Aesthetic Pricing Through the Year-End Season: What Practices Decide in October That Shapes the Whole Year

Aesthetic Pricing Through the Year-End Season: What Practices Decide in October That Shapes the Whole Year

DATE

13th October 2026

TIME

8:00 PM - 9:00 PM

CATEGORY

Finance & Profitability

Transcript

Lightly edited auto-generated transcript. Speaker turns, timestamps and wording are kept as recorded; only names, brand names and obvious transcription errors were corrected.

Angie (Host) 00:04

Good evening, everyone, and a very warm welcome to another Business of Aesthetics Expert webinar. I'm Angie, and it's an absolute pleasure to have you joining us today. We're discussing something that's particularly relevant at this time of year, Aesthetic Pricing through the year and season. What practices decide in October that shapes the whole year?

Now, as we approach the holiday season, there's often a lot of pressure on Aesthetic Practices to introduce special offers, attract more bookings, and keep treatment rooms busy.

But here's the interesting question. Are those holiday promotions actually helping practices grow? Or could some of those pricing decisions be creating challenges that carry into January and beyond? So, that's exactly what we're going to explore today. We'll also have time for your questions to at the end, so feel free to type in the chat throughout the discussion. You can also use Zoom Q&A as well, if it's available for you. And also, just a quick note, today's session is being recorded.

And yeah, we're delighted to have you here. And let's get started.

Before we introduce our expert, I'd like to take a moment to recognize the organization that is making today's conversation possible. Our Platinum Spot…

That is Ekwa Marketing. Ekwa Marketing has been support… and industry leaders across the United States and Canada over 15 years, helping practices strengthen their digital presence and build sustainable growth. And what I particularly appreciate about today's partnership is that we're looking at practice growth from two important perspectives. We're discussing how to make smart decisions about pricing and profitability, while Ekwa Marketing helps practices about how they attract and connect with the right patients in the first, in the first place. So… We'll share a complimentary resource from Ekwa Marketing a little later in the session. For now, a big thank you to Ekwa Marketing for supporting this discussion.

Now, I'm very excited to introduce our featured expert for today's conversation, that is Tia Giannopoulos. Am I saying that right?

Tia Giannopoulos 02:17

Yeah, you're correct.

Angie (Host) 02:19

Tia is an account manager for the med spa channel at Dermalogica, where she works on account development, and she helps grow the brand's clinic partnership across Canada.

She brings a really interesting perspective to this discussion because she's been involved in the beauty and aesthetics industry since she was just 14 years old.

With a decade of frontline industry experience, Tia has developed a standing of both the consumer experience and the business realities that aesthetic practices face. She also creates skincare and aesthetic educational content through her platform, Skin and Science, helping connect industry knowledge with everyday consumers. So.

Today, she'll be sharing her insights into holiday pricing, patient expectations, promotional strategies, and how practices can make decisions that support long-term growth rather than just short-term bookings. Tia, it's wonderful to have you with us. Thank you so much for joining us.

Tia Giannopoulos 03:23

Yeah, thank you so much for having me, Angie and the whole team at Business of Aesthetics.

Angie (Host) 03:30

Alright, let's get into the main discussion. So, Tia, I'd love to start by looking at the patient perspective, because I think that's where some of these pricing challenges really begin. Holiday promotions can certainly create excitement, but sometimes they also change what patients believe a treatment should cost. So, across the med spas, you work with what changes in patient behavior once a holiday promotion becomes priced, they expect every December.

Tia Giannopoulos 04:01

Right. So if you have a client, you know, who is coming to you consistently, and of course, when that holiday time hits, whether that's, you know, Black Friday or even, you know, the December sales, holiday promotions, clients are expecting discounts, whether that's bundles through retail sales or bundles through the actual treatments that you will be performing at a clinic.

So when we're looking at managing expectations, we're really seeing that, you know, these clients will understand.

You'll have a holiday… holiday sets or holiday bundles, however, we're looking really to make sure That our clients are understanding, you know, who we are as providers and the relationships that we are. So when we're looking at managing expectations, we do want to, you know, essentially anniversary our sales from the year before. However, how can we use the new trends in the industry or what new products that you brought in over the course of the year to kind of help manage that expectations? And what I mean by that is, you know, looking at maybe you brought in a new device, a new treatment, a new skincare line, and how can you maybe focus on that?

As a holiday.

Promo, or how can you incorporate that as your holiday?

Pro, the focus of your holiday bundle or discount.

