Make Sure Your Potential Clients Know
How Good You Are

By Judy Stelling
Aesthetic Marketing Essentials

Ever felt frustrated because you and your staff are so good at doing what you do... but you still can’t attract as many clients as you like? Ever felt like "the best kept secret?"

Do you notice that you don't have much trouble converting consults to clients once you meet with the prospect, but fall short when trying to find those potential clients to sell to? If so, don't feel alone! This is a common situation many doctors face -- and the Aesthetic Marketing Essentials phase of Bal-Tech Medical’s Aesthetic Success Program can explain exactly why it happens.

There are really two different sides to your business... First, there's what we simply call the “inside reality” and second, there's the “outside perception.” The inside reality has to do with all the things your business does that makes you valuable to your clients.... from a services, operations, and management standpoint. It's what gives you a competitive advantage in the marketplace. The reason we call it the inside reality is because there's a good chance that the reality of what you do, and the clients' perceptions of what you do, aren't necessarily the same. You'll find that these two words--reality and perception--are very important to the process of winning in business.

The inside reality encompasses everything you do and everything you are that makes you good. It's all your skills, your people, your expertise, your service to the client--before, during, and after their visit--your systems, your operational procedures, your treatments, your commitment to excellence, your staff, your passion, and the way you conduct your business. You might think you're actually better than you are, or you might not be giving yourself enough credit for the things you do well. But regardless, there is a reality of how valuable you are to the marketplace based on those things I just listed. That's what we call the inside reality.

Think about your facility... How's your inside reality? You probably already know. If you asked your clients why they came to you, they could tell you something quantifiable, specific, and instantly obvious. They could point to specific advantages of seeking treatments from you and say "That's why I come here, that's why I refer my friends to come here, that's why I'm a loyal client of this center, that's why I don't mind paying more here, that's why I keep coming back." That's your inside reality.

This is what trainers like Stephen Covey, Tom Peters, and Michael Gerber are all about -- innovating your business so it's valuable to the marketplace. Tom Peters calls it the "Pursuit of Wow!" Making your business good enough that your customers say "WOW!" Ken Blanchard in his book called it developing "Raving Fans." And it's imperative that you begin to innovate your company so that there's a reason for people to buy from you. These guys do a great job of teaching you how to do those things... how to build the "better mouse trap," so to speak, but here's the problem: Just because you've achieved "WOW!" as Peters says, or Raving Fans for that matter, that doesn't mean that clients are going to flock to your business. There's still a job of marketing that has to be done. And that's where the "outside perception" comes into play.

Next month: The outside perception – how it works and how to turn it in your favor.

©Judy Stelling, Aesthetic Success, 2006 adapted from Rich Harshaw Monopolize Your Marketplace™