In the competitive landscape of plastic surgery, successful practices understand the importance of aligning marketing efforts with sales strategies to drive conversions and achieve sustainable growth. By fostering collaboration between marketing and sales teams, aesthetic surgery practices can maximize their impact, attract more qualified leads, and ultimately increase conversion rates. As a former practice administrator for the top breast surgeon in Houston, we have proven how plastic surgery marketing and sales can work together synergistically to enhance conversion rates and drive business success.
Understanding the Role of Marketing in Plastic Surgery
Effective online marketing lays the groundwork for attracting potential patients and generating interest in the services offered by a plastic surgery practice. We like to call this getting into the “consideration set”. Ideally, potential patients will even be considering your practice during their search phase. Marketing efforts in the plastic surgery industry typically involve a combination of online and offline strategies, including:
- Digital Marketing: This includes website optimization, search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, email marketing, and content marketing to increase online visibility and attract leads. Using an omni-channel approach has proven to yield consistent long-term results.
- Branding and Reputation Management: Building a strong brand identity and managing online reputation are essential for establishing credibility and trust with potential patients. This can be done through proactive reputation management. We have helped dozens of surgeons acquire thousands of 5-Star online reviews including over 800 for one single surgeon practice in Texas. Positive reviews and testimonials from satisfied patients serve as powerful social proof and can influence the decision-making process of prospective patients.
- Educational Content: Providing informative content through blog posts, videos, YouTube Shorts, and other resources help educate potential patients about procedures, benefits, risks, and expectations. By having patients see and hear you, they are more likely to contact your practice and convert into a patient.
The Role of Sales in Plastic Surgery
Once leads have been generated through marketing efforts, the sales team plays a crucial role in answering the phone, nurturing those leads and guiding them through the decision-making process. Sales efforts in the plastic surgery industry involve:
- Consultations: Consultations provide an opportunity for potential patients to discuss their goals, concerns, and expectations with a qualified board certified plastic surgeon and their consultant. For cosmetic surgery, some surgeons will offer complimentary consultations or a small fee for a consultation which can be applied toward a procedure.
- Relationship Building: Building rapport and trust with potential patients is essential for establishing a strong foundation for the patient-provider relationship. This can be done through credentialing the provider and sharing unique aspects of your practice. This also includes listening. Your team should be listening to the patients when they call, and your management team should be reviewing phone calls every week.
- Customized Treatment Plans: Based on the patient’s goals and concerns, the surgeon works with the patient to develop a customized treatment plan that addresses their needs and objectives. We recommend only providing one quote to the potential client, as this should be the “best” recommendation from the surgeon. Statistically, providing multiple options leads to lower conversion rates.
- Follow-Up and Support: Providing ongoing support and guidance throughout the pre- and post-operative process helps ensure a positive patient experience, fosters patient loyalty and increases the chances of 5-star review. The results of the surgery is just one part of the experience and your team and protocols can significantly influence your practice’s growth.
Fostering Collaboration Between Marketing and Sales
To maximize conversion rates and drive business growth, plastic surgery practices must foster collaboration and alignment between their marketing and sales teams. Here are some strategies for achieving this synergy:
- Shared Goals and Metrics: Establish shared goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with both marketing and sales objectives, such as lead generation, conversion rates, and revenue growth. The top KPIs we like to follow include: New User website traffic, # of Leads, # of phone calls, # of consultations scheduled, # of consultations showed, # of consultations booked, and then using ratios of those data points to track trends. By sharing data and insights between marketing and sales teams you can identify trends, optimize campaigns, and improve lead quality and conversion rates.
- Regular Communication and Feedback: Facilitate open communication and feedback loops between marketing and sales teams to ensure alignment on messaging, lead quality, and conversion strategies. This can include weekly or bi-weekly meetings which will allow for consistent open communication.
- Integrated Systems and Technology: Implement integrated CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems and marketing automation tools to streamline lead management, tracking, and communication between marketing and sales teams. This is going to be the next evolution of marketing and patient relationship management, which will include AI and automation to increase the conversion rates and maximize the resources available in your aesthetic practice.
By fostering collaboration between marketing and sales teams, plastic surgery practices can achieve greater synergy, drive more qualified leads, and increase conversion rates. We recommend continuous communication , for example: having a meeting every Thursday at 10:00 am to review KPIs and discuss strategies to increase conversion rates. By aligning marketing efforts with sales strategies and maintaining a focus on providing exceptional patient experiences, plastic surgery practices can position themselves for long-term success and growth in a competitive marketplace. We have over 15 years of experience in practice management and practice marketing, with a proven track record of delivering results for some of the top plastic surgeons in Houston, Boston, and Orlando, FL.