From Consultation to Conversion: Mastering the Aesthetic Sales Journey

BUSINESS OF AESTHETICS | EXPERT PANEL TRANSCRIPT

Transcript

From Consultation to Conversion: Mastering the Aesthetic Sales Journey

Consultation leadership, patient trust, standardized sales journeys, personal follow-up, team handoffs, retention, and the metrics that support sustainable growth.

PARTICIPANTS

Don Adeesha (Host)

Full session transcript

________________

From Consultation to Conversion

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:16

Everyone's in… Right. So, good evening and welcome, everyone, to tonight's… webinar from the Business of Aesthetics, community. Apologies for that, let's retry that one more time. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to tonight's live event from the Business of Aesthetics community, where we are dedicated to helping aesthetic practices thrive, because your success matters. And tonight's discussion, from consultation to conversion. Mastering the Aesthetic Sales Journey dives into the hidden operational gaps that cost you patience, erode trust, and stall your growth. I'm your host, Dan Adisha, and alongside our incredible panelists here, we'll uncover actionable strategies to build trust, design pressure-free consultations, and create a highly, highly profitable patient experience. Now, just a quick housekeeping notes. To help you get the most of this hour. First, yes, we are recording, so you will receive a replay link after the event, so you can rewatch and share with your partners. However, don't let that make you passive. The real value is happening right now, live. To make the best use of your time, engage with us. Use the Q&A button at the bottom of the screen. For specific questions you want me to ask the panelists, and use the chat. To share your thoughts with your colleagues here. Now, I have my eye on both the feeds. I will do my best to weave your questions into our conversation as we go along. Or we will tackle them during the Q&A session closer to the end of the hour. Now. With that being said… I would also like to give a massive thank you to our Platinum sponsor and growth partner, Echo Marketing, founded by Naren Aru Raja, the very same founder of the business of aesthetics. And for nearly 20 years, ECHO has helped aesthetic practice owners across the globe stop being the best-kept secret in their own town. They believe that great care deserves great visibility. Nope. Think… Yeah. And now here's something every practice owner should be thinking about. The way patients find you online. And it's changing fast as well. So search engines and AI tools like ChatGPT, Google's AI Overviews, Gemini, or voice assistants now give quick answers right on page. This means that people may not be clicking through all the way as they used to. Traditional search is still important, it is just evolving. So, the question now becomes, how do you stay the practice that patients trust and choose? The answer is simple. Build enough authority so… Search and AI see your practice as helpful as a reliable source. That means clear, expert-driven content, accurate profiles, consistent naming. address and phone details, along with strong reviews. So, with that being said, in this world, it's not about being found, it is about being easy to understand and choose. Now, why do I mention this? Well, our partners at Equa Marketing have something really interesting for you all. a great resource that'll help you understand where you are at with your current digital marketing presence, and how you can take it to the next level and ensure growth in 2026. So stick around, we'll share that as we go along. With that being said, before we jump into, the event, I would like to take a moment to look at what we're going to be discussing here tonight. So, we're going to start unpacking by, The art of consultation, showing you how to leverage storytelling and emotional intelligence to elevate your sales process, but we won't ignore the science. We'll also tackle how to use data and metrics To refine your approach, and how to build effective follow-up systems and digital touchpoints so that no inquiry fails through the cracks. And finally, we'll bring it all together by discussing how to perfectly align your clinical and front desk teams. We want to ensure your patient experience is consistent, premium, from the moment that they walk in to the moment they check out. So, by the end of the hour, you'll have a complete blueprint to master the aesthetic sales journey. Now, let's meet the expert panelists who will be guiding us through this conversation. Soap. Our speaker here knows what it's like to watch potential revenue slip through the cracks of a disjointed patient journey. And more importantly, exactly how to stop it. With over two decades in the beauty and aesthetics industry, she has mastered the operational systems that turn casual inquiries into lifelong, loyal patients. Today, as a senior leader in practice success at Moxie, she turns She partners with med spa owners to scale their revenue through clinically-led growth and rock-solid business operations. She's here to help you reclaim your time, streamline your handoffs, and optimize your bottom line. Welcome, Michaela Rice.

Mikyla Race 06:04

Thank you, thank you, happy to be here.

Don Adeesha (Host) 06:07

Great to have you here, Michaela. And I do want to, mention, on behalf of our partner, Marissa Dennis, she is unable to attend our webinar due to, some family reasons. We appreciate her letting us know that, but do not worry, Michaela is here, and we got a lot of questions from every one of y'all. We'll do our best to ensure that we answer them sufficiently, and ensure that your time here, spent with us, is done valiably. So, with that being said, let's dive into the main Q&A section, and as I mentioned, do engage with us as we go along, to make the best value for your time invested. Right. So, my first question to you, Michaela, is which consultation breakdown recently caused a practice trust or momentum, and what did that example expose about the patient expectations?

Mikyla Race 07:15

Yeah, I mean, I feel like what I really commonly see is this breakdown when a consultation becomes too transactional, right? You're answering the patient's one question instead of giving them a full outcome, or someone is coming into you for one thing, and you're really not diving into the cause and the home care, and giving really a comprehensive treatment plan. I think it's really easy to lose the momentum when a patient feels sold to. No one wants to feel that, right? They want to feel that they're having a genuine relationship and a genuine conversation with someone that has their best interests at heart, and that person really wants to just feel understood. I think patients really want and expect leadership from you as a clinician. They want someone to translate their concern into a very clear and confident plan, not just the units, and not just the price. So I feel like when that doesn't happen, it really quickly can erode trust and change… change the whole… the whole dynamic of what that patient's journey could have been.

Don Adeesha (Host) 08:23

Let's take a look at a real example, right? say Michelle walks into your clinic, and then she says, I want to get some would she come about saying, I want to get some Botox done, get some fillers? Or… And how would you frame that conversation? Where would you take it? What if that's not the best, yeah, where would you take it from there, really?

Mikyla Race 08:48

Problem number one is don't let Michelle dictate the conversation, right? Like, don't let her come in and say, here's what I want. You need to be the leader in the room, you need to be the one that says, here's how this conversation's gonna go. Number one, I'm gonna introduce myself, and I'm gonna tell you all about my experience, and what I've learned in this industry. I'm going to credential myself first. Then I'm going to give you a realistic expectation. So first, I'm going to talk through your home care. What have you done before? Then I want to dive into what I recommend, and then we'll save some time at the end for any questions you have. So if you're not setting the expectation in the very beginning and giving them the space to ask their questions at the end, then they're owning the conversation, right? And that's… I think that's really the most common pitfall, is people are like, tell me what brings you in today. like, that's wonderful, but then they're owning everything, and you lose the ownership of that conversation. So, I really think that you need to take ownership of what happens in your room. introduce yourself and credential yourself, have a really strong one-liner of, I've been in the industry for this many years, or I've been a clinician for this many years, whatever that looks like for you. And then set the expectation of, I'm gonna go into these things, I'm gonna talk through these things with you, and I'm gonna give you my full treatment plan, and then you ask me whatever you want at the end. So I think I see a lot of people really avoid those pieces, and that's exactly where they get stuck in what you just mentioned, is that Michelle is dictating the conversation, saying, here's what I want, and I want 50 units, and you're gonna put 10 here, and 20 here, and… And then you're stuck, and there's no opportunity to change anyone's mind, because you didn't lead it.

Don Adeesha (Host) 10:24

Okay, that's very interesting, because I would think… isn't Michelle… Wouldn't Michelle feel that she's unheard? She comes in with her plan, and you're now telling me that, You know, that's not probably the best way to go about things.

Mikyla Race 10:42

Yeah, I mean, it… it definitely could go either way, but I think no matter what. I think you still need to own it, and you need to be the person that is the expert in the room, right? Michelle's not an injector, so whether she knows she's been getting Botox for 20 years, I think you're still doing a disservice to anyone by only talking about the 50 units that she's asking for, right? You're not talking about preventative, or filler, or at-home care, or anything like that, or what's her treatment plan? Is she gonna come back in 3 months, or 4 months? You know, you're really letting her dictate that, so I think that there are definitely certain clients that that may not be the right fit for them. But I don't know, I mean, hot take is I really want the people that are open to expert judgment and expert opinions, and honestly, like, maybe if the person who comes in and tells you exactly what their treatment plan is, like, maybe that's not the best client or patient for you in your business. So, it might be a hot take, but I think it could go either way. I think no matter what, you definitely need to walk that fine line and that balance of Making sure someone is… Feeling understood and feeling heard, but you still are able to go back to that comprehensive treatment plan and talk through everything that you need to, and still run your approach the same way that you would with anybody else.

Don Adeesha (Host) 12:03

Got it. And Now, if one of the practice owners listening in wants to audit their own process tomorrow, where's the first place that they should be looking for, for potential breakdowns such as these?

Mikyla Race 12:18

Yeah, I think definitely, a lot of people don't have a process. So if you do have a process, then congratulations, you're doing something right. If you're trying to systematize it, then wonderful. But what I really find most common is that people don't, and they go in and they say, like, what brings you in today? And they let someone, steer the conversation. So I think to your question, though, of, like, what do I see that people really need to audit is how well are you listening? And I think you also need to audit every single piece of it. Like, I talk about credentialing yourself. Most people don't do that. They say, hello, my name is Michaela. we're in room number 3 today, and then they just jump right in. They don't say anything about them that is really building value and building trust off the gate. So there's that. I think also, are you mirroring body language? Are you sitting down? Are you getting eye level with someone? I really will pick apart every single detail, and there's so many people that think that they have a system by saying, like, read off this paper, and, you know, here's your treatment plan that you're gonna read through, and that… that is a really great place to start, but it's not enough to really systematize a process fully, so that whether it's you, or your medical assistant, or, I mean, honestly, even a front desk associate, anyone should be able to replicate it if it's a really, really strong process. And I think that's the ultimate test, is could you give this to your, you know, high school senior who lives down the street and say, like, run a consultation? Did I… did I give you a playbook that's good enough that you could do this with anybody? Because if not, then there's, you know, there's some breaks in the process.

Don Adeesha (Host) 13:57

Got it. Checked. The process. And, standardized NSOP, basically.

Mikyla Race 14:03

Yeah, I love operations. I love having everything standardized, and that, you know, it's not to say that there's wiggle room in between, but I really think once you have that strong, like, that's what's actually scalable, is that if you have it as an SOP that's really readable for anyone to be able to execute.

Don Adeesha (Host) 14:21

Great foundation to build on, and then, you know, just adding your own flair as we move along. Right. Absolutely. Now, Michaela, when growth pressure rises, how do leaders choose between consultation speed. And the time required to build patient confidence.

