News You Can Use

What's better: IPL or laser? This is a question many people seem to wonder about. Traditionally it's depended on what you’re treating.  However, with some of the newer technology the gap between IPL and lasers has narrowed substantially over the years. Intense pulsed-light systems hit the market in 1996 and no one really knew what exactly they were good for at the time.  The first one on the market (the Photoderm AKA the "PhotoBurn") was touted as being a miracle device that could treat all colors of tattoos, leg veins, pigmented and vascular lesions on all skin types and more.  The problem was the manufacturer and the physicians were still trying to figure what to use it for and what the settings should be.  During that time many people ended up with rectangular burns on various parts of their bodies.  It wasn’t until a physician in California coined the phrase “PhotoFacial” and started offering 5 moderate treatment sessions about 3 weeks apart for tr...

Appreciation and gratitude   I was at an office one time where the doctor made a big deal out of listening to and rewarding his staff. They would have a meeting every Friday morning to review how things were going, what concerns they had, any suggestions, patient comments, and what could be done to improve efficiency.  He made sure they could say whatever was on their minds and took everything into consideration.  If changes needed to be made, they made it happen. Once a month during these meetings, he would hand out bonus checks to those most deserving and praised everyone for their efforts. The attitude of everyone in that office was great.  It’s amazing how far a little extra attention and appreciation will go. What can you do today to show more appreciation and gratitude for those you work with and those you serve?

The "business" of lasers Many physicians and medspa owners are challenged with how to get the most from their lasers and related aesthetic equipment and offerings. I’m available to come to your office for a day to review the “business" of lasers regarding your services. My visit will focus on: Review of the current state of your lasers, equipment, offerings, treatments, and marketing Fine tuning treatments for better results Promoting your services more effectively Analysis and comparison of your equipment verses others in your area Training and motivating the staff Creatively branding your treatments and services  Updates on trends and technologies Providing tips on how to be a better educated consumer when purchasing equipment Addressing any equipment service issues you might have I’ve worked with medical lasers and related aesthetic devices for over 20 years. I’ve been in hundreds of offices and had countless discussions with physicians,...

Choosing the right equipment Many physicians are confused about what type of equipment is best when they want to add additional services to their practice.   When trying to decide, focus on the following issues: Specific types of treatments you want to perform Skin types will you be predominately treating Who will be performing the treatments Return on investment projection Age range if buying used Purchasing budget range Many times the first step is figuring out the budget.   I’ve worked with several physicians who say they want a specific type of system and then after tracking one down they find out it’s not in their price range.   Figure what price and age range you want to stay within and then get approved for financing if needed (I can help with this). This is important because you’ll be able to move more quickly on a prime used system or put you in a stronger negotiating position with a manufacturer for a new system. If you’...

Bass boat Several years ago I was a distributor for a company selling microdermabrasion systems. One day I went to a small town of maybe 9,000 people in southern Louisiana to demonstrate it for a family practice physician who was wanting to expand his services and offer skin care treatments.  His main concern was that the folks there were not going to be willing to pay for a cash-based treatment like this.  I was sitting in the waiting room with the device waiting to go to a treatment room to set it up for the demo when a very nice middle-aged woman sitting across from me asked what it was. I explained how the crystals would get sucked through an opening in the handpiece to exfoliate and this treatment along with a good topical product would rejuvenate the skin. She asked how much the treatment would cost and I said most offices were charging around $125.00 per treatment and most people usually got one a month for 3-4 months and then did a maintenance ev...

A want to not a need to... One of the biggest mindset shifts for a physician offering cash-based services from a traditional medical office for the first time is realizing this is dealing with a want-to scenario not a need-to.   A choose-to not a have-to. What I mean by this is when a patient chooses to have an elective cash-based service performed they do it based on emotion and the desire to feel better about themselves.   All their lives they’ve gone to the doctor because somethings not right, something hurts, or they’re worried and have to make that appointment and are not usually happy about it.   When someone chooses to go to the doctor because it’s for something they want to do to improve their body or mindset, it’s a whole different story.    I’ve had many physicians tell me they were blown away when the same patient who would come in for a visit in the past and complain about a $50 co-pay would be the same one who came in with a smile o...

New website, new focus My new website just went live.  Check it out at www.lasercoach.com .   I am a physician oriented resource for cash-based products and services than can be added to a medical practice. I’ll be bringing you tips, updates, new devices, products and treatments all related to cash-based services you can offer your patients.   In addition, I’ll share ideas I’ve developed after working with hundreds of physicians in over 25 years in the industry.    This information will show you how to bring in extra income, save money, and make you a better educated consumer. There is also a platform for customers to list devices they want to sell or buy.   My focus is on physician to physician transactions and cutting out the middleman dealers or brokers.   I want to be your go-to source for anything you need regarding cash-based devices and services.   Let's start with a phone call to ...