Let’s face it, medical practices, med spas, HRT clinics and hair loss studios are in the business of changing people’s lives. With the recent events of COVID-19, the possibility of being cut off from our valued customer relationships feels debilitating. And to be cut off from being able generate new customers feels, at best, anxiety inducing. So what can you be doing at your clinic right now to keep generating revenue, limit the downside, and continue to help change people’s lives?
People ARE Actively Looking for Your Services RIGHT NOW!
Before we get into the specifics, it is of utmost importance to understand that because more people are at home, online interaction is higher than ever. (You may have noticed your internet speeds suffering due to the spike internet usage across the country). Potential customers are spending more time on Google searching for your services, more time watching video advertising and more time on social media than ever before. We have a more captive audience than ever before! Now is the time to reach that audience, get them to your website, and schedule a consultation. Here are some things we are helping our clients implement to accomplish just that.
Initiate and Encourage Video/TeleCare Consultations:
Depending on where you live, your state, city, or county may be asking or requiring you to close your doors for a temporary period of time. This could be devastating because when this is over you will not have any new consultations on the books. The best way to combat this is to initiate and encourage video consultations. Obviously, you won’t be able to give them a full analysis as you will not be able to use all of your regular tools, but use this video consultation to ask them all the questions you normally ask, observe their visual signs, develop that 1 to 1 relationship and end by scheduling an in-clinic consultation for a future time.
With everyone social distancing right now, you may be surprised how many people will not only welcome, but be elated to interact with you virtually. As humans we need this interaction and you will be providing so much more than a simple consult.
By implementing this strategy, when people start leaving their homes again, you will have a schedule full of consultations and be ready to rebound quickly!
Be sure to communicate on your website that you are now taking video consultations.
Tools to accomplish this: Zoom- https://zoom.us. We use this tool ourselves and can highly recommend it. (We are not getting paid for this recommendation nor do we have any affiliation with Zoom.)
Install and Use online chat:
If you are not already using online chat software, install it now! People have more time on their hands than ever and are more willing to chat with you and ask questions they may have. During the chat, encourage setting up a video consultation and follow the outline above.
Some tips for online chat:
- USE IT! Don’t install it and then not be available. Dedicate someone on your staff, or yourself, to monitor the online chats at least during normal business hours and even during off-hours if possible.
- Some online chat software allows video chats as well. These are useful, but usually not as good as scheduling a video chat and using Zoom.
- Don’t be afraid of the technology. Most chat software is simple to learn and simple to use. You can usually install an app on your phone!
- Be more available than ever to chat. “Normal business hours” are anything but normal right now. Be available when the customer needs you.
Tools to accomplish this: Tawk.to is our favorite because it’s easy to install and completely free to use! There are others, but this is usually our go-to. (We are not getting paid for this recommendation, nor do we have any affiliation with Tawk.to.)
Communicate With and Encourage Your Customers via Email:
If you are still open, send emails blasts to all of your customers and announce that you are still open for business and be sure to explain how sanitary and safe your clinics are and the precautions you take each and every day to ensure the safety of your customers not just during this crisis, but always! And explain some precautions you have in place specifically during this time. Consider implementing and communicating things such as:
- We will take our staff’s temperature every morning to ensure no one is working with a fever.
- We will take each client’s temperature at the door before their appointment to ensure no one with a fever is entering the facility.
- We have masks available and will be using them
- Hand sanitizer will be available in every room, at the front door, etc.
- Call or text us when you arrive, and we will escort you directly to your private room which will be disinfected before and after each use.
- Online payments will be encouraged, so no need to even use one of our pens to sign a receipt.
- If you do use our pens, you can be confident they will be disinfected after each use.
You get the idea. Communicate all you are doing to make your business a safer place to get their services completed.
If you are not open, be sure to communicate how you are taking the necessary steps to keep your customers safe and will be calling each of them to reschedule their service. Consider providing tips for what they can be doing in the meantime to maintain their hair system, continue their trichology treatments at home, using their laser cap consistently, order supplements online, etc. You can also offer to do a video conference with current clients to address any concerns or questions they might have. This will solidify the relationship and help show you are there for them and in this together!
Things are changing every day so don’t be afraid of over-communicating. Email often!
Pop-Up on Website:
Use pop-ups on your website to direct users to a blog that provides your latest updates on COVID-19. The popup should read something like,
“Hometown Hair Loss Studio’s Response to COVID-19. At Hometown Hair Loss Studio, we are aware of the anxiety that the COVID-19 virus is causing throughout our country. As a means of doing what we can to reduce the anxiety and risk of the virus transmission, we are implementing the following guidelines for next couple of months for the practice. Click here to learn more”
The link would then open a blog that has all of the current information – temporary business hours, new policies, all you are doing to keep customers safe (see email concept above), etc. The reason to keep all of this in a blog is so that you can update it easily and as often as needed.
Don’t Cancel Your Advertising – Modify Your Marketing Strategy
Henry Ford once said, “Cutting advertising to save money is like stopping your watch to save time.” It’s easy to panic and make rash decisions, and initially the knee jerk reaction is just to cut everything. However, it’s important to make informed and smart marketing decisions right now more than ever. To help with this, we recently posted an article on our website titled, “Media Decisions and COVID-19.” This article will walk you through where to cut, where to minimize, where to maintain and where to maximize during this particular crisis.
The most important thing to remember is that potential clients have more time to consider their options right now more than ever. They are searching and they are shopping…online. They are captive, interested and actively looking for hair loss solutions. You need to keep your marketing active so you can reach them during this critical time. They may not convert at the same rate that we are used to, but getting in front of them now will pay off tremendously later, and help you come out of this crisis much quicker and with a much steeper rate of recovery.
Necessity is the Mother of Invention
Remember what Plato taught us – “Necessity is the mother of invention.” Now is the time to be innovative, creative, and not just think outside of the box, but throw the box out the window! When we come out of this on the other side, you might just have created a new way of doing business that will serve you and your customers for years to come!
You may also be interested in Media Decisions and COVID-19 or Should I Cancel My Online Advertising and Online Marketing Due to COVID-19?
As always, we are here to help and look forward to helping you navigate these decisions together. We are expecting your call!
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