Mikyla Race 14:39

Yeah, speed and confidence are two different things, but one of my… one of my favorite quotes and phrases, and I live by this, is slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. So, you can be slow and fast in certain ways, right? But speed without confidence is expensive. Your customer acquisition costs can be really high, depending on your channels. So if you're rushing and you're too focused on speed, or like, I only have 15 minutes for this consultation, you might win the quick conversion, right? You might get a couple tox treatments or some filler here and there, but more often than not, you're gonna lose retention and that long-term value. So what I find is the best operators, they really design them that are efficient. but not rushed, right? You can be efficient, and you can be speedy, but not be rushed. You still have structured, repeatable, and very outcome-focused treatment plans and consultations. So, it's really not about the time or being longer, it's really just about the quality of that conversation, because if your patient's not feeling clear and confident in the recommendation that you gave them, then you really haven't actually saved any time. You're increasing your costs, your customer acquisition costs, and then you're increasing the likelihood of a lost client.

Don Adeesha (Host) 15:56

And how do you increase this, confidence, per se, you know, as well as the quality of the conversation?

Mikyla Race 16:04

Yeah, I think, again, like, I'll say, I'll say probably a million times tonight, but having a systematized approach, like. If I were to walk into a room and I had never done an elevator pitch, and I'm supposed to just find a way to credential myself in the next 30 seconds, I would fumble. It would take me a long time. It would probably not be a considered elevator pitch, because I'm trying to figure it out as I go. But if I write it down, if I practice it, if I've done it 3 or 4 times. then you're smooth, and you're still fast, and you can still build that trust, but you're not taking a very, very long time to do it, and you're also not rushing through it. So I feel like there's a very sweet spot where practicing and, you know, having, those, like, role-playing conversations with your team, it's really, really important. You know, go through all of the different scenarios, because practice, practice truly makes perfect, so go through it all.

Don Adeesha (Host) 16:59

Got it. And now, I would like to pick a question from one of our registrations. I think… yeah, okay. So Karen asks, how is it best to present a treatment plan, and if they don't book right away, when, how, and exactly who should be doing the follow-up?

Mikyla Race 17:21

I love when the follow-up comes from the actual person that they talk to. There is nothing more impactful, and we can pretend, right? Like, your front desk person that's named Jessica can say, like, hey, this is Erica, and we talked earlier, I'm really curious. I think, it should be quick, I think it should be within 24 to 48 hours if someone has not booked. If your system is not telling you those stats, definitely find a system that does, or find some way to create that system for yourself. But I do think that you should really follow up with people, you know, just a very quick phone call. Hey, we talked earlier, just wanted to see if you have any questions. could have been a lot. I want to make sure you understand it all. Just something personal. That personal touch is really lost. We live in a day of a ton of automations, a ton of AI, people really are losing touch with humans, and I think when you can bring that layer back to your practice, it can be time-consuming, but at the end of the day, is that 2-minute call worth it if they turn into a long-term client that has a really long lifetime value? Like, yeah, absolutely, you should definitely do that. So, I guess to answer your question, I would… I would call within 24 to 48 hours, and I do feel like it should be with the person that they spoke with. Just a voicemail is… is so simple and so impactful for patients.

Don Adeesha (Host) 18:44

And this personal touch, what are you talking about over here? How… Exactly.

Mikyla Race 18:49

Yeah, I would go through their… their treatment plan, so if we… if I did a consultation, I always go through, not just what clinically we're… we're recommending, but I go through… it's called FORD, F-O-R-D, so I go through their family, their occupation, what they do recreationally, and then what their dreams or desires are. And I write that down, so that goes into any SOAP notes. So if I'm calling someone and say, like. hey, I know we talked earlier, you have a big event coming up in a couple weeks, I want to make sure you have the right timeline. Like, layering in those little personal pieces, I think, is really important, and just, honestly, very simple. You don't have to go in-depth, you can just say, hey, I wanted to see if you have any questions. Just that general genuine interest and seeking to understand if they actually do have questions, like, that… that genuineness will come off over the phone. So I don't think it really has to be anything that's too… too overthought or too in-depth, just like, hey, check it in, you know? Like… like a friend, and I think that just builds trust.

Don Adeesha (Host) 19:48

Michaela, I was just wondering, is this also plugged into your SOPs, to ask them about this board.

Mikyla Race 19:58

Yeah, so I… I do put it, every, every person… well, I'm not a clinician, so let me start there, but what I do recommend is that for all of your charting notes, starting with a template. And if it's a consultation template, one of the things that you should have on it is Ford, because you want to ask about everyone's personal life. It's so impactful for so many people, I can't tell you, I probably have this at the dentist, where, you know, you're getting… your teeth cleaned, and you're like, oh yeah, my family's great, you know, and you're trying to do that, but it really means so much to people for someone to remember what you talked to them about 3 or 6 months ago. So, I do think it's very important. It should be part of your charting templates. I highly recommend adding it in if it's not something that you're already touching on, because so many people go straight into clinical mode, right? Like, and I get it. Nurses, doctors, it is so easy to fall into that space, but remember that bedside manner that everyone learns, you know? Or maybe not, but, like, bring that… bring that bedside manner back, and… and bring, you know, I guess. process, you know? We want to systematize everything, but adding that into your systems is really, really so important. So, I… I recommend it as part of your charting notes, always.

Don Adeesha (Host) 21:11

Okay, I really would love for a demonstration here, if you don't mind. I know this is, because when it comes to the newer generation, There have been issues with, this bedside, manners, right? Really, breaking the social barrier there. So, how would you actually go about asking a person about their family or occupation? Yeah.

Mikyla Race 21:40

Yeah, it's… It can be challenging sometimes when it's, you know, weird and new, and again, so let's say you have 30 minutes. So, we'll… we'll definitely dive… so, again, we'll start with the setting expectations. So I'm going to credential myself, I'm gonna walk you through what we're going to do, we're going to say I will spend time answering your questions at the end. So those three are always mandatory. Then, we're going to go into, you know, what are your major concerns, right? And I do find a way to sneak it in, like, oh, you know, do you have kids at home? Or, you know, what's your… what's your home life look like? Because you're going to talk about their skincare routine. Oh, does your husband steal your products, or your wife, or your girlfriend? So I do find kind of sneaky ways to sneak it into the conversation, but if those four letters are in the back of your head, I think everyone would be very surprised at how naturally it can come up, and maybe we don't hit them all. Occupation is really easy. Do you work from home? Are you in the sun a lot, right? We're going to talk through skincare. You know, the recreation, again, what do you do for fun? Are you outside in the sun a lot of times? Are you a sunbather? Do you like to go to the pool? Or do you go hiking on the weekends? People want to talk about themselves, so if you give them the space, and sometimes a little leading question here and there. They will open up. And then that last, the D, is either dreams or desires, and that really does go back to their clinical. You know, is there a certain celebrity that you really love their skin, or their lips, or their cheekbones, or anything like that? But also, you know, maybe what personal aspirations do you have? Are you trying to sell your business? Like, it can give you so much insight into how much stress this person has. in their daily life, what they're looking for in their daily life, and then how they think about the world, which really, for… for injectors, it is an art, you know? It is a very, very artful process to be able to do things like this, and I think just going back to that as well, having all of those little questions and pieces in your mind, they… they will really uncover a lot, and they will let you get deeper relationships with your patients and your clients. and get them to come back long-term. So I say, like, sprinkle them in, but once they're in the back of your mind, they are much easier to sneak into a conversation than I think anyone thinks. So I challenge everyone listening to give it a try one day.

Don Adeesha (Host) 24:01

That's amazing. Thank you so much for the breakdown, Michaela. I know… I know that's going to be an incredible nugget for our listeners, and yeah. Even I took a lot of notes there. So, now, across the patient journey, what should be standardized, and what should remain flexible to preserve that trust and consistency?

Mikyla Race 24:27

Yeah, this is kind of a hot take, and I'm sorry, but I just… I don't think that keeping things flexible does preserve trust. or consistency. I truly believe that in order to scale an aesthetics business, you need to standardize your entire framework. how to introduce yourself and credential yourself. Every single provider in your practice should be able to say, I've been in it for this many years, I love to do this, what I do at home or in my off time, you know, you need to standardize that across your team. You need to standardize how you sit. You need butts in chairs, you need to get at eye level with people, you need to mirror their body language. You need to teach people how to do that, but you need to standardize your consultation flow. It's not just questions on a paper. You know, we mentioned the Ford earlier, but that needs to be in your consultation flow. You also need to standardize your follow-up cadence, calling people in 24 to 48 hours. What do you say when you call people in 24 to 48 hours? The rebooking expectations for the team, what does that handoff look like? If a provider just did a consultation and they're going to the front desk, like, what is the standardized process for this? I think just overall, you need to really standardize every single piece, and I just really don't think flexibility preserves anything. I think it gives you way too many… pieces that can be manipulated or misused, and you really, like, I love standardizing things, but mostly because that is what I truly believe helps practices scale. So, I think that consistency is what does it. I think patients also want a really consistent experience. If I came in for a consultation 6 months ago, and I saw injector A, maybe we didn't hit it off, but if I came back and saw Injector B, she credentialed herself, she asked me the same question, she learned the same things about me, we had a better conversation, maybe I rebook with that person, because that makes someone personally feel seen, because it's not… it's not personal that you didn't get along with this person, it has to be a personality match. But many providers just aren't taught how to make people feel seen and heard, and I think every consultation will naturally be different, but if you systematize it, that is exactly how you can really scale your business.

Don Adeesha (Host) 26:48

And the next question here is… How do you get the buy-in from, perhaps seasoned providers who resist Bit of standardization, because they want to do it their way.

Mikyla Race 27:02

Yeah, I mean, again, I like to seek to understand. I think everyone is coachable, but if… if I was a manager or a practice owner, and I saw that I was meeting someone with resistance, I would love to know why. Maybe they have a beautiful secret sauce. that I want to steal and standardize. Like, that's okay, but I think every single business runs best on processes. So if you do have someone on your team that is very resistant to that, that maybe is a signal that they can't scale with you. So I always, as a manager, as an owner, lead with love, lead with empathy, and seek to understand where everyone is coming from. Maybe they had a really negative past work experience that brought them there. Maybe they had a negative consultation that they did one time that made them change their way. But you need to get to know your staff, right? And you need to understand what makes them tick. And I truly believe that everyone will come around eventually if they are right for your team. But if you're not trying to understand your team members and why they're resistant, then that's really the problem. So if I ever do meet someone that's resistant, I intentionally will spend a lot lot more time with them, and I will shadow them, and I will watch them, just to see what they're doing, because again, like, maybe… maybe they know better, and it's always great to have people in the room that know more than you do, right? That's how… so many leaders get to where they're at, is you don't want to be the smartest person in the room. So there is something to learn, but if you're not actually taking the time to seek to understand and work with your employees and get them to either see your side or maybe see their side a little differently. Then that will also stall your growth.

Don Adeesha (Host) 28:49

And what if they can't scale with you? How are we progressing with that staff member?

Mikyla Race 28:55

Yeah. I mean, if they can't scale with you, you know, I'm very much fire… sorry, hire fast, fire faster, and promote the fastest. I live by that, I love it. If it's not a hell yes, then it's a hell no. So I think that there are great people in this industry, and some people want to be stuck in their ways, but that won't be a practice that I will have them working in, and I think it's okay to say that, and I think a lot of people are scared to lose employees. I know employee acquisition cost is also very expensive, and time-consuming, and training, but you really need people on your team that want to scale with you and want to grow with you. So, I think it's really okay to call it what it is, and respectfully say, like, maybe this isn't working out, because I want to grow my business, and if you're not If you're not helping that, then you're really hurting it. So, why would… why would anybody want to stick with that, you know?

