In today’s very competitive marketplace, I’m sure you have a nearby competitor that slashes prices, making you feel pressured to drop your prices.
It seems as if it doesn’t matter whether they are as qualified or as experienced as you. Cosmetic patients don’t know any better, so you still lose on price.
When you have a string of cosmetic patients who negotiate with you for a better price, you start believing that is your new reality. But not so fast! There are still plenty of cosmetic patients who will pay more for your services, even though those services seem identical on the surface.
It is the details that make all the difference. Here are strategies that create reasons why cosmetic surgery patients will pay more for your services.
It is easier to do business with you. Patients pay extra for ease, convenience and time savings. When you simplify your processes to get your patients in and out with no hassle, most of them will pay more for this “added value”.
Examples include: No-wait appointments, express checkout with their credit card on file, limited repetitive paperwork and a post-op recovery kit to help them recover quickly from laser treatments.
You prove your worth. Cosmetic patients want to see your work. When they see great results on other patients, it reassures them that they, too, will get a great result.
So many practices know they should take more before/after photos and collect patient testimonials, but they are too busy to get around to it, or they just don’t care enough to hassle with it.
Make time for photos, ask for reviews and testimonials. Create a protocol so you have a ton of social proof for prospective patients to feel reassured.
You have better and friendlier customer service. Meeting patient expectations can be quite profitable and exceeding them can be game changing. Practices underestimate the damage caused by mediocre customer service.
In contrast, cosmetic patients will pay more when they are treated respectfully. They love to be greeted with enthusiasm and appreciate it when their problems are handled quickly and cheerfully.
Quality customer service counts and “the devil is in in the details”. For example, smiling when greeting them, offering them a tea or water, including a product sample with their receipt, or simply remembering the patient goes by “Kay” rather then her legal name, “Margaret”.
Here’s the bottom line…Your “Preferred” cosmetic patients are buying value, experience and relationship over price, so it would behoove you to dissect every step of their experience with you and your practice to make it as user-friendly and extraordinary as possible.
About the author
Catherine Maley, MBA
Ms. Maley has been an author, speaker, consultant and trainer for the cosmetic industry since 2000. Her mission is to help cosmetic practices attract and convert more cosmetic patients via creative marketing strategies and training staff to be conversion rock stars. Get more free resources at www.CatherineMaley.com.
