Do You Have Clients or Patients?

We’ve talked previously about your personal brand and how crucial it is in terms of ensuring you can differentiate yourself from your competitors. We discussed finding your niche and standing out from the crowd by choosing to target a narrow sliver of the market - for example appealing to a certain generation or focussing heavily on specific specialty, such as acne scarring.

However, one of your core differentiating factors that is very easy for you to convey and use to your advantage is the fact you’re a medic. 

Quality and Care

You know better than anyone that competition is fierce and the biggest threat comes from low-cost, non-medical injectors with their two-for-one cut-price deals and dodgy products. You can’t blame the public, the lack of awareness and education concerning non-surgical aesthetics means most ordinary folk put Botox and fillers in the same shopping basket as an eyebrow tint. It’s been normalised to such an extent that the public don’t consider non-surgical treatments as specialised or skilled.

So, this is an opportunity for the taking. It’s up to you to explain, demonstrate and educate that injectables are medical interventions and use that to your advantage. 

Communicate the difference

One simple and powerful tool that enables you to communicate that what you offer is different to what the local beautician does, is to refer to the people you treat as patients.  Something as simple as changing ‘My clients are very loyal’ to ‘My patients are very loyal’ is a powerful positioning statement.

The definition of a patient is ‘a person receiving or registered to receive medical treatment.’ A person isn’t a patient at the nail salon or hairdressers, they’re a client ‘who is buying a professional service’, so by referring to the people you help as patients you’re instantly making a clear distinction.  

You Don’t Do The Same Thing

Yes, non-medics technically can and do offer the same treatments and services as you, but you know the quality of your services and products are worlds apart. 

Consumers won’t necessarily know that injectables actually require comprehensive clinical care. They won’t consider that the local beautician is unlikely to have spent time in medical training or practice, that they don’t have clinical training and they might not even have adequate experience. They’re unlikely to have an appreciation of the fact that you don’t just fill and flee and that you comprehensively assess their physical and mental needs before giving a treatment. 

Emphasise This. 

Push the fact you’re medically led. Call your customers patients. Tell them why it’s an important distinction. Tell them why they’re not a client and that they’re someone who is under your care, not just during the treatment but before and after. Don’t overwhelm them with medical jargon and acronyms but do tell them your profession and do explain why it matters. 

Your Pricing Supports Your Distinction 

You don’t need to offer cheap / discounted treatments because the patient who finds you is the one who has researched and is choosing a medic. They will want to pay more for someone who is highly qualified, they will want to pay for more for a medic. We cover this in more detail here.

But remember, most consumers initially shopping around don’t realise the difference between treatments. They’ll initially be shopping on price and believe they’re comparing apples. This is why it’s so important you educate the public on the difference and if your treatments cost more explain why. It’s the products you use, the qualifications you have, the skills you hold and the service you offer before, during and after the treatment. 

Changing the Perception

When a patient visits you for a consultation, you’re looking at far more than their appearance. You could be addressing any number of issues from asymmetry, deformities, injuries, medical issues (migraines, hyperhidrosis) to emotional issues that could be the trigger for their visit and also assessing for mental issues such as BDD. Informed consent and appropriate aftercare are the cornerstones of your care.  Yes, there is an exchange of money for the service but this is also true of private healthcare, where people are still firmly patients.

The key benefit of changing the terminology you use, is the fact you’re changing the perception of the treatments you offer and therefore challenging the misconceptions and shaping the future of the non-surgical aesthetics world. You’re not just doing it to feel superior or justify your prices. It’s a small action which helps your colleagues, your industry and the reputation of the aesthetics industry. 

With the distinct lack of regulation and apathy from the Government to medicalise the industry, it’s up to you and the businesses like GlowdayPRO, who support what you do,  to educate the public that when they book a treatment with you, they are, and always will be, your patient.