Posted May 31, 2022 in Practice Development
All successful aesthetic practices have one thing in common: patient loyalty. Follow these five (5) simple steps and you will be well on your way to creating lifelong patients who rely on your practice for all their aesthetic needs.
1. Loyalty & Reward Programs: Implement loyalty and reward programs to incentivize patients to continue choosing your practice, which will in turn help to build and maintain patient loyalty and increase patient retention. Offer special pricing, early access to products and treatments, complimentary services, or other incentives to patients who sign up for your program and consistently visit. Clearly define the perks your loyalty program patients will enjoy. It’s also important to ensure that your program is easy to understand and accessible. There are programs and platforms, like RepeatMD, that let you build a custom reward program without needing to create your own app or software system. When patients can access their information easily from their phones, they are more likely to engage with the program.
2. Personalized Treatment Plans: Create treatment plans that are tailored to the individual needs of each patient. During the consultation process, take the time to understand the patient’s history, why they scheduled a consultation, what are their areas of concern, what specific treatments interest them, and what might most benefit them based on the treatments you offer. From here, develop a comprehensive and full-year treatment plan that is curated based on their specific concerns and needs. It’s important to provide patients with realistic expectations and the best route to accommodate their aesthetic goals. Typically, a full-year treatment plan allows patients to digest their aesthetic path to full correction/prevention. When patients feel that their care is personalized and attentive, they are more likely to remain loyal to the practice and invest into your plan.
3. Referral Systems: Encourage your existing patients to refer friends and family to your practice. Referral programs are a powerful way to acquire new customers through serious and trusted recommendations. Offer incentives such as special pricing or complimentary services for successful referrals and ensure your system is user-friendly, making it easy for patients to recommend your practice. Referrals are the most cost-effective patient acquisition method you can implement. Some practices find it beneficial to host exclusive private events where patients can introduce their friends to your practice, providers, and treatment offerings. Make sure your patients who refer friends and family are thanked for their referrals and acknowledged. Consider including notes in their charts and ensure all referral rewards are easy to understand and easy to track.
4. Desired Products & Procedures: Stay up to date with industry trends and integrate the latest treatments and products on the market into your practice. By offering the services your patients are asking for you can keep them engaged with your practice and prevent them from going elsewhere. Patients are savvy and have greater access to platforms like RealSelf and NewBeauty where they learn about the latest trending treatments. Make sure your patients know about any new treatments or products you introduce to the practice. Social media is a great tool for this. Give them the opportunity to ask questions on an Instagram Live or Instagram Question Box, demonstrate the treatment so they can have accurate expectations, and make sure to document and share before and after photos (with documented consent) highlighting the results on real patients. The more educational content you provide your patients, the more likely they will be to return and engage with new treatments and technologies. Patients are savvy and like to know what treatments entail, especially if they need to plan for any downtime. Comfortable treatments with minimal downtime, like Vivace Ultra™, can easily be incorporated throughout the year for patients of varying ages and skin tones. Educating patients on their treatment options and potential results allows patients to feel more autonomy in their aesthetic treatment planning.
5. Follow Up & Follow Through: Continuously engage with your patients, not only during appointments, but also through follow up communication. Send timely post-appointment emails or texts to check in with your patient to see how they are doing, address any concerns, and answer questions. Remind them of upcoming appointments and offer support. Ensure that you also follow through with any items that were discussed or promised during their visit. Patients appreciate when you make them feel valued. Consistent and thoughtful communication builds rapport and strengthens your long-term relationship with the patient.
Consider implementing these techniques to increase patient loyalty in your aesthetic practice. Your patients will feel valued and your practice will stand out from those who don’t.