Your current cosmetic patients are actually your best prospects for surgery. Really. And to illustrate this point, let me give you an example from the remodeling industry.
Once a homeowner gets their kitchen remodeled, after a short period of time they begin to notice the bathroom or some other part of the house really needs work. The new section only serves to highlight and contrast how much worse the other sections are.
This same thing applies with cosmetic patients. So, if a patient has undergone one cosmetic procedure for a body part, it shouldn’t be a surprise they’ll start looking more critically at another body part that concerns them. This presents a perfect opportunity for you.
The beauty (pun intended) of reaching out to current patients who could be ready for more is that they already know, like and trust you. And trust is the name of the game when a cosmetic patient is considering such a big decision. They have to trust you will take good care of them and they will love their result.
And, your current patients don’t need as much prodding as the new “Internet Stranger Patient” who doesn’t know you at all. Your current patients already know how great you are because they have past experience with you and your staff.
If you treated them well and gave them great results in the past on non-surgical treatments, they could be ready to move up the ladder to a surgical treatment.
This also includes past surgical patients. Once you enhance one body part, it’s quite common for the self-critical cosmetic patient to focus on a new body part
that bothers them now that their body is showing more signs of aging.
So, here’s what you do…show your appreciation to your current patients by offering them something special for their loyalty and support that encourages
them to return.
It could be a complimentary surgical consultation that you typically charge $150 for, or a post op surgery goody bag of your skin care products to help with their recovery and so on.
Reach out to plastic surgery consultations who came in but did NOT book surgery.
I know how frustrating it can be to spend all day with prospective patients only to discover they don’t book surgery because they need to think about it.
It could have been because they have other consults scheduled so they can compare, or they did not like your staff or your recommendation, or they are afraid of general anesthesia or something else they are not telling you that is stopping them from saying yes.
You don’t really know why someone didn’t book so don’t assume anything. Come up with a plastic surgery lead follow up protocol that includes texting, emailing, mailing and calling them to keep the dialogue going so you get a decision one way or the other.
I guarantee you are quitting on prospective surgical patients too quickly and leaving it up to them to figure out you are the best choice. Please don’t leave it to chance. Be more professional and persistent than your competitors so these prospective patients know you care.
For example, have your coordinator text them a thank you message as they walk to their car. Then mail a handwritten thank you note, then send a thank you email and drip additional emails showing off results your other patients have gotten.
This is what paves the way to then calling them so they are more receptive to taking your calls and telling you what’s really on their mind and why they have not said yes.
When you do call these leads again, your coordinator must be prepared with compelling scripts to add a sense of urgency so these prospective patients stop procrastinating and want to book surgery. For example, you could offer them a new 0% financing program that was just introduced.
Maybe that’s just what they needed to jump off the fence and say yes.