Patient retention and patient acquisition are not mutually exclusive. It’s all about striking the right balance.
Knowing whether to focus on creating a loyal customer base or putting your efforts into acquiring new patients can be a real dilemma for cosmetic clinics. But before we look at why both retention and acquisition strategies should be given equal importance, we need to start at the beginning.
SYSTEM = Save Your Self Time Energy and Money
The first step is to have a system in place that houses your data in a consistent manner, allowing you to know which patients are returning, which patients are new, and all financial aspects of your business.
You should be able to access these figures, if necessary, on a daily basis. This data should also show which procedures your patients are having and what products, if any, they are purchasing. These results will allow you to make any adjustments to your business plan and capitalise on any opportunities you come across. They will also help you to put together a positive marketing plan. In other words, you need to systemise every aspect of your business in order to grow to your full potential.
Let’s look at the ‘patients retained’ column first. Are you retaining the majority of your patients? If you are delivering the effective customer service and offering appropriate cosmetic enhancement care, you should not be losing any patients at all.
If your business cannot tick this column then go back to step one: go through your data, and also go through your complaints file. This will get you started in the right direction.
you need to systemise every aspect of your business in order to grow to your full potential
The surprising category of patients 78% more likely to return
An interesting fact is that if your patients have bought product from you, they are 78% more likely to become a return patient.
Ensure the data you collect includes this part of your business as well. Upon reviewing this data, you will most likely realise you are not prescribing the appropriate products for your patients to support their treatments and meet all of their aesthetic needs.
In addition to the right retail products, make sure you are introducing all existing patients to the latest treatments you offer which, of course, will be of benefit to them. Don’t just give them what they ask for at the time of booking; explore appropriate treatment plans to meet all of their needs. Failing to do so will no doubt result in you losing the majority of your patients after one or two visits.
The lost art of customer service
Are you ringing each patient the day after you have treated them to make sure everything is fine? This small service serves two purposes. It allows you to make the patient feel that you really care about them, but it also allows you to pick up on any problems that may have occurred following the treatment before it becomes difficult to correct.
Do you also email a birthday card to each patient, and a card for the holidays? These are small things that take little time but they deliver the best of business results: they entice your patients to stay with you.
Do you offer a free product or discount to patients who refer a friend to your business? Never take these referrals for granted; when they are not acknowledged properly, they soon stop.
Take all complaints seriously. Even if they seem trivial to you, they are not to your patient. Take regular patient surveys. Offer the patients who fill them in a reward like when they refer a patient. Otherwise, they will not be bothered.
Ensure you have a consistent customer service plan, including protocols for all of the above strategies and scenarios, to which all staff adhere.
How to grow your patient base through appropriate marketing
If you want to know what the big marketing secret is, there is none. You should be basing your actions on your own collected data.
Start by differentiating your marketing activities. Systemise all marketing activities and then follow up to see the results. This is something which is seldom done properly and often results in the same marketing actions being retaken, even though they have not been delivering.
Sometimes good is good enough. It is hard to be perfect but you need to start your marketing plan and implement all the same. The aim of your marketing should be to find more prospective patients and then increase the conversion rate of those prospects. No two marketing plans should be the same; you need to take into account specifics to your clinic such as the socio- demographics of the area in which you practice.
Look at your existing patients and their needs. Are they helping you to grow your business? Do you need to attract a different patient base? Look at previous marketing to work this out as certain marketing attracts different types of people.
Do not beat yourself up if certain advertising or marketing campaigns do not bring in the patients you expected. Unfortunately for anyone in business, marketing is not an exact and foolproof science. It is often helpful to seek out marketing support from your business associates such as the equipment and skincare companies you deal with. Sometimes they can give you a marketing kickstart – but do not expect them to do all your marketing for you.
I hope that you are now coming to the conclusion that both patient retention and new patient acquisition need to be part of a successful business plan. It comes down to the numbers and the systems you have in place so that you know exactly what is going on in your business every day of the week. Do not wait until those numbers drop dramatically, rather check and reassess regularly. If you do this, not only will you have an economically successful business, but when you want to retire or sell you have a viable and saleable product. AMP
Ricky Allen will be holding her Advanced Skincare and Treatment courses and Medispa Marketing and Management courses around Australia this year. Call 0412 700 720 or email rickyall@tpg.com.au for more information.
