How To Turn Free Consultations Into Recurring Revenue

If a potential client comes into your office for a free consultation, chances are they’ve already narrowed their options down to you and just one or two other competitors. (If you’ve done a great job enticing them on your website and social media, you might even be the final stop.) Either way, congratulations! A lot of time, effort, and investment on your part has gotten that person into your clinic. 

 

Now that they’re in front of you face-to-face, it’s your final chance to gain not only a paying client, but also a loyal fan who will come in for years and be part of your vast recommendation system between multiple clients. Here’s how to do it:

 

Perform a comprehensive intake

If you go the extra mile by considering more than just the client’s skin, it can bring in dividends. Understandably, no one wants to spend 45 minutes or an hour with a non-paying client, but you can get a solid sense of their lifestyle by asking them to complete a questionnaire before their consult. Collect information about diet, alcohol/cigarette use, sleep habits, stress levels, and other factors that can impact both the present and future state of their skin. Of course you should ask them what their top skin concerns and goals are as well. 

 

What’s the benefit of this? You can plan your recommendations based on their questionnaire results and focus on their skin—their top priority—within the 15-20 minutes you spend on the consult. 

 

For example, if they are smokers, you can show them how it might be impacting their skin texture with the VISIA® Skin Analysis System. Or you can use the injectables simulation to show how Botox might smooth out their eleven lines. This will show that they’re working with a professional who cares about their long-term goals and root causes of their skin concerns.

 

Bring out those Before & After pictures

You probably already have them displayed on your website, but showing Before & After pictures of your work, specifically for the treatment you’re recommending, will bring stars to their eyes. In fact, don’t publicize all your Before & After pictures—save some wow-worthy ones for the consult.

 

These pictures will not only help convince the potential patient to make their first appointment, but will also be a very effective tool when it comes to helping your clients understand the importance of sticking to a treatment schedule. After all, visuals are key when working in the aesthetic world.

 

Depending on how the consult is going, you might also be able to bust out Before & After pictures of supplemental treatments to introduce new service options your clients may not have previously known about. You don’t want to oversell, but no patient will turn down the opportunity to at least look at photographic evidence of skincare magic!

 

Educate patients on at-home care

Patients don’t only want a skincare professional with the best technology and techniques, they also want an expert who’s authentic and transparent. During the consult, show this side of you by emphasizing the realistic facets of getting in-office treatments, including at-home care.

 

If this client chooses you, they might only be visiting your office once or twice a month, which leaves anywhere from 30 to 60 treatments they’ll be performing on their own skin at home. This is a good time to discuss the at-home medical grade skincare that you recommend to help them maintain the results of their treatments. Being on medical grade skincare will enhance their results in a meaningful way. 

 

Not taking this part of the treatment seriously can affect successful treatment results and may even cause new issues or exacerbate current ones. Ensuring you provide the best patient education in your office can help guarantee they perform their part of the treatment after they leave.

 

The Importance of Keeping a Schedule

Always ensure your clients understand the importance of sticking to a strict at-home treatment schedule. This not only keeps them returning for additional consultations and retail products, but ensures you meet their expectations with a successful treatment result.

 

For example, the two most common issues you will see when sound at-home treatment is not followed are hyperpigmentation and acne. Both of these problems can very successfully be treated, but the level of treatment success will not only depend on how well your client can follow instructions and stick to a schedule, but also how well you and your staff can explain the importance of a proper treatment selection.

 

It might go a long way to provide them with a freebie—a short, well-crafted, well-designed booklet that educates them on home care (without selling your products). Enticing topics include “How to Properly Layer Your Skin Care,” “How to Transition Your Skin Care For Seasons” or “The Best Ingredients for Every Skin Emergency.” Don’t forget to include contact information on the cover.

 

Affordable and Accessible Treatments

Both affordability and accessibility often come into play when clients are asked why they don’t keep up with regular treatments. The price of not only the in-office visit but also at-home retail products can quickly eat into one’s budget or savings.

 

Accessibility can be another potential issue, especially for clients located in more rural areas who can’t access their nearby MedSpa as regularly as others. Take these realities into account when advising your customers on their treatment schedule and what their at-home regimen should look like. 

 

If you’re able to, offer discounted packages, waive certain fees, or include complimentary add-ons to more expensive treatments. Ask them to sign up for your newsletter so they can receive news about your specials in their inbox as soon they’re available. 

 

Make use of customized brochures and samples

 

Brochures

Brochures should be both educational and inspiring for your clients. Have brochures available in reception areas, waiting areas, and treatment rooms and ensure they’re easily seen by clients passing into or out of your building. 

 

Brochures can easily display information about treatments while also showing some of your best Before & After pictures. This not only lets you advertise your treatment options to a single client, but also gives them the opportunity to share that brochure with their family and friends in order to refer new clients to you. 

 

Always opt for customized brochures when possible, this will help your brand stand out and give you the opportunity to differentiate why your brand is the best fit for your ideal customer. 

 

Samples

Everyone loves free samples! Provide samples and testers for your clients to touch and smell, while also being able to educate them on which skin concerns these products can best treat.

 

Samples and testers are best utilized in the reception areas where an employee can be available to answer questions about those products, but can also be equally useful in treatment rooms when you and your client are going over the best treatment options for their unique skin type.

 

—-

 

We send out the industry’s best newsletter on how to build a safer and profitable MedSpa practice, every week. Sign up to get guidance and industry top news.