Don Adeesha (Host) 29:50

Got it. Now, Michaela, you have touched on creating a journey and standardizing trust, but the truth is, you can have the best consultation process in the world, and it won't matter if your ideal patients can't find you to begin with. So, we know from recent data that patients are researching heavily before they ever call, and this brings us back to our sponsor, Echo Marketing. If you're struggling with visibility, they are offering a gift for our attendees today, a complimentary marketing strategy meeting. Valued at $900. Let me, share that quickly with y'all. Right. There we go. Right. So, in your strategy session, you'll sit down with a senior marketing analyst who already works with thriving aesthetic practices across North America. You'll get a live audit. of how you can attract more clients, build your reputation, and grow sustainably. The marketing analyst will actually spend several hours researching your online presence. your competition, your local SEO, and nowadays, perhaps even your AEO, and everything. So they'll come to the call ready to walk you through custom recommendations just for your practice. This session is designed to help you answer those questions and fix anything that's not quite working. It's usually a $900 session, as I mentioned. Completely complimentary for you tonight. You'll see a QR code on your screen. You can scan that with your phone to book your session, or check the chat for a direct link. It'll take less than a minute to book. Now, availability is limited since, as I mentioned, every audit involves real research into your local market. So, perhaps, here's how to think about offers like this. What's the risk if you say yes? Honestly, it'll just be your time, there's no obligation whatsoever, but what's the risk if you don't? You might be missing out on something that could truly help you grow your practice in 2026 and beyond. So, I'll leave that with you, but truly, I encourage you to grab this opportunity, book your session with ECWA, it'll be time well spent. Right. Now, let's, pick up another question from our registrants here. Tanya. Tanya asks, how do you actually improve revenue on injectables without just raising the price of the product or service?

Mikyla Race 32:54

Yeah, so look at a ton of different numbers, right? So it's not just, like, the price of the service initially. I think you need to look at your AOV, your rebooking rate, your visits per year. Specifically, you really want to look at patients with more… more than 3 annual visits. I feel like that can really tell you if your patients are believing in your plan, because oftentimes you'll know if they just said yes once. So if your rebooking is low or inconsistent, it's really a signal, in my opinion, that your consultations and your treatments also aren't building a long-term confidence and a long-term relationship. So I would change course pretty quickly if you saw that your conversions are strong, but there's a weak return behavior. A lot of people just focus initially on that conversion from the initial consultation over to their first treatment, but I want to make sure that those people are returning at least 3 times, so that really is just a short-term win that will help you… help you long-term. So I think that's really the best way to… to continue doubling down on things, is looking at so many different numbers. It's not just… it's not just one number of, like, those, those prices, right? I think also how many solo follow-ups can really help, but I think that initial follow-up, a lot of times people will say, like, come in for your pictures, but why… why would you ever have someone come in for just photos, right? They should get that microdneedling, or that chemical peel in a few weeks. So increasing your revenue is really on how you deliver that comprehensive treatment plan, not at all what you charge. You should not need to raise your Botox prices, right? Like, you need to focus on your consultation quality, your full face treatment planning, sequencing treatments over time instead of single area visits, and then also train your team, your entire team, to confidently recommend comprehensive outcomes. If someone calls and they ask, how much is your Botox. do not stop there, right? Like, what… what is Botox for? Why is someone getting Botox? Have you thought about other things, you know? Because then you're just responding to requests. And then you also… it's really, really important to layer in retention tools. So, your memberships, your rebooking systems, your win-back campaigns, your follow-up protocols, your entire system, holistically, really should be built to get patients to come back consistently, and just not sporadically.

Don Adeesha (Host) 35:27

Amazing. Now, when it comes to that treatment planning, do you, how would you go about doing that? Is it based off of, basically, avatars or outcomes, or else is it more on the line of what you have, readily available within your own practice?

Mikyla Race 35:46

Definitely what's readily available. If you have technology, like, if you have the AI facial tools, or, any of those amazing facial scanners, like, those are incredible. Those are absolutely wonderful tools. A lot of people, truthfully, don't have them. They're expensive, and I think you can absolutely get what you need out of just a good, wholehearted conversation. So again, what we talked about earlier, like, how are you gonna do it? You're gonna go through everything. What are they doing at home? What have they done before? What are their major concerns? A lot of people will say fine lines. fine lines and wrinkles, right? But we know that we can prevent, but then we can also treat. So you need to talk about so many different things. Their home care, what are they using to wash their face? Like, those very, very simple pieces. So I think there's just so many different things that people can layer into their consultation process, but I think as long as you're touching on those major points of what have they done before, what are they doing at home, what are their major concerns, and then just take a pause there, because so many clinicians are like, oh, fine lines and wrinkles, that means Botox. But it doesn't always for everybody, and sure, maybe it does a little bit, but it should not start and end there. We need to do microneedling, or maybe peels, and we need to, like, reverse a little bit in the aging process. So I think just, again, systematizing those pieces of the consultation and making sure that you're hitting all of those additional points, so that you can really get a full treatment plan. I love doing annual as well. What I find a lot of times also is that people will have a patient who came in 2 or 3 years ago, and every time they come in for talks, we're doing the same thing, right? No! You need to do a whole new process for them. Maybe not every single time, but you need to do an annual consultation, right? You need to do an annual treatment plan. You need to say, okay, for the next upcoming 6 months, here's what we're doing. We did this the last year and the last 6 months, but here's what we're doing moving forward. Because again, then you're just… you're doing a disservice to people. So you're… you're not just doing it that first time, but you also need to bake in these annual consultations and treatment plans to your system as well, and then try and do it, I mean, you can probably do it quarterly as well, if people are coming back, and they're coming back just for one service. Like, everyone knows, and their clientele, who those people are that come in for the exact same units of talks every single time. Like, think about those patients and those clients that you have, and what are you gonna say to them next time? Are you gonna just do the same thing on them that they've been asking for? Are you gonna try and get them to do the other things that you were talking about? So I really challenge everyone to go through that consultation process, not just with Your regular clients, but also with your returning patients.

