We’ve all been hit with some sort of sales pitch for an add-on feature when we weren’t expecting it. Say, at the car dealership, when you’re already putting a big chunk of money down, and the associate keeps pushing the purchase of the extended warranty as “a must.” Or at the cellular store, where you’re looking to upgrade your phone by just a level or two, but they want to pair you with the latest and greatest model with bells and whistles that you won’t even use. It’s downright uncomfortable, right?
The same can be said for practices in the medical aesthetics industry, when patients – whether they’re at your office for a consultation or a treatment – are approached with other complementary services they should consider. After all, they likely already feel a bit vulnerable because the mere act of being at your practice means putting their personal health and beauty under the microscope.
What a patient doesn’t want is to come face to face with an impersonal sell, but rather an industry expert who is going to act on behalf of them – a practice that will take their specific health and beauty goals to create a custom aesthetic treatment plan for them that allows them to get the most out of life. So how does your practice build this kind of presence and move away from the series of disengaged sells? By equipping your employees with the right kind of tools, knowledge, and brand reinforcement so they can confidently build trust with the patient, and, more importantly, keep them coming back.
Step 1: Get to Know Your Team
Capitalize on your team’s strengths. Not everyone may be blessed with the gift of gab, but there are many different skill sets you can use to your advantage. Start by having your staff take an Enneagram, Myers Briggs, or similar skill-assessment test, and report back to you on their results. You may find that those you never would have considered for a sales-driven role have a strong drive to win. You’ll also learn ways that you can support each member of your staff and the type of management techniques they’ll respond to.
Step 2: Have Your Team Get to Know Your Products and Services
Let your staff experience your products and services for themselves at low/no cost. In the end, your team won’t just be selling the latest laser treatment: They’ll be selling their experience and results with your customers. To build extra enthusiasm, treat these sessions as fun team-building exercises with your entire in-office staff (signature cocktail, anyone?). This builds excitement, trust, and bonding among employees. Plus, it makes the training feel less mandatory and more enjoyable!
Step 3: Set Your Team Up for Success
Scripts will read as just that, and a premeditated conversation that feels like a sales pitch is sure to fall flat. So it’s critical that your team sounds knowledgeable and authentic to build trust with your clients. Our three keys:
- Put clear guidelines in place and provide tips on how to pivot a conversation from a consultation to a sale.
- Create a list of questions to ask and discuss the many ways to get to the “yes.”
- Conduct training sessions with each team member and role-play conversations so they can feel comfortable and confident when dealing with real clients.
Step 4: Reinforce The Brand Experience
There are two things your customers will carry with them when they leave: the memory of their experience and your print materials. If the two aren’t aligned, they’re less likely to return. We go into detail on how to best build your in-office collateral toolkit in Part 2 of this series: How to Create a Cohesive On-site Medical Aesthetics Marketing Message.
Step 5: Stay Top-of-Mind with Digital Marketing
Your team has given your clients an amazing experience – the glowing results prove it. They’ve armed your customers with the knowledge and materials needed to take the next step. So, how do you ensure your team’s efforts have paid off and clients keep coming back for more? You position yourself as a resource for health and beauty information, ultimately establishing your practice as their trusted interpreter to digest and distill the latest trends for them. As shown in our other post, Content & Email Strategy for Med Spas: Part 1 – Content, the way to do that is by building up your blog presence and distributing that content to answer customers’ biggest questions and guide future buying decisions and long-term aesthetic treatment plans.
Step 6: Hard Work May Be Its Own Reward…
But a little extra can go a long way. While a commission structure may not be feasible for your small business, there are other ways to support and reward your staff for taking a more active role in sales. Incentives don’t have to be expensive. The staff member with the most sales could get first pick of any product samples that come in, or a free treatment (who doesn’t love a facial or massage?). Even gift cards for coffee, restaurants, or makeup can make your team feel appreciated. Employees who feel valued are much more likely to go the extra mile to ensure a company’s success.
This blog post is Part 1 of our 4-part series, The Influence of On-site Tactics on Medical Aesthetic Practice Sales. Be sure to check out the other posts: