Podcast Summary: Med Spa CEO Episode - "The 5 Step Framework to Create Consultations That Sell"
Host: Heather Terveen
Release Date: November 6, 2024
Podcast Description: The Med Spa CEO Podcast helps boutique, results-driven med spa and aesthetic practice owners grow their profits without the nights and weekends.
Introduction: The Critical Shift in Consultation Processes
In the latest episode of the Med Spa CEO Podcast, host Heather Terveen delves into a transformative approach that has revolutionized her practice and those of her clients. Heather emphasizes that while many med spa owners focus on creating signature packages to enhance their service offerings, they often overlook an equally crucial aspect: updating and refining the consultation experience within their practice.
“What happens to many folks and to many of you who maybe listen to the podcast and have really put together signature packages is that you don't actually update or break the habits of how the experience is inside the consultation rooms with your patients and clients.” [00:00]
The Impact of a Structured Consultation Process
Heather recounts her experience transitioning from her initial workplace to a subsequent one, highlighting the significant revenue and result improvements that stemmed from overhauling the consultation process. She identifies three primary areas that med spa owners typically focus on to grow their business:
- Offer Suite Development: Creating a signature menu of packages and programs to enhance service productization and increase the average patient visit value.
- Consultation Process: Establishing a consistent and effective consultation framework.
- Team Training and Consistency: Ensuring all team members adhere to the established consultation protocols.
Heather observes that even with a robust offer suite, failing to standardize the consultation experience leads to inconsistent patient outcomes and limited revenue potential per patient.
Common Challenges in Med Spa Consultations
Heather outlines several prevalent issues that med spa owners face due to inconsistent consultation processes:
- Inconsistent Patient Experiences: Without a standardized approach, patients receive varied experiences depending on the provider, leading to unreliable results.
- Limited Patient Commitment: A lack of a clear, confidence-inspiring consultation can result in patients not committing to recommended treatments.
- Absence of Ongoing Engagement: Many practices conduct consultations only for first-time visits, neglecting the evolving needs of returning patients.
“When you have a lack of an intentionally thought out consultation process for your team, it results in inconsistent and unreliable experiences for patients and clients.” [Timestamp Not Provided]
The Importance of Annual Consultations
Heather advocates for the implementation of annual consultation processes. Drawing parallels to primary care, she suggests that regular check-ins help in:
- Maintaining Patient Engagement: Continually assessing and addressing patients' evolving needs and goals.
- Introducing New Services and Technologies: Providing a natural avenue to present new treatments and products.
- Enhancing Patient Lifetime Value: Building long-term relationships that increase overall revenue.
“There is a lot of neuroscience behind as a patient wanting a roadmap to feel like every single year that your expert provider is actually touching base with you and then, you know, giving another roadmap for the upcoming year.” [Timestamp Not Provided]
Shifting from Patient-Led to Provider-Led Consultations
A significant barrier Heather identifies is the tendency for consultations to become patient-directed, where the patient takes the lead in planning their treatment. While this might seem like excellent customer service, it can inadvertently undermine the provider’s expertise and authority.
“You position yourself less as an expert when you're really letting the patient captain the ship.” [Timestamp Not Provided]
To counter this, Heather introduces the CARES Consult Process, an acronym for:
- Clarify: Understanding the patient’s needs and goals through targeted questions.
- Affirm: Acknowledging the patient's concerns and aspirations.
- Recommend: Offering tailored treatment options based on expertise.
- Explain: Clearly detailing the benefits and procedures of recommended treatments.
- Show: Demonstrating results and reinforcing the value of the proposed solutions.
This structured approach ensures that providers lead the conversation, showcasing their authority and expertise while still being patient-centric.
“Clarity creates confidence. Clarity creates certainty.” [Timestamp Not Provided]
Benefits of a Unified Consultation Approach
Heather emphasizes that a unified and consistent consultation process offers numerous benefits:
- Enhanced Team Performance: Clear guidelines empower team members to conduct consultations confidently and effectively.
- Consistent Patient Outcomes: Standardized recommendations lead to reliable and repeatable patient results.
- Increased Revenue Per Patient: A streamlined process facilitates higher commitment levels, allowing for upselling and the introduction of higher-value packages.
- Improved Patient Satisfaction: Patients appreciate the professionalism and consistency, fostering trust and loyalty.
In her example of working at a larger practice connected to a plastic surgeon’s office, Heather notes that the absence of a unified consult approach led to:
- Varying Patient Experiences: Different consultation styles resulted in inconsistent recommendations and patient commitments.
- Lack of Essential Information Gathering: Incomplete information hindered the ability to provide optimal treatment plans.
- Inconsistent Sales Performance: Disparities in team members’ consultation skills affected overall sales and revenue.
“It really is crucial for team members to have clarity on the process, ensuring that you can actually competent and reliably have a consistent experience and outcomes for every patient.” [Timestamp Not Provided]
Implementing the CARES Framework
Heather provides actionable insights on adopting the CARES framework within med spa practices:
- Develop a Clear Roadmap: Outline each step of the consultation process so that all team members follow the same procedure.
- Train Your Team: Equip your staff with the necessary skills and confidence to lead consultations effectively.
- Establish Regular Check-ins: Incorporate annual consultations to maintain patient engagement and introduce new offerings.
- Monitor and Refine: Continuously evaluate the effectiveness of the consultation process and make necessary adjustments.
By integrating the CARES framework, med spa owners can standardize their consultation processes, leading to enhanced patient experiences, improved team performance, and increased revenue.
Conclusion: Elevating Your Med Spa’s Consultations
Heather Terveen’s insights highlight the pivotal role of a structured and authoritative consultation process in driving the success of med spa practices. By moving beyond merely developing signature packages and focusing on refining the patient consultation experience, med spa owners can achieve consistent results, higher patient satisfaction, and sustainable business growth.
“Clarity creates confidence. Clarity creates certainty.” [Timestamp Not Provided]
Implementing the CARES Consult Process offers a strategic pathway to elevate both the operational efficiency and financial performance of med spa businesses, ensuring that practices not only meet but exceed their patients’ expectations.
Note: The transcript provided contained only one timestamp at the beginning ([00:00]). As a result, specific timestamps for quotes within the summary are not available. Future transcripts with detailed timestamps would allow for more precise attribution.