Navigating turbulent times

With the lucrative holiday season now behind us, it’s unsurprising that many clinic owners are starting to feel the pinch. The cost-of-living crisis is impacting almost every industry, and aesthetics isn’t immune. Unfortunately, many services within this sector are considered a luxury, and consumers are having to make significant cutbacks – in every aspect of their lives. As a result, there are common reports industry-wide of quieter clinics, patients leaving longer between appointments and being generally reluctant to commit to regular and/or additional treatments.

The worst thing you could do is panic. Clinic owners should adopt a proactive approach to reflect the altered social psychology of customers to ensure profitability prevails during – and after – these turbulent times.

Without doubt, there’s been a significant shift when it comes to consumer habits. which has been heightened since the pandemic. It’s vital that clinics stay ahead of the game. To ensure you successfully navigate this societal transformation, changes must be proactively identified, addressed, and overcome within business plans. These will revolutionise your clinic and the way you do business – and you’ll never look back.

First and foremost, you need to have a success-focused mindset which will enable you to establish and deliver appropriate plans to achieve sustainable goals.

But how do you do it, and where do you start? Well, there are several simple-to-implement tools and tactics that you can add to your business strategy to achieve this.

If you haven’t already, I would highly recommend developing avatars for your ideal and existing client base. Get under their skin and understand everything about them, including their pain points and bespoke needs, through to what exactly they’re expecting from you (and your team). It’s also useful to brainstorm any challenges they may encounter, learn to speak their language, and design a seamless service that will appeal to them.

ADDED VALUE

In this current climate, one of your key objectives must be offering additional value to your clients. Psychologically, humans are immediately attracted to a sale, a bargain, or a discount.

Recent studies conducted by RetailMeNot identified that nearly 80% of respondents would try a new brand if it offered them a discount. Essentially, clients want more bang for their buck.

In order to psychologically appeal to consumers, you need to be providing real (and extra) value – and you’d be surprised how easy this could be, without it costing you a penny.

• Share insightful industry information

• Offer aftercare support

• Allow existing clients to be the first to access new products or services

• Create a loyalty program, or bespoke bundles or packages (offering additional services as a bonus)

• Regularly (but respectfully) check in with existing clients.

These can all be achieved through sharing videos on a dedicated YouTube channel, distributing a regular e-newsletter, adding news blogs to your website, or engaging with clients on social media.

When executed correctly, clients will realise that not only are they receiving a quality service by an industry expert, but that they’re also able to access a wealth of extra content. Consumers will quickly realise that your business is true value for money, making your clinic and your team even more appealing.

Another useful tactic to consider is tapping into the psychology of sales. An array of techniques can be used from enhancing decision triggers or adding referrals and testimonials – all in an attempt to build trust.

DECISION TRIGGERS

For a potential client to seek your clinic, there are certain internal checks that they carry out. While everybody will have their own unique set of triggers, by establishing your avatars you can understand the key attributes and values that they will possess allowing you to cater to these ahead of time.

From the very first second that a potential or returning client engages with you, an impression will be made – so make sure it’s a good one.

For the majority of clients, the first encounter now takes place in the digital world via a website or social media platform. Ensure that these are accurate, up-to-date, and a true representation of your brand, your business, and your values.

• Showcase your team – include real photos as opposed to stock images of your team and your clinic to help build familiarity, trust and credibility

• Vary your content – everybody has a different information density preference. Some clients would prefer a top-line overview of your clinic and services, while others would favour a deep-dive understanding. Cater for all using a variety of content to ensure everyone can gather what they need from your platforms

• Remove barriers – ensure clients have everything they need to allow for a seamless service. This could include sending appointment reminders with details about where to park or how to access nearby public transport.

REFERRALS AND TESTIMONIALS

Bob Burg famously said, ‘People buy from people they know and trust’. This is even more prominent within an industry such as aesthetics where clients are placing their complete faith in practitioners to achieve their desires on how they want to look and feel.

Individuals want to know that the services you offer are credible, genuine, and safe. Especially at a time when money is tight, prospective clients want to ensure they’re not spending their hard-earned cash with a cowboy trader or risking receiving a below-par service.

Show off any case studies or client testimonials on your website and social media. If you don’t have any, make it a priority to gather some from your regulars. Also, other third-party credibility boosters include Google Reviews, award wins and shortlists, and thought-leadership magazine articles. Don’t waste the power of these – if you have (all or any of) them, share them on all platforms so that prospective clients can’t help but take notice.

Also, ensure that insurances, qualifications and accreditations of the clinic and your team are placed front-and-centre in both the virtual and real world. While people may not actively pay much attention to these, they’re important unconscious decision triggers that help clients feel calm, comfortable, and in genuinely safe hands.

NOW YOUR TURN

It’s undoubtedly an anxious time for business owners at the moment, but by carefully considering the needs of your clients you can ensure they return time and time again – even during difficult economic times.

In the past, I’ve seen many clinic owners abandon marketing objectives, but it’s those that continue with these strategies that bounce back the quickest. Being consistent is key – maintain your messaging, ensuring that it aligns with your business and your brand values, while allowing it to evolve depending on the changing needs of your clients. And if you’re still unsure? Call in the experts, and I promise you it’s easier than you think.

ALAN S ADAMS

An award-winning prof it coach and bestselling author, Alan S. Adams has published a series of books all firmly focused on helping businesses achieve the ultimate sustainable growth. His most recent book, The Beautiful Business, focuses on supporting medical, cosmetic, and aesthetic company owners with their own very bespoke challenges, ensuring they become the go-to clinic. In 2020 and 2021, he was named as one of the UK’s Top 50 Advisors by Enterprise Nation in the Sales category and has recently been recognised by Global 100 as Best Business Consulting and Services Firm 2023.