Angie (Host) 05:18

So let's say an owner is planning December promotions right now. What could they do to prevent that expectation from developing?

Tia Giannopoulos 05:28

So they would essentially be able to, you know, speak to their clients and say, you know, we're having this expectation, and I understand that, however, they're gonna have that expectation, and how can you work around it, or how can you provide that same discount that you did, let's say, the year before, and maybe add something different in? So looking to what you're bringing in to the treatments, if you're bringing in a new sale, maybe you could offer some… a different type of bundle or promotion package.

Also, and, like, essentially showing attention to the new service or treatment that you potentially brought in.

Angie (Host) 06:03

Yeah, definitely. And what if a practice has already been Aurelius. How can they begin changing that pattern?

Tia Giannopoulos 06:15

Oh, sorry, Angie, I think you cut out a little bit for me there.

Angie (Host) 06:20

Yeah, alright. So, one of our practices has already been offering the same discount for several years. How can they begin changing that pattern?

Tia Giannopoulos 06:31

So if a client is, or sorry, if the provider's offering a similar, the same service as the year before, you mean?

Angie (Host) 06:38

They have been offering the same discount for several years. How can they begin changing that pattern?

Tia Giannopoulos 06:46

So they could begin changing that pattern as altering the bundle package. So, for example, if you are having a treatment where, let's say, you have microneedling, and you've been offering that sale, you know, you purchase three, you get the fourth for free, let's say. You could have in this… in this discount package, you could say, now we're doing… you pay for four treatments, and you will get the skincare bundles for free, or you'll get the post-procedure products for free.

Or as a complimentary add-on. So you can really look at your whole treatment menu, not only just in what treatments you're providing, but also the skincare products that you're selling on the side, and really look to see how can you become creative with this, and how can you really offer something else, especially when it comes to, you know, focusing on maybe the downtime, or the post-procedure care, or the pre-procedure care.

Angie (Host) 07:36

Now, that expectation doesn't disappear when December ends. In fact. January is often where the team has to deal with it directly. So, Tia, when a patient calls in January asking for last December's price, what usually goes wrong for the front desk in that moment?

Tia Giannopoulos 07:54

Usually the front desk, depending on who the client is, of course, if they're maybe very adamant on getting that discount or if they're very keen on getting that discount, it can be hard for the front desk, right? Because they do want to maintain the relationship with the client. However, they do have to, you know, stay strong and understand the boundaries of just the clinic and the providers that they're working with, right? As of course, you know, with holiday, there's evidently going to be promos at that time of year. However, in January, what I like to, you know, advise my clinics as well, or a lot of clinics that I work with, what they do is they always have you know some sort of discount or bundle going on every month right so every month even you see it from skincare companies or even device companies every month there's some sort of promotion right so just because it's a holiday season that doesn't mean that should be your only time of year where you're having a promotion you should be able to pull out the front desk should be able to always be able to pull out some sort of promotion or discount or bundle package or great deal let's say at any time of the of the year, right? So they could always direct the client to that, but of course, if the client really understands, and the client has been coming to you for multiple years on end, they should be able to understand, you know.

I… I… I missed out the holiday, right? Or I missed out on this sale, and maybe next… maybe during March, or maybe in the summer, they'll have another promotion. And really, if that's all the client's looking for, then maybe it's just not the right client that you want to keep at your… at your practice.

Angie (Host) 09:21

Yeah. Now if we could make that practical, what would a good response actually sound like if you were the person answering that call?

Tia Giannopoulos 09:29

Yeah, of course. So I would say, let's say someone's calling for, I don't know, they want a syringe of filler. And then at your holiday promo, you had the syringe of filler, $100 off. So it was, let's say, $400 versus $500. And the client's like, well, I still want at 400. You could say, well, unfortunately, that was the holiday deal running until December 25th. However, lucky, luckily for you, we do have our ongoing bundle packages with filler. So you can purchase with fillers. So let's say if the consultant, of course, if the provider recommends having one or more syringes of filler, you can always purchase, you know, two syringes or three syringes of filler. Let's say this is all a hypothetical situation. You could purchase one or two… one or two syringes, and then you could get that discount at the same price. So always just kind of having that negotiation and making sure that your front desk staff is aware of that negotiation that they're able to have.

Angie (Host) 10:25

All right, so we've talked about how patients respond to discounts. I'd love to look at the financial side because a promotion can look very attractive on paper without necessarily being profitable. So when owners decide on a 20% holiday offer, which real cost most often gets left out of the math?

