Aesthetic Society News – Spring 2017 by Karen Zupko, President “Sorry, I didn’t call you back last week, Karen. I was climbing mountains in Nicaragua.” That was the message that New Orleans plastic surgeon John Church, MD, left for me after my call requesting an interview. What a perfect message and precursor to the fascinating,...
Category: Especially for Cosmetic Practices
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Can This Partnership Be Saved?
Aesthetic Society News – Winter 2017 by Karen Zupko, President “C an This Marriage Be Saved?” was a McCall’s Magazine column I used to read with great fascination as a teenager. Each month, a psychologist would address questions from real readers whose marriages were on the rocks. The problems were frequently related to miscommunication, money,...
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10 Things a Billing Service Should Provide Your Practice
Aesthetic Society News – Summer 2016 by Karen Zupko, President Last week, a plastic surgeon from Tennessee called. He outsources his bill six months ago and asked which reports the service should send him each month. To date, he had not received any reports, and cash flow was slow. A client with a blended reconstructive...
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10 Non-Financial Reasons Patients Don’t Schedule
There is a common perception among aesthetic surgeons that the primary reason a patient doesn’t schedule surgery is because of the fee. You aren’t “cheap” enough. You won’t discount or haggle. Someone across town charges less so they probably scheduled with him/her.
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Dropped Leads, Why They Happen and What to Do About Them
Aesthetic Society News – Winter 2016 by Karen Zupko, President After mystery shopping over 150 aesthetic plastic surgery practices through their websites and by phone, we’ve come up with a pattern of kerplunked leads. Whether the “lead,” (AKA “prospective patient”) calls or writes your office you’ll’ be surprised how many inquiries are not answered or...
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The 5th P: “Personnel” is Essential to Your Practice’s Marketing Mix
Price. Product (or Service). Promotion. Place.
These "4 Ps" comprise the classic Marketing Mix and are foundational components of any marketing discussion or marketing plan development.
But I propose that there is an important "P" missing from this mix: Personnel.
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Rewarding Everyone: Creating Team Bonuses That Work
Aesthetic Society News – Summer 2015 by Glenn Morley Rewarding a Patient Care Coordinator (PPC) with a financial bonus can be a catalyst for improving the sales activity that is central to this role, and many aesthetic practices offer one. But the truth is, everyone in the practice plays a vital role in the sales...
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Employee Verification
MedEsthetics – November/December 2014 by Karen Zupko Because employees of medical practices and medspas have easy access to patient information, employers must conscientiously verify information provided by applicants. One way to decrease the risk of hiring staff members who may jeopardize patient or practice safety is to perform reference and background checks. Some of the...
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Build Better Patient Relationships, Faster, Using the FORD Method
Aesthetic Society News – Fall 2014 by Karen Zupko, President “How long will I have to stop running after surgery?” It’s a simple question that many patients ask. You can choose to give the patient a simple answer, for example, six weeks, and move on to the next topic on your laundry list of risk...
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Tighten Cash Handling & Audit Controls: 9 Best Practices That Reduce Embezzlement Risk
Aesthetic Society News – Summer 2014 by Karen Zupko, President A few years ago, we worked with an aesthetic practice whose patients frequently paid in cash. To document the amount collected, the staff made copies of the cash, fanning out the bills to show the dollar amount listed on each, but displaying the serial number...