I think a plastic surgeon should write a book for all sorts of reasons:
It also helps your organic SEO efforts so you are more easily found on the Internet because
you’ll be in more places.
It also helps your organic SEO efforts so you are more easily found on the Internet because
you’ll be in more places.
My book, “Your Aesthetic Practice: What Your Patients Are Saying” was a game-changer
for me.
It told my audience of plastic surgeons that I was serious about making my mark on this
industry.
I was interviewed by The New York Times, Newsweek, ABC News and I have sold thousands
of them so they are sitting on surgeons’ desks all over the US as well as digital copies all over
the world.
And my book is actually helpful and adds value to surgeons who want to “better their best” so
it’s been a gift that keeps on giving.
I didn’t just spew my brilliance and hope for the best. As the title suggests, I actually surveyed
many cosmetic patients to find out why they chose you or your competitor and what you could
have done to win over more patients.
This way, I am seen as the cosmetic patient attraction specialist because I spent so much time
and effort dissecting their wants, needs and desires.
That allowed me to help plastic surgeons grow their practices faster and easier because I gave
them shortcuts and insights that made all the difference.
You can do the same.
Write a consumer book that is of value to the consumer who is interested in cosmetic rejuvenation.
Here are 3 strategies that will make your book pop ….
Write about one body part or one procedure.
Be seen as an expert in one thing and they will stay for more.
And come up with a catchy title so the readers know immediately if this is for
them or not.
For example:
5 Things You Need to Know About _____________
The Truth about ___________
The Secret to a Great ______________
Don’t Consider _________ Until You Read This
Cosmetic patients want to see other patients just like them who have “experienced” you and
your skill.
The best way for you to “show off” your expertise is to show off your skills through great before/
after photos. And be sure to add a variety of demographics so the prospective patient can see
themselves in these photos.
Reviews are the next element that should be sprinkled throughout your book. What others say
about you is infinitely more important than what you say about you 
However, have your patients tell their story. Everyone has one. Their story starts with the
problem (pain) that was causing them angst.
Then why they chose you over all the others (and that’s why the reader will choose you too).
Then what the process was like (hopefully, they will brag about how well you and your staff took
care of them) and then have them end with how great their life is now that they finally took action.
Writing your book is one thing but actually getting it in front of the right audience is another.
You don’t need it to be a best seller. You need it to get in the hands of prospective patients who
actually are looking for a surgeon to help them.
Spread the word about your book using every media outlet you have access to AND where
prospective patients go for information. Here is a partial list to get you started:
A Complete Guide to Understanding Your Aesthetic Patient and Growing Your Aesthetic Practice. Catherine Maley, MBA went straight to the aesthetic patient to get the answers you need to succeed with your patients.
Now at this point I’m sure you’re wondering HOW to write this book because it can seem like
a daunting task. I get that.
A big reason for this is because you don’t know what to write.
But that’s the beauty (pun intended) of your book…
You just write about what you do every day of your career.
You meet with prospective patients.
You listen to their story and what they want
You set expectations so they understand results to expect
You do surgery and make them comfortable before, during and after
You get them back in to see their final result and take before and after photos
So your content is basically “The day in the life of a plastic surgeon.”
Yes, it can be that simple.
But it’s still not easy. You have to either put in your own time and/or pay others to get this book project completed so here’s what you do:
Once you pick one procedure or body part, it’s time to collect content and this is actually the
easy part.
Using an iPad, have your staff videotape your consultations for that procedure with prospective
patients.
The prospective patients don’t need to be in the video because you are simply capturing what you
normally say to explain the do and don’ts, the results to expect, the pros and cons and so on for
that procedure.
You also want to capture the objections and questions the prospective patients ask because if they
have those questions, so do other prospective patients.
Also record any tools you use to communicate with patients to help them understand. Maybe you
are good at sketching or using computer imaging and so on.
And, to help bring in the emotion and the human side of cosmetic rejuvenation, you want to videotape
patients at different stages of the process such as:
Now you need to put it all together and get it published and here’s how:
You take all the videotape and audio you collected and hand it off to a transcriber such as rev.com or
fiverr.com and then hand the transcriptions off, along with your photos and testimonials to a ghostwriter
(you can find one at www.upwork.com but be sure they have lots of 5 Star Reviews) and let them edit it
into a readable format.
Then you review their draft, make your own final edits and its now ready for print.
I suggest keeping this easy on you and your pocketbook and self-publishing. You can then have Amazon
print and ship for you at www.createspace.com.
And there you have it. That’s why each and every plastic surgeon should write a book, and how to you create your own!
For more helpful practice-building strategies, visit me at CatherineMaley.com.
Hello, and welcome to Beauty and the Biz where we talk about the business and
Hello, and welcome to Beauty and the Biz where we talk about the business and marketing