Tia Giannopoulos 10:44

I feel like it comes down to two things, honestly, is either if the… if whatever you're discounting, if there's some sort of, you know, consumable cost or internal cost that, you know, the client is probably not mostly aware of, like, for example, with microneedling, if your consumable cost costs you $25 or $50, that could be a cost, but it could also just be the whole expertise and the time of the provider, right? So, if the provider's gone through years of training, years of education.

That all adds up, right? So essentially, if you're looking at it from that standpoint, it could really impact from the education standpoint and their own personal education and their own personal training, or it can also impact them.

Right, from the timing standpoint, you know, this is one hour of my time where I could be with a client who paid, like, full price, let's say, or a client who's getting 5 different treatments, or we're doing a treatment stacking all at once, right? So, there's a lot of variables, and that's why this industry's so exciting all the time, because there's a lot of different variables in a situation, right? And even when you have a client, I think that's what's…

Part about discounting, and… that's in this industry, too, is because, you know, maybe a client, let's say you have a package for 4 microneedling sessions, maybe the client doesn't even need 4 microneedling sessions, so… I'm sure we'll get into that a bit later, but that's something really interesting, too, about this industry.

Angie (Host) 12:03

Now, before approving a promotion, what are the key numbers an owner should ask their team to calculate?

Tia Giannopoulos 12:11

Yeah, of course. The number for sure, they should be looking at, you know, the time of treatment. So, how long does this treatment take you to do? And including consultation, including the time to actually inject, if there's any numbing, if there's any, you know, prepping of the skin, how long does that take? And also, of course, the consumable cost. So, looking at what does it actually cost for me to provide this treatment, whether that's with skincare products, whether that's with consumables, once I said, or syringes, or…

Every type of treatment will have a different treatment cost. So you should be looking at those two the most. Of course, there's other factors. However, those two I would say is the most important.

Angie (Host) 12:51

If you're looking at a smaller practice that might not have sophisticated financial reporting, what's a simple way to avoid making that mistake?

Tia Giannopoulos 13:02

To avoid making this mistake of maybe, like, breaking even on a treatment or something, yeah.

Angie (Host) 13:08

I.

Tia Giannopoulos 13:08

I would say honestly, definitely utilizing AI. I say that all the time to my clients, you know, to honestly just having like a conversation with ChatGPT, you can do that now and maybe building that out in a spreadsheet or even in a web app, you can create a web app very easily using AI now. So even working with that and making sure you understand how, what the expenses are and then subtracting it from the profit that you'll be making.

Angie (Host) 13:35

All right. Now that brings us to a situation I'm sure many owners can relate to. Looking at next week's schedule and seeing a part haven't been filled. So with a slow week ahead and open shares, how does an owner decide between running a quick offer and holding the stand price?

Tia Giannopoulos 13:57

So, for sure, so I would look at, you know, two things. Number one, is there a pattern that you're seeing? So, is it really a slow week? Is it a slow month, a slow few months? What's the real pattern? Because if it's a slow week, it's okay. I'm sure you have a lot of admin work, maybe you could be making content. I'm sure you have things to potentially fill that without compromising the integrity of your clinic. And number two, I would say, of course, to look at to look at, is this what you want, and are you going to still be, you know, making profit from that? Because providers, at the end of the day, all these aesthetic treatments, they are medicine, right? So, it shouldn't really be down to cost. When you go to your family doctor, and then you are deciding between prescription pills, you're not really thinking about the price, right? You're thinking literally about the outcome, and I think it's the same principle in aesthetics, you know, what… everything that you're putting into your business, you're going to get out of it.

Angie (Host) 14:51

Now, let's say I own a med spa and have several openings next Tuesday. What would you recommend I check before sending out a promotion?

Tia Giannopoulos 15:03

I would recommend, of course, you check any any aspects of how you can get messages, right? So let's see if anyone's messaging you, whether that be through Instagram, through email, through text, through calls. I would definitely recommend seeing that to make sure you know there's not someone who you've missed or anything like that. And I would also recommend that you're of course double checking is this does this make sense for my clinic if the discount makes sense for your clinic or not.

Angie (Host) 15:33

Definitely. So if a practice does decide to run a seasonal offer, the next question is which treatments actually make sense to include. So Tia, what test separates a treatment that can carry a holiday promotion from one that will lose money every time it's booked?

Tia Giannopoulos 15:55

So, when we're look… like, we're looking at what treatments would be beneficial to discount?

Angie (Host) 16:02

Yes.

