By Dori Soukup, CEO and Founder of InSPAration Management

A consultation in a medical spa isn't just the introductory part of a treatment, it's a key piece of your med spa process that can lead to better results for your patients and better profitability for your practice.

The "GUEST" is the most essential component to the success of any medical spa business. The way we take care of our guests while they are in the med spa is what determines whether they come back or disappear forever.

When I ask industry professionals why they chose a career in the med spa industry, most of them say it was so that they could help people. Yet when a new guest visits a spa, they are normally expected to simply select a treatment from the menu, with is then administered with little (if any) discussion. Sometimes I intentionally select a treatment from the menu that is wrong for me to see if the provider will recommend something else more ideally suited for me. They rarely do.

Why? Because in most cases, med spa professionals don't take the time to conduct a proper guest consultation. To me, the guest consultation is the most important step of the entire experience. The consultation insures that providers are going to provide the guest with exactly what they need, address their challenges and deliver the results they are looking for. Without a consultation, we are disappointing our guests and hurting our retention rate.

If you want to improve your guest satisfaction, retention rate and income, I suggest implementing the following five steps to generating revenue through guest consultation.

Check the AmSpa Store for more resources to help you implement your own successful consultation process.

1. Schedule Time to Conduct a Detailed Consultation

When you have a new patient, you should always reserve a consultation first in order to learn and discover their concerns and needs. It's wise to have the receptionist reserve time for both a treatment and a consultation.

Have the provider decide which treatment is ideal for the patient once a consultation is performed. To do this, your receptionist must be trained on how to present the consultation appointment and make the reservation for it.

2. Identify Guest Concerns

To identify the guest's concerns, you can use analysis equipment for face and body depending on the type of treatments you offer. We found that when people see their skin care issues with their own eyes, they are more motivated to take action on your recommendations. You can also use consultation forms; just make sure the form includes problems that guests could be experiencing with their face and body. The guest will mark the concerns they have, which gives you the opportunity to make the appropriate recommendations. You should focus on solving their problems via your menu of services.

3. Develop a Customized Treatment Program

Addressing people's concerns and gaining results normally requires multiple treatments. As a medical spa professional, you should recommend a series of treatments, not just one. One treatment is not going to solve problems or produce the results your guests are looking for.

4. Recommend a Home Care Program

At the end of the first treatment, take the time to help your guests by recommending a home care regimen. Home care is an important part of gaining results. Don't cheat your guests of your professional advice or lose the additional income you could generate from home care products. Find resources to help you train your team to better recommend products here in the AmSpa store.

5. Measure Results

Since the goal is to recommend a series of treatments with your consultation, it's important to measure results and gain a testimonial from happy clients. You can take before and after pictures, document conditions or measure improvements. Whichever method you choose, make sure you gain a raving fan to help build your business.

When establishing your consultation procedure also remember that medical spas are medical practices, so before a treatment plan is finalized, and especially before a patient receives a procedure he or she must be seen by a physician or mid-level practitioner. Conducting the initial exam (or good faith exam) is one of the top legal issues in the medical spa industry so make sure your patients see the required medical professional prior to their first treatment.

Conducting a guest consultation is truly the most important function of your practice. It is the foundation of the entire experience. Don't dismiss it, embrace it! Implementing the consultation process with every new guest will help you boost client satisfaction and your income!

Dori Soukup is the Founder and CEO of InSPAration Management, a firm specializing in medical spa and salon business development, advanced education, and business tools. Throughout the past 15 years, Soukup has contributed to the success of spa companies worldwide. Her passion is developing innovative, effective educational programs and business strategies leading to exponential growth and profits. She is the recipient of the American Spa Preferred Educator award and is a sought-after global speaker within the spa and medical spa industries.