aesthetic clinics

Making Buy Now Pay Later Ethical: Solving Client Impulsive Buying

Buy Now Pay Later promotes spending; we won’t sugarcoat that. As more flexible options become accessible to the market, it’s forecasted that we will see a whopping 15% growth in BNPL transactions this year. Though positive effects of providing BNPL schemes and finance options include revolutionising customer purchases, financial flexibility, and increased client bookings, this feature could trigger impulsive buying and irrational decisions. With a sound argument from both sides, a necessary question has to be posed: is Buy Now Pay Later ethical?

Yes, but Buy Now Pay Later can be a double-edged sword

Finance is ethical. Through strict implementation, informative advertisements, and smart financial planning, clients would have a healthy balance of debt and cash flow, but this comes from an idealistic point of view. Truth be told, with immediate gratification and ease of access to BNPL, clients can impulsively spend without thinking about the risk. But, besides enforcing strict aftercare procedures, aesthetic professionals should also be responsible for enforcing positive habits in their clients!

Related Link: “Payment plans are bad, but is cash payment worse?”

In this blog, we’ll talk about the 5 simple actions that you can implement right away. Don’t worry, this isn’t hard, and you might find yourself doing this unconsciously to your clients already.

1. Ask them about their budget, but remember to be friendly!

There’s nothing wrong with being a little direct with your clients, especially when you’re trying to help. By clearly stating your question and the intent behind it, you will promote trust and credibility. In addition, it’s easy enough to convince clients to take BNPL for their aesthetic treatments; however, if the decision isn’t rational, customers may tend to feel a phenomenon called buyer’s remorse. On the other hand, businesses that put time and effort in ensuring the customer feels valued tend to reap significant rewards through customer loyalty. Statistics show that loyal customers could spend more than the average per purchase, ranging from 25% to 95%!

2. Offer clients time

We know that offering time-limited options is the best way to hook clients. But if your client remains unsure of their budget, the best option to give is time. In fact, customers will likely stick to their initial decision when forced to make an immediate decision, but oddly enough, customers who have been given enough time will shift the odds in your favour when they make a final decision.

However, you shouldn’t give clients too much time since they might forget your transaction. In our opinion, giving them a 3-5 day window to internalise their thoughts with constant and gentle follow-ups usually does the trick!

3. Upsell, not hard sell.

In alignment with the law, practitioners must not advertise Buy Now Pay Later for their treatments when utilising finance through Faces. In alignment with the previous statement, Faces wholeheartedly stands by it, as most practitioners try hard-selling for finance. Hard-selling is a sales strategy that is designed to be direct and pushy, and it can plummet your customer retention and loyalty rates. Instead of hard-selling Buy Now Pay Later, simply sell the idea that other payment options are available for your client to use (upsell).

4. Slow. Things. Down.

We know how practitioners can be excited when booking a client in for a treatment. However, it’s also essential to take things down a notch in order to dot the i’s and cross the t’s. Quick decisions can amount to impulsive buying. As reliable practitioners for your clients, it’s essential to slow them down if they seem overly excited about using finance for their treatments. By slowing them down and asking the right questions, you’ll avoid irrelevant headaches in the future.

5. Be the source of useful information

Last but definitely not least, be a source of useful information for clients. In alignment with the previous numbers, aesthetic practitioners offering finance should also be updated on the regulations and different processes for their third-party lenders. Through Faces, you can get the newest piece of information on our blog section and social media pages

Conclusion

With the rapid increase of BNPL schemes, customers feel more empowered to spend than ever. Practitioners shouldn’t overly take advantage of their vulnerability but rather act in the best interest of their clients. Through Faces, we can help you offer ethical financing through our finance lending partner. Schedule a call today with our specialist, or apply directly for finance by clicking here.

May 1, 2024 by admin | 0 comments

General

Is A Set Business Schedule Costing You Clients? The Answer Will Surprise You

business schedule on the background with text Is Your Schedule Costing You Clients?

Dictating your business schedule is a fabled dream most aesthetic practitioners dream of. Having the freedom to set your own time of business where customers can get their treatments done without having to ‘drag’ yourself into doing the treatments can actually motivate you to work more and can decrease your business costs. Though with great freedom come certain negative effects, such as unhappy customers and loss of business, it is critical to further examine whether business hours should be anchored to your personal hours or your client’s hours.