Don Adeesha (Host) 38:43

Fantastic. Thank you very much for that, Michaela. Now, think of a handoff, that failed between the coordinator and injector. What happened, and what changed afterwards?

Mikyla Race 38:55

Yeah, like a handoff, as in, I just did a consultation, and then they're going to the front desk? Yeah, I think, Classic failure is misaligned expectations. I think the coordinator can promise one thing over the phone, Botox is $12 a unit, or $10 a unit, whatever you're charging, and then the injector is going to walk in with a different plan of, oh, we're going to talk about filler today, we're going to talk about microneedling. So, I think, in general, that would cause a ton of patient. confusion, they're gonna lose confidence. I think what can really fix that is very simple, but also powerful, structured handoff notes. Jessica called four days ago, she asked about this. Like, as many notes as possible from every single person. Providers are really good about their charting and their SOAP notes, but you also need to teach your front desk to do the same thing. Did you talk to them two weeks ago? Like, there's nothing more annoying than a provider being like, oh, she said that she called and you told her XYZ. your front desk should be documenting that if they're booking an appointment. So I think that is very, very easy, easy fix, is having the front desk coordinators, or receptionists, whatever you want to call them, giving really clear notes. And then also cleared treatment intent before the injector answers, right? So, tighter training on how the coordinators are framing expectations, and then tighter training on how your providers are running their consultations. So, I mean, again, I'm a broken record here, but systemize that too, because those really… those clean handoffs will really protect trust. So, I think notes, documentation, and then cross functional training. Your front desk should know exactly what each provider is going to say in the treatment room, and the the provider should also know what the front desk is telling people. They should go through those safe training, and I think that cross-functional training is really important for the team to make sure that those missteps don't happen. And then, if they do, I think for a manager or owner or anyone who's seeing that. Pause. Team training, team huddle, right? Like, address it in the moment. Don't let it go a week, don't let it go a month, don't wait until your next team meeting or your lunch, or your dinner out to address something. Like, stop it in the moment and say, like. What happened? What did we miss? Where did it crumble? Because that's really how you get better. It's not for the sake of calling anyone out, it's really for the sake of just making sure that we can all learn from every single experience. If we see a fumble happen, let's deal with it, and let's talk about it in the moment.

Don Adeesha (Host) 41:33

Got it. Now, another question from one of our registrants, and this time around, Okay, this is a bit of a different one. Hypercompetition. So, Brittany asks, how do you deal with the fierce competition, especially when another local clinic is actively copying you right down to your business name and logo?

Mikyla Race 42:01

Well, the question in general, honestly, it really makes me sad, and it kind of breaks my heart, because first and foremost. Community over competition. There is enough money to go around. If you have a strong brand and can answer, if I were to ask you what makes you different than Sally Jo down the street, then you should not even be worried about this. No one can copy you. And I truly believe that energy, leading with love, the joy, what's right for you will come. I also, I say this all the time, happy people encourage, attractive people compliment, and successful people support. So, those who have nothing to offer, they will bring you down. You need to learn that, and you need to deal with that, especially the bigger you get. Someone will always be trying to bring you down. But once you understand that, you stop taking things like that personally. It's a compliment, and it's really hard for a lot of people. I talk about this a lot, but a lot of people have that ego living within them, and that's totally fine, but you really need to feel secure with yourself. You do not need to… to feel threatened by other people, because they shouldn't even be competing with you. They should not dim you, right? And the people who are here for you within your community, they will clap, they will share, and they will make space for you. So I feel, again, if it's true infringement, address it legally and quickly. But beyond that, I mean, branding… is not… it's not your moat in your castle, right? Your experience, your outcomes, your branding, what you're doing is your moat. That's gonna be what protects you. Patients will stay where they're confident, where they're cared for, and where they get results. And that person down the street that's copying you. Take her out to lunch. rise above, right? Like, maybe you have something to learn from her. It's funny, and I know it's a hot take, and a lot of people won't do it, but, like, try. Who's it gonna hurt? Maybe she's doing something that you don't have. It's a machine that you don't want to drop $200,000 on, and you guys can, you know, cross-market against each other, but everyone needs more friends. Maybe, maybe not everyone, but… community over competition, every, every single day, and… and let people support each other. So, I think, I think rise above it. Don't… don't worry about those people, and if you are worried about them, like, try and make a new friend.

Don Adeesha (Host) 44:27

That's amazing. Thank you, for the turnaround there, Michaela. And, yeah. How amazing would it be, instead of worrying about the competition, taking them out to lunch, and then making a new friend, bettering the community? And just having an overall great time. Oh, yeah.

Mikyla Race 44:47

And there's, again, there's enough money to go around, you should not be worried, you know? I know it's a tough economy, so maybe not enough money to go around, but don't… don't worry about it. If you build it right, they will come.

Don Adeesha (Host) 45:01

There we go. Focus on the important details. And one of the most important details, let's talk about that, beyond the conversion rate, what are some of the other indicators that best predict durable patient loyalty, and what result would convince you to change the course otherwise?

