Question for those that offer same-day, face-to-face consults with the option to treat immediately How do you manage your diary if most your clients don’t really know what they need until after the f2f consult? I’m a solo practitioner with limited treatment days, so efficiency is really important for me. The challenge is that most of my clients are new to aesthetics. They don’t want to book in by "area" (e.g., lips, chin, nose) because they aren’t sure what’s right for them - they want me to assess, recommend, and then treat. I personally love this way of doing it as I'm not a fan of clients self-diagnosing, but as a result, some appointments are quick (e.g. one area), while others expand into multi-area plans with longer treatment and discussion times. This unpredictability causes both wasted gaps in my diary and clients having to wait while I run late. I’d prefer not to push the decision back to my clients when they're booking in (since many would get paralysis by analysis as they're new), but I'm not really sure how to deal with it. I’d really love to know what booking/timing method has worked best for you when people are booking in for open consults w/ potential for same-day treatment (as opposed to booking in for a specific treatment). Many thanks :)

When I first started, I didn’t charge a consult fee because I needed to get people in the door. Eventually, I began charging $125, which goes toward any service. The pros of free consults are that you’ll attract more people, and if your consult is strong, most will book because they feel a natural obligation to reciprocate. The cons are the no-shows, since people don’t feel committed when it’s free. In the early years, I accepted no-shows as part of the process because the majority who did show up became clients. As you grow, you’ll want to introduce either a consult fee or a no-show fee, for example a free consult but a $125 fee if they don’t show. Both models work—it just depends on where you’re at in your journey.

The hard truth is that consistent effort of whatever path you choose is the answer. Two pricing paths when starting out: 1. Lower prices Fills your schedule fast but attracts more tire kickers and low-value clients. Great for practicing and building confidence, not so great for net profit or long-term retention of great clients. 2. Higher prices Slower start, fewer clients at first, and more pressure to add value to justify your rates. But you’ll attract better clients, earn more per appointment, and build a loyal, high-value client base. The early frustration is worth it—long term, you’ll have higher profit and stronger relationships with great clients. A few more posts will be up shortly addressing this in more detail.

Just dropped a new post on the community page! If you’re thinking about launching memberships in your clinic, this one’s for you — featuring the RepeatMD app and international alternatives. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/Er_sQgvlZlU?si=E86eKKxiJn0XEnYz

Hi Dan and fellow providers, Do you still think RF microneedling is the best first device for a solo provider practice? If not, what would you recommend? I recently demoed Morpheus 8 and I was pleasantly surprised how comfortable the treatment was, but they numbed me for 1 HOUR 😳 (My appointment time for RF would be 90-120 minutes). Currently, my patient's concerns are: 1. Hyperpigmentation - IPL 2. Lower face heaviness (jolws and submental fullness) - RF 3. Fine lines and pores - Resurfacing More I look into devices and talk to reps from different companies, more confused I get 😵‍💫 Any guidance/recommendations? Thank you 🫶