The 1ml myth

Richard Crawford-Small discusses selling illers ‘by the ml’ and how it devalues the skills of aesthetic practitioners

If there is ever a question that is guaranteed to annoy me it’s this, “Hi babes… how much is it for 1ml?”

I’ve been working in the aesthetics marketplace for about 15 years and have worked with many different technologies and products, helping people commercialize and make money from products. I started out with Zyderm/Zyplast collagen, then Hydra-Fill, then Softline, then Botox/Vistabel, then Juvederm, then Natrelle Breast Implants, then LapBand, then RegenPRP, then ZO – the list goes on.

In that time my background in software enabled me to bring iConsult, the first paperless client management system to the sector, and last year I launched the first ever digital currency for the aesthetic market. I have also created the Aesthetic Entrepreneurs community to help businesses achieve their goals and support them in areas such as revenue generation and client communication, engagement and trust.

I’ve built an app to connect and link product manufacturers, practitioners and clients together and reward best practice. I’ve written a best-selling book Changing Faces, that has helped thousands of people around the world launch and grