How to build wow! body contouring treatment plans

Body contouring technologies can produce amazing results, from fat reduction with lipo laser to skin tightening with radiofrequency (RF) to muscle toning with electromagnetic muscle stimulation (EMS) and so on.  But there’s a catch.  These technologies require a series of treatments to deliver desired results.  That’s why one of the biggest perils for body contouring providers is under-treatment…allowing client demands or client budgets to dictate body contouring treatment plans.  Body contouring professionals must stand by what they know to build effective treatment plans and have the courage to say no when necessary.  To do otherwise is under-treating which can be the kiss of death for your business.

 

Under-treatment is the kiss of death

As body contouring providers, we want so badly to give our clients what they want that we frequently deviate from what we know is needed.  And far too often body contouring professionals allow client’s budgets to dictate body contouring treatment plans.

 

It’s commonplace to see body contouring providers

• Agree to treat an area that is too large to deliver a therapeutic treatment

or

• Go along with a fewer number of treatment sessions than needed

 

Though these concessions may allow you to make the sale today, the long term damage to your business can be far reaching.

 

When you under-treat either by treating an area that is too large or by decreasing the number of treatments, these clients will see underwhelming results.  They will be dissatisfied and unhappy.  And in nearly every case, they won’t share responsibility by remembering your recommendations otherwise.

 

These clients

• Will not become lifetime clients
• Won’t write positive reviews
• Will not send referrals into your business
• And perhaps worst of all, they may be out and about talking about you, your business, and their treatment in a negative light

 

How to build WOW! body contouring treatment plans

You must see past the immediate desire to ‘close the deal,’ and shift your perspective to delivering exceptional results.

 

Execute these four indispensable Elements to build wow! body contouring treatment plans.

Start with Element I, your Client Assessment.

 

WOW! Body Contouring Treatment Plans

Element I

The Client Assessment

 

Basic components of a Client Assessment

The basic components of a client assessment are

1. Rapport building
2. Discovery of the client’s needs and motivations

Learn how to build rapport and uncover client’s needs and motivations. 

1. Identification of the client’s most immediate need/desire
2. Determination of the technology/treatment needed to address that need/desire

 

Start with the Needs Assessment Form to prioritize your client’s needs/desires

Many clients have multiple body concerns and/or multiple areas of concern.  But most clients don’t have the time or the budget to address them all at once.  Prioritization of needs/desires is required.

 

We recommend using a Needs Assessment Form to help your client prioritize her needs.

The Needs Assessment Form forces your client to focus and make choices.

 

Use the Needs Assessment Form prior to the client assessment as a starting point for your conversation during the client assessment.

 

Want a FREE Needs Assessment Form?

Check out our blog, Why you must start every body contouring consultation with this Needs Assessment Form, to download it for free!

 

Client Assessment Tools you should use

During the Client Assessment, you should focus on the client’s pain points.  How has this body concern affected her?  How does it make her feel?  What will it take to make her feel better?

 

Tools you will need

• Full length mirror
• Robe
• Body pen

 

Steps for a Full Length Mirror Assessment

 

1. Undress

• Tell your client you need to assess the area.
• Tell her you are going to leave the room to give her privacy.
• Ask your client to undress down to her undies while you are out of the room.
• Give her a robe to wear over her undies.    

 

2. Explore

• Upon returning to the room, ask your client to stand in front of the full length mirror – without the robe.
• While there, ask her to show you the area she wants to improve and describe the kind of improvement she expects.
• Discuss how she feels about the problem area and what will make her feel better.  This reveals her expectations.

 

3. Identify

• Mark the area with the body pen.
• Confirm the marked area with the client.

 

If the client has more than one area of ‘immediate concern,’ go through the foregoing Explore steps and the Identify steps for each additional area.

 

Now is time for Element II, Client Education.

 

WOW! Body Contouring Treatment Plans

Element II

Client Education

After you have identified the client’s concerns, uncovered her pain points, pinpointed the problem areas, and exposed her expectations, it’s time for Client Education.

 

1. Recommend technology

Tell the client what technology you recommend to make the improvement she wants.

 

2. How the technology works

Explain how the technology works, i.e. the mechanism of action, what role the client’s body functions and lifestyle will play in the treatment outcome, the usual course of treatment, and potential side effects.

 

3. The size of area that the technology can effectively treat

Describe the size of an area the technology/treatment can therapeutically treat.  If your client has identified an area that is too large for a one area treatment, now is the time to explain.  She has two options: (1) limit the size of the treatment area or (2) opt to treat both treatment areas as two treatments.

PRO TIP:  Why did you not go into treatment area size when identifying problem areas in front of the full length mirror?  Because at that earlier time during the Assessment, the client has not been educated about the technology.  So you wait until after the education when the client can  understand the reason for the limitations.

