Patient Acquisition Cost in Aesthetic Medicine: What You're Actually Paying and What It Should Be

Patient Acquisition Cost in Aesthetic Medicine: What You're Actually Paying and What It Should Be

DATE

25th August 2026

TIME

8:00 PM - 9:00 PM

CATEGORY

Finance & Profitability

PANELISTSJennifer Church Kilkenny · Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS

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.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:00:03

Right.

Let's see, give everyone a minute to join in.

Okay…

Right.

Great. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the Business of Aesthetics Expert Panel webinar series. I'm your host for this session, Don Adeesha, and tonight, we're digging into the patient Acquisition cost in aesthetic medicine. What you're actually paying for, and what it should be.

So, we're not going to treat CAIC as one marketing number. We are looking at what happens from the moment a patient discovers you, through the inquiry, through the consultation, through treatment, and into whether that patient ever comes back. By the end, I want you to be able to take a look at your own practice.

And ask a much better question.

Are we actually paying too much to acquire patients?

Or are we losing value somewhere else in the journey? Now, a couple of quick housekeeping notes before we get started. First up, yes, we are recording. You'll receive a replay link after the event in your inbox.

However, don't let that make you passive. The real value is happening right here, right now, live. You can go ahead and use the Q&A button for any questions you may have for the panelists, and use the chat for conversation happening around the session. I have my eye on both the feeds, so if something comes up while we're talking, put it in there, and we'll do our best to weave in your thoughts and concerns as we go along.

Right.

Now, before we get into the panel, I want to take a moment to thank our Platinum sponsor of tonight's event, Ekwa Marketing. They're the ones who make it possible for us to do such wonderful complimentary events. Ekwa has been a marketing growth partner for Aesthetic practices and industry leaders across the U.S. and Canada for 15 years.

And, they have an active client base of over more than 500 healthcare practices.

Business of Aesthetics and Ekwa Marketing also share one other thing in common, that is that we have the same founder, so, Naren Arulrajah. Now, their work spans the areas Owners are constantly trying to connect, such as local SEO and search visibility, targeted digital advertising, and content-led marketing that helps turn attention into trust.

Now, we are really grateful for, you know, the support they provide for business of Aesthetic conversations, and we will hear more from Ekwa a little later in the program.

So, with that being said, let's go ahead and meet our panelists, and then get into the discussion.

First up, we have Jennifer Church. Kilkenny, Jennifer is the founder of Total Social Solutions, a digital marketing agency focused on aesthetic medicine and surgery.

Since 2013, she has partnered with plastic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons, dermatologists, medical spas, and surgical societies nationwide, helping aesthetic practices grow through social media marketing, web design, SEO, and broader digital strategy. Now, with more than a decade in the field, Jennifer brings a sharp view of what practices should actually measure when they talk about acquisition cost, lead quality, and sustainable growth. Jennifer, welcome to the panel.

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:03:41

Thank you, I'm really happy to be here.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:03:44

Absolutely, it's great to have you here.

Next up, we have Morgan Curry. Morgan is the founder and CEO of Refine Aesthetic in Bluffton, South Carolina, as well as an aesthetic injector, international speaker, and trainer with a decade of experience in medical aesthetics.

She's known for her anatomy-driven approach, natural outcomes, and a strong commitment to patient education, safety, integrity, and individualized treatment planning.

Morgan also serves as a key opinion leader for MERS Aesthetics and in-mode Aesthetics, and brings the perspective of both a clinician and a practice owner. Morgan, welcome, it's great to have you here with us.

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:04:28

Thank you so much for having me.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:04:30

Absolutely.

It's great to have you back, Morgan. Right, I'm gonna stop sharing the slide right now, and then we'll get into our discussion.

Right. My first question goes out to you, Jennifer. When an Aesthetic practice owner tells you, our marketing is getting too expensive, what numbers do you want to see before you agree that patient acquisition is actually the problem? Over to you, Jennifer.

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:05:00

there's a lot that I would… yeah, that would be a whole conversation. First I'd want to understand what their revenue is, because we…

We suggest a certain percentage of revenue when you're, spending money on marketing for your practice.

And also, what kind of revenue is being brought in by the marketing.

And you know, before they even come to me saying, we're spending too much on marketing.

My question is going to be, you know, what kind of conversions are you seeing? How many leads are coming in through your different channels?

And how well are they converting on the other end? And if they're not converting on the other end, I want to know why. I want to know what's happening inside the practice. So I will talk with the practice manager, and… just, like, really dig into the numbers if we can, or I'll refer them to a practice management consultant, so that they can really dig into their numbers and see what's really going on.

And it also helps to kind of reframe.

The, conversation of spend and cost.

To more of investment.

And when you frame it that way.

You understand that everything that you're doing Is for the benefit of your practice.

So, is this really an expense thing?

Is it you're uncomfortable that so much money is going out, or is there actually a problem where you're not seeing a return, and let's get to the root of that problem?

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:06:36

Appreciate that, Jennifer, for starting us off on a very strong note there. Morgan, from the owner's side of things, when does a new patient become a genuinely valuable patient, rather than simply another appointment on the schedule?

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:06:51

So, I think… it happens as soon as that lead comes through, whether it's they walk in your door, or they hit your lead system, whether it's, a platform that you're carrying, an Instagram DM, That's their first impression of you, and… either you as a business owner, if you wear all the hats, and you're, you know, doing your… answering your own DMs, or your front desk taking that first call, that first impression means so much. It's the tone of your voice, it's the questions that you're answering, and It's all about how you go about nurturing that patient. So if somebody calls and says, how much is your unit of Botox?

