Here are my 7 steps on creating or updating a Marketing Plan. Since it’s summertime, this is the perfect time to take a look at your past marketing plan, and make tweaks for the upcoming year. Here are my 7 steps:

1. First we figure out what the specific and measurable objectives of our sales and marketing strategy.
2. Then we brainstorm ideas (30-50 ideas). i.e. create webinars, teleseminars, utilize Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, create more Press releases, partner with associations, update brochures,  host live events, Work with vendors and provide content & workshops at conferences, Work with a charities, Print advertising (magazines, newsletters), Tradeshow booths (get smaller vendors to split cost, or go with vendors)
3. Then we need to reduce the list down to 15 or so, by choosing the brainstorming ideas that also meet my objective.
4. Create a Value versus Cost Matrix (setup a matrix with the following: low cost, low value; high cost, high value; low cost, high value; high cost, low value).
5. Choose the Top 7 marketing ideas to implement.
6. Figure out a marketing budget. Herein lies the problem, what is a marketin ROI and how do I calculate it?  I know how much my marketing is going to cost me, and I can guess how much revenues I’m going to earn, but how do you calculate the actual ROI???   Time for Google, after going through a few pages, I find the jackpot of Marketing information including the duct tape marketing blog. I also got some great ideas to add to my marketing brainstorming I did earlier, like: webinars, webcasts.
7. Create the Action Plan!  (what, when, how, etc..). Right now I’m liking Central Desktop for handling our projects. This service allows you to create projects for small businesses for free!

Jeff Russell

The economy has officially been in a recession since the fourth quarter of 2008, but you might not know it by talking to aesthetic medicine practitioners.  In their recently released report, “2008 Plastic Surgery Procedural Statistics,” the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) announced that, while cosmetic surgical procedures such as: surgical liposuction, tummy tucks and breast augmentations are down 9% in 2008, minimally-invasive procedures such as: laser skin resurfacing, Botox® and hyaluronic fillers are capturing this sagging surgery market, and rose by 5% in 2008. “These statistics confirm our “2009 Trends” which forecast that the future for minimally-invasive treatments offered by trained physicians in aesthetic medicine is booming. Why get Botox® or dermal fillers done at an expensive plastic surgery clinic, when you can have it done at an accredited medical spa or in your own physician’s office for less.

Jeff Russell

The fact is that most people use the internet to search what they are looking for, and that includes aesthetic procedures done in a medical spa.   They will most likely use Google, so its important that you have a first page ranking with any keywords they may use to search for the service they need.  Once they find you, its important that you keep them with engaged  What will your patients/clients look for? Your location, phone number, map, hours of operation, procedures/treatments you perform, your background with a picture of you, and they also want to see what others have said about you.  In fact Forrester research says that 71% of all online shoppers read reviews before making a purchase!  How do you get reviews and testimonials?

Easy, when all of your patients finish a procedure give them a short post-procedure questionnaire.  This will give them the option to rate how they were treated, and how the procedure itself went. Make sure you have a large space for “other comments.” Once you get these, get them on your web page and brochures asap!

Jeff Russell

It is obvious that the economy is having an impact on the aesthetic medicine industry: its the “Lipstick Effect” in Aesthetic Medicine, a phrase coined by Leonard Lauder, Chairman of Estee Lauder, who saw a huge jump in lipstick sales after September 11th.  During times of economic uncertainty, consumers load up on affordable luxuries as a substitute for more expensive items.  For aesthetic medicine physicians, the lipstick effect manifests itself in patients choosing laser-assisted liposuction over surgical liposuction or dermal fillers and Botox over face lifts.

The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s (ASAPS) recently released report, 2008 Statistics on Cosmetic Surgery, outlines that 8,491,861 non-surgical procedures were done in 2008. However, this is a reduction of 11.7% over last year, and interestingly the only three growth non-surgical procedures were Calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiance) injections which was up 3%, chemical peels which were up 2.9% and laser skin resurfacing which had increased by 12%.

I think we’re going to see a trend of more minimally-invasive procedures over the more expensive procedures (like Fraxel laser which was down 37% last year). However some of the statistics are skewed because for example microdermabrasion and chemical peels are very common medical spa treatments and their numbers would not be indicated in the ASAPS numbers unless they were done by ASAPS members.

What I see happening is the purely cosmetic procedures are declining, but they are being tempered by minimally invasive procedures that are in need by the newly unemployed or divorced.  In both of those situations, it’s important to shave 10 years off your face, and that is what most nonsurgical cosmetic procedures can do for a patient.

Jeff Russell

As I continue this series on “Medical Spa Success,” I thinks its very important to discuss offering patient financing options. In today’s economy its more important than ever to offer your patients multiple financing options for aesthetic procedures, it’s not uncommon for a patient to pay for some of the procedure in cash, check, credit card, and a patient financing credit card. It’s important that you have them all available and clearly displayed. This is the reality of offering cash-based medical spa procedures. One thing you are going to also need to do is offer your patients a patient financing program (a credit card for cosmetic procedures done at a medical spa or doctors office).

When choosing a patient financing company, make sure they offer quick on-line approvals. You don’t want your patient waiting while they fill out a form and fax it to patient finance company. You want to enter it online for them, and get a quick response back. Also look for programs that offers no interest, low interest, or deferred payment plans to your patients. As a physician, you’ll want to keep an eye on the fees these patient financing companies charge you, they can sometimes be double what you’re paying for a major credit card. Also look for a program where you do not pay any up-front costs, pre-payment penalties or any other fees.

This material was taken from the IAPAM’s Aesthetic Medicine Symposium and the Aesthetic Practice Startup Workshop.

Jeff Russell
Executive-Director, IAPAM

One of the most important parts of an aesthetic practice or medical spa is your staff. After all, in order to have a successful aesthetic practice you are going to need more than one room running at once. In addition, most of the procedures found in a medical spa are perfect for medical aestheticians and nurses to perform. Of course, don’t forget your receptionist. They are the first contact your patient will have with your practice, and first impressions are very important! Of course you also need to keep in mind the operational expense of having too many staff, versus the reduction on business by having too little.

Since you will not want to be tied down to the day to day operations of the MedSpa, you may consider hiring a medical spa manager. This person needs to have exceptional customer service values, and be talented enough to choose and develop the right team to perform your medical aesthetics procedures. They will also be the person responsible for developing budgets, marketing plans, ensuring you meet regulatory issues, and cooridinating staff meetings.

Here are some more comments from IAPAM members and industry experts on staffing…

Dr. Barry Barrows emphasizes the importance of “having someone answering the phone who can speak well about what the practice has to offer.” Dr. Richard Foxx of the Medical and Skin Spa at Agua Serena also says don’t forget the “last person a patient sees before leaving the office.” A medical spa or aesthetic practice’s staff are the cornerstones to successful customer attraction and retention.

Bryan Durocher, in his marvelously comprehensive overview of existing compensation programs for medical spas across the U.S. reminds practitioners that, “the spa industry has some of the highest payroll expenses of any type of business, so when it comes to compensation, there is very little room for mistakes.” Therefore, developing a compensation strategy, whether it is straight payroll or straight commission, or borrowing from both, requires the ability to assess what a successful practice must pay employees, what benefits are required for employee retention, and how best to implement this formulae to maximize employee morale and business profitability. (www.skininc.com/spabusiness/medicalspa/36399299.html).

Cindy Graf expertly summarizes the key importance of a successful hiring program: The best physicians surround themselves with exceptional staff so that they can “delegate tasks to these competent staff to carry out the practice’s plans. One cannot do all of the essential jobs oneself. Be a supervisor, not a doer.” (www.cindygrafconsulting.com)

One thing you cannot skimp on is training. Not only do all of your medical staff need to be clinically trained. All your staff needs to be trained on how to perform aesthetic patient consultations, and which products go with each service.  For example, every IPL photofacial patient should be leaving with broad spectrum sun screen. Otherwise they will reverse the procedures results you just did for them! This material was taken from the IAPAM’s Aesthetic Medicine Symposium and the Aesthetic Practice Startup Workshop.

Jeff Russell
Executive-Director, IAPAM

There has been great discussion regarding the Board Certification of Aesthetic Medicine. Currently the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) does not offer a board certification in Aesthetic Medicine. The ABMS currently states that “antiaging is not a medical specialty,” and therefore no association or organization can officially be offering “board certification” in aesthetic medicine at this time. However, you will find organizations creating their own board certification in anti-aging and aesthetic medicine for training.

As a backgrounder, the ABMS is a non-profit organization empowered to regulate the certification of medical specialties. Before the formation of the ABMS, a physician could advertise that he/she was a specialist in any medical arena. However, since its establishment, the ABMS “certification” is the gold standard for medical training and examinations, thereby ensuring a pre-eminent level of education, ethics and care across multiple medical specialties.

The ABMS clearly states that its mission is “to communicate to external stakeholders that ‘board certification’ is the major marker of quality for physicians’ performance and that the ABMS is recognized as the organization that establishes these standards and criteria.” That said, the ABMS also states that “anti-aging is not yet considered a medical speciality”, akin to plastic surgery or dermatology, and therefore, at this time, the ABMS does not offer a “board certification” in aesthetic medicine.

Since the ABMS does not currently offer “board certification” in aesthetic medicine, the IAPAM cannot in all good conscience offer “board certification” in aesthetic medicine. Will the public find board certified anti-aging and aesthetic medicine physician? Yes, but it must be know that their “board certification” is not endorsed by the ABMS.

Ultimately, the IAPAM has developed the responsible guiding principal that it cannot offer board certification in aesthetic medicine until such certification is recognized along with the other 24 medical specialities currently acknowledged by the ABMS.

Therefore, until that time when aesthetic medicine is considered a medical specialty by the ABMS, the bottom line for practitioners and patients alike is: whether engaging a “board certified” surgeon, or a peer-trained physician, patients must complete their due diligence by researching both the practitioner and the treatment, asking the doctor and others for referrals, and ensuring that they feel completely comfortable before undergoing any procedure.

Jeff Russell

In this second installment of the “7 Keys to a Successful Aesthetic Practice / Medical Spa”, I’m going to discuss marketing. I’m also going to include some great feedback and advice from many IAPAM faculty, members and consultants.

Many physicians who are new to aesthetic medicine think all they need to do is put up their shingle and patients will come. Unfortunately, in retail medicine, that is not the case. How do you solve this dilemma? You’ll need to incorporate some proven retail marketing strategies to bring in patients. What I’ve found is many of the marketing and advertising strategies that were used 3-5 years ago, typically don’t work today! Let’s hear from some of our experts…

Catherine Maley, MBA, author of “Your Aesthetic Practice/What Your Patients Are Saying.” and President of Cosmetic Image Marketing, says it best. “Competition is fierce. The savvy public is willing to price shop. Now, more than ever, doctors need to gain exposure and market themselves to gain their fair share of the market. But how do you do that? How do you turn your practice into a high-quality operation that patients, staff and colleagues trust, respect and recommend to their own family, friends and patients?

IAPAM faculty member, Dr. Steven Jepson MD, owner of The Spa at Utah Dermatological and Medical Procedures Clinic offers some specific insights into the role of advertising in building a successful aesthetic practice, with a specific focus on the use of the Internet to achieve marketing goals:

“You do not need to spend a fortune on advertising. Internet marketing gives you the most bang for your buck. For anywhere between $200-$1000 a month (depending on how competitive your market is) you can use pay-per-click advertising to target potential clients who are already looking for what you have to offer. This of course means that you must have an attractive and informative website. If you are uncomfortable designing your own, then pay a good website designer to do it for you. This will be one of your most important investments.

I estimate that about 50% of my new clients come from the Internet. 35% comes from current client referrals. And 15 % comes from other various sources. Of course, it takes some time to build a clientele that trusts you enough to refer their friends and family, but eventually they will become a key source to new business. So plan for this by treating your clients well. In Aesthetic Medicine, top-notch customer service is extremely important.