 

Why a series of treatments is needed

• Inform the client that each treatment session produces action and that each treatment builds on the actions of the prior treatment(s).
• Review how the technology works and explain that it will require several treatments to reach her desired results.
• Tell her the number of treatments you recommend ‘to start.’
• Tell her that at the end of the series, she will evaluate whether she wants to continue with more treatments for continued improvement or whether she is happy with results from the initial series.

 

PRO TIP:  When clients hear six treatments, even though you’ve told them they may need more, they often cling to the idea that six treatments will get them where they want to be.  These clients will be less than thrilled if at the end of six treatments, they need more treatments.  So if you determine that eight or ten treatments may be needed, recommend eight or ten treatments.  You can stop before eight or ten if your client is happy sooner.

 

Which leads us to Element III, Setting Proper Expectations.

 

WOW! Body Contouring Treatment Plans

Element III

Set Proper Expectations

 

Like it or not, every client comes to see you with predetermined expectations.  Their expectations may be realistic or they may be unrealistic.

 

It’s easier to deal with unrealistic expectations when you know about them.  You’ve already had a glimpse into your client’s  expectations during your full length mirror assessment.  But the problem is clients don’t always reveal their true inner feelings and beliefs.

 

And problems arise when clients don’t divulge their true expectations.  So you must take the initiative and set clear, manageable expectations.

 

Setting clear and manageable expectations with preemptive strikes

Be proactive.    

 

Clear up any misperceptions by educating your client about what she can expect 

• Prepare an Educational Handout for your client and go through the handout with her item by item
• Ask for an acknowledgement of understanding from your client after each major section
• Post the information from your handout as a web page resource on your website

 

Your Educational Handout should contain the following information

Overview

• The technology/treatment
• How it works and possible side effects
• A reminder that a series of treatments is needed
• A reminder that the number of recommended treatments is customized for each client’s need
• And a clear explanation of when the client may expect to see results

PRO TIP:  Though some clients do report seeing results quickly, most do not.  Use caution overpromising regarding the timing of results.  Clients will cling to the hope of seeing results soon and feel disappointed when they have had four treatments and still cannot see results.

 

Factors that affect the timing of results and the quality of results

• Age – more treatments may be needed at age 40+
• Health status – if your client is carrying extra weight, has a chronic condition such as diabetes or hypertension, or other health issues,  her results may come slower
• Compliance with instructions – if your client wants to have that glass of wine or eat a fast food burger or chooses to avoid water and/or exercise, her results may come slowly
• Lymphatic Function Status – most client’s lifestyles do not support healthy lymphatic function.  We recommend helping your clients by offering lymphatic assist treatments.  Learn more about lymphatic assist treatments .
• Lifestyle – results will be slower in clients with low quality nutrition, excess calories, poor sleep quality, lack of regular exercise, and alcohol consumption.

Finally, include your Post-Treatment Instructions within your Educational Handout

 

Now it’s time to move to your recommendations.

Element IV.  Limit the treatment area to one area (maybe two).

 

WOW! Body Contouring Treatment Plans

Element IV

Limit treatment areas to one (maybe two)

While listening carefully during your Client Assessment, it will be easy to hear that one or two areas cause more pain, frustration, embarrassment or anguish compared to others.

 

Focus on one area (preferably), or possibly two, to show them what your body contouring business can do and how you can help them.  Build a relationship.  Earn trust.  Make your client happy.

 

Underpromise and overdeliver.  Build body contouring treatment plans that you KNOW will produce WOW results.

 

How do you build WOW! body contouring treatment plans when you can’t always predict exactly?

Here’s some examples

• If you think your client may need six treatments, but eight is better and more of a sure bet, build an eight treatment plan. You can always stop short of eight if your client is satisfied sooner.
• If you think it would be best to divide the abdomen into two treatment areas: a lower abdominal treatment area and an upper abdominal treatment area, build a two area treatment plan.  Do not try to (under)treat the entire area in one treatment.
• If your client has a very long way to improve from her starting point to where she wants to be, build a ten plus treatments series.

You get the picture.

Finally, after you’ve gone through the four Elements, here are some tips to assist your client in  making the purchase.

 

TIPS to help your clients afford your WOW! body contouring treatment plans

• Offer treatment series discounted pricing
• Allow your clients to pay for ‘three to four treatment blocks’ at a time
• Work with a finance company and offer financing

 

Get FREE PRICING TIPS in our blog, How to price your body contouring treatments to maximize profit 

 

Visit www.bodycontouringacademy.com to learn more about growing your business with non-invasive body contouring.