Tia Giannopoulos 16:03

Yeah, of course. So of course it depends, right? Because I know some clinics get are, you know, depending on what the clinic is purchasing, what devices they're purchasing, what skincare they're purchasing, everything is a different cost, right? And everyone, every single clinic I've worked with, not one has had the exact same treatment back bar or treatment menu or even skincare in their front desk or in their front area.

So of course, looking at that, right, and seeing, you know, what really makes sense. I think what makes sense from just a consumer standpoint is, of course, discounting through skincare. So what I mean by that is not actually taking money away from your treatment, such as… a syringe of filler or some units of Botox, I would say, how can you incorporate, maybe, free post-procedure materials, or materials to actually decrease the client's downtime, or make the client feel more comfortable leaving the treatment? and leaving your office. So what I mean by that is, for example, if you have, let's say, a deal on… you can advertise it, and you can advertise it differently, right? So you can say, normally, I have this amount of Botox, 10 units. or one unit of Botox is $10, let's say. Then you can say, okay, we'll discount it to 8 units, but you're actually not discounting it, you're just include… or you're just going to be including, let's say, free skincare.

Angie (Host) 17:29

Alright. So, maybe you could give us an example, of a simple checklist that an owner could use when reviewing their holiday treatment menu.

Tia Giannopoulos 17:45

For sure. So when it comes to holiday, I think clients are really looking for those treatments they can really bust out before the holidays, such as Botox or even chemical peels or microneedling treatments that might necessarily need a bit more downtime. Clients are more inclined to really go towards these treatments. So a checklist for discounting, I would make sure, you know, do you have your stock? Of course, we need stock to actually be able to discount. And number two, I would say, of course, is looking what treatments are you also looking to promote, right, in the new year? So when we're talking about this year and 2027, like, looking towards next year, in 2027, what treatments are you looking to really push? So… and promote. So those… that as well, and then if you brought in any new treatments, I would recommend that would be on the checklist as well.

Angie (Host) 18:39

All right, we're going to pause just for a moment. Yeah, I think you've already given us some valuable insights into how practices approach personal pricing more thoughtfully.

And I think one of the themes coming through is that sustainable growth requires looking beyond immediate bookings. So, before we continue, I want to take a quick moment to share something that could be valuable for the practice owners and managers joining us today. Our Platinum sponsor, Ekwa Marketing, is offering attendees a complimentary marketing strategy session that is valued at $900.

Many Aesthetic Practices are excellent at delivering treatments and creating great patient experiences.

But attracting the right patients consistently, especially in a competitive market, can be a different challenge altogether. So, this session is designed to help practices take a closer look at their digital presence and identify opportunities for growth.

The Ekwa team dedicates four to five hours to research before the session, including reviewing your practices online presence, evaluating local competitors, and identifying potential growth opportunities. So the areas highlighted include owner dependence, local competition, and priorities for the next 90 days.

And the best part is that this session is complimentary for everyone attending today. So, if that's something you'd find valuable, you can scan the QR code on your screen right now, or simply use the link that has been placed in the chat.

I have a moment to scan the QR code.

Alright, let's get back into the conversation now. Tia, we've explored how owners make pricing decisions, but I also want to talk about how those decisions are communicated directly to patients.

And, you know, one of the realities of aesthetics is that patients have more opportunities than ever to compare prices, and sometimes that puts the front desk in a difficult position, particularly when a patient calls with a competitor's offer already in mind. So… The question is, a caller names a cheaper price from the clinic down the street.

What does a well-prepared front desk say in the first 30 seconds?

Tia Giannopoulos 21:22

I think the well-prepared front desk would first honestly ask the client, when was the last time they've been to your clinic? Have they ever been to your clinic before? Because I really think the goal of a practice owner or a practice in general should be having clients that understand the value that you provide to them, whether that be for $200 or $800. And I think…

When the provider has that initial consultation and that initial meeting with the client in person or a virtual consult, there should be enough Trust established between the two of them, between the client and the provider, where the client is really Where the client is really interested in. is really interested in learning what the provider has to think… has to say about their… about… about their perspective and about their opinion, more so than just trying to think about what to say in regards to… to the price. And of course, in this economy, that will be, you know, something of… of interest, right, with clients, and… but if a client is just price shopping, I always think it's good for the front desk staff to really understand, you know, where is this client coming from, has the client been there with them, and could the client maybe come back in for a consultation again with the provider?