I tell my team, and they hear me, like. like, glitch, basically, if they tell them the number right off the bat. It's not about the number, it's…

Well, asking them questions. Are you a patient of our practice? Have you ever had Botox before? we actually carry other brands of Botox in our practice, such as X, Y, and Z. Can I get your name and information, before I'm even answering that question. And then it makes them feel like you're… you're caring, and you're putting a little bit more into that conversation.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:08:18

Okay. Now, Jennifer, practices often divide advertising spend by the number of new patients, and call that cost of, acquisition. So, what costs or steps are they leaving out that can make the real acquisition cost much higher than it appears?

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:08:38

Generally, it's whatever's happening behind the scenes, inside the practice, how often they're having to reach out to these leads, if they actually have a process where they're following up with, with leads.

But, you know, also, you know, seeing, like, a return on ad spend, for example.

A return on ad spend is only a piece of it. There's also all the organic social media that you have to do to lay a foundation.

There's also the website and the SEO also laying a foundation, not to mention the fact that all of these assets that you have online are essential. These are not things that are just nice to have anymore. They are things that people expect you to have.

Because they want to get to know you, they need to understand who you are, what your credentials are, and everything else. So, all of that does factor into the cost of patient acquisition, but at the same time. they're also non-negotiables. So making sure that all of those things that you have are actually working toward the end result of bringing people through the door.

That's… That's the long and short of it, essentially.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:09:54

Appreciate that, Jennifer. Now, Morgan, a patient can arrive interested, financially capable, and then, of course, ready to learn, and still leave without moving forward. What typically happens inside that consultation that either builds enough confidence to proceed or quietly lose that patient?

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:10:14

So this is…

A multi-layered answer, and there's so many things that go into it, but every detail from the front desk experience to…

Whether it's you in the room as the provider, if your assistant goes in first, every touchpoint is crucial, and I think that confidence holds a big aspect of it. being able to own the room, for anyone on this webinar or listening in another way, an Aesthetic patient can be very difficult. There's a whole psychosocial aspect to managing these people's care. And so, you have to, one, build rapport with them and get them to trust you, whether that being through credentials, your body language, and your confidence in understanding what they want, and active listening. So, how I present is, I build a relationship with them, and I ask them. how they hear about us. Like, that's what I really want to know, how long they've been in town, and I get to know them a little bit. But then, what really gets me to connect with them is when I ask them. what brings you in on what's bothering you? And they're either gonna tell you X, Y, and Z, and then I have enough clinical acumen to back up everything I'm doing.

Or they want me, as a provider, to lead the room. And if you don't do a lot of those things, like active listening, building that relationship, and having confidence in what you're saying, and knowing your stuff, they're either gonna walk out, or they're going to trust you forever. I tell all of my patients, and this is what my foundation of my practice is built on, I don't sell them anything, and I don't. I am a clinician by trade, I'm not a salesperson. So, all I do is educate them on the why behind what I'm doing, and… the science behind what I'm doing, and facial anatomy, and structure, and why blah blah blah blah blah, their skin is aging due to all the things.

And it sold itself. So, coming off really salesy could make them walk out the door, but if you're confident and you know anything, oftentimes, price isn't the issue. And 9 times out of 10, If it is, they'll come back, because they know that you're the best.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:12:44

Now, Morgan, I wanna, I would like to get a explanation on the, body language.

Like, what do you mean?

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:12:56

Of… of myself, or of the patient? Or both?

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:13:01

boat.

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:13:02

Okay, so when I come into a room, I greet them, I shake the patient's hand, and then they're oftentimes sitting in a consult chair. I like to sit on a stool, and I want to bring myself at eye level with them, where I'm not speaking down to them.

And I kind of just let them talk. I let them give me their story before I ever say anything.

And it really sets the tone of the consultation. And then, after we… make friends, build rapport, and I get that… I build that trust a little bit. I hand them a mirror, and I get a Q-tip, and I literally say. you know, what's bothering you? And then I stand up, so I'm next to them.

So, I'm sitting there actively listening, and it has a lot to do with how you hold yourself. If you're standing up tall in a room with your shoulders back, or you slumped in a chair, and you're not confident, it says a lot about a person, and oftentimes these people need to know that you know what you're doing. Are you, you know, you're sticking needles in their face, or you're about to… do other things that could be potentially painful for them, and we are practicing medicine. So, they're essentially interviewing you the entire time that they're in that initial consultation with you.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:14:24

Isn't that a bit, I mean, I love the white glove service there, but do you do that for every and each patient?

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:14:31

every patient in my practice. Now, everyone may be different. I run a very different type of practice. It's proven me to do very well. I run a very high-end luxury elevated medical aesthetics practice and wellness practice. But it's served me well because many, if not all, patients get my personal cell phone number, which I know that's, like, a bad… it can be a negative thing, and a… you know, we also have a HIPAA-complant texting line, but these patients need to know that I am there for them, no matter what, to talk them off of a ledge, to, you know, all of the things, because they're paying a high service dollar amount for an elective procedure. that… oftentimes, not all the time, but it's for vanity. It's to make them feel more confident, but ultimately, like, it's an elective procedure, right? And so, they need to know that they're… they're the top priority.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:15:37

And that's the game changer right there. Thank you very much, Morgan.

Jennifer, before someone ever calls or submits a form.

She may have already looked at the website. Reviews, social content, provider credentials, and competitors. How should practices think about the value of those trust-building touchpoints when measuring acquisition?

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:16:00

Yeah, I think, yeah, so I… I think I touched a little bit on this already, You know, it's… your online presence is an entire ecosystem.

You know, it's… and again, like, social media used to just be, like, this thing that was nice to have.

