Med Spa Success Strategies Podcast Summary
Episode: Wednesday Thoughts: The Real Reasons Clients Choose One Med Spa Over Another, & What You Can Do About It!
Host: Ricky Shockley
Release Date: April 23, 2025
Introduction to the Purchase Matrix
In this episode, Ricky Shockley delves into the intricacies of the purchase matrix, a framework that elucidates how clients decide which med spa to choose for their services. He emphasizes that understanding this matrix is crucial for med spa owners aiming to attract and retain ideal clients.
"How do MedSpa clients decide where they're going to go for services for their first visit? Primarily, but also how do they decide where they're going to stay and where they're going to feel comfortable settling into their med spa home?"
— Ricky Shockley [00:00]
Key Components of the Purchase Matrix
-
Reputation and Affection (Primary Factor)
- Reputation: Clients assess the med spa's credibility through online reviews, social media presence, and the quality of the website.
- Affection: This pertains to the emotional connection and trust clients feel towards the med spa.
Ricky highlights that reputation and affection constitute the largest segment of the purchase decision matrix.
"The biggest section here is going to be reputation and affection. You sell an outcome to your patients primarily, and the first thing you have to do is people need to feel confident that you're going to be a really top tier provider in terms of providing that outcome."
— Ricky Shockley [00:00] -
Convenience (Secondary Factor)
- Location plays a pivotal role. Clients prefer med spas that are easily accessible relative to their home, workplace, or frequent travel areas.
Ricky uses his own suburb, Mount Juliet, as an example to illustrate how proximity influences client choices.
"If there's med spas in our town that have really nice offices, beautiful spaces, really good Google reviews, awesome Instagram profiles... the convenience factor is probably going to be number two for most people."
— Ricky Shockley [00:00] -
Price (Tertiary Factor)
- While price is less significant compared to reputation and convenience, it becomes a decisive factor when multiple med spas meet the primary criteria.
- Attractive pricing or promotions can sway the final decision among equally reputable and convenient options.
Ricky explains why, despite price being only about 20% of the decision-making process, it still warrants strategic focus.
"If I'm trying to figure out where we're going to go for this first Botox appointment... That's why we do focus a lot on promo."
— Ricky Shockley [00:00]
Strategic Marketing Implications
Ricky discusses how understanding the weight of each factor in the purchase matrix can influence marketing strategies:
-
Optimizing Reputation and Affection
- Ensure online reviews are stellar across platforms like Google and Yelp.
- Maintain an engaging and professional Instagram profile.
- Develop a user-friendly and informative website that showcases expertise and outcomes.
-
Enhancing Convenience
- Highlight the med spa's location benefits in marketing materials.
- Ensure accessibility through easy navigation and clear directions on the website.
-
Leveraging Price and Promotions
- Use promotions strategically to tip the scales in favor of your med spa when clients are torn between multiple reputable options.
- Ricky underscores the effectiveness of enticing offers in attracting clients who are already evaluating their options based on reputation and convenience.
"It can be hard objectively to stand out on the other two factors. Convenience, it's a wash... the easiest and obvious thing to manipulate to impact the purchase decision is price."
— Ricky Shockley [00:00]
Case Study: The Impact of Promotions on Customer Acquisition Cost
Ricky shares a compelling case study from an Allergan digital marketing consultant, illustrating how varying promotional offers influenced client acquisition:
-
Experiment Setup:
- Three different promotions were tested: $50 off, $75 off, and $100 off Botox treatments.
- Each promotion was offered to an equal segment of leads sourced from Google Ads.
-
Results:
- The $100 off promotion yielded significantly better results compared to the $75 and $50 offers.
- This led to a lower customer acquisition cost, meaning more patient bookings for the same marketing spend.
"They had dramatically better results on the $100 off offer than they did the 75 and 50. Way lower customer acquisition cost, which meant more patient bookings."
— Ricky Shockley [00:00] -
Analysis:
- The higher discount acted as a stronger incentive, making the offer more attractive and facilitating a quicker decision from potential clients.
- Importantly, the discount did not negatively impact the lifetime value or quality of the clients acquired.
"The discount is the carrot that you dangle to get people through the door. But ultimately, after consultation, you're going to provide a treatment plan that's pretty much going to be the same..."
— Ricky Shockley [00:00]
Conclusion and Strategic Recommendations
Ricky concludes by reiterating the importance of understanding the multifaceted decision-making process of med spa clients. He advises med spa owners to:
- Prioritize Reputation and Affection: Consistently manage online presence and client testimonials to build trust.
- Enhance Convenience: Ensure that the location and accessibility meet client needs.
- Strategically Utilize Pricing and Promotions: Implement attractive offers to differentiate your med spa in a competitive market and lower customer acquisition costs.
By aligning marketing strategies with the key factors influencing client decisions, med spa owners can effectively attract and retain a loyal clientele, ensuring sustained growth and financial freedom.
"Hope that was helpful. Thanks and we'll see you on the next one."
— Ricky Shockley [00:00]
This episode provides valuable insights into the client decision-making process, emphasizing the critical balance between reputation, convenience, and pricing. By leveraging these strategies, med spa owners can enhance their marketing effectiveness and achieve greater success in a competitive industry.