Industry standards tell us to follow a 9:00 am to 5:00 pm business schedule to ensure optimal business hours. Though you might raise an eyebrow at this statement, as most aesthetic practitioners or clinics have experienced clients demanding hours earlier or later than these ‘optimal’ hours of operation, you may have even experienced people wanting to book in for a late-night treatment!

As confusing as it can be, solo practitioners and clinic owners should make an informed choice about their business hours. In this blog, we’ll provide you with the answer you’re looking for, the steps to take, and how Faces can help you move into action.

Can your business schedule cost you clients?

Yes.

100%. It’s a sure answer to a complicated dilemma, and there are several reasons why your business schedule directly affects your ability to gain more clients.

Clients dictate their preferred hours

“Do you have space this afternoon?” “Can I come by around 9?” and “I prefer after working hours” are the common phrases you must have encountered already. Clients prefer to work with businesses that accommodate their preferred time, and as a service-based business, you are inclined to accept their demands because this is how you earn.

Client mentality

Most clients look at their appointment with you as something to fit in rather than something to plot on their calendars. As absurd as it can be, research shows that being available 24/7 for your clients can positively impact your business!

The nature of aesthetic businesses

Providing aesthetic treatments falls under the service-based category. And as it’s in our nature to give a service, most clients assume that their wants stand above your needs as a practitioner. Practitioners canceling or rescheduling appointments based on good reasoning can still sound like an excuse to most clients; even your most loyal clients would think of looking for alternatives if they needed to get their lips done.

Should you start being flexible with your hours?

Based on the data, you shouldn’t.

Being flexible with your client’s schedule would affect how they value your time. This would also affect the efficiency of your business in terms of ordering products, accepting new bookings, and finding availability throughout the week. Long working hours can induce burnout, and unstable work hours can interfere with your personal and social health.

The right decision

Give the best treatment and dictate your hours.

Notice how some people wait for months or years just to eat at The Fat Duck? It’s not about how long they’ve waited; it’s about the experience they will feel. Translate it to your aesthetics business: dish out the perfect treatment, customer service, and aftercare support that makes your customers want more. It’s not rocket science; it’s just dedication and hard work for your business.

How can Faces support your decision?

Faces believes in empowering aesthetic professionals. Whether you’re amending your business schedule or staying true to your set hours, Faces can help. Set up your business on our marketplace to take advantage of free marketing. You can automate your admin work with our robust booking system that allows you to populate your calendar, manage your forms, and take payments online. It’s a free app, perfect for practitioners like you.

Conclusion

Your business schedule will cost you clients, but if you prove that your treatments are worth their weight in gold, clients will race for your latest availability. Quality treatments combined with a perfect booking system will save you time while generating profits.
Take advantage of Faces today. Sign up for free here.

April 26, 2024 by admin | 0 comments

General, Aesthetics

The Illusion of Promo Prices: How To Leverage And Get More Clients!

As multiple clinics introduce different promo prices, deals, and benefits to clients, the competition to get more clients is fiercer than ever. To establish a strong presence, you need to keep your existing clients and boost your current clientele. Understanding what and when to implement price strategies would offer a winning situation for your business and your clients.

In this blog, Faces will inform you about promotional pricing, types of promotional pricing, and best practices when implementing these prices. We’ll also explore how effective use of promo prices drives client engagement, business appeal, and sales!

To understand promo prices, let’s look at your market first.

Understanding your Market

Before diving deeper into promotional pricing, you first need to understand the market you’re going into. Researching your local and top competitors, understanding how treatments are priced, and identifying what clients value the most will give you an edge by personalising promotions based on what you have gathered on your market.

Once you’ve done your research, and are confident in what you have gathered, let’s define and examine the different types of promotional pricing!

Types of Promotional Pricing

Promo pricing or promo price, is a sales strategy implemented by businesses to attract new clients, re-book existing clients who have gone quiet, and overall increase the value of their treatments by creating the illusion of scarcity.

A successful promo or offer should result in higher profit and an increase in clientele. To increase both factors, there are different types of promotional pricing that you should consider.

Introductory Offers

This usually refers to a discount given to new clients booking at your clinic, or a discounted offer for a new treatment that you’re introducing to your clients.

