Aesthetics Professional

Carefully crafted client relationships build businesses. Studies show that younger consumers increasingly cite excellent customer service and personal identification with a business as primary reasons for selecting one business over another. Clients want to know that a business cares about them, not just as consumers of products and services, but as people.
Forgetting that yours is a personal business focused on individual needs is one way we get off track. Instead, you must understand your patients, let them know that you hear them, and show that you value them on a personal level.
Building a lasting relationship with a patient is like dating. You want to put on your best face and come across as caring, capable, and worthy of another date. With that dating analogy in mind, I offer five key steps to ensure the relationship goes forward.

HOLISTIC: The word implies healing and wellness. It is a word that we are seeing more and more in the spa industry. The word actually does refer to healing. When a person is out of "balance", they are literally feeling "torn apart" by their perceptions of the pressures of their life. Because of this, their body manufactures different kinds of chemicals that aid in their perceived defense. This is called the "flight or fight" response. Whenever we feel fear, our body produces adrenaline and cortisol to strengthen our limbs and improve our vision for flight and/or fight. When this stress response is created, these chemicals can feel very toxic to our bodies; especially when it is consistently constant. Holistic refers to helping that person feel balanced and "whole" again. Therefore, the treatments we offer in the spa that helps re-establish balance is usually referred to as holistic.

Bosses and/or supervisors do not want to be babysitters, referees, or counselors. Bosses have their own job to do and want employees to do their job so the bosses can get their own work done. If you are an employee, it can be helpful to put yourself in your supervisor's shoes and think about how you, as your boss, would want you, as the employee, to behave. When employees are at work, they are being paid to work for the employer not for themselves. How do employees learn to be good employees? It is usually not taught in school and it is difficult for employees to see good role models on television or in the movies. Sometimes employees have never been told or shown how to be a really good employee. It is up to supervisors to let employees in on the secrets to being an outstanding employee…

Are you experiencing growth or is your practice or spa maintaining an internal status quo that actually puts it at risk for extinction? By expanding your menu of services, you can stay competitive – and even take a lucrative step ahead of the pack.

According to the 2008 Global Spa Summit in New York, "The global spa economy is estimated to be over $250 billion." And in spite of the economic downturn, the industry continues to grow at a breakneck pace.

Communication is essential in all aspects of life, whether interaction is achieved through words, writing, or actions. Without effective communication there can be no mutual understanding between individuals, exchange of information, nor expression of true feelings thoughts or ideas. It is so often taken for granted that when we speak to others what we say is actually perceived in the manner in which we meant for it to be interpreted. Too often we speak without forethought or consideration and our message is misconstrued by the recipient resulting in confusion or insult. Communication goes beyond the spoken word. I am sure that everyone has heard the adage, “Actions speak louder than words.” Not a new saying, but it is true nevertheless and speaks volumes about the way an individual feels about her situation.

The adage "what's in a name" has often been debated. When it comes to products an inventive, catchy name that sums up what your product is and what it offers is critical. After all, the name will be the first things consumers see on a shelf, a website, or marketing materials. A well thought out name may even make it easier for search engines to find your product and bring it up in the first few pages of Google or Yahoo!. An example of a name that says it all: Tummy Tuck Jeans. These are the jeans that help women to look instantly slimmer with a special construction that holds in the tummy. If this company had used a more generic name, the uniqueness of the product would not be conveyed so immediately or effectively.