Falls Gold
As we move into one of the busiest times of the year for the aesthetic marketplace, have you taken the time during the quieter summer months to streamline your processes so that you are ready to be as productive and profitable during the final quarter of the year? Or has November come around so quickly that you feel unprepared for the winter gold rush, knowing you will have to work flat out to maximise every opportunity and leave the planning, training and marketing until you have more time in January?
I know how hard it can be to set aside time every week to plan for longer term profits when you are so busy maximising short term opportunities. However, to make sure that the next few weeks don’t fly by in a busy reactive haze, it is worth taking just a few hours out of your business now to make sure it is running as efficiently as possible. Start by analysing your business with a critical eye, are there any gaps in productivity? What is team morale like? How do they respond during busy, stressful times? Are they motivated by it, getting more done? Or are some of them on a go slow, looking and feeling worn out already? If there is something going on, it’s key to remember that employee morale affects your practice in more ways than you may think. Every business has its own sweet spot, however if you are operating your business using a factory production mentality hoping for a “well-oiled machine” then chances are, some of your staff may be devoid of feelings and some of your patients may feel they are a commodity rather than a treasured and essential part of your business. On the other hand, a too relaxed, “anything goes” because we are all just good friends type of business is also likely to run into trouble.
The key is to find your sweet spot somewhere right in the middle of those two extremes. Showing genuine interest in your patients and your team conveys an appreciation of them as valuable human beings. Valued people are drawn to please the people who value them. There are many things you can do to boost morale and increase camaraderie that will make a noticeable difference, without giving away your end of year profits as annual bonuses. Unless you want to of course! It is great business practice to run regular mystery shopping visits, during busy and quiet times. As a business owner, it is hard for you to really evaluate the patient experience as you are living and breathing the business, so getting a second opinion from someone you trust will tell you what you are doing well, so you can thank and celebrate with your team, as well as learn about areas for improvement. Always choose your mystery shopper carefully; it is best to find someone who knows about aesthetics and knows how to compare and contrast between your service and someone else’s. If budget permits, then also ask them to carry out a mystery shop on your competitors, to give you a real idea of the comparison. Once you know their good and weak points, use this to your advantage and really make sure that your practice really does offer the very best patient experience.
The key is not to beat yourself up if things aren’t perfect as there will always be things that can be improved upon in any service industry. Provide honest and constructive feedback, additional training and support and always ensure that you thank and reward those who go above and beyond. However, remember the aim is consistency of service; not perfect service one day when your team are in a great mood, and mediocre service on another day when they are stressed and busy. Celebrate success and reward your team with the things they value. Not everyone is motivated by money, so if your team did particularly well during the mystery shop then tap into the individual needs of your team members to say thank you. If you aren’t sure what I mean, watch an episode of Undercover Boss and see how the undercover boss really does get deep under the skin of the employees they spend time with – to really understand what motivates them. The programme always ends with incentives and rewards that are perfectly tailored to the individual person. If you are looking for cost-free ways to show your staff you value them, implement an “Employee of the Month” programme and give verbal praise at your next staff meeting.
Simple gestures go a long way to let employees know you appreciate them. In order to minimise white space in your appointment book, only allow promotions on quieter days of the week. If you find that Fridays are always fully booked and in demand, you could consider charging a premium rate for premium appointment times. Reviewing individual occupancy rates is crucial as it gives you a detailed understanding of how your team members are using their time. If occupancy rates are lower than expected, why is this? You may need to provide additional coaching and training to make sure that all opportunities for cross selling and upselling are maximised and that each team member takes responsibility for follow ups and re-bookings. Remember, an encouragement to rebook should be a natural but subtle part of the patient journey and not an obvious or awkward tout for business. When it’s cold and wintery outside – is your practice warm and inviting looking? Or cold and clinical? Once inside, ensure your patients feel special by paying attention to the small details. Don’t just provide the bog standard tea and coffee – go for warming hot chocolate and detoxing teas during the party season.
These little extras don’t need to cost much, but go a long way in making your patients feel warm, fuzzy and cared for. Now is the best time to boost your retail profits, so make sure your retail range has enough visual impact to maximise sales. Your stock won’t sell on its own, so your retail area must be accessible. Don’t lock stock away in glass units, even if they are expensive and you are concerned about theft. Do what you can to create a shopping experience that will encourage sales; remember people need access to your products to touch, smell, feel and experience them in order to buy them. Always train your team to sell the benefits and not just the features of your retail range. So what about the first quarter of 2015? Of course, many patients may still be paying off Christmas shopping bills, dealing with difficult weather in many parts of the country, and focusing on other aspects of personal health and fitness thanks to New Year resolutions—so it can be a tough time for many practices. The key to avoiding this first quarter slump is to focus on gratitude. One of the most stated reasons people don’t return to a business is they feel they’re not appreciated. Show your patients you care in simple ways: a follow-up call, or a thank you e-mail, can go a long way. Your existing patients need to feel especially rewarded and appreciated for their custom. If they don’t, they are likely to vote with their feet and find another practitioner who will make them feel valued. Ensure you are continuously looking at ways to retain and capitalise on your existing patients before you go looking for new ones.