Package Deals

Treatments that are bundled together to form a package fitting for clients. Packages can take form depending on the season (summer or winter deals), needs (anti-wrinkle package), or the number of treatments (Buy 6, Get 1 Free HydraFacial).

Seasonal Discounts

These discounts align with the season or holidays. For example, Lemon Bottle, 3D PowerSculpt, or other fat-burning treatments are discounted during the summer. Another example would be lip filler treatments, which are heavily discounted during Halloween.

Referral Programmes

Are a type of pricing strategy that rewards clients who bring in new clients. Incentives can be in the form of a discount or a complimentary service.

Best Practices: How to Effectively Use It!

When implementing these strategies, consider the following:

1. Constrict time.

Create a sense of urgency and highlight the value of time by making it a limited-time offer. This makes clients act upon your offer after seeing it, making it more likely for them to book in and make a deposit.

2. Marketing on all avenues!

Text, social media, emails, and websites—there are a lot of avenues you can take to make your promotions known to interested clients. Post content related to your offer, announce how many days are left, and post the treatment results online.

3. Highlight their savings.

Customers who see how much they’ll save on the treatments are more likely to grab your offers. Use percentage discounts (50% off!) or monetary value (Save £467!) when highlighting how much they’ll save.

4. Crystal clear message.

Ensure the promotion is straightforward and can be easily understood. Some clients would exploit loopholes in your offer, so make sure that you have reviewed everything and sorted out the terms and conditions before announcing it.

Providing discounts on Faces

Faces is more than just a consent-form app. Efficiently add the discount codes when sending your consent forms to your clients. They can also add it manually once they book through your booking link.

Create promotional emails on Faces too! Send it to all your clients, or manually select the people you’d like to give discounts to. Remember to set up your discount codes first to work this out. You can also send us an email or a WhatsApp message so we can help!

To summarise,

Effectively leveraging promotions and offers will give you a substantial increase in sales and boost your client base. It would also establish your market presence in your vicinity, enabling your business to compete with the top clinics in your area.

April 16, 2024 by admin | 0 comments

General, Aesthetics

How To Not Lose Clients For Aesthetic Clinics: 3-Step Guide

Clients are crucial for every business, especially within the aesthetics industry. Most clients come and go; however, turning them into loyal clients keeps businesses afloat and makes expansion possible. Before implementing several strategies to build a loyal following, aesthetic professionals must understand how clients decide.

Typically, clients decide which clinic to do business with based on these 3 thoughts: value for money, quality of treatments, and the reviews given to the clinic. Each client formulates these thoughts based on what they have seen on your social media and website and their conversation with you.

If you’re still stuck on getting new clients, then check out these tips on generating clients!

Satisfy these thoughts, and congratulations! You have a new client. But what’s next?

Client Retention

Keeping clients hooked—that’s client retention, in a nutshell. But to expound on what client retention is, it is a meticulous process for business owners to keep clients coming back. In addition, this also refers to the ability of an aesthetic business to turn new clients into ‘repeat clients’. Client retention also encompasses how well aesthetic businesses keep their existing clients from switching over to a competitor.

Now there are subtle ways to make clients stay. From a seamless booking experience to offering flexible payment options, which greatly boost their experience with your clinic. But there are also obvious methods that will tip the scales in your favour. Let’s go ahead and dive into the first method!

Build a solid foundation

Your business needs a solid foundation to work, and so does client retention. Developing a welcoming atmosphere, using the right tools for a seamless booking experience, and highlighting your strong points on social media are the foundations you must build to retain clients. Pair these with a good set of ears for listening and a personalised treatment based on what they’ve needed, and you’ll have the perfect formula for tugging your client’s heartstrings.

Leverage technology

We can’t express this enough! Technology was developed to make things easier for people, but some people still underestimate its ability to positively affect decision-making. Providing a seamless customer experience with the use of a booking system like Faces will increase customer satisfaction, improve customer loyalty with higher retention rates, increase brand credibility, and increase sales and revenue. You’re getting clients hooked while scaling your business; hit two birds with one stone!

Get those success stories

The impact of reviews on small to medium businesses is massive! 98% of clients look for reviews first before booking their treatments. Reviews are what make you stand out from other clinics. This also serves as a benchmark to measure the quality of treatments that they will receive from you.