Now it's essential.

And a lot of practices aren't really… doing it. They're doing their best, I think, but they're not really doing it.

Online reviews? much more valuable than I think even most practices understand.

And… and a lot don't really, give enough attention to, review acquisition. Or at least not until they get a really negative one, and it drops their score down to 2 or 3.

And then they call me in a panic. But it's, like I said, it's, it's, it's a whole ecosystem.

And it all works together, and if any piece is missing, you're missing out as a practice owner.

And so, when, you know, the thing that sometimes happens is a practice owner will come to me and they'll say. you know, we're not getting a lot of leads from social media, but we're getting a ton of leads from the website, and I… my immediate response is.

Of course you are.

And the reason I say that is because if they find you on social media, they're going to your website before they contact you, usually. So, if they're contacting you through the website.

Of course they are. And, you know, and then with ads as well, you know, sometimes they'll respond to the ad directly, sometimes they'll go looking around, and then they contact you through the website.

And a lot of the time, it's really difficult to nail down exactly how they found you.

They come in, well, how'd you hear about us? Oh, online.

Okay, yes, of course. However, where exactly? Oh, I don't know, I, you know, your website, social media, Yelp, whatever, you know? And…

Understanding that all of these things work in tandem, it's very much like the staff in your practice.

You do have staff.

Who are, like, the primary people, the providers.

But without the front desk person, and without even some staff who never interact with patients at all, but are still an essential part of your team.

It's not gonna run as well.

And that's how I look at your entire online ecosystem.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:18:44

In that online ecosystem, Jennifer, who are, in your own analogy, who are the primary providers for you? Like, the top three?

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:18:54

In terms of… oh, just in terms of where leads come from?

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:19:01

Yeah.

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:19:02

Okay.

That actually varies.

And so, I'm gonna say the thing that all marketers say. It depends. And I know we've all heard it, and we've all said it, but it's true, it depends.

It depends on…

The average age of your patient. So, if you're catering to a primarily older patient demographic.

I would say you're more likely to get, the right leads from Facebook. And then, of course, your website and through search engines and things like that. If your patient demographic leans a little younger, we might be talking about Instagram, maybe even TikTok.

And regionally, Some areas still, you know, people still very much use Yelp. In other areas, they don't.

So, it's really important to…

Understand the local demographic, how they use the internet.

And, and also the age demographic of the patients that you're trying to attract. If you're trying to attract You know, women 60 and up.

For facelifts, for example.

And you're doing… dances on TikTok, that's probably not going to move the needle.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:20:33

So it really depends on who you want to attract.

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:20:37

Great example, Jennifer.

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:20:38

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:20:42

Great example. Thank you. Morgan, how do you educate a patient towards the treatment plan that'll genuinely serve their best without making the consultation feel like an upsell? And what does that approach do to conversion over time?

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:20:57

Yeah, so this is something I'm super passionate about, and I'm actually speaking in Toronto on this, in October, but what sets my practice apart is we have 3 pillars. We have advanced Aesthetic injectables, we have skin rejuvenation that has, you know, facials, microneedling, laser, and then we have functional medicine that is now very niche due to, an incredible new, provider that We brought on.

But whether they come in for a facial, surface level, they've never heard of me, or they come in for me specifically, or they don't know about me and they want Botox, whatever it is.

I…

I kind of touched on it earlier, I ask them what… we ask them what their issue is, and I make this congruent through every member of my team, and if anyone else's practice is set up like this, I urge you to do the same. You all need to speak the same language and inter-refer within each other.

And you need to build that kind of… camaraderie among your staff, that it is a team effort, and it's for the patient and their best outcome. We're not competing against one another. So, I ask them what their concern is. So, for example, if their concern is… their nasolabial folds, right? And they say, they come in and they say, Morgan, I don't like my nasolabial folds, and I'm gonna say, well, I don't really like them either, but what's causing your nasolabial folds, right? And… what's causing it is age, weight loss, structural descent, volume loss, and so if they come in and they're like, oh, I only have a budget of $800, I turn them away.

And I explain to them why, and so that goes back to… the first question is, one, you build trust, because they know that you're not in it for the money. Two, you're explaining to them why one syringe of filler will not get them that outcome that they're wanting, and it… one, it would lead to buyer's remorse and dissatisfaction, and then they're gonna leave you a negative Google review, or they're not gonna come back, and then you don't have that retention.

So, I treat the why. So, I'm explaining to them, well, we have to replace the volume of your medial cheek, your lateral cheek, think of it as scaffolding in a building.

And… so that's one aspect of it, right?

Explaining the why, thoughtful education and active listening. But the other thing is building a plan of care. So, I developed my practice in three tiers, where everything works cohesively together. So, you can do filler all day long, and you can replace volume and soften lines with neuromodulator.

But if the skin integrity is lacking, if they're aging with thin skin, or they've worshipped the sun and they have you know, thick, deep etched lines, they need resurfacing, right? So that's when we put them on a plane of care for an ablative laser, or they have pigment, so that's when we put them on a plane of care for IPL. And then I'm referring to my, esthetician for monthly facials. You know.

Patients ask me, or if you're in a plastic surgery practice, and you also have injectables.

I can say this because my background is in plastic surgery. I tell patients all the time, listen, I'm not a plastic surgeon, and a facelift is the gold standard for skin laxity. So if you have the time and the money, go get a facelift, you're still gonna need me, because A facelift is only removing skin. It's not replacing volume.

So… What we have implemented in my practice, is we give patients a calendar.

And I'm giving you all so many hacks, so I hope this… I hope this turns out well for you.

