The Art of the Aesthetic Consultation
The art of the aesthetic consultation has always intrigued me. While many shy away from selling, it's an everyday reality – and mastering it can transform your career, especially in the beauty industry. Clients are looking for guidance, and effective consultations are what set exceptional providers apart.
Learning how to perform an effective consultation will be what makes or breaks your aesthetic career and if venturing out as a solopreneur - what will ultimately determine the success of your practice.
Below we will go over the key points of an aesthetic consultation, review credentialing and why it is the most important part of any consultation as well as best practices, and key points to avoid.
Let's dive into the keys to a consultation that converts:
Understanding the Art of Consultation
A successful aesthetic consultation involves much more than discussing treatment options. It's about connecting with your clients on a deeper level, understanding their needs, educating them on the best treatment options, and guiding them toward making the best decisions for their beauty goals.
Start with the Basics: New Patient Form
Begin with a detailed new patient form to understand their interests, medical history, and previous treatments. Thoroughly review this form before meeting the client to understand the client's treatment interests & goals.
Build the Connection
Don’t rush into selling, start by building rapport. Ask open-ended questions about their goals, past experiences, and what brought them to you. Understanding their pain points and previous experiences can provide invaluable insights.
Educate with Expertise
Clients today are well-informed and often come with substantial research. Educate them about the treatment options and technologies you offer, discussing not only what you provide but also how it compares to other options on the market.
Review Treatment Options with the Client
Clarify how each treatment works and the technology behind it, as well as the expected outcomes from each treatment or technology. This transparency helps set realistic expectations, showcases that you are an expert in the industry and builds trust with the client.
Review What to Expect
Clarify what clients can expect during and after the treatment, and when they will see full treatment results, including sensations they might experience and any downtime. It's essential to prepare clients thoroughly by explaining the entire treatment process. For instance, discuss potential temporary effects such as skin purging, swelling, or bruising. Address these common concerns proactively to help ease any apprehension they may have about the treatment process.
Examine the Client
For procedures like body contouring, provide a robe and offer privacy while the client changes. Always use gloves when examining the client and ask for permission before touching them. For the face, take photos on an iPad and sit side by side to review areas of concerns with the client. Never mark a client during a consultation with a pen or marker, as that can cause a negative experience, and deter clients from purchasing with you.
Credentialing: Highlighting Your Expertise
The most important part of any consultation is credentialing. Emphasize your qualifications, the practice's specialties, and the reasons for choosing specific technologies. This step is vital in building trust and differentiating your practice from the competition.
Address the Five Key Points During Consultation
These Five Key Points are the most important part of the consultation, failure to adequately address each of these may cause you to lose the clients trust, and ultimately lose the sale.
Best Product or Service: Ensure the client understands why this treatment is the best possible recommended treatment for them. The client needs to feel that this is the best technology or treatment to solve their specific problem compared to other technologies on the market. Why did you practice select this technology over competitor options? Dive in to educate the client to gain their trust.
Treatment Effectiveness: Clearly explain what results to expect and the scientific backing of the procedures. Clients need to have a deep understanding of what their results will be, and when they will see results. They also need social proof, showcasing testimonials or before & after photos will help to back up your recommendations.
Value for Money: You must convey that your pricing is competitive to other practices in your area, if your pricing is higher than other practices, you must clearly explain what the client is getting in exchange for this added cost. Reminder if you compete on price, you will never win, another practice or provider can always undercut you - instead build value through credentialing.
Best Practice: Reinforce why the client should get treated at your practice, focus on that fact that you specialize in these treatments & services, and highlight the number of treatments you or the practice have performed, or showcase testimonials or before & after results from your practice that speak to your practices success and results.
Expert Technician: Assure the client they are in capable hands, emphasizing the training and experience of the practitioner, highlight any advanced training, certifications or other credentials that the provider has.
Scripting and Credentialing
Scripting is a powerful tool for educating clients during consultations. It involves memorizing and presenting key facts about your practice and the technology you use in a consolidated, impactful statement. This not only showcases your expertise but also highlights the unique benefits of your services, ensuring clients receive all the necessary information to make a key purchasing decision.
Develop scripts that comprehensively address common client concerns while underscoring the benefits and credentials of your treatments. For example:
"Morpheus8 is a leading technology for addressing fine lines, wrinkles, and skin tightening. Our technicians, with over a thousand successful procedures, ensure it delivers superior results with minimal discomfort compared to other devices."
Review Pricing & Promotions
Incentivise clients to purchase by offering new client discounts, package pricing, or memberships to foster long-term commitments and to ensure they benefit from multi-session packages for the best results.
Present both standard and discounted pricing clearly so clients can see the benefits of purchasing in a package or membership versus a single session. This approach not only demonstrates the value & potential savings, but also creates urgency and aids in closing the sale.
Overcoming Objections
Most client objections all boil down to the 5 key points above. An objection such as “ I need to think about it”, or “I need to check with my husband/wife” usually means there was a missed credentialing point. Ask clarifying questions to try and unroot the source of the concern such as treatment results, efficacy of treatment discomfort and re-credential to address any concerns to reassure clients and get them ready to purchase.
Avoid Common Mistakes
Many practitioners fail by not asking for the sale, projecting their financial limitations onto the client, or failing to fully credential their expertise and technology.
Final Steps: Closing the Consultation
Always end the consultation by addressing any final concerns, discussing pricing transparently, and if applicable, financing options. Don’t forget to ask for the sale, which can be as simple as “When would you like to get started?” Then scheduling clients and taking payment to secure their appointment time.
Follow-Up is Crucial
After the consultation, send a same day follow-up email with the client's treatment plan, a co-branded marketing deck, and FAQs. This reinforces the information shared during the consultation and keeps your practice top of mind.
Want to take your consultation skills to the next level?
The Aesthetic Consultation Masterclass: My flagship course on transforming your aesthetic consultation skills. Drawing from over 18 years of industry-leading expertise and successful strategies, this masterclass teaches you how to turn consultations into substantial revenue, ensuring lean, efficient, and profitable outcomes. It’s designed for those aiming to achieve the highest levels of success in beauty sales, mirroring the triumphs of directors who've reached up to $2 million annually. Join the 500+ professionals who are elevating their practices.
Secure your spot here:https://www.beautyhired.com/learn