Angie (Host) 22:41

That is such a useful distinction. Now, sometimes rather than reducing the treatment price, Practices try a different approach by offering something extra. What goes wrong for the owner when a holiday discount is swapped for a free add-on that costs more than the discount?

Tia Giannopoulos 23:02

Yeah, of course. So, we see this all the time, right? Where, you know, maybe you're just in the moment with a client, or it's a client who you've had for a long time, and then one thing leads to the other, and then, you know, you're all of a sudden discounting this, this, this, left, right, and center. I think really what a provider should be looking at is, you know. what value will this add, you know, further down the line? And in the sense of, is this going to have my client, you know, coming back to me? Is this client going to… if it's, let's just say, a free skincare bundle, will the client… how likely is the client to really purchase that skincare bundle in the future? So really looking at the opportunity cost of that… of that discount rate.

Angie (Host) 23:50

How should an owner calculate the true cost of a bundle treatment or a complementary service?

Tia Giannopoulos 23:59

Yeah, of course, so when you're looking at So when you're looking at a complimentary service, I think this is more… you should be looking at who the client is, right? So, would the client maybe benefit more from a complimentary service, or will the client benefit from a bundle? So, for example, I would recommend a bundle if the client has been a long-standing client of yours, if the client has been doing X service with you for a few months. and you're really thinking that, you know, this bundle will actually do their skin benefit, it'll help them with their skin goals, their skin needs, then a bundle would be phenomenal for them. I think a complimentary treatment or a complimentary package, complimentary skincare, whatever it may be, complimentary is always amazing when you're first introducing something to a client for the first time, right?

So if I'm a client and I'm, you know, maybe the front desk staff is saying the client is, you know, shopping around, looking for treatments, looking for a cheaper option, they're mentioning clinics down the street, I would definitely say that Dr. you know, they should… maybe that could be something in their back pocket, right? So that's… that's the type of client where maybe a complimentary service would be good. However, the thing with complimentary services is if you offer them the complimentary service without, you know, them purchasing anything else, then that can be a slippery slope, right? Because then how many complimentary services are you gonna offer? And if it accumulates over time, then you will actually be losing money at the end of the day, right?

So it is, it is…

Angie (Host) 25:29

Sorry, I think that's… Yeah, definitely. So, let's move from the owner's decision-making process to the treatment room itself, because providers also face these conversations with patients as well. So, a patient in the treatment chair asks, any holiday specials? What does this provider say next before any price is mentioned?

Tia Giannopoulos 25:56

I think, of course, it matters as well, you know, what has been said so far. So are you saying, like, at the end of the consults, for example, are they asking about the holiday?

Angie (Host) 26:11

Holiday specials in the treatment room.

Tia Giannopoulos 26:13

Yeah, okay, so they're asking, let's say, if it's hypothetically, they're asking, you did a consult on the client, and then they're asking…

Do you have any holiday specials? Or even after, let's say, you're doing a treatment on the client, they ask, oh, do you have any special for this treatment that you just did on me? I would say, of course, be honest, right? If you do have a special, of course, say that special, you know, if you've already calculated it, you know it's gonna bring you business, you're confident in that special, of course, suggest it. I think two things from a provider standpoint they should be looking at is, honestly, number one, I think the most important thing should be with this whole special bundle conversation is, does the client actually need what the bundle's selling, right? So if it's a bundle of a chemical peel meant for hyperpigmentation, does the client actually have hyperpigmentation, right? Is that a necessary bundle?

And also is… because let's say some clients, you have a bundle for filler, for example. Does the client need X amount of syringes of filler, right? Is that a part of their skin goal? Is that a part of their treatment plan? So I think also really catering that bundle towards their treatment plan. So the provider, for example, in that situation could say. The client says, oh, is there any holiday specials?

You as a provider, you could of course say, in regards to what we've planned for your treatments. we have this bundle available we have this bundle available but if there isn't one that's recommended you could say we don't have one available for what your skin is needing however we are running a discount on our skincare we have a 10 off on our skincare or i think there should always be you know something in in the back pocket that is good for that is really good for you know having your having having that trust with your clients and really because you do want to provide them with a discount especially if you Well, you'd want to provide them with a discount, especially if they've been a recurring client, for example, for a very long time.

Angie (Host) 28:08

Now, we're getting some questions from the audience as well. We'll definitely get to your questions once we start our Q&A session. For now, so we have discussed how to design promotions and communicate them effectively, but once the holiday season is over, owners need to know whether those offers actually worked. So, come January, what one number from the booking system shows whether the holiday offer created returning patients or one-time bargain hunters?