We physically hand them a calendar of months of the year, okay? January, February, March. So say, for example, that you get your talks every 3 months, okay? So they're coming in January, and then they're coming in April, then they're coming in July, okay, you get the drift, right? So I'm literally writing talks, talks, talks.

Then I'm writing facial every month or bi-monthly, right? Then I'm writing, okay, well, maybe they need a laser in October. Okay, so I write laser October. But then maybe they're gonna need some pigment cleanup, because we live by the beach, so I'm putting an IPL on for March.

So, all of these things, and you explain to the patient, hey, I'm not here to sell you anything, I'm here to tell you all the tools I have in my toolbox to give you the best possible outcome that we can essentially achieve. And then we work backwards from there. Then we can talk about budget, then we can talk about planning, and I'm planting seeds with them.

So… and then we scan that into their chart, they take it home, they're budgeting, oh, I have this wedding in October, so I really need to, like, get all my stuff done, and like… and so they're physically writing it down, right? And it's in their mind, and it becomes now a priority. Because you can talk to them all day long and tell them that they need X, Y, Z, And then they just think, they get really overwhelmed, they just see a price tag flash in their face, and then they walk out and they're like, what, what did, what did she just say?

So… the referral and the maintenance really helps to drive retention. So when you spend a little bit of extra time in that consult, are you spending in a little bit of extra time when you write your note, hey, talks today, recommend IPL for October, and your assistant sees that, or you see that, and you go back in and see them in 3 months for talks. Hey, sis, how you doing?

I heard that, or I saw that, you know, we talked about an IPL. Do you want to go ahead and get that scheduled today?

And then they're like, oh yeah, I really need that, I need to be holiday ready. Boom. You just, you know… and it's not about upselling your ticket, it's about being honest with them and giving them that outcome, and…

Building that retention, and ultimately it helps cross-refer, and then better patient satisfaction.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:27:00

Now, Morgan, I love this, and thank you so much for sharing these tips with our, attendees here. When you were talking about if a patient comes in with the budget of $800, and their outcome expectation is way above that.

You wouldn't try to change their expectation.

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:27:19

No.

Absolutely not.

I've been doing this a long time, despite my age. I started out in plastic surgery when I was 23, And like I said in the beginning, psychosocial is a big aspect. So, picking up on things, like I said, about body language and tone of voice and the way that they're responding to you, you can pick up if they are a red flag or not, right?

I am a straight shooter, and for those that know me personally, I see some names on the attendee list that I know. You either love me or you hate me, and…

I… but I'm always gonna be honest and ethical and give you my best opinion. And so, I'm not gonna try to change the expectation for the dollar amount, unless it truly makes sense.

So, for example, say I quote them… a full face of tox. So, they come in and they say, hey, I want 100 units of Botox. And they're gonna… and I'm gonna tell them that it's…

800-something dollars, because that's how much it, you know, I don't know, I'm just throwing out a number.

And they're gonna say, whoa, well, I only have… $500.

I'm gonna say, okay, so what's a priority for you?

Rather than, and I had this happen yesterday, a patient came in and she was unhappy, or today, a patient came in and she was unsatisfied because somebody dosed her with 50 units, but rather than fully correcting one area, they spread the 50 across the full face.

And then she didn't have… Her expected outcome. or the provider failed to give her a realistic expectation, right? So that's… it's two-folded.

Or two-sided. So, for example, she comes in and she says, hey, I only have a budget for 50 and not 100. I'm gonna say, okay, so I understand that your 11 lines are your main concern, so I can completely eradicate those.

Or same with your Cost Beat. But you have to, like, have that conversation, and then…

Closed-loop communication with the patient, re-verbalize.

Okay, so just so you're understanding, we're not gonna be at full correction today, or just so you're understanding, we're only gonna get you a 20% improvement.

And you can back off that way, or if you say, if they came in with panfacial, you know, volume loss, and they're looking at you and they're saying, I have a budget of $1,500, I literally tell them, we have a payment option, or…

I totally understand your concern, but I'm not gonna take your money because I'm not in it for the money, I'm in it for your… you know, for you to be happy, and for you to receive an outcome, and I can't get you there with that, and this is why. XYZ. So you have to explain it to them.

And then they trust you a heck of a lot more, right? And then they're either willing to walk away and save that money and come back to you.

Or… what's gonna happen, and this is what I mean by confidence, because I've been doing it a long time, you let them go.

And you let them go to another med spa down the street, and you let that med spa sell them that one syringe of filler when they need 7.

And see what happens.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:30:41

There we go. Thank you very much, Morgan, for that, explanation.

Yeah, because I was wondering, like, you know, when you're having this white glove service, wouldn't it be overwhelming for you to service everyone? And it seems like you are screening to a certain extent through that body language and tone of voice. looking for those red flags, and then really being selective on who you proceed further with. Am I correct to understand that?

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:31:08

You are, but, I have a blessing and a cursed gift that I, like to attract and manage difficult, Aesthetic patients.

And in my career.

A majority of the time, it has turned out very well in my favor. I have had extremely difficult patients that, even for somebody as strong of a personality as me, have made me cry, or made me very upset.

And to this day, they have followed me from other practices, and they have money to go anywhere in the country, and they choose to come to me. And they have me on speed dial, and they text me all the time.

So it's all about how you choose to handle and manage, and how ethical you are in your presentation.

Truly.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:32:05

Love that.

Thank you very much, Morgan. And, now we are going to take a quick pause here. I have something, very valuable to share with our practice owners.

There we go…

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Right.

With that, let's come straight back into our conversation here.

