In my previous article, I introduced you to the idea of “preselling”…
The idea is that before you launch a new treatment, you start promoting it several weeks or even months ahead…
…Creating awareness and buzz, helping patients understand the problems it will solve for them, answering your patients’ objections and questions – and generally building desire for the treatment.
Then, when you’re ready to start treating patients, you already have eager buyers lined up – and you can start making money right away.
It makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? If you want a new treatment to sell well, start talking about it a long time in advance!
Well, while “preselling” is a real concept, I like to think of it by another name…
“Marketing”.
After all, “preselling” is exactly what marketing is all about, isn’t it?
Making sure your patients know about your treatments, and understand them…
Making them want the results you can get them…
And getting them to the point where they can’t wait to book.
Then you move onto “selling”…
“Selling” is the moment when you actually close the deal, and make the money.
It can sometimes happen online – for example, if someone buys one of your skincare products or books a treatment through your website…
But most often, it happens in your consultation room or by your reception desk.
And while “marketing” or “preselling” is usually something you do to the masses – putting a post out on social media that will be seen by thousands, for example – “selling” is often done 1-to-1, face-to-face.
Why is important to understand the difference?
Because often, aesthetic clinics and medspas get the two confused (…just like businesses in other industries – this is hardly uncommon!).
When you look at their “online marketing”, you realize that it is actually closer to “selling”…
Here’s a good example – an email that popped into my Inbox last week:
There’s no attempt at persuasion, at making patients want the treatment or building relationships. (The clinic has actually only emailed me 4 times since March…)
It’s all about prices and last-minute deals and forcing a sale…
(And did you also notice how they never mention which treatment these gift cards are for? It’s the kind of silly little oversight which can really harm sales!)
Now, of course there is room for selling in your online campaigns – it’s the culmination of every good marketing campaign!
You can’t market forever without ever selling… That’s pointless.
And there will be times when you want to run a quick flash-sale or last-minute promotion, and that’s fine too.
It’s much easier when you “presell” your treatments online, because you’ve already done all the heavy lifting before your patients ever come in to see you.
You might have to reassure them and answer some questions, but they’ve mostly made their mind up before they ever stepped into your consultation room.
The danger comes when you spend most of your time selling online…
…Sending out offer after offer…
…Without thoroughly preparing the ground for your patients by “preselling” your treatments.
That’s when you end up attracting price-shoppers…
…And how your online presence ends up feeling pushy and impersonal.
The irony is, when you’re always in “selling mode” online, the actual sale becomes much harder…
You might drive inquiries and get consultations, but when those people come into your clinic, they’re not really ready to buy…
When you meet them, you have to work hard to persuade and convince them that you have a good option for them… Overcoming their natural scepticism… Getting them to trust you…
It can feel like sweating bullets!
It’s very different when you “presell” your treatments online, because you’ve already done all that work before they ever come in to see you.
You might have to reassure them and answer some questions, but they’ve mostly made their mind up before they ever stepped into your consultation room.
I like thinking about “marketing” as “preselling” – it helps keep me focused on what good marketing does. And I hope it’s been a useful concept for you, too.
The bottom line is that a good online presence needs both “preselling” and “selling”.
The two work together… In sequence…
And when you do both well, not only will you sell more treatments, but you’ll end up with more loyal, educated, long-term patients.
If that’s a result you’d like to see, get in touch with me today, and let’s discuss how we can help with your marketing. I’ll get back to you right away.
Miriam Shaviv is creator of Inbox Express, the library of marketing emails for aesthetic clinics and med spas, designed to make your marketing effective and easy – and send the right messages to your patients as you re-open after Coronavirus! Find out more here.
She is Director of Content at Brainstorm Digital, which helps aesthetic clinics and med spas get patients through their doors again and again – without the headache of costly online advertising.
