EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

The ROI OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: HOW SOFT SKILLS INCREASE REVENUE

Dr Amber Qureshi explores the importance of emotional intelligence in aesthetic medicine and how it could become one of your biggest revenue drivers…

"People remember how you make them feel, not just how you make them look"

(adapted from a quote attributed to Maya Angelou)

Aesthetic clinics and med spas are beautiful spaces. Each has its own unique offering and expertise, and they vie with each other by investing in the latest techniques and the best tech to gain a competitive advantage. Conversely, there is one area, often overlooked, which yields an incredible return on investment.

Soft skills, or, for the purpose of this article, emotional intelligence, is the biggest revenue driver, but most don’t see it. Mistakenly, it is generally assumed that emotional intelligence equates to a ‘nice’ person. However, unless it is serving you well, you and your clinic are missing out in ways you cannot even imagine.

WHAT IS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE?

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, evaluate, control and express emotions in oneself and to manage relationships with others. Emotional intelligence is often considered a fundamental ‘soft’ skill, although many (myself included) argue it is a critical skill and not a soft skill at all.

There are many models of emotional intelligence, but generally the four core areas of emotional intelligence are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and social or relationship management: The outcome being, creating a positive impact on others.

HOW TO RECOGNISE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Let’s consider several signs of people with high emotional intelligence: Can you think of someone who is open-minded and a good listener? Someone who handles criticism without denial, blame, excuses or anxiety? An individual who takes personal responsibility and apologises when they’re wrong? Chances are you feel positive when recalling an individual with these qualities and enjoy time in their presence.

On the flip side, let’s think about some signs of people with low emotional intelligence:

Can you think of someone who gets stressed easily and doesn’t know their triggers? Someone who has a limited emotional vocabulary and difficulty in expressing how they feel?

An individual who makes assumptions quickly and defends them vehemently?

A person who is easily offended, holds grudges and blames other people for how they make them feel?

If you can you recall someone who fits this description, chances are, you feel negative when thinking about them and wouldn’t seek out their company.

HOW IS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE RELEVANT TO AESTHETIC MEDICINE?

In terms of aesthetic clinics and med spas (and in my humble opinion, any service business or personal brand), emotional intelligence is the key differentiator.

We all aspire to create a welcoming experience for patients, and clinic owners seek to attract talented members of staff with industry-standard perks.

However, the reality is often different. In a quest for ROI, and in an era of ever-increasing inflation, clinics sometimes feel like a battleground behind the scenes.

In an atmosphere of poor emotional intelligence (even if KPIs are being met), team members will invariably feel disrespected, unappreciated and not heard. The ensuing poor morale will result in rapid staff turnover, inconsistency for patients, a less-than-optimal patient journey and patients who ghost clinics despite great results and reduced revenue.

Clues can easily be found in team behaviour, feedback platforms, including Google reviews and of course, revenue.

Implementing optimal emotional intelligence is an upstream strategy. Emotional intelligence gives one the capacity to blend thinking and feeling to make optimal decisions, to achieve more effective results, form stronger, more authentic relationships and to shape (one’s desired) reality. It manifests in delightful patient outcomes (I speak from much experience) and increased revenue. It also breeds innovation and the desire to outperform.

Unsurprisingly, research shows that emotional intelligence correlates with better decisions, better health, good relationships in all facets of life, financial success, and success in one’s personal life.

APPLYING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

We are constantly being bombarded with information and have become habituated to scrolling aimlessly, constantly filling our minds with whatever the algorithm feeds us.

Consequently, we have lost the art of attention and reflection. A journey towards improving our emotional intelligence helps us to develop an inward awareness of our thoughts and our feelings, and gives us the power to manage any upsets and uncertainty life throws us.

It also becomes easier to focus on and attune our goals when we can think with clarity. We become more adept at sensing changes in the industry, economy, etc and can ascertain which strategy is best to adopt for patients, and when to pivot, becoming more flexible and adaptable to change.

Moreover, a higher degree of emotional intelligence fosters a regard for others and the ability to empathise and understand them. It helps to improve communication, problem-solving, reduces team stress, defuses conflict and improves job satisfaction. Consequently, team members connect better with patients, and as leadership is the art of getting work done well through other people, it promotes effective interactions with teams and relationships at all levels.

A SIMPLE TOOLKIT FOR IMPROVING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

To become experts in ourselves, choosing how to respond to people, situations, our own thoughts and emotions, we can adopt the following approach: 1. Be observant of your own emotions. 2. Reflect on your own emotions. 3. Take a moment or pause to think before speaking, especially during a heated conversation. 4. Ask others for perspective on your behaviour and actions. 5. Explore the “why” for a patient or team member (take on someone else’s perspective). 6. When criticised, don’t take offence. Instead, ask: What can I learn? 7. Practice, practice, practice.

The finesse of your emotional intelligence is directly correlated to your revenue (and reputation).

ESSENTIALS FOR A SUCCESSFUL PRACTICE

In a fast and increasingly automated world, it is easy to stand out using emotional intelligence. The human touch, connection and empathy will inevitably always lead to success.

“People remember how you make them feel, not just how you make them look.’

DR AMBER QURESHI

Dr Amber Qureshi is an author, speaker, coach, consultant, with a multidisciplinary mastery of healthcare, psychology, business, leadership and inner development.

She has taught at internationally renowned institutions and coaches aesthetic leaders and teams transforming clinics into spaces where innovation and empowerment converge to deliver extraordinary team outcomes and elevated and enduring client relationships. Contact amber@dramberq.com for enquiries.