Right, Jennifer, if one campaign generates a large volume of inexpensive leads, but another generates fewer patients who convert and stay with the practice, how should an owner decide which campaign is actually performing better?

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:34:20

Anything that's bringing in long-term value patients, is… is the priority in… in my view.

I like to narrow down an audience as much as I can.

Before even running a single ad.

To what Morgan was saying, as well. It's like, we want to screen out all those people who are just calling in, and like, how much do you charge for Botox?

And, you know, we've been doing this so long that We're able to, you know.

Tweak the demographic targeting, and… and make sure that we're getting… we're hitting the right people.

And making sure that if they… if they are just looky-loos. or price shoppers, they're not gonna fill out the form, you know? And, you know, a few are gonna still squeeze through, but, I would prefer to send a practice fewer leads. with a higher percentage conversion rate, and also that lifetime value, because, like, I'm always telling my clients, it's like, yeah, you got a Botox lead.

But… you have to look at the long-term value, and I don't just mean that they keep coming in for Botox, I mean…

They trust you, and they convert to those higher ROI procedures.

Because you've earned that trust.

So yeah, I'm sending you a Botox lead, but what I'm sending you is… is a patient who, if you earn their trust, you're gonna… they could become one of your VIPs, you know?

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:36:04

Nail it.

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:36:04

So I… you know, and I've worked with some practices where they're like, that's not a lot of leads, and I was like, okay, well, I mean, if you want more leads, and then your team is just on the phone all day.

And they're not converting them, because they're price shoppers, or they weren't that serious, or they don't have the budget, whatever.

I mean, like, we can do that, but…

I don't want to do that, and I don't think you want to do that either. You know, so I want to, like, I would, instead of, like, 300 You know, questionable leads.

I'd rather send you, like, 30 to 50.

And then, like… and then as long as your team is on the ball and responds quick, and I mean quick, like, in less than 5 minutes, if you can manage it.

Your conversion rate, you could be looking at 20 to 27.

Of those 50 to 55.

Converting, and coming in. for that appointment. And then it's just up to you to…

Keep winning them back, over and over and over again.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:37:15

Jennifer, we have a question from one of our attendees here. I think this was when you were answering the previous one. What about social media trends, Jennifer? Should I create content for Instagram trends, or is that going to be seen as too inauthentic by my clients?

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:37:33

I prefer authenticity over trends every single day. If it is not your vibe, don't do it.

You… there's a few reasons I say this.

The first is, if it's not your vibe, that means you're not enjoying it, which means you're not gonna stick with it.

And you need to have a social media strategy that you feel good about and you stick with.

The other reason I say that is because If you're doing things that are inauthentic.

Not just to you, but for your practice culture.

You're attracting the wrong people, most likely.

And even if they are right for you.

They have an impression of you that is inaccurate.

And then they come into practice, and they're like, wait a minute, this isn't the vibe I was expecting.

You know?

So, it's really important to make sure that whatever you're putting out there is true to you, and to your team, and the culture that you've built. And if you don't have a culture that's, like, in writing and trained and understood, I really recommend you do that.

Because then it's really easy to communicate that to someone like me.

So that we can make sure that any strategy that's being recommended to you is one that is authentic to you.

Trending things?

While… because social media is changing a lot right now.

And I'm seeing a lot of pushback. from users, particularly on Instagram right now, they're getting a little tired of trending content.

Because they just see it over and over and over again until their eyes glaze over, and they're like, oh my god, it's another one of those Netflix documentary reels, you know, or, oh my gosh, everything's chic.

Do you know what I'm talking about? Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. So, focus less on trends, and more with connecting with the right people.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:39:40

That's a great answer, Jennifer, thank you very much for that, and thank you, to…

Christina… Christina, thank you very much, Christina, for that question.

Okay, we have another follow-up question over here for you, Jennifer. We're gonna take that one as well before we move on to the next question. Jessica has asked us, I have a question about following up with leads. Do you have advice for someone who is a solo provider on how to follow up with leads if you are with patients? Hmm, tricky.

Jennifer?

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:40:12

I don't think that's a question for me. I think that's a question for Morgan.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:40:17

Okay.

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:40:18

I would say it depends on your budget, but if you can or you have the capability for some sort of an AI responder, that gives, at the very minimum, and don't get me wrong, because I'm very… persnickety about my brand, and I don't want AI coming off as AI, right? So, you'd really need to do your research. Even if it's surface level, like.

Thank you so much for your inquiry, and I'm making this up, I don't know. I'm with a… I'm currently seeing patients, because they are my top priority. Boom, that immediately tells them, hey, like, she's gonna give me just as much time. please leave a brief, like, response with, you know, what you're inquiring about, and I will respond to that right away.

That would be my… my first thought, if you're not trying to lose a hot lead. That way you keep them warm, and they're not just gonna go on to the next person.

That's my initial thought. Jennifer, what do you… what do you think about that?

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:41:23

Yeah, yeah, for me, if you're using AI, my recommendation is don't… don't try to hide it. just… I am…

Morgan's AI agent, and I'm here to help you, because she is in with patience. Like, that's how I would position it, because people don't like it when they think they're talking to a person, and then they realize it's AI. They feel tricked, and then that… ruins the… like, you've already lost the trust. Right.

And the other thing that you can have set up, and this can be something that's in the practice, or it can be something your marketing team does, too.

It's just, like, making sure that the call to action Is something that you can go back to later, but also making sure that there's, like, an automated You know, response that goes out.

So if they fill out a lead form.

To request an appointment with you. then they should receive a message, an email, or a text message. Text message is better, if you can swing it.

Letting them know, hey, we received your inquiry, we're with patients right now, but we're gonna get right back to you. And then reply through text.