I have tried probably every other type of advertising possible in the last four years, before focusing most of my advertising resources now on the Internet. Here are my thoughts on a couple other types that I have tried and don’t use anymore:

Radio advertising can be expensive and generally doesn’t work well unless you can align yourself with one of the popular radio personalities who will then “ad lib” about your business (for a price). The station’s advertising representative can help align you with the on-air talent. This approach is more expensive than traditional radio commercials but much more effective. I had one of Salt Lake City’s most popular female radio personalities ad-libbing about my clinic for about two years. It worked well, but like all advertising, it eventually ran its course. I would not recommend traditional radio commercials.

Print Ads have never worked well enough to justify their cost and that includes direct mailing. Local magazines have given the worst return on investment of any type of advertising that I have done.

Finally, large ‘Yellow Page’ ads are expensive and not effective. Don’t waste your money. The consumers that you want as clients are using the Internet.”

Part of the IAPAM’s curriculm at the Aesthetic Practice Startup Workshop is covering marketing. This is an important part of any successful aesthetic practice or medical spa. What we’ve learnt over the years is the most expensive marketing initiatives returned the lowest results. The workshop outlines the best marketing strategies that medical spas should be implementing in todays economy.

I want to leave you with this great quote from IAPAM faculty member, Dr. Richard Foxx, MD of The Medical and Skin Spa in Palm Springs: “The devil is in the details. Everything you do is marketing, from the person who answers the phone to the [last] person the patient sees when they leave the office.”

Jeff Russell

For the last couple of months, I’ve been working on creating the “7 Keys to a Successful Aesthetic Practice / Medical Spa” guidebook for owners of aesthetic practices and medical spas. This guidebook has the latest information on how many of the IAPAM’s physician members, faculty, and industry experts are successfully competing in today’s economy. For the next several weeks, I’m going to be sharing those findings with you. In this first installment, I want you to understand the importance of having a game plan or business plan when operating an aesthetic practice.

Ultimately, in today’s economy, and given the growth in accessibility and acceptance of aesthetic medicine procedures, it is very important that physicians understand: “what is working” and “what is not” in medical spas and aesthetic practices.

A business plan is a written document that describes all aspects of your business: your service, your prospective customers, the competition, your marketing plan, your management team, how the business will be financed, and anything else that is needed to implement the business. It can be called the “Road Map” for your aesthetic practice.

A business plan is critical for business success, and it is especially important when adding aesthetic medical procedures to your practice. Not only is it necessary if you are going to require financing, but it will act as a blueprint for building a successful aesthetic medical practice.

You should have a clear strategy of what services, procedures and products you will offer. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. An aesthetic medical practice typically combines medical and aesthetic procedures along with complementary skin care products. When you start any business, you’ll soon encounter challenges you didn’t expect, or things that didn’t work out the way you expected. This happens to everyone, but what is important is that everyone encounters challenges and you need to be prepared.

When dealing with these challenges, it’s important you don’t loose sight of the big picture. The big picture is always the focus of the business and the business plan.

For example, what are you going to do if the nail and hair salon starts offering “laser hair removal” at half your price? If you are not getting many referrals from existing patients, what are you going to do about it? These are the types of questions that are answered at the IAPAM’s aesthetic practice startup workshop.

Jeff Russell

Executive-Director, IAPAM

The IAPAM (International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine), in consultation with its members and associated industry experts, has compiled its list of the top trends in aesthetic medicine for 2009. From the continued market dominance of minimally-invasive procedures over surgical options, to anticipated unparalleled demand in the medical weight-loss field, 2009 promises to be a year of many anti-aging milestones.

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) January 27, 2009 — The International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine (IAPAM), the leading international organization of physicians practicing aesthetic medicine, sees the following trends in anti-aging for 2009. These trends were compiled through consultation with leading aesthetic medicine physicians from around the world and in consultation with the medical advisory board of the IAPAM.

1. Minimally invasive procedures will significantly outperform surgical options

Minimally-invasive anti-aging procedures will continue to secure the majority of the aesthetic medical procedures’ market over more invasive, expensive surgical offerings.

The public will choose these less expensive and less risky procedures over surgeries. People generally desire to look 10 years younger, and minimally-invasive procedures can achieve this desired outcome. “During hard economic times, men and women look to non-invasive cosmetic treatments such as Botox Cosmetic, Dermal Fillers and Skin Rejuvenation as a means to feel and look better about themselves physically and emotionally,” says Dr. Alexander Ataii of Laser Clinque in San Diego.