Tia Giannopoulos 28:41

Sorry, Angie, I think you cut out again for me there. Sorry. Could you repeat that?

Angie (Host) 28:45

No worries. So, come January, what one number from the booking system shows whether the holiday offer created returning patients or one-time bargain hunters?

Tia Giannopoulos 29:01

I would say for sure the number would be how many people are calling you or rebooking, right? So I think one thing with the holiday promotion, as you're having a lot of high volume in November, December, Black Friday, those Christmas deals, holiday deals.

I think something really important that clinics should be looking for and providers should be looking at is how many people are rebooking and can you actually rebook them through your holiday bundles? So I would say that is another huge goal, right, of these bundles is the rebooking and are the clients rebooking?

Angie (Host) 29:36

And what would that number tell an owner that total December revenue might not reveal?

Tia Giannopoulos 29:45

I believe it would tell the owner was, let's say, if we're only focusing on the discounts, or the bundle packages, are those bundles working, right? So, if the goal of your bundle, when you decide to create the bundle, is, of course, your goal is to get X amount of clients booking in January, X amount of clients booking in February. did you accomplish that goal? I think for sure there should be alongside your inputs, right? So if you're doing something such as creating a bundle, there should also be some sort of measurable goal tied to that bundle. So not just discounting for the sake of it, there should be some sort of measurable goal. And then this type of measurable goal could be Did we sell through our skincare? Did we? rebook X amount of clients in January, or did we make X amount of revenue? And I think for every type of clinic, depending what stage they're at, how many providers are working there, there's going to be different goals and different targets, but what matters is really the input that you're doing as a provider, or a clinic owner.

And really what you're doing to provide that value for your clients, because at the end of the day, that's going to be recurring… recurring business, and really what the goal is of every practice is to have that recurring… that recurring business, which will just in turn generate that recurring revenue.

Angie (Host) 31:00

Alright, now that leads beautifully into our final main question, because the decision This is make the season may also influence how confidently they can price the services next year. So, how do you decide the right month to introduce a price 7, given what patients learned from this holiday season.

Tia Giannopoulos 31:24

So what price or when do you decide to put the price back to normal?

Angie (Host) 31:31

Planning price increases for 2027.

Tia Giannopoulos 31:35

Oh, how to deal with price increases for 2027.

Honestly, of course, you know, clients who have been there for a long time, they're gonna understand, you know, the price goes up and down, up and down, and I think with everything, you know, if you go into into any store, let's say, there's always going to be that holiday discount, that Black Friday discount. I think just reinforcing that with the clients, this was a holiday discount. January is not a holiday in our eyes. However, let's say there's a holiday coming up, February, you could have, like, a Valentine's Day sale or something like that, right? So always really… Making sure you're planning as well as a provider or a clinic owner. to understand, you know, how to prepare your staff to answer these questions, right? So, understanding that there will be price increases, of course, it's just our economy and how we're living in the world today, right? So… really having understanding of what these price increases mean, and… and how to deal with it. And you could also slowly introduce those price increases through maybe… through those bundle packages as well. I think bundle packages are phenomenal.

Angie (Host) 32:44

Alright, so we've covered a lot of ground today, and you know, from holiday discounting and patient expectations to profitability, front desk communication, and planning for next year as well. So now, we'd love to hear from you. If there's a particular pricing challenge you're facing in your own practice. This is a great opportunity to ask Tia directly. So you can type a question into our chat, or use the Zoom Q&A as well. Alright, so we do have a question from one of our attendees. This is from Dr. Steve Brown. So, he asked, Tia, you've spoken a lot about the importance of trust and relationships with a technician or spa. What advice do you have For a new provider to build that relationship.

Tia Giannopoulos 33:41

Yeah, of course. So anytime, of course, we're looking at.

The provider and client relationship are always. really focusing on that first point of contact. So, whether that's through, you know, booking, right, so scheduling a booking, or whether that's through a consult. So, of course, number one, we always want to make sure that our booking process is as seamless as possible for the client. So whether that be through… if they're calling, if they're messaging you via email, or via Instagram, or any other social channel, we always want to make sure we're, of course, professional, and that we're, of course, booking them in if they're a first-time client for a consult, right? You don't want to just be booking… booking Clients who are… who are just looking for some sort of treatment, or let's say some sort of discount in this case, right?

We really want to be understanding how to build that relationship from the ground up. And I'm sure, as we all know, in even our personal relationships, a first impression is such an important, piece to have.