People like to text right now.

The other thing is, is that if you can allow people to book their own appointment online. that's even better. Like, if you just set up an online booking system, people… people will just use that.

So if you're a solo provider, maybe making sure that your call to action, your primary call to action is just book a consultation.

People are still gonna call, they're gonna have questions that only you can answer.

But, yeah, if you can… if you can automate it in some way so that you don't have to be necessarily Responding to every single inquiry, because they're just getting booked.

That, that would be helpful.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:43:26

Fantastic. Thank you very much, Jennifer and Morgan, as well as Jessica, thank you very much for that question. We get to learn so much here. Keep it coming, keep it coming, that's all I gotta say.

Now, Morgan, practice owners understandably watch new patient numbers closely. What do they miss financially when they focus on acquisition while failing to measure whether those patients actually come back.

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:43:55

So, we've kind of touched on this a little bit. So…

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:43:59

That's right.

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:44:00

Just like Jennifer spoke about, hey, I got you a Botox lead.

I have leads come in all the time that book for a neurotoxin service, and they come in and they say, I'm never doing filler, and guess what they walk out the door with?

They walk out the door with panfacial, full facial balancing, and 100 units of talks, and an appointment for a facial and a laser in the fall. not because I'm trying to upsell them, again, this goes back to, you know, doing what's best for the patient, and giving them all the tools that they have, and all the tools you have in your toolbox. to best take care of them. If you, as a practice owner or a provider, are not rebooking your patients at checkout.

You are walking away from so much money.

Because…

I have, like, so much on my plate, and if I don't have something in 3 months that's gonna send me an automated text message 4 days before my appointment, my Botox appointment that I… we all know I need.

So my family doesn't know that I'm mad at them, you know what I mean? Like, we… we…

You have to make that follow-up appointment, and what I do in my practice is, if they're a new patient, I make a 2-week follow-up appointment.

And I'm making a 3-month appointment. And I'm reinforcing that, and I explain to them the importance of tox maintenance, and why they are going to return at month 3. And I'm explaining to them the cascade of a neuromodulator, and I'm giving them just enough personality And friendliness and building rapport, mixed with scientific evidence and education.

That makes them, like, connect with me instantaneously.

And so, that's one example, right? So, same with my facial girls. If my facial girls are not… having a conversation with them about their skin concerns, because obviously, you're not gonna have your esthetician come in and say, woof, you have a lot of lines on your forehead, you need to go see Morgan. No, she's not doing that. But she's… she's building rapport, and she's saying, hey, like, I'm noticing that your skin's really dehydrated. what are your main skin concerns? Are there any, you know, blah blah blah blah. And she lets them open up. Oh, yeah, like, I don't really like the way my crow's feet look, but, you know, I'm really kind of scared of that Botox thing.

And then she's saying, well, you know what, like, it's really not that bad, and, you know, our provider is phenomenal, why don't you go to her? She has, you know, you can see her for a complimentary consultation, and just have a chat, and like, you know, no strings attached.

And then you're… again, same thing with, retention for facials. Hey, let's get you scheduled for your facial next month, or let's get you scheduled for your facial in 2 months, if that's not about your budget.

And, you know, the long game is so much more valuable than a quick 20-unit tox patient.

Reason being, when you build their trust, and you gain their trust, and you knock their socks off with just a Tox treatment, and you're planting their seed for under-eye filler, guess what? They're gonna come back and say, she killed it with my tox.

I'm gonna do under-eye filler with her, and guess what? She was so kind and honest and ethical, I'm gonna go tell my best friend and her mom at dinner how amazing she was, and then they're gonna come see her too.

So it's not just that single patient, it's the word-of-mouth referral, it's the shouting them out on Facebook groups, it's the recommending in the mom's workout class.

It, it compounds, and it builds, and it goes a really long way.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:47:50

It's really amazing, very practical advice there, Morgan. One thing, though, when you're rebooking at checkout, are you taking their credit card number?

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:47:59

What a good question.

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:48:03

What a good point.

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:48:04

question. So, my software in EMR is pretty advanced. It has the opportunity to keep that patient's card on file.

I can only see the last four, I don't have authorization to charge it. If you're asking if I keep the credit card on file, my EMR automatically does that, and it can. If you are saying, are you booking a deposit for that, it's a little bit different.

This is something, as a high-ticket, valued provider that's hard to get into in busy months. It's been kind of a pushy subject with me and my team.

We have been considering that, especially for online bookings. If they book online, they make a $100 deposit, and then it would go towards their ticket total. as a newer business owner, because I've been in the industry a long time, but, I…

I'm still building my practice. This is, like, for me. I think you all know your volume, you know your value, so if and when you want to turn that switch on, you absolutely can. Currently, right now, in my practice, I do not. But we have an automated text system that goes out 4 days prior and 1 day prior. If my staff sees that they have not booked one day prior, they're either sending a text and or picking up the phone.

To verify that.

We do have a cancellation policy. They get one blunder, meaning we have a $75 cancellation policy, you have to cancel 24 hours prior to your appointment for your… in respect to your provider's time. And that's how we frame it, because the provider is valuable, and they're losing out on money. It's not about the money that they're going to bring in.

And then, you know, obviously if they're sick or whatever, it's all about patient experience, but at the same time, if you're losing revenue and you're booked solid and somebody cancels on you, that can be, you know, a $3,000 patient.

So there's lots of variables. I don't know if I answered your question.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:50:07

Yeah, that was the main reason why I asked, regarding the cancellation… cancellation policy.

Really.

So, appreciate your take on that, and yeah.

