What’s more important than attracting a new aesthetics client? Keeping that client. And, what’s even better than rescheduling clients? Rescheduling them to come back more often. The more frequently clients visit, the more income you can earn from those extra visits, and who doesn’t want that? But, how do you convince people to add additional appointments without giving the impression that you’re simply trying to milk them for more money? It’s easy if you follow my personally-tested client rescheduling strategies.

Now, instead of worrying about clients’ willingness to see you more often than they do now, consider these facts:

1. They already like their service time with you, so returning a little sooner for the care they enjoy can be an appealing idea for many clients.
2. Clients love expert suggestions regarding their appearance. That’s why they come to us, right?
3. You don’t really know what a client is willing to do unless you explore the possibilities.

With these points in mind, let’s explore some ways to encourage additional appointments in between regular visit cycles.

THE CORRECTIVE TREATMENT PROGRAM

Consider the new client who has clearly stated during their initial consultation session that he or she is interested in specific skin improvements. This is a great opportunity to plan and schedule a series of treatments that address their concerns. By series I am not referring to the common practice of the upfront selling of a group of facial treatments at discount (though you may elect to do that). In this case, the series is intended to produce specific skin benefits over a period of time that you determine will work best. This could include a number of microdermabrasion or peel treatments administered on a weekly basis or whatever routine you feel will most likely deliver the desired results. The point is that you have a chance to see the client more frequently than the typical four-week cycle, with good justification, thus increasing short-term income.

SEASONAL FACIAL TREATMENT “INTENSIVES”

As every smart aesthetician know that changing seasons can have profound effects on clients’ skin. We know that winter dryness, post-summer dullness and many other temporary or even long-term influences can negatively impact the skin’s appearance. Anticipating these seasonal conditions gives the skin care professional the perfect reason to suggest interim treatments to correct or even prevent these issues. I often schedule my routine clients for a peel series after September 1, with special super-hydrating interim facials to ward off severe winter dehydration at the beginning of December. Spring is a great time for a microdermabrasion series. But, also remember, any time clients express concern about something they see on their skin is the ideal moment to suggest a corrective treatment that can improve it.

ONCE AGAIN WITH LOVE

Even irregular clients – those who visit only a few times a year – can often be convinced to schedule at least one more treatment than usual if your suggestion to do so is compelling enough. Remember, if they appreciate your work enough to return even sporadically, there’s a good chance they may be willing to add one or two more treatments in a year to receive whatever benefits you indicate will come from it. I did this recently with a client who, for the last four years, has scheduled every three months but not more often than that. Seeing a sudden blackhead buildup on her skin (likely due to some secret cosmetic product she hadn’t discussed with me), I recommended another treatment the following month to fully rid her of the problem. She agreed and made the appointment.

Never sell yourself short. We frequently hear this question from new clients following their first facial: “How often should I come in?” This is the time to test the client’s desire to see improvement in their appearance and not to react to money fears. All too often aestheticians concerned about negative pushback from clients will hesitate to recommend visit cycles that are more frequent than what they have come to see as normal or a reaction-safe suggestion. This is a costly mistake. Wise professionals will always reach beyond their personal comfort zone and attempt to build a better business by increasing a client’s visit routine. The worst that will happen is a friendly decline – which I have rarely experienced when a good reason for additional treatments has been properly and justifiably offered.

Our businesses are what we make of them. We are in charge of our success or failure. When you know what you want, the next step is to challenge yourself to receive it, and that comes from taking the lead in client relationships.

Douglas Preston’s career spans over 30 years in professional aesthetics, spa management, and skin care career mentoring. His business articles appear in many of the top trade journals and magazines. He is a past president of Aesthetics International Association and former committee chairman for The Day Spa Association. His recently published book, “An Esthetician’s Guide to Growing A Successful Skincare Career,” is a top-seller among ambitious working skin care professionals. Preston leads The Inspired Esthetician, a membership-based resource for professional education and career/business mentoring. He also practices aesthetic skin care in his prestigious Los Gatos studio, Preston Skin Center. theinspiredesthetician.com, prestonskincenter.com, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.