Moreover, with wrinkle reduction treatments using Botox Cosmetic® and dermal fillers increasing in popularity, new players will emerge in this arena. Botox® will continue to be the most popular product, but it’s anticipated that Medicis will release a competitor, Reloxin®, sometime in 2009.

Finally, a new generation of minimally-invasive liposuction procedures, resulting in less pain to the patient and little or no downtime, will evolve and become more effective. Laser and ultrasound-based equipment will help physicians remove localized fat instead of requiring patients to entertain aggressive liposuction procedures. New entrants into this arena include laserlipolysis (SmartLipo, Cynosure), and focused ultrasound for body sculpting (LipoSonix, Ultrashape), which is awaiting FDA approval. A third fat-reduction option for consideration, Cryoliplysis (Zeltiq Aesthetics), involves non-invasive cooling of fat cells to induce lipolysis.

Therefore, minimally-invasive body sculpting and liposuction procedures will continue to be a hot trend, with many new entrants entering the US market this year. The IAPAM also expects to see some new non-invasive procedures become widely available, like Ultrashape and SonoSculpt, which are currently being used in other countries.

2. The “eyes” have it!

Building upon the aforementioned popularity of minimally-invasive procedures, “EyeJuvenation” will become an increasingly popular offering among physicians. Coupled with the recent FDA approval of products such as Allegan’s Latisse®, which supports the growth of fuller, darker eyelashes, practitioners will offer a suite of services and products focusing specifically on the eye, including Botox Cosmetic® for treatment of crows-feet and deep wrinkles between the brows, coupled with the use of dermal fillers such as Juvederm®, Restylane® to fill deeper hollows below and around the eyes.

3. Cosmeceutical market will continue to grow

Latisse in only one of the many new cosmeceuticals likely to hit the market in 2009. In a report published in October 2008 by the Freedonia Group, “the US Cosmeceuticals Market will increase by 7.2 % per year to $8.2 billion in 2012, propelled by a stream of new and technologically advanced product introductions offering age-defying and other appearance enhancing benefits for an aging population. The rapid growth of the cosmeceutical market will continue to be based on a combination of science and astute marketing.”

Dr Jennifer Linder, MD, board certified dermatologist and advisory board member of the International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine, also comments that, within the cosmeceutical industry, “stem cell technology will be utilized for anti-aging topical products. Up until now stem cells have been used in medicine to generate new cell growth in wounds and burns. This same thought process is now being researched for improving the appearance of mature skin. Stem cells never die so the cellular proliferation they can provide would be incredible. By generating healthy cells in aging skin, products can potentially reverse some of the damage accrued over the years.”

Finally, Dr. Linder notes that “DNA-based lines are also being marketed. These lines claim to actually repair the DNA damage caused by UV, free radicals and inflammation.” However, Dr. Linder concedes that further study into these product lines is needed.

4. From caffeine to peptides, over-the-counter topical products will include innovative ingredients

Caffeine will burst onto the beauty-product market as a marquee ingredient in many drugstore cosmetics. While Jennifer Linder cautions that, “the science is still lacking to substantiate its long-term effects”, many researchers suggest that caffeine “reduces eye puffiness,” “increases micro-circulation,” which in turn carries away excess fluids from the skin, reduces the appearance of cellulite, and contributes to overall cell renewal.

Dr. Linder identifies that another pre-eminent ingredient in topical products will be peptides. “Peptides will continue to be some of the most effective topical ingredients available. New peptides, such as neuropeptides, are being developed and are thought to possibly contribute to a feeling of well-being. Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial peptides are also becoming available and may potentially help in the treatment of adult acne and sensitive skin conditions. Anti-aging peptides continue to be at the forefront of age control product development, with new types being developed each year. More studies are needed in order for their benefits to be proven, but the market is sure to see more products containing different types of peptide technology in the future.” Indeed, products such as Jane Iredale’s Zap & Hide concealer contain the active acne-fighting peptide called Tego Policosanol. This coupled with topical antiseptics and anti-inflammatories such as tea tree leaf or lavender oils, or algae and other extracts, result in make-up that provides both medicinal healing to skin as well as cosmetic coverage.