Mikyla Race 45:22

Yeah, we talked about it a little bit earlier, but I think those three visits is really important. So, most people, again, will look at their consultations, and that one rebooking, or did the consultation to treatment, right? Everyone's consultation to treatment. They love that number, and everybody loves that number. But consultation to 2 treatments, consultation to 3 treatments, that is what you need to look at. So it's definitely rebooking rate and your visits per year. Those are really, really important. But, you really just need to find out those… how many visits are coming in. or what your average client visits per year is, because that number tells you so, so much, right? If people are coming in once, and the majority of your clientele is coming in once or twice, then you are not that sticky as business. So you really need to get into that. You need to get people coming back often. And it's not just important for getting more money, it's really important for the patient To get to know you, your team. where am I parking? Who's going to meet me at the front desk? Am I going to be offered water? Like, they need to feel really comfortable. It's like when you go to the gym, you know, the first couple times, you don't know where you're going or where stuff is, and then that 15th time, like, you know John's at the front desk, you know where the showers are, you know where your towels are, and that's really the environment that you want to create. You want to create a very comfortable space, and you're not going to get that if someone comes in to you once a year, right? No one will. If you went to your grocery store once a year, would you know where to find all the stuff? No, you would not. So, I would really change course quickly if I saw a really strong conversion into that first visit, but a really weak return behavior. That's a short-term win, masking a very, very long-term problem. So those are really the first things that I would dig into.

Don Adeesha (Host) 47:15

Okay, and how can we ensure… I mean, I know we talked about this a little bit before, but how can we ensure that the first visit translates into 3 bookings down the road. Are we booking them? From the first consultation itself, or is that more of a follow-up stage?

Mikyla Race 47:35

Yeah, you definitely need some sort of call to action when you're doing your consultation. So what is the first thing? You can give someone 12 months, but we're not booking 12 months of appointments today. That's overwhelming, it's scary, people will start going into this buyer's remorse or fear of, like, oh god, what did I just do? So start with one thing, you know, that it builds so much trust of, like, I'm not trying to rush you, I am not trying to oversell you, I just want to book that one microneedling appointment for you. You will see such a difference. And so start with one thing, and then start layering it in. If your initial consultation process is gonna document all of those things that you talked about, then you don't need to worry about booking all 12 appointments. You will build that trust with someone over time. So I do always say build that… that very first appointment, and then go from there. And then again, one thing I always see people miss, and my injector did it with me recently, where she had me come in for a two-week follow-up, and I'm like. really wish you booked me for a microneedling and a two-week follow-up, because I want to see my pictures, of course, I want to know if my tox is working and, you know, everything's settled right. But it's a missed opportunity. I don't want to drive 20 minutes there, 20 minutes back, spend 15 minutes, like, let's do something, right? Get me results. So I think always leading from that place of, like, I'm here to get you results, I have your best interest at heart, I want to get you the results that you're asking for, and I know what each next step is. There's going to be some clients that are like, give me the world, take my wallet, I trust you, you know, and those are people that you're going to have a very different approach. But the majority of people want to take it slow, they're scared. financially strapped, I mean, these treatments are expensive, let's be honest. We all want to make more money, but we know that they are expensive to afford, for the majority of people. So, don't necessarily, like, shop with your own wallet, but again, come from that place of understanding that, you know, this person's a little concerned, they're a little hesitant. document that in their notes, and each time they come in, you're just gonna go one thing at a time. And then eventually, and I promise you this will happen, is that those clients will start to say, well, what about my next two appointments, you know? And what about a package of three? So they might start even to sell their self, which is really, really fun to see, and that's exactly when a light bulb should go off in your head of, like, ugh. I am doing the right thing, I have my consultations nailed down, I've been taking it a step at a time with this person, and I finally earned their trust. And that is such a good feeling to have for so many providers.

Don Adeesha (Host) 50:08

Amazing. Now, I was just wondering, are there any other low-hanging fruits, like the pictures, in your experience, that should be bundled up, in any kind of booking or appointment?

Mikyla Race 50:22

I… I definitely think memberships are low-hanging fruit. I will say, it's probably not considered low-hanging fruit. I think a lot of people struggle with memberships and membership conversion, but if you can make your memberships a no-brainer and, like, girl math it for people, that is such low-hanging fruit. I will tell you, the last practice I worked at, the day I put in my two weeks notice, I signed up for a membership, because it made so much sense. I knew it was gonna save me money, I knew I would get to keep my favorite injector, like, in my pocket. The discounts were incredible. I knew that that was going to be the lowest price. I knew that I had trusted service. Knew where to park, you know, like… I think memberships are really the best thing to do, and it gives the… it gives the practice peace of mind. If someone can close for 2 weeks, take their staff on a retreat, and you know you have X amount of dollars in recurring revenue just from your memberships, that is… that is peace of mind, right? It's great, and there's nothing more exciting when someone comes in and we say, you know. your bill is $2,000, you have $500 banked up, and with your membership discount, and, you know, it goes from $1,000 down to $200. People are like, oh my god, I saved so much money, which, like, they paid for it, of course. But, that, to me, is really low-hanging fruit that people overthink all the time. They complicate it, they really, really struggle with it, and it's… it's just so simple. Just make it appealing, give people discounts, like. you know, do you remember back when phone companies used to reward you for loyalty? No one does that anymore. Everyone gives the discounts to the new people, but you should really, really be loving on and honoring the people that have committed to you and your business. So, I think throw in extra discounts, hold membership-exclusive parties. When people call in, oh, are you a member with us? And not, have you been here before, are you a member with us? And start planting those seeds. really get a good process, but… but memberships is really the number one that I think people overthink and neglect, because they think everyone's got a membership, and yeah, pretty much, but there's a reason everyone's got a membership, because it's great, and you should do it.