Sorry. kind of choking right now. We are getting to the last bit over here, so the tears well up.

Jennifer, an owner has another $5,000 available to invest in growth next month. What evidence should tell them to put more money into acquisition, and evidence, should tell them to fix conversion or retention before spending another dollar on marketing?

How would you balance that out?

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:50:52

There's a lot of, internal information that would have to go into that. things that I'm not necessarily privy to, unless they want to volunteer that information. But when… when they come to me, and I mean, even if they're coming to me as, like, a potential new client, or we've been working together for a long time, needs change.

And so, we have to be kind of flexible in that way, and modify agreements as needed.

I do ask, questions about operations.

Routinely, and also, especially during that first conversation.

To understand, first of all, do they even know what their retention rate is?

And a lot of practices don't. Most practices have no idea.

They don't know what their retention rate is, they don't know what their conversion rate is.

They don't… a lot of the time, they don't even know how many leads are coming in. They just know that once somebody comes in for a consultation, that Whether or not they convert. And they're not really tracking these things, they just kind of feel like they understand what's happening.

And I mean, like. huge, successful, been-around-for-decades dermatology practices still act like this. You know, they operate this way.

So… Making sure that they actually know their numbers.

And that they have these standard operating procedures for responding to leads, and also Outreach to, you know, patients who haven't been in in a while.

But understanding what their retention rate actually is, and that they're doing steps like what Morgan's been talking about.

To retain those patients, making sure that they're booking before they leave, making sure they understand what other options they have for the other concerns that they're expressing.

You know, that you're not just… oh, you're here for Botox? Great, cool, you know, and doo-do-do, and bye, you know.

So I'd want them to dig through those numbers.

And see, like, are, you know, what is your retention rate? how many of those people are coming back in? How often are they coming back in? Are they… converting to higher ROI procedures. And if they're not, Then the question is, why?

You know, and a lot of the time, that's a staff thing, but then there's also… Internal marketing.

You know, so… you know, we could be on social media or on Google doing all this lead generation stuff, but then there's also internal marketing through, like, email.

To, you know, make sure that you're still staying connected with your current patients so that they're coming in more frequently.

So…

Essentially, there's a lot of number crunching that needs to happen before you can really say for sure where that extra $5,000 is gonna go.

And sometimes that also means I want you to invest that money into hiring a practice management consultant, and here are the numbers of a few that I know and trust.

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:54:15

I want to interject really quickly. Jennifer, I think everything that you said was amazing. I also think it comes down to, when you said it's a staff thing, it's a process and procedure.

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:54:27

Yes, exactly.

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:54:29

I'm super stickler about that in my practice, across now that I have 6 staff, and 4 of them are provider-patient facing. they're… I don't want to say they're trained, but they're conditioned by me, because once you have it, it works, right? in your same thing that you say to patients all the time, reinforcing, okay, like, I'm gonna see you back in 3 months for your tox maintenance. It's a non-negotiable. This is why. Your dosage is more than likely gonna go down, because we're training your muscles to atrophy, and…

You know, you're staying on your maintenance, and we want to catch you at the top of the downward slope of the cascade rather than all the way at the bottom.

Or, you know, you have to protect your investment, so I need to see you back in 3 months to get your skincare and your facial, because you're gonna have all this dead skin on your face and peach fuzz. You know what I mean? So, like, having your staff reinforce that, and then if… and I tell my staff this all the time, I'm the first…

I'm the first block, I'm the first person to say that. And then my assistant goes in and walks them up front, or I walk them up front, and then my staff is checking them out. When they check them out, okay, 3 months is gonna be in December… December 4th, what time works best for you? 12 or 3?

And you're… boom.

There's no… would you… would you like to rebook your talks appointment? If they… if they see that hesitant… if they see that hesitation?

And… what are they gonna say? Oh, I'll call back, or let me check my schedule, I don't have my calendar in front of me.

Boom. They forgot, and guess what? Maybe they genuinely, like, loved you and loved your talks, but guess what? Life gets busy. Like, I'm a mom, a business owner, I'm in MP school, I have, like, 20 things going on. I'm not gonna remember, maybe I won't remember, but, like, when my face is moving. But, like, I need to be held accountable.

So, processes and procedures, too.

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:56:36

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Making sure that you have those standard operating procedures are… that… that… yeah, that has to happen. And, you know, routine check-ins with staff, the staff meetings and things like that to make sure that everybody's on the same page, and reinforcing those procedures is really important, absolutely.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:56:57

Appreciate that, Jennifer and Morgan, really. Now we are at the home stretch here, and I want to ask each of you for a 60-second golden rule for managing patient acquisition costs without sacrificing the quality of the patient relationship.

Jennifer, start us off.

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:57:20

Patient Acquisition Cost without sacrificing the patient relationship.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:57:26

Bingo.

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:57:32

Hmm.

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:57:33

I know, that's a hard one.

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:57:35

Yeah, I'm not sure I… I understand the question.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:57:40

Just one. Just, what's your, like, you know, your best tip for our practice owners to put in play tomorrow morning?

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:57:48

Oh, okay, so what, what should they do tomorrow?

To make sure that their patient acquisition is on point.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:57:57

Yeah.

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 00:57:58

Gosh, it depends on what they're not doing already, though.

Take, take the information that you got today.

And try to identify the biggest gap whether it's something Morgan said, or it's something I said.

Look, look at your, like, do you know your numbers? Do you know what your conversion rate is? Do you know your lead to consultation rate, consultation to booked procedure? Do you know your retention rate? If you don't know these things, start finding out. and work with your team to make sure all of these things are being tracked. Because then you'll know how valuable your marketing really is.