So, of course, having that, and then when you're in that consult, I always recommend, you know, really trying to understand that… understand the client's needs and their skin goals, and how can you understand them from maybe a personal level, too, right? So, being very charismatic, how can you set them up nicely, whether that's bringing them some water, or a little treat, or making them feel very welcomed into your clinic, right? Because at the end of the day, sometimes clients won't be comfortable with injections, or with trying out new treatments, or, you know.

There's a lot of uncertainty that a consumer can face going into a clinic for the first time, so really understanding that from a provider level, and making sure that any questions that the client may have are all answered, and they're all… and the client's feeling extremely comfortable.

Those are the things that I would definitely say would really help help that relationship, because at the end of the day, the client is looking for a problem to be solved, right? And they just want to make sure whoever they're choosing to solve the problem is the best person, and, you know, maybe their closest or someone they trust the most.

Angie (Host) 35:52

All right. We do have some questions that were… sent to us during registrations. So, questions was from Mariel Miranda, and they asked, I think this is, sorry, they asked, whether you could share a breakdown of examples showing Practices can respond to common patient objections.

Particularly when patients, questions pricing or pushback on the cost of treatments. So, maybe you could walk us through a couple of real-world examples and explain what a good response might sound like?

Tia Giannopoulos 36:29

Yeah, of course. So, when we're talking about, when clients are looking for, like, those dis… when the clients are asking for discounts?

So, if the client…

Angie (Host) 36:42

that's.

Tia Giannopoulos 36:42

Oh, oh yes.

Angie (Host) 36:44

Oh.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, please continue.

Tia Giannopoulos 36:50

Oh, yeah, okay, when the client's asking for a discount, yeah, of course.

I would say, of course, yeah, when the client's looking for a discount or something in general.

Of course, what I like to do is, if a client… or not what I like to do, but what I like to advise clinics to do, is, of course, you know, walk that client through their treatment plan, right? So if… if you know your client is targeting textured skin, and maybe they want to, like, lift their brows a little with some Botox, so you know already, okay, for them, they're treatments that they're going to be interested. for… that I have in my treatment menu, we have microneedling, and we also have, Botox for that.

So, potentially, because you are the provider, and if you are the clinic owner, you could create some sort of custom bundle for them, and you could actually offer them some sort of custom bundle.

If you're not interested in doing that, which I completely understand as well, you can say, unfortunately, we do not have any bundles at this time. Let's say if this is… this conversation's happening now in October, you could say we are going to be, releasing some holiday discounts in December. I can put you on a list for that. You can put you on a list for that, and then if you would want to be advantageous, you could say, however, I could take you down now, and get that working through for you.

If you're not looking to discount at all, be like, unfortunately, we do not offer… we just do not offer discounts. And honestly, if that client… if you and that client do have a great relationship, and that client understands your work and your knowledge and your expertise, they should be willing enough to respect that. You know, you don't have a discount, but they'll still come back to you again.

I think something else that you could do is really ask the client a follow-up question, right? So, oh, discount, like, are you looking for something specific to be discounted? Would you be interested in the skincare that's discounted? Would you be interested in maybe a more low-cost treatment, such as a peel or a microneedling?

So really understanding what the client is looking for, right? Or if the client is truly just like, I need something better for… that I can do consistently in this economy, it's important to have those low-cost treatments available as well for those type of clients, so you can really treat anyone who walks through that door. And those low-cost treatments, honestly, being microneedling, or also being a chemical peel.

Angie (Host) 39:10

All right. I hope that answers your question.

Tia Giannopoulos 39:13

Awesome.

Angie (Host) 39:16

Another question comes from Aisha Hegge. I hope I'm pronouncing your name right. And I really like this one, because it brings us back to the challenge that almost every practice experiences at some point. So Aisha wants to know how practice owners can avoid feeling pressured to discount their services when they're having a slow week or month. What alternatives to discounting can work just as well to bring pressure?

Go and fill those available appointments.

Tia Giannopoulos 39:48

Of course. So I think not offering a discount on the treatment, but potentially offering some sort of referral, right? So whether that be a referral fee. So what I'm, or what I mean by that is you can send some sort of, you can send an email blast or advertise to your current clients. If you refer, refer someone in the month of October, you will get $50 off your next treatment, or you will get this skincare bundle. at a discount, or you will get these skincare products. So, if there's that referral fee, and they actually book in October, and their word-of-mouth books in October, that could be another option, and that's something I've seen be extremely successful.

