There are certain habits that almost all successful plastic surgeons and their clinics share.

Not all plastic surgery clinics or markets are the same, and there are major differences depending on where your practice is in the world and the size of your clinic. However, there are a variety of habits that you can model your business on to increase your profits and gain a higher profile in the wider plastic surgery community.

Market to Men

The stigma of plastic surgery for men continues to break down year after year. Focusing on men has gone from being a smart business suggestion to being an absolutely essential element of your marketing strategy.

Surgical procedures such as rhinoplasty, ear surgery, brow lifts and eyelid surgery continue to grow in popularity for men. Other procedures, such as hair transplants, can be marketed almost exclusively to men. The male market is a growing one, and ignoring it will mean that you will be left in the dust in a few years when it really explodes.

Focus on the Most Popular Procedures in Your Market

One of the best resources offered by ISAPS is our yearly Global Statistics. It is packed full of interesting and useful information for the plastic surgeon who wants to be in the know.

Some of the most useful information in the statistics is the estimate of the most popular plastic and cosmetic surgical procedures in your home country. For example, if you are a plastic surgeon from Brazil, you can see that the three most popular plastic surgery procedures in your country are breast augmentations, liposuction and eyelid surgery; while the three most popular non-surgical procedures are botulinum toxin, hyaluronic acid and hair removal. You can use this information to customize your marketing efforts, focusing on these procedures in your advertisements.

Offer Non-Invasive Cosmetic Procedures

Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of surgery, but that is no reason why those potential patients should feel they are cut off from cosmetic augmentation. There are a ton of effective non-surgical cosmetic procedures out there that you should be offering to your clients to boost your bottom line and increase your patient-load.

Botox and dermal fillers are two fantastic treatments that should be staples in any plastic surgery clinic. One of the great things about these procedures is the potential for repeat business. As they both have a shelf life, there is a good chance you might see the same patient come in a few months later, looking for a refresh.

Develop Your Brand

If every plastic surgery clinic seems to be offering the same procedures, how do you differentiate yourself enough to break in? You have to build your brand! Brand recognition is one of the biggest reasons patients choose specific plastic surgery clinics. You need to get your name out there, so people will think of you when they think, “Hmm, maybe I want to get some plastic surgery…”

We aren’t only talking about your clinic’s brand here, we are also talking about your personal brand. You need your name to become synonymous with experience, skill and results.

Emphasis Digital Marketing

Although print marketing is still a valuable avenue for advertising, plastic surgery marketing has almost fully shifted into the online arena. This means that your practice needs a stunning and functional website (mobile-optimized, of course), active social media channels (such as Facebook and Twitter), and a robust email marketing strategy aimed to keep you in touch with your clients while reaching out to new ones. Other ways you can capitalize on your digital presence is to write a weekly blog about plastic surgery, run online-only promotions, and become part of the online conversation about cosmetic surgery.

Sell In-Office Products

A great way to boost income at your plastic surgery clinic is to offer in-office sales products such as skincare creams, books and other beauty items. These products can act as “impulse buy” items for patients, if kept at your practice’s front desk. By carefully selecting the specific items sold at your clinic, you can exert quality control, only selling items that you deem potentially beneficial to your patients.

Promote Complementary Procedures

You know what goes great with an endoscopic brow lift? A full facelift and neck lift. By promoting complementary procedures to your patients, you will be directing them toward a more complete rejuvenation and potentially better results. Remember, this kind of upselling isn’t meant to direct patients to procedures they don’t need or want. It is meant to help bring their attention to other procedures and possibilities that will allow them to better meet their aesthetic goals.

Keep on Top of New Technology

Everyone wants the latest and greatest. We all need the latest phone, the trendiest clothing, and, of course, the newest and most effective plastic surgery procedures.

It’s important that you keep on top of the development of new technology and procedures. If you can offer a new cosmetic procedure before your competition, it will be a huge draw for your clinic. It will also promote your brand as one that values innovation and leads the way in offering the best new cosmetic surgical technology to the masses.

Properly Use Your Staff

Your staff is the front line at your practice. When patients walk in, they aren’t going to be talking to you right away, they are going to be talking to your receptionist. The way your staff treats your patients will go a long way to defining their plastic surgery experience as pleasurable and stress-free. Make sure that you invest time and energy into training them into the type of staff that you would want to interact with if you were to walk into a plastic surgery clinic.

Another way that you can effectively use your staff is to offer them sizable discounts on many of the cosmetic procedures offered at your clinic. This will allow them to speak to customers first-hand about the benefits, essentially acting as brand ambassadors, as well as employees.

Become a Member of ISAPS

There are countless plastic surgeons out there in the world and the average person probably doesn’t know how to tell them apart. One of the best ways is to become a member of ISAPS. Not only will your name be available on our website as a member in good standing in the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, you will also have that feather in your cap. This can reassure your patients that you are a professional in your field. Becoming a member is a fantastic way to reaffirm your personal high standards of ethics and results in the field of plastic surgery.