How many consultations did your practice conduct last month, and how many of those patients booked a treatment or surgery? If you don't know the answer, you're overlooking one of the most important revenue opportunities in your business.
I regularly work with practices converting only 40% to 50% of their consultations, yet many owners and managers assume they need more leads to increase revenue. Before spending another dollar on marketing, I want to know what's happening during the consultations they're already booking.
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One of the biggest mistakes I see is that the consultations are fragmented, the time scheduled is too short, providers spend too much time “talking” vs listening and asking questions, or they start to diagnose too early in the conversation without actually getting to know and understand WHY the patient is there and what is the result they want to make them “feel” better. They may be clinically excellent, but that doesn't automatically make them effective communicators or salespeople.
In my sales training, I teach a 13 strategic question consultation framework designed to uncover a patient's concerns, motivations, expectations, and readiness to move forward. Here are three that I believe can make an immediate difference in how your team conducts consultations.
1. "How long have you been feeling this way about XYZ? What first made you notice it?"
Every consultation should begin with preparation. I recommend using a Confidential Intake Questionnaire (CIQ) to gather information about the patient's concerns, treatment history, goals, and expectations before they arrive. The provider should review that information in advance.
But knowing what bothers a patient and understanding WHY it bothers them more importantly how it makes them FEEL are two different things.
Maybe a patient comes in asking about a laser because she's noticed her sun damage and wrinkles. As you ask more questions to get to know them, you discover she's recently gone through a divorce, is re-entering the dating world, and wants to feel more confident about her appearance.
That information changes the conversation. You're beginning to understand what motivated her to make the appointment and what she hopes to accomplish. It also gives you an opportunity to assess her concerns more comprehensively rather than focusing exclusively on the procedure she requested.
2. "How would it make you feel if you could wake up tomorrow and feel more confident about how you look?
This is one of my favorite questions because it gets to the emotional motivation behind the patient's decision.
Patients rarely walk into your practice because they're excited about a syringe of filler or a laser treatment. They're looking for an outcome. They want to feel more confident, look less tired, or address something that's bothered them for years.
When you ask this question, stop talking and listen.
Their answer tells you what matters most to them. It also gives you valuable insight into their expectations, which allows you to explain what's realistically achievable and develop a comprehensive treatment plan aligned with their goals.
Remember, the provider's job is to educate, make appropriate clinical recommendations, and help patients achieve their goals. Not just a transactional approach. The patient should feel heard and confident in the recommendations being made.
3. "On a scale from 1-10 how committed are you to get started with this treatment plan to get you looking more confident?
Too many consultations end with the patient saying, "I need to think about it," and the provider responding, "Okay, call us when you're ready." That's where practices lose opportunities.
I teach the LAER communication model: Listen, Acknowledge, Explore, and Respond. When a patient hesitates, your first responsibility is to understand why.
Is it the investment? Fear of pain? Downtime? Uncertainty about the results? Or did the provider fail to explain the value of the recommended treatment plan?
Don't assume you know the objection. Ask, listen, and address it appropriately. Sometimes patients simply need more information or reassurance before deciding. And sometimes they genuinely need more time. Either way, you should understand their concerns and have a clear follow-up process.
The Financial Impact of Better Questions
Let's put some numbers behind this. If your practice conducts 50 consultations per month with an average initial treatment value of $1,500, converting 40% generates $30,000 in booked revenue. Improve that conversion rate to 70%, and you're generating $52,500 from the exact same consultation volume.
That's an additional $22,500 per month, or $270,000 annually, without acquiring a single additional lead.
At Terri Ross Consulting, we target consultation conversion rates of 70% or higher for non-surgical treatments. Reaching that benchmark requires a consistent consultation process, comprehensive treatment planning, effective communication, and follow-up.
Here’s what you can do immediately:
- Start by listening to how your providers conduct consultations.
- Are they asking meaningful questions, or are they doing most of the talking?
- Do they understand what motivates the patient?
- Are they confidently asking patients to move forward when treatment is appropriate?
The questions your team asks today can directly influence the revenue your practice generates tomorrow.
