Passion for providing care and uplifting treatments is a sentiment many injectors share. However, some relationships with patients can harm your brand and require assertion and boundaries in your work. Identifying potentially negative client relationships and turning them away can be difficult. Here are a few examples of when to say No.

Clients that insist on unreasonable treatments

A patient’s input on their desired treatment is always helpful in delivering a safe and effective treatment. However, the line can get blurry when a patient refuses to understand your advice. A client may want to proceed with a treatment that poses risks to them. In these cases, just as a patient is under no obligation to accept safe recommendations, you are under no obligation to provide them with the treatment. Brittney Güney, RN, explains, “I’ve had to turn so many patients away due to overfilling. Even if they choose to go to another practice and get it done, I don’t want it to be from me.”

With this in mind, explain your intention to withdraw yourself from the treatment plan on the grounds of safety.

Nicole Brustkern, DNP, expounds, “I explain to clients why I do not think we, as a team, are the best fit and always come back to safety. At the end of the day, these are medical procedures and they are not safe for everyone.”

Make sure to identify this at the very beginning during the consultation. It is more difficult to terminate your care once you have already started a plan with the patient.

Clients that consistently cancel or result in no-show appointments

Dealing with frequent cancellations and no-show appointments is time-consuming and affects your efficiency. While some may result due to genuine circumstances, it is important to track those that continue to be detrimental to your work. Some patients might show a consistent habit of canceling appointments even after multiple confirmations. Examine your length of engagement with your clients and which ones have caused you to cancel a treatment session many times, especially at the last minute. Nicole Brustkern, DNP advises “You gotta trust your gut and your intuition, if something is telling you that something's off, it probably is, and it's not worth any amount of money to have that client as yours.”

When deciding to end your relationship with a client, make sure to explain the pattern of behavior and the effects it has had on your work. Having the client understand the time wasted in preparation and the effect of re-organizing your schedule can allow you to part ways amicably and minimize bad publicity.

We advise establishing a booking system that focuses on confirmations and reminders to avoid situations like these. You can choose one method of contact, such as (text, phone, or email) and reach out to your customers ahead of appointments.

Clients that constantly complain about the price

Clients may show concern about their budget and the cost of your services. While this is a valid concern, it is important to determine who is willing to make a purchasing decision and who is consistently pushing back on your fees. Focus on your value, provide great consultation on the treatment, and support your work with before and after photos. If a customer continues to criticize your pricing, they are probably not willing to understand the experience of your work despite your efforts. The best decision is to thank them for their consideration and refer them to someone else within their price range.

The truth is that it is always best to focus on providing excellent care to the clientele you already have at your preferred cost level. Even if you end up with one less customer, you would rather advertise to more people than continuously implore some to stay.

Despite all of this, there are many ways to avoid this by having an effective and targeted advertisement strategy.

1. Make sure to identify your niche. It is essential to understand your area and the kinds of clientele you are targeting. Some providers may focus on athletes and others in high-earning professions. Catering your marketing to your identified niche helps attract your desired audience.
   
   
2. Understand how you can target this niche. Crystal Coatney, PA-C explains “I try to partner with similar beauty centric providers such as hairdressers, massage therapists, estheticians so we can refer back and forth.” Networking with other businesses can allow you to generate local interest in the kinds of groups you would like to attract. Collaborations can vary from luxury salons, athletic facilities, or local beauty salons depending on your targeted audience.
   
   
3. Tailor your advertisement strategies to attract your niche. Questions like where they are, who they are, and what other social media accounts they follow can help you form effective marketing. For instance, a younger audience might use Instagram more than Facebook, and a mature audience might prefer phone calls over texting or email. Active and athletic clients may be interested in sweat-reducing treatments. Make sure to produce content accordingly.

At the end of the day, while revenue can be an enticing factor in your work, measuring your profitability will be based on solid client relationships. Make sure to invest in attracting your ideal niche and providing consistently successful treatments. Nevertheless, if it seems like you have encountered a relationship that goes against your work ethic, never be afraid to say No.

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