Another point in getting these success stories and reviews from your clients is to also be critical of your service. Do not ask for a “5-star review”; instead, ask them for their honest opinion about the services. Letting them voice out their real perspective about the treatments they’ve received would make them feel like they are being heard. This is important since listening to customer feedback would help you shape how you receive clients and nurture them to keep them coming back!

Conclusion

Making clients loyal to your business would go a long way. Advertising through word-of-mouth, repeat business, and even defending you to some extent are the free things you’ll get from them. Another free thing you can get is Faces! Faces is an app built for aesthetic professionals; you can leverage it to get new clients, improve their booking experience, and so much more. With a Faces Verified badge, you can also show your new and existing clients how much you value safety in all your treatments.

If you’re ready to implement your client retention methods, always bring Faces with you. Download the app, and contact us on WhatsApp if you need help setting it up.

April 11, 2024 by admin | 0 comments

Aesthetics, General

Decoding the Mysteries of Aesthetic Clinics: Med Spas, Dermatology Centres, and Beyond!

Have you had enough of searching for the top aesthetic clinics to meet your distinct beauty needs? Search no more! In this exclusive guide, we will explore the diverse types of aesthetic clinics, from Med Spas to Dermatology Centres, and everything else in between. So, fasten your seatbelt and get ready for a transformative adventure through the realm of aesthetic clinics!

Med Spas: The Pinnacle of Relaxation

Med Spas, also known as Medical Spas, seamlessly blend relaxation and rejuvenation. These opulent facilities offer an extensive array of non-surgical cosmetic treatments, all under the watchful eye of a licensed healthcare professional. Wave goodbye to your skin concerns with ground-breaking treatments like Botox, laser hair removal, and chemical peels. Med Spas are crafted to pamper you whilst ensuring you receive the utmost quality of care.

Dermatology Centres: Your Skin Specialists at Your Service

Dermatology Centres serve as a refuge for those in search of specialised skin care. Boasting board-certified dermatologists and cutting-edge technology, these clinics deliver the ultimate skincare experience. Whether you’re battling acne, eczema, or other skin issues, Dermatology Centres provide customised treatment plans to help you attain a glowing, healthy complexion.

Cosmetic Surgery Clinics: Transforming Your Aspirations

Seeking a more dramatic transformation? Cosmetic Surgery Clinics have the solution. These clinics are manned by skilled plastic surgeons who specialise in surgical procedures such as rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, and liposuction. Their expertise and advanced surgical methods enable Cosmetic Surgery Clinics to assist you in confidently achieving your ideal appearance.

Laser Clinics: The Vanguard of Beauty Technology

Laser Clinics lead the way in non-invasive cosmetic treatments, utilising state-of-the-art laser technology to produce remarkable results. Whether your goal is to eliminate unwanted hair, address sun damage, or minimise the visibility of fine lines and wrinkles, Laser Clinics have got you covered. The cherry on top? These treatments demand minimal to no downtime, allowing you to promptly return to your daily activities!

Holistic Aesthetic Clinics: Cultivating Inner and Outer Beauty

For those who appreciate a more natural approach to beauty, Holistic Aesthetic Clinics present the perfect solution. These clinics focus on caring for the person in their entirety, rather than merely tackling symptoms. By merging conventional aesthetic treatments with alternative therapies like acupuncture, Ayurveda, and herbal remedies, Holistic Aesthetic Clinics provide a unique and invigorating experience.

Equipped with a comprehensive understanding of the myriad types of aesthetic clinics available, you are now well-prepared to take a bold step forward in pursuit of your beauty aspirations! Regardless of your unique preferences or specific concerns, rest assured that there is a clinic tailor-made to cater to your individual needs. With expert professionals, cutting-edge technology, and an array of treatments at your disposal, the possibilities for enhancing your appearance are virtually endless.

As you explore the world of aesthetic clinics, remember to keep an open mind and consider all the options available to you. Each clinic has its own unique approach, specialities, and atmosphere, and it’s crucial to find the one that aligns best with your personal goals and values. Whether you’re seeking a subtle enhancement or a more dramatic transformation, you deserve to feel confident and beautiful in your own skin.

By taking advantage of the expertise and innovative treatments offered by aesthetic clinics, you will not only enhance your physical appearance but also boost your self-esteem and overall well-being. So, don’t wait another moment—begin your journey towards uncovering the most radiant, confident version of you today!

March 27, 2023 by Ben O'Brien | 0 comments