The Fatal Mistake Many Aesthetic Practitioners Make

“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel” – Pam Underdown

Did you know…? The number one reason patients leave practices is not because of a bad result. It’s because of ‘Perceived Indifference’.

They didn’t feel valued, so they don’t feel compelled to return.

A study carried out years ago showed the number one reason people stopped using the services of a business was ‘Perceived Indifference’ meaning the customer’s perception that a business does not care about them.

Most consumers (particularly in the UK) don’t speak out at the time if they aren’t happy, they just go away afterwards and spread the gloom and doom about how unhappy they are and what an awful experience they had and simply never return. The single biggest revenue killer in any business is ‘Perceived Indifference’.

Patients NEED to feel significant and important. Patients NEED to feel that you care.

THE KEY POINT:

People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.

If a practice hears repeated dissatisfaction with patients at a number of touch points and does nothing to correct the gap or deficiency, what does that say to the patient? It says, “We don’t care.” It doesn’t take a Ph.D. to understand that the perception of “we don’t care” doesn’t bode well for a long-term relationship. Treat me with indifference and you are easily replaced in my line-up of potential medical aesthetic practices.

A great way to make more money is to STOP losing patients. It would take a minimal amount of effort and money to keep in touch and keep these patients coming back for more and referring their friends. How much should you invest in keeping these patients? Determine what a patient is worth to you for their lifetime, what it costs to replace them (7 x that amount) and there’s your answer.

Today, many patients are cutting back on ‘maintenance’ beauty treatments in a salon environment and are doing some of these treatments at home (i.e. nails, waxing and tanning). Therefore, when the time comes to invest in a medical cosmetic procedure – the overall experience must be one that convinces the patient that their money has been well spent and that they are fully looked after and cared for.

Price is never the most important thing according to statistics and research. 14% of buying public only ever buy the cheapest regardless of quality, experience – at the other end of the scale only 5% will only ever buy the most expensive – the rest of the buying public – the vast majority are looking for value for money and an experience that made them feel good (it’s all about the little extras!)

If you’re serious about growing a highly profitable and successful aesthetic practice filled with your ideal patients, you’re in the right place.

Our online training programme teaches you everything you need to generate a steady stream of new patients, avoid peaks and troughs in bookings and maximise patient retention. Click on the image below to learn more.