Something else you could do as well instead of discounting is, of course, this could be, you know, something that has to be thought about for, thought about more in depth. However, you could start a membership program, right? So this membership program will consistently have your clients be booking every… every month, right? So whether that's for a 60-minute chemical peel, or whether that's for a microneedling every other month, or X amount of Botox, every 6 months. You can get extremely creative, and especially with AI as well, you can get extremely creative with the type of memberships that you offer at your clinic every month.

So I would say using your existing clients, right? Word of mouth is, as a consumer standpoint, one of the most trustworthy things. And then also, of course, starting some sort of membership.

I hope that answers your question as well.

Angie (Host) 41:22

All right, we're going to end the Q&A. Now, just a quick reminder, while the QR code is on your screen, if you'd like to explore opportunities to strengthen your practice's online visibility and patient acquisition.

The complimentary marketing strategy session from Ekwa Marketing is still available. You can scan the QR code or use the link that has been shared in the chat. And Tia, before we wrap up, I'd love to leave our audience with one final thought from you. So we've talked about so many different aspects of pricing today, and I know practice owners are probably already thinking about what they need to review when they get back to their teams. So let me ask you this.

If an Aesthetic Practice owner could make just one change to their holiday pricing strategy this October, what would you want that change to be and why?

Tia Giannopoulos 42:15

I think one change to add to your holiday, the pricing strategy, would of course be to incorporate skincare, right? Everyone uses skincare, all of your clients use skincare.

And frankly, the client is going to be using skincare twice a day.

Every day. However, when they see you, maybe they're seeing you once a month, or once every two months. So always incorporating that skincare from you is something extremely advantageous that a lot of practices actually don't think about. And with skincare, you can of course talk to your vendors and ask them, what do they suggest?

What have they seen using other? Use your reps to your advantage, right? And really add… incorporate that skincare into the treatment bundle, or into that holiday deal. Because another thing is, too, you can advertise it, or speak to it, let's say, as a downtime helper, something to help with that downtime. Okay, you have a treatment on the 23rd, I know you have this dinner on the 25th, let's say. If you use this product, it'll really help to decrease your redness or the downtime of this treatment.

So, really using that skincare to their advantage, because the client is going to be using skincare, and when they use it up, and if they really like it, they'll be coming back to you to purchase, right? So, that's another huge revenue… revenue maker as well for a lot of clients, that… that… but you really don't think about it, right? Because you're always focused on treatments and discounting that, but you can get extremely creative. with what you have in your clinic, and really creating an offer. And I think what's beautiful about this industry is that it is medicine, and it also is beauty, right? So, what works for one client won't necessarily work for the other client. So, really being able to look at your treatment menu, and look at the client, and know what treatments you have, and know the skincare, and be extremely educated on everything you offer from that skincare all the way until what you're, what you're actually going to be physically treating the client with. Being extremely knowledge that you're able to make maybe even create some sort of package or treatment deal just in the treatment room is such a huge advantage.

So really incorporating that skincare alongside the treatments is something that a lot of, Practices do lack, but it's something that can really generate your revenue and remove this whole stress about, Oh, am I discounting too much?

Did I lose money on this deal? Really using skincare to your advantage is something I would say to take advantage of for sure.

Angie (Host) 44:44

All right. Thank you so much, Tia.

Tia Giannopoulos 44:47

Of course.

Angie (Host) 44:48

And that brings us to the end of today.

All right. Now that brings us to the end of today's Business of Aesthetics Expert webinar. Tia, I want to say a huge thank you to you for joining us and sharing your expertise and experience and insights.

I especially appreciate how practical you've made this conversation, you know, from understanding patient expectations to thinking more carefully about treatment costs and long-term profitability. And to everyone who joined us today, thank you for spending this hour with us. We know how busy life can get when you're running or working in an aesthetic practice.

And we truly appreciate your time. Before you leave, we'd also appreciate if you could take a moment to complete the short feedback survey that might appear as you exit the webinar, because your feedback helps us make these conversations even more valuable. And yeah, with that, from all of us at Business of Aesthetics, have a fantastic evening, and we look forward to seeing you at our next event.

And Tia, maybe if you could stay with us for a while, and we'll wait for our attendees to leave, and we'll have a little bit of a debrief.

Tia Giannopoulos 46:02

Okay, thank you.

Angie (Host) 46:05

All right.

Thanks, everyone.

Angie (Host) 46:16

Okay.

Business of Aesthetics | Expert Panel Replay Transcript