How to perfect your pre-treatment consultation process
The pre-treatment consultation process is often overlooked in the aesthetics industry, so we’re here to tell you all about how to perform one and why it’s so important for beauty business success!
Let’s start with the basics…
What is a pre-treatment consultation?
A consultation is a discussion with your client (new or existing) about an upcoming treatment. It gives you, the practitioner, the chance to talk through the treatment, identify any issues that may prevent the treatment from going ahead and discuss your clients expectations. It gives your client an opportunity to explain their reasons for wanting the treatment, their goals and what results they’d like to achieve.
Why is the consultation process so vital in the beauty and aesthetics industry?
A consultation with your client before a procedure is important for so many reasons. This is your chance to sit with your client 1 on 1, with zero distractions, to discuss their upcoming treatment. Not only will the consultation process help to manage client expectations, it also gives you an insight into their health history to determine any reasons why the treatment shouldn’t go ahead, or highlight things you may need to be aware of.
Is it ever okay to skip a consultation / consultation form if I know my client already?
Hmm, this is a big debate in the industry, but a hard no from us here at The Skin School. We understand that running an aesthetics business is full on - sometimes you don’t even have time to eat during your busiest days. We’ve been there! But trust us when we say - the consultation process is something you really don’t want to rush through (or worse - ignore completely!).
As a beauty and aesthetics professional, your clients safety should always be your number one priority. Yep, even before making money! When you commit to making health and safety your number one goal in your business, incredible results follow, as do the glowing testimonials from clients and recurring income! Why? Because you’ll be working with the unshakable confidence that you’ve done everything in your power to ensure a safe treatment for your clients. The ripple effects of this will flow into all areas of your biz.
What can happen if I DON’T perform a consultation or forget to ask a client to fill in a consultation form?
We don’t want to go on and on about all the things that can go wrong, with even the most basic of beauty treatments (let alone more advanced aesthetics procedures!). You’ll learn all about complications and risk management in our accredited training courses. We’re also not here to put a downer on your new business dreams or give you major anxiety! It can be nerve-wracking enough when starting a new business. We just want you to approach your career like a true professional. This means being prepared for any outcome and making sure you have all the knowledge you need to perform a treatment, before you do it.
The consultation process gives your client a chance to explain their concerns, goals for the treatment results and go through any questions they might have. It will also help your client to understand exactly what the treatment involves, you’ll be able to talk them through the results they can expect to receive and discuss any previous or present health issues that may be a contraindication to treatment. So in simple terms - if you don’t do a consultation, you miss out on all of this information.
How do I perform an aesthetics consultation with a client?
As the professional, your goal should be to provide a safe and effective service. Go into the consultation with confidence and intention to reassure your client. Your initial meeting with the client should describe the treatment in depth and explain step-by-step how the procedure will be performed, including any downtime that may be needed post-treatment.
You should always ask the client to fill out a beauty, skincare or aesthetics consultation form - this is basically a paper trail to prove the consultation took place and will cover all important information you need to know before starting the treatment. It is also used in the rare event that something doesn’t go to plan, as you’ll need this to share with your insurance company if there are any serious problems.
Your client should have the opportunity to discuss the results they expect to receive from the treatment, talk about concerns they have and show images of what they’d like (if relevant). This is your one big chance to be open and honest with your client - manage expectations early on in the treatment and it will make for much higher customer satisfaction by the end!
TIP: Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge and opinions as a practitioner with the client. If you think the result they are asking for is unrealistic - tell them! If you think it will look awful or unnatural - tell them! Really think about what you want to be known for too - your client will be a walking advertisement of your work so it’s important that you are happy to provide the results they want.
Are you looking for the perfect skincare consultation form for your business? We’ve designed this editable template so you can stay ahead of the beauty game! Best of all, it’s completely free. Head over to our freebies page to download yours!
Newbie to the industry and looking for a fully accredited, industry-recognised qualification?. Book your place on one of our skincare & aesthetics training course today!