Don Adeesha (Host) 52:36

Absolutely, and… understatement of the year, really. We're always trying to get these new patients booked in, but really, having… Your loyal patients who already have your trust, you know, rewarding them for that, and nurturing that relationship a lot more. will… Definitely reduce your customer acquisition costs, as well as keep a wonderful, wonderful experience going on. For many more years to come.

Mikyla Race 53:07

Yeah, yeah, customer acquisition cost is 7 times more expensive than your returning, so focus on those people that have already been in and nurture those, yeah.

Don Adeesha (Host) 53:16

Absolutely. Now, looking ahead to the next 12 months. What proof would show a consultation system is sustainable and not just temporarily effective?

Mikyla Race 53:30

Yeah, I think consistency across multiple providers, is really, really important. everyone will have their own flair to it, but having that consistency, making sure the notes are the same, I think is really important. I also think internal referrals is something that really shows that your business is doing something right. If you hear, like, I was recommended to you by this person, but she said it doesn't matter who I see. your front desk or receptionist team should call your manager immediately. Like, that should be gold star, plaster that on the wall, that is exactly what you want to hear every single time, is that someone told me to come there, and it didn't matter who I saw. So, I think another thing, too, is, like, when you're looking at that consistency across multiple providers, if you have one top injector that performs well, and everyone else is struggling. you do not have a system. You have a great person. You do not have a system. So I think a sustainable consultation model that shows up, in stable conversion, strong rebooking, predictable revenue across the team, that's when you know that you have something scalable, and it's just not working in, like, little little pockets. So, consistency across multiple providers. Don't let one person take the cake and everybody else struggle. Find a way to systematize it and get that consistency.

Don Adeesha (Host) 54:49

Now, Michaela, I just wanted to, kind of go back to the previous question here, and actually ask you about the specific metrics, that practice managers should be tracking on their weekly dashboard. Now, I know, 3 bookings per consultation over a year. That's a bit of an annual check-in. What about the weekly dashboard to measure loyalty?

Mikyla Race 55:15

Yeah, weekly, I love average ticket, or AOV, however you're looking at it. I think that in general shows really, like, micro-trends of what's going on. Do we have a lot of people this week that were budget conscious? I think also weekly, you start to notice when packages are redeemed, right? Because probably see this around Black Friday and holidays and Mother's Day and everything, where people purchase packages, but then January, you get this slowdown where everyone's redeeming packages, but that should have a very low AOV. So what is that gonna tell you, right? People are redeeming packages, but no one is upselling them. So that, for me, is really the most important. I also really… like, just general rebooking and utilization. What's going on in the business? Is it slow? Is it spring break? So I think on a weekly level, those are really the main things that I look at, is the average ticket, the rebooking rate, and just general utilization. I could look at those three numbers from a practice I've never been in before, and probably be able to tell you what's going on in the business. And most great managers really should be able to, you know, depending, but… but those are really my favorite. There's a lot we can dig into on quarterly and annual basis, but that's a really great question, though, because a lot of people do like to zoom out, but when you zoom in, it gives you some really, really fun data.

Don Adeesha (Host) 56:36

Absolutely. Now, we're arriving at the top of the hour here, and as we land the plane, I want to ask for one final key takeaway. If our attendees change just one thing about their consultation journey tomorrow morning at 9am, what should it be?

Mikyla Race 56:56

Oof. Oh my god, there's so many things. I have to pick one? Okay, I think credentialing yourself. I think it's so… so important when you are meeting someone, right? Like, you're… new patients, clients, whatever you call them, they're… they're scared, they're nervous, you know, maybe they haven't done this a lot before, or haven't had any injectables before. You can instantly put someone at ease. just by sharing who you are. They need to know who they're talking to, and it's really, really important. I think that is something that's not talked about enough. You know, we can… we can talk about systematizing and getting, you know, a full treatment plan and adding your soap notes. I think all of those are, like, very much no-brainers. But I think credentialing yourself is really something that no one ever talks about. Getting a really good elevator pitch, and being able to say, like, here's who I am, how long I've been in the industry, I love full facial balancing, or I love threads, or I love lasers, you know, whatever it is about you that makes you different from the spa, different from the spa down the street, you know, all of that is just… so important, and it instantly puts people at ease. So, that would… that would be my… My opinion.

Don Adeesha (Host) 58:10

Amazing. Now, Yeah, thank you so much, Michaela, for that, and we've talked about building trust, creating seamless handoffs. And of course, stopping the leaks in your revenue. Now, remember that, here we go. The journey starts before they even walk through the door. So, if you want to ensure your clinic is the one that is showing up when patients are searching for the services you offer. Please take advantage of Echo Marketing's $900 marketing strategy meeting. The QR code is on your screen, as well as the link is in the chat one last time for you to book that session before it fills up. With that being said, Do everyone, Attending, as we close out, a survey will pop up on your screen. Please take 30 seconds to fill it out, because your feedback really dictates the experts we bring out next, as well as helps us create even better events for you. Michaela. Absolutely incredible conversation, here tonight. Really appreciate your time and expertise. To attendees, thank you so much for investing in an hour of your practice's success. With that being said, I'm Dana Disha. Have a wonderful evening, and we'll see you at the next Business of Aesthetics event. Take care, everyone. Bye-bye.

Mikyla Race 59:43

Amazing. Thank you, Don.

Don Adeesha (Host) 59:45

Thank you, Michaela.

Thank you. Good night.

Don Adeesha (Host) 59:48

Who's next.

BOA •