The Esthetician Podcast

Transform Your Esthetics Business by Mastering Scheduling and Client Acquisition: Strategies for Building a Thriving Empire

• Kari Jo

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Discover how to transform your aesthetics career by mastering the art of scheduling and client acquisition. I share my personal journey from a solo esthetician to a thriving business owner, and how I overcame the daunting challenge of growing a client base and managing my team's schedules. Tune in to learn powerful strategies like leveraging the 80/20 rule in business, which can help you focus your efforts where they truly matter. You’ll understand the significance of tracking client sources and the unexpected ways that can lead to growth, as I recount my own shift from investing in Instagram to harnessing the power of my podcast and networking.

In this episode, I'll guide you through the essential steps of creating a referral script to boost word-of-mouth marketing, one of the most effective client acquisition methods. Listen to practical tips on how to engage your clients to help grow your business, and the importance of simply asking for support. Whether you're in the survival phase struggling to keep your calendar full or navigating the growth stage with new hires, these insights are designed to empower you to build your aesthetics empire with confidence and clarity. Join our community of estheticians ready to achieve fearless prosperity and ultimate financial freedom.

To learn more about coaching please visit: https://www.karijopatterson.com

Connect with me on your fav social platform:

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Links You May Want to Check out:

Join the Client Building for Estheticians group to go deep in learning all the latest tips and strategies https://www.facebook.com/groups/clientbuildingforestheticians
Check out Kari Jo’s courses here https://esthelaunchacademy.com

Announcer:

Welcome to the Esthetician Podcast, where passion meets prosperity. Your host, Kari Jo Patterson, transformed from a solo esthetician into a successful business owner, achieving ultimate time and financial freedom by the age of 38. Kari is the author of Fearless Prosperity, empowering estheticians to build their empire and achieve financial freedom, and the creator of the Empire Growth System for Estheticians. Get ready for some empire-building wisdom Now. Welcome your host, Kari Jo Patterson.

Kari Jo Patterson:

Hey, esties, I'm your host, Kari Jo, and today I want to dive into a conversation that is going to resonate with so many of you and it's going to resonate for people who are in that survival phase. As you guys know, I wrote a book called Fearless Prosperity. It talks about the six phases that every esthetician has to go through in order to grow their aesthetics empire and what you have to learn in each phase. This episode today is really going to focus on people who are in that survival stage. They are struggling to grow that clientele, that business that they want. It also is going to resonate with people that are in that growth stage and they have hired an employee and you got to build their schedule, because today we are talking all about building your schedule, whether it's yours or your employees. Let's just jump right in.

Kari Jo Patterson:

I remember when I hired my first team member, I was so stressed out because I had enough to keep me busy, but I didn't necessarily have enough to keep her fully booked, and so I felt a little bit stressed out like how is this going to work? How am I going to keep her happy, motivated to stay, and things like that? Does this sound familiar to you? Maybe you are in that phase where you're trying to grow your own and you're struggling, or you're trying to grow a esthetician's schedule and is struggling, right. So this is so common and it's one of the things that I find talked about the most and it also causes the most encouragement between all of us. And I think when I get asked from estheticians like, what do you do? What do you do when you're at this phase and you need to build, what should I be doing? What is the one thing that I should be doing? And there's an 80, 20 rule in business that 80% of the results that you get come from 20% of what you're doing. And so the first thing I would say is you really got to start tracking where people are coming from, and you're going to notice a continuous habit of most people are coming from here.

Kari Jo Patterson:

Then you pour fire on whatever it is. For me, for example, instagram is not necessarily where I get so many of my followers, but I was dumping so much of my money into Instagram, where I actually get many other clients through, say, my podcast and just going out and networking, versus sitting there and creating so much money. So why am I spending so much money. Dumping into Instagram when I could be dumping into my podcast. That's kind of how I want you guys to do. It is I want you to start tracking one of the best hands down. If you look into Google or anything else, you are going to see that the best way to get clients for a return on investment is word of mouth. I want you to dump fire on word of mouth because it works and it is the best form of getting more clients.

Kari Jo Patterson:

So the first step is I want you to come up with a script and you are going to ask all of your clients for a referral all of them and the thing is, clients want to help you. If you have a client, they would be more than willing to help you. It's just people don't ask, and so I want you to make this a part of your script. Here is an easy script of what you could basically say to your clients Like you get done, you do their facial, you're checking them out and you're like, hey, I'm so glad that you loved your facial today. And if you have any friends or family who you think might benefit from my service, I would love it if you shared my information with them, because it helps me grow my business, and I would be so stinking grateful. However, you want to say it, you need to come up with a script so that you are asking for them to help you. People are more willing or you are more likely to get what you want in this world if you just ask for it. Let's ask for it and ask our clients, because people actually want to help people. I don't know anyone. I went in and they're like, hey, can you help me grow my business by leaving a Google review? I would be like, uh, yeah, I want to help other people succeed, so do your clients. So make sure you are asking for it. Having a prop can literally double. If not I'm not kidding you triple your referrals. People love helping, especially if you gave them a really great experience.

Kari Jo Patterson:

The second thing I would say is, if you are trying to grow your employee's schedule, or you are trying to grow your schedule, then you need to maximize your online presence. I'm not talking about Instagram, guys. I am talking about your website. Most estheticians they do not spend a lot of money on their websites. In fact, some people don't even have it. They just use their Vigaro that creates something for them to book and they do that.