And, and, and you'll know…

How much more valuable your marketing can be Without spending any more money on marketing, but just addressing those internal things.

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:58:55

Appreciate that, Jennifer. Morgan, how about you?

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:58:59

Yeah, so…

Don Adeesha (Host) 00:59:00

or…

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 00:59:01

Absolutely. I agree with Jennifer wholeheartedly. I think if you have no money to spend on marketing, like, $0, and you don't even know how you're gonna, like, make payroll.

Take the patients that you have in your system, and identify how you can better serve them, and how you can utilize who you currently have. to gain retention, not only gain retention, but to book them for another service. Whether that's a reward system for giving them money for trying another service, whether it's building your processes and procedures to develop a calendar, like I said, Whether it's going through by hand, your intake forms. If you don't have an intake form, you need to have an intake form. When the patient comes in and says, what are your concerns? If their concern says something like, I don't know, skin laxity, but all you've been treating is Botox, or jowling, and they're wor… you know. reaching out to that person, getting an email blast to that person, or picking up the phone, calling them, that would be my number one. The number two would probably be…

When it comes to social media. being super authentically yourself. I have done that, I think, very well. I get a lot of compliments from my patients and colleagues in the industry about being very authentic, and what I do is…

I share a little bit of everything on my social media. I share education, I share my personal, like, mom, boss babe life, I share funny stuff. minimally trending stuff, but, like, every once in a while, people like to see funny, but not… it's, like, not every single time, but it, you know, it strikes an emotion that makes them think, oh, she's an actually, like, a real human. And I have a lot of people come into my practice and say, hey, I feel like I already know you because of who I see on social media, and it's not, like, a fake person.

And then something else that we didn't touch on would be… getting out in the community, and networking the heck out of yourself, and in a very authentic way. I can talk to a wall. I can make friends with a tree. So, I'm out, like, and people come up to me, and I'm like, oh, hey, what do you do? And they're like, blah, blah, blah, what do you do? And I'm like, hey, I own a med school, you should come see me.

But just being authentically yourself and supporting other business owners that are going through the same thing oftentimes have a lot of knowledge and reach to share, because you're both in it for, you know, it may be two different, totally different things, but for support in that way as well.

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 01:01:48

Yeah,

Don Adeesha (Host) 01:01:49

That's a lot of touch right there. Morgan.

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 01:01:51

And if I could, if you don't mind.

Don Adeesha (Host) 01:01:53

Yeah, go ahead, Jennifer.

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 01:01:54

Okay, because she was speaking to the authenticity on social media, and I'm seeing a lot of AI graphics.

And I'm not against people trying to do their best with the resources they have.

But a lot of what I'm seeing, it doesn't just not work for social media.

It's also not authentic, and people can see that it's not authentic.

And when they can spot an AI graphic.

The very first thing they're thinking in their minds is fake.

And that is not something you want associated with your brand. Fakeness is not what you want associated with your brand. So, I would advise that if you are…

Doing your best with limited resources and just trying to be out on social media, try photos instead of those graphics.

Or at least use, like, Canva templates.

Don Adeesha (Host) 01:02:59

Love that.

An underrated tip right there.

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 01:03:03

Yeah.

Don Adeesha (Host) 01:03:03

So now we have arrived at the end of our session here. I do want to make a quick reminder on the fantastic opportunity provided to us by Ekwa Marketing.

If…

If you want, you know, the ideal clients in your area, when they search up for the treatments that you offer, make sure you are the practice that is found trusted, and then chosen, go ahead and book that complimentary marketing strategy meeting. It'll be time well spent, and you'll figure out where you're standing in terms of your digital presence, and of course, how to attract those high lifetime value patients. along the way. With that being said, the link is in the chat box one last time, and then, of course, this QR code, you can go ahead and scan it. It'll take less than a minute to reserve your spot.

Right then, we are at the end here. I do want to take this moment to, give our panelists the platform to share where, our attendees can find your work and, you. So, Morgan?

Where can we find you and the work you do?

Morgan Curry, RN, BSN, CANS 01:04:14

Yeah, so, I am…

I'm an injector and practice owner in, Bluffton, South Carolina. You can follow me on Instagram, my Instagram handle is AestheticallyMorgan with an A, or Refine Aesthetics Bluffton is my business, practice handle. And I also do training and mentorship opportunities. for people in the industry, as well. So, if you need to reach out to me, you can message me on Instagram for that. Thank you so much for having me.

Don Adeesha (Host) 01:04:46

Absolutely, it's such a pleasure to have had you on, Morgan. Jennifer!

Jennifer Church Kilkenny 01:04:52

Instagram, Total Social Solutions, we're very active on there.

You can also find me personally on LinkedIn.

Just search for Jennifer Church Kilkenny, and you'll find me, send me a connection request, and then shoot me a DM, and we can have a conversation.

But also, our website is TotalSocialSolutions.com.

Don Adeesha (Host) 01:05:17

Awesome, thank you very much, Jennifer. So, yeah, with that being said, Jennifer and Morgan, thank you so much for your time, and you know, being so gracious with your insights, this past hour. And then, of course, to our attendees, thank you so much for investing this hour into the success of your practice. As you exit this webinar, a quick feedback survey will pop up. Do take 30 seconds to let us know how we did, what we can do better, so that next time.

It'll even, you know, be more valuable for you.

With that being said, it has been my pleasure and privilege hosting this session on behalf of Business of Aesthetics. Panelists, do stay back on the line for a quick live debrief. With that being said, wishing you all a very, Best evening ahead, and until next time, take care, everyone. Bye-bye.

Business of Aesthetics | Expert Panel Replay Transcript