If you’re looking to raise awareness and increase bookings for a new treatment in your clinic, then hosting an educational event is a great way to achieve this.
Not only does it give you the opportunity to boost sales, it also further establishes you as an expert in your local area – leading to long-term patients and continued referrals.
So how do you run an aesthetic event well? Here are my three top tips…
- Time it well
Planning ahead is essential as it gives you time to prepare and ensures your guests add it to their diaries well in advance. Generally, it’s good to give about six weeks’ notice. I’ve found a weekday evening works well, as people can pop in on the way home from work and are less likely to have other unmissable commitments booked in.
If your demographic is busy working parents, then avoid school holidays as this is generally a time people go away or don’t have childcare arrangements in place. Also look at what other events are taking place in your local area to avoid any clashes.
- Perform a live demo
People love to see treatments in action and a demo will add focus to your event. Ask a family, friend or loyal patient who has previously had the treatment to be your model and ensure they are comfortable to take part in a discussion afterwards. This will give the audience the opportunity to ask questions to ‘someone like them’, while ensuring your model gives positive answers that will reflect well on the treatment and on you!
Make sure you don’t cut corners to speed up the demo – follow all the usual safety and hygiene protocols to demonstrate your care and expertise.
- Add fun and special offers
Entice people to your event by having something they won’t want to miss! Perhaps you could rope in a local celebrity as a special guest (with the offer of free treatment in exchange), or you could provide ‘on the day’ deals. Of course, you must bear in mind advertising guidelines around what you can include in special offers, but things that could work well are free facial assessments or discounted skincare products.
Add some entertainment with live music, some bubbles to drink and cake to eat! Provide photo opportunities with props such as a balloon arch featuring your branding to encourage people to share their highlights on social media.
Capturing opportunities for long-term engagement
Don’t treat your event as a one off! Ensure you speak to as many guests as possible and have team members on hand to capture their data so you can communicate with them afterwards. As well as taking their contact details, it’s useful to collect information regarding their interests so you can tailor your messages to keep them engaged.
While you may not gain new patients straight away, hosting a clinic event will build trust that can lead to referrals and bookings later down the line.
For more specific guidance on enhancing business opportunities, book coaching with Clinic Success!