Kari Jo Patterson:

Guys, I'm telling you, I just moved into a new town and I'm looking for I literally am going to be going on a trip. I need to get some lash extensions done here. I want my lashes done, and so I sure I go on Instagram. I did hashtag some like lashes in my town and it pulls up people and I go through and I find their picture. When I find them, I'm I'm your client. I'm walking you through how I do this. I then go click and I go through and I find their picture. When I find them, I'm your client. I'm walking you through how I do this. I then go click and I want to know more, and if it just sends me to their book now page, I'm no, I didn't find out what I need. I don't know anything about you. I don't do it. I want to research. I want to know more about you and your company, and so that is why it's so stinking valuable for you to have a website.

Kari Jo Patterson:

Put a little bit of money into making a website. You don't have to spend a lot of money, but you just need to make it really clear. You know what I mean. Give them some information. Have a really nice book Now. Have a section that is going to showcase your expertise. Have some before and afters. Have some certificates about you. Have some client testimonials. Testimonials are killer. If you can get a video testimonial, that is even 10 times more.

Kari Jo Patterson:

This is the other thing is you have got to be able to respond to potential clients messages instantly, like instantly. People want results. Now they are not patient anymore. If you have someone that's calling your business and you're in the middle of a facial, they are not going to wait around for you to call them back. No, they are going to go and call your competitor. You've got to be able to respond to these people that are looking for you very, very, very quickly. And so if you're too busy and you are busy behind the chair and you can't respond to text, then you need to hire a virtual receptionist period. If you are planning to hire on an employee, you better have a virtual receptionist, because you need to get that employee book and you can't have clients walking away. You need instant response. I do have a course that teaches you about this how to pay them, because I know money is tight and how to set it up, everything just so you know, you can find that I'll try to include it in my notes. But definitely hire a virtual receptionist, guys, you have to have someone respond immediately. It will make a huge difference in securing clients. Every client counts. Don't let it get missed because you're too cheap to have somebody else answer the phone immediately or respond immediately.

Kari Jo Patterson:

The next thing is you have got to master the power of SEOs. You have to. So search engine optimization that is what SEO stands for, and this is basically saying how do people find you when they Google something? So if I'm a client, yes, I could use Instagram, but there are plenty of times when I am out that I Google restaurants near me, hairstylist near me, estheticians near me, whatever. It is when somebody Googles that you need your business to pop up, which is why you need a website. That's like basic, basic SEO, right, but if you need to get your SEO function so that it gets your company out there, when someone types facials near me, you are popping up, and if you don't know how to do that, you've got to go out and you've got to hire somebody to do it for you. I'm not saying hire someone as in have someone come into your company and you pay them like hourly. No, I'm talking about go use Fiverr. I use Fiverr all the time, guys, I love Fiverr. You got to go out, find an SEO consulting company. It only is going to cost you a few hundred dollars, but get your basic SEO working so your website is showing up whenever somebody types in Google, you are coming up. If you outdo, if you do that, I bet I bet you will outdo a lot of your competition, because a lot of estheticians do not work on that. Okay, the last thing.

Kari Jo Patterson:

My last tip for you guys is you've got to do a little bit of building B2B. So far, every example that I've given you of things that you can do to help build your clientele, help build your employees' clientele has been business to client, right, but don't forget b2b, business to business. You got to build those relationships. For example, partner with a nearby salon or a boutique or a gym. These are great ways to bring in new clients. Drop them off a little box of cookies or something. Go pick up some drinks, go drop it off and just let them know. Hey, I wanna collaborate with you guys. If there's a way we can do cross promotion with your services, I really am all about it. These gestures are basically gonna open up a door for long-term partnerships Partner with some B2Bs, okay.

Kari Jo Patterson:

So, bringing this whole entire picture back for a moment, if you are feeling struck on that treadmill and you are doing it all, servicing your clients, managing your schedules and trying to grow your business, I want you to take a step back and I want you to start looking at your systems that you have. Do you have a clear plan for how you are going to fill your team member schedule? Do you have a plan for how you are going to train them to deliver that same level of service that your clients expect from you? And how can you create a sustainable schedule for yourself? If the answer is you don't have that yet, don't worry, you're not alone. That's exactly what I help estheticians tackle with my VIP coaching program.

Kari Jo Patterson:

If you are an esthetician and you are trying to grow your team and you just don't know how to do it, you're missing a few systems. It's not working out. That's what I'm here for. Please book a call with me. Let's jump on a phone call. Let me help give you some systems to get you started and boost where you're at. All right, guys, thank you for tuning in to my esthetician podcast. If today's episode resonated with you, please subscribe and leave me a review. I appreciate it so much. Remember you're not just building a business, you are building your empire. So think like that Until next time. Stay fearless and focus and keep growing.

Announcer:

Thank you for listening to the esthetician Podcast with Kari Jo Patterson. Each week, Kari brings you real-world lessons on how to grow your empire. To learn more about Kari Fearless Prosperity Mastermind Group, one-on-one VIP coaching opportunities and more visit Kari. That's Kari. That's wwwcarijopattersoncom. See you next week for more insights and strategies on the Esthetician Podcast.

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