I was a frustrated consumer. That’s where my story begins. I was looking for a different kind of skin care experience—one that was holistic, rooted in science and prioritized clinical-grade treatments and long-term skin health. I was looking, in short, for a skin care experience that actually focused on caring for my skin. No matter where I looked, I couldn’t find it. No place offered the kind of experience I was after. I knew I wasn’t the only one looking, either. Throughout my personal and professional circles, I encountered countless women searching in vain for a different kind of skin care experience. Before long, what is today Habit Med Spa and Facial Bar was born.
Related: Kate Dee, M.D., Exposes the Ugly Underbelly of Unregulated Medspa Mayhem
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I was a frustrated consumer. That’s where my story begins. I was looking for a different kind of skin care experience—one that was holistic, rooted in science and prioritized clinical-grade treatments and long-term skin health. I was looking, in short, for a skin care experience that actually focused on caring for my skin. No matter where I looked, I couldn’t find it. No place offered the kind of experience I was after. I knew I wasn’t the only one looking, either. Throughout my personal and professional circles, I encountered countless women searching in vain for a different kind of skin care experience. Before long, what is today Habit Med Spa and Facial Bar was born.
Related: Kate Dee, M.D., Exposes the Ugly Underbelly of Unregulated Medspa Mayhem
When I decided to open Habit in 2017, I didn’t know exactly where the journey would take me. I just knew in my heart that I was onto something. Over six incredible years later, Habit has become one of the fastest-growing medspas in the Richmond, Virginia area. I’ve learned so many lessons along the way; lessons I love to pass on to others. These are the six most important lessons I’ve learned about running a successful and patient/client-centric medspa:
1. Having a Brand Promise You Truly Believe In Comes First and Foremost
If you’re serious about making it in this industry, you need a brand promise that defines your business and drives every aspect of your decision-making. The first part is easy enough; it’s the second part that makes it truly meaningful, and that’s the part that requires relentless work and dedication.
In the case of my own medspa, staying true to our brand promise means that every time we make a business decision, invest in equipment, interact with a patient or recommend a treatment, we never waver from our focus on holistic skin health. If it’s not clinical-grade and rooted in science, we’re not going to do it.
The promise itself isn’t necessarily what’s important. It’s the commitment to embedding that promise into everything you do and every decision you make that matters.
2. Educating Clients is Far More Important Than Influencing Them
I get it, it’s 2024, and everyone wants to be an influencer. But here’s what we’ve learned over the years about clients: they have no interest in being influenced. None. Zero. What they want is education. They want to understand what you’re recommending, why you’re recommending it and why it’s right for them. That’s one of the many reasons we have a nurse practitioner specializing in dermatology on our team, to help our clients feel informed about the investment they’re making in the health of their skin.
The best client relationships are those forged through trust, education and the feeling that the client is in control of their destiny. So, with everything from the content of your website to the way you speak to clients during consultations (and not just initial consultations; your most loyal clients crave education just as much as your newest ones), always focus on educating rather than influencing.
3. The Client Experience You Create is as Important as the Treatments You Provide
The most successful medspas are not necessarily those providing the best and most effective treatments, but rather those providing the best client experience. Certainly, the quality and efficacy of your treatments and services are a huge part of that experience – but they’re only part.
Every touchpoint contributes to a memorable client experience. Everything you do impacts the degree to which a client feels seen, heard, valued and understood. That means from the moment a client books an appointment with you to the moment they walk out the door and beyond, the entire experience has to be seamless.
I refer to this as adhering to the gold standard of service. Have we given them directions on where to park? Do we greet them warmly and by name when they arrive? Are we ready for them as soon as they walk through the door? Do we know what they like to drink? Did we follow up after their last visit to see how they were feeling? For all the thought and care that goes into your treatments, the same level of care has to go into your client experience.
4. The Right Technology Can Make Your Business; The Wrong Technology Can Break It
I’ll admit it: when I first became a medspa owner, I underestimated the impact technology plays in delivering a seamless client experience. Sure, I knew we needed the latest and greatest when it came to our treatment tech, but I didn’t think of software the same way. Over time though, I came to learn that the right software technology can make or break your business.
After all, what good are effective treatments if clients can’t book appointments online? What good is having a highly trained and experienced staff if you can’t keep track of who is coming in and when? What difference does it make if your marketing and branding are amazing if you constantly inconvenience clients by making them wait around or ask them for the same payment information for the fifth time?
We learned our lesson and invested in a modern client experience platform to streamline tasks such as online scheduling, client messaging and payment processing. I can’t tell you what platform is the right fit for your business, but I can tell you that your client experience is only as good as the technology powering it.
5. Everything About Your Environment & Decor Matters
I’m not here to tell you what the “right” furniture and color scheme is for your practice. I am here to tell you though that environment and decor matter, maybe a lot more than you think. Our job is to send people away looking and feeling their best, and the layout and design of your space play an enormous role in helping your clients get into the right frame of mind to make that happen. At my medspa, we prioritize a luxurious, minimalist aesthetic; one free of clutter and with lots of white space to help relax the mind. Whatever design aesthetic you land on, ensure it reflects the feeling you want to evoke when a client walks in the door.
6. Embracing Change is Mandatory
No matter how well you’ve planned, sooner or later, change comes; quite possibly big, scary, uncomfortable change. For example, we used to be called Sugar & Hive Facial Bar + Med Spa. I loved the name. I loved the brand. But a few years back, for reasons that could fill an entirely separate article, we needed an extensive rebrand, including a name change.
Was a change of that magnitude scary? Heck yes, it was. I lost countless hours of sleep thinking about it. But would we be where we are today had we not embraced it? Not a chance. Maybe you won’t have to embrace one quite that big but change is almost certainly in your future. It’s up to you to be ready.
The Journey is the Best Part
Bonus Tip: Owning a medspa is nothing if not a journey — mostly rewarding, often exhausting, sometimes exasperating, sometimes exhilarating. Wherever you are on your own journey, make time to stop and appreciate it. The journey, after all, is the best part.