On a final note regarding topical beauty products, Dr. Linder, anticipates that, “result-oriented weekly treatments are sure to gain popularity in the shadow of the current global economic crisis. Masks, serums and creams that are marketed to work, when applied once or twice per week, versus daily, will be appealing as they will last longer for the consumer.”

5. Anti-aging from the “inside-out”

Building upon the link between aging and diet, consumers are seeking treatments, both injestable and topical, to achieve better health through traditional dietary products. Peter Lam, in a January article in Skin Inc. Magazine, comments that, “the preventive strategies of anti-aging are being expanded and even exploited by the food industry with the promotion of nutraceuticals and antioxidants, such as the inclusion of botanicals and green tea in foods. Even the cosmetics industry has begun including these substances in skin care product formulations. The belief is that these ingredients can penetrate the skin topically in order to nourish and prevent skin conditions.”

Dr. Linder agrees that “antioxidants of all types continue to hold an important place in age control products. As the consumer becomes more aware of the benefits of internal and topical antioxidants, demand is increasing. Potent antioxidants such as resveratrol from grapes, goji berry extracts, turmeric root extract and acai extracts are being introduced to topical products to improve the health and appearance of aging skin by quenching free radicals.”

Finally, Dr. Linder identifies that probiotics are making their way from the grocery store to the cosmetic counter. “Several lines are introducing probiotic agents to skin care formulations. These companies claim to “soften, smooth and exfoliate your skin, giving it a fresh youthful appearance. Most available research only supports skin benefits when probiotics are taken internally, and even that is somewhat inconclusive and lacking. Clinical proof aside, more and more companies are introducing probiotic technology for topical use.”

6. Medical weight loss management “grows” in popularity

Globally, the World Health Organization estimated that in 2005, 400 million people were obese. Currently, 78 million Americans are classified as obese. This number is projected to increase to 700 million world-wide by the year 2015. Therein, with obesity continuing as such a universal epidemic, medical weight management will be offered by more and more physicians internationally. People are tired of yo-yo diets and special meals, and are looking for physicians to help them loose weight permanently. Therein, doctors are in a unique position to help clients with effective weight loss strategies, since they already have the trust of their patients.

Consistent with this anticipated market growth, the IAPAM is proactively working to develop a medical weight management program for 2009, that combines healthy lifestyle changes, exercise, and the latest medical weight management procedures, like laser-assisted liposuction,” says Jeff Russell, Executive-Director of the IAPAM.

7. Public place trust in physicians for aesthetic medical offerings

The IAPAM’s Aesthetic Medicine Consumer Study surveyed women across the U.S., ages 21-60 on their perception of various aesthetic medicine procedures. As an apparent reaction to the unregulated medical spa industry, 78% of women rated medical credentials as very important when choosing an aesthetic treatment provider. “The results clearly indicate most women are concerned about their safety when choosing aesthetic procedures, which is a huge opportunity for physicians who wish to expand their practice with aesthetic treatments,” says Jeff Russell.

Given this, the field of aesthetic medicine will see non-physician owned medical spas close at a very fast rate. “Many non-physician owned medical spas opened to take advantage of the profit potential, but soon realized the key to success is to have a physician-owner, who is on-site,” comments Russell.

Furthermore, expect to find the most common minimally-invasive procedures (Botox, dermal fillers, laser hair removal) at your current general practioner’s practice. More and more physicians are being expertly trained in the most common, minimally-invasive, procedures and they are in a position to offer these procedures in the convenience of their offices to their existing patient base.

About the International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine (IAPAM)

The International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine is a voluntary association of physicians and supporters, which sets standards for the aesthetic medical profession. The goal of the association is to offer education, ethical standards, credentialing, and member benefits. IAPAM membership is open to all licensed medical doctors (MDs) and doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs). Information about the association can be accessed through IAPAM’s website at http://www.IAPAM.com. Additional information can be accessed by contacting:

Jeff Russell, Executive-Director
International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine (IAPAM)
1-800-219-5108 x705
www.IAPAM.com
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source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/antiaging/trends/prweb1907894.htm