You know the ‘drill’… you have invested in all the state of the art photography equipment, diligently practice consistent framing, positioning and lighting techniques, and take before photos with every procedure- yet struggle with simply getting patients to return for their post-op photos. On top of that, the happiest patients are typically the ones who seem to be too busy to return when they are already thrilled with their result.
Since over 70% of prospective patients are “shopping” before & after images to evaluate quality of work and outcomes possible before they even call for a consultation, I think we can all agree that standardized before and after photos are an absolute must for every aesthetic practice.
I’d like to share my five tactics to help encourage patients to take a committed part in their B&A photo process:
1. Make it a requirement
This strategy is clearly the most straightforward on paper. During the booking process, patients should fill out consent forms and review before and after care procedures. Include a form with a list of dates for follow-up appointments and request a signature for consent to return for photos as part of their treatment plan.
2. Offer a value add on their next appointment
As an incentive for committing to their post-operative treatment plan, offer the patient an “add-on” at no charge that will complement the procedure. For example, if a patient had a Co2 resurfacing treatment, treat them to a facial with your aesthetician or a vitamin packed IV Drip. This strategy will introduce the patient to other procedures or offerings and give them something else for them to talk to their network of friends about.
3. Give them credit toward skincare
Patients should be required to invest in a proper skincare regimen as a mandate for being a patient of your practice. Skincare is the one part of the process that will compel patients to comply with their treatment plan by having some “skin in the game” (no pun intended). Skincare also requires recurring purchases and office visits (especially a private labeled or line with exclusive distribution) and is proven to accelerate the lifetime value of your patient.
4. Host a B&A happy hour
Most practices traditionally plan their patient events at the same times of year- Valentine’s day, Mother’s day, and Holiday. The idea of bringing like-minded patients together to corroborate their love for your practice is fantastic. Instead of competing with all the other standard holiday parties, why not host an event dedicated to Before & After photos? Even something intimate like a 5pm champagne and appetizer hour once per month would be a nice reason for a patient to show up for their photo. It could even be a nice opportunity to have a favorite device or injectable rep set up a table and educate patients upcoming promotions.
5. Bring in a glam squad
Let’s all be honest, the reason patients are spending upwards of thousands on aesthetic procedures is for the opportunity to look and feel amazing. What better incentive then to host a glam Friday and line up B&A photos then makeovers and glamour shots for patients before they head out for date night or ladies night. Photos could be repurposed for social media and the glam incentive for the patient could add value during the sales process and facilitate a higher procedure price from those who are shopping around.
About Kaeli Lindholm
Kaeli Lindholm is the founder and president of KLC Consulting, a visionary business development & strategic coaching company bringing fortune 500 leadership systems to high-growth aesthetic practices who are poised to disrupt their markets.
Widely recognized as a brand revisionist, Kaeli believes achieving ‘category of one’ leadership requires taking a differentiated approach. Her coaching and teaching programs challenge the status quo, including the very construct of business success. Paired with significant revenue growth, clients describe the benefit of working with Kaeli as “game-changing”, “both guide and exceptional partner”, and “provides value well beyond monetary measurement!” When you partner with Kaeli you will make an empowered transformation in your business and life.
Kaeli’s signature programs include the POP Aesthetic Leadership Academy and the Aesthetic Business Accelerator Conference, POP|CON where aesthetic practice managers go to master the formulas to stimulate six and seven figure leaps in their business through mastery of controlled transformation to systems, strategy, and teams. Catch Kaeli on her award winning podcast, The Fierce Factor
Join Kaeli’s free Facebook group The Tribe of Fierce Aesthetic Leaders for access to weekly strategic advisory trainings, interviews, pdf downloads, and other value rich resources to help your business disrupt!