move forward.

Work with a vendor like CareCredit to put together great patient pay plans that are easy on your wallet as well as your patient’s.

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Challenge of Promoting a Service vs. a Product

Catherine — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:03:14 +0000

You, the aesthetic physician is in a tough position when it comes to promoting aesthetic services. You don’t have a product your patient can hold, touch and feel. You don’t have a product she can use all of her senses to see, feel, hear, taste and touch a tangible product to then determine its value to her.

With an intangible service such as aesthetic enhancement, she can’t “see” the quality of your materials or the effort that went into the details of producing the finished piece which is the result she gets.

Since the aesthetic patient can’t see the excellence of your expertise and cannot touch or feel the superiority and knowledge that will go into the aesthetic service you will provide her, you are at a disadvantage.

The aesthetic patient has to go by proof such as photos, testimonials, your credentials, celebrity, your office, your shoes, your greeting, your staff and any other detailed detective work she can do to give her clues to help her determine if you are the right physician for her to give her what she wants.

Give her as much social proof as you can so she can comfortably and confidently choose you over all others.

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