While many cosmetic practices have a busier schedule during the summer months, others experience less business. If business is slow for you right now, consider instituting some or all of the options below.
1: Short-term discounts
Nobody likes giving discounts, but everybody likes getting them! Consider it the cost of doing business during slow times.
Offer savings on non-surgical treatments in the following situations:
- Across the board for a limited time period, i.e., a week
- “Save 20% on skin-saving treatments July 20 through 30
- Offer special pricing to patients that had surgery within the past year
- Patients who bring a friend for treatment enjoy a Buddy Discount
- “Save 20% on skin-saving treatments for you and a friend!”
- Cooperative Marketing discounts
- Cooperative marketing is a business that attracts your demographic, such as a cosmetic dentist, hair salon, gym or even a local eatery.
- Be sure that the channel offers a similar deal: “Save 20% on Tooth Whitening during August when you have a skin treatment at Carson Cosmetic Surgery.”
- Be sure that the channel offers a similar deal: “Save 20% on Tooth Whitening during August when you have a skin treatment at Carson Cosmetic Surgery.”
- Cooperative marketing is a business that attracts your demographic, such as a cosmetic dentist, hair salon, gym or even a local eatery.
- You can even do this with a local eatery: “Enjoy a BOGO lunch at Jack’s Diner and you & your friend will save 20% at Carson Cosmetic Surgery.”
2: Beef Up Your Social Media Output
- Post relevant content (with photos and/or video) daily on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and other sites.
- Keep it friendly, short and informative
- Ask us!
3: Remind Your Database of Your Practice’s Financing Options
- Don’t assume that patients know their options to Budget their Beauty
- Use Constant Contact or Mail Chimp to send a reminder
- Send reminders on social media as well
- Don’t know how? Ask us!
4: Get out there!
- Propose a joint presentation at a local fitness business. They talk about body sculpting via exercise, and you discuss the same topic using cosmetic surgery to remove stubborn fat that doesn’t disappear with exercise. It’s a double win! (Take lots of Before & After photos to show!).
- Be sure to offer your solutions for those for whom “exercise and diet haven’t worked” to avoid gym owner feeling threatened.
- Arrange a joint presentation at a local high-end lingerie store. Offer a discount to attendees who book a consult that evening. Ask the lingerie store to offer special pricing “that night only” as well and to advertise via social media and in-store flyers.
5: Prep for Fall During Slow Times
- Check your status on Google for relevant keywords: is your practice on the first page for the procedures you want to do?
- If not, time to check the webpage to see if it needs updates and boost content via blogs, social media, and Google Business Profile posts.
- Check out your closing ratios: What percentage of business converts at the consultation? Within 30 days? Within 60 days?
- Discover why your ratios are what they are.
- Staff needs consultative sales training.
- Poor or no follow-up post-consult.
- What’s happening at the front desk?
- Do front desk staff know how to convert callers to consults?
- It’s easy to record incoming calls for quality and training.
- Does the receptionist track the number of incoming query calls? Simple to put hash-tags on the daily calendar to reveal the average number of daily callers.
While summer can be a time of increased profits, if that isn’t happening at your practice, call us for help at 800-272-8436. We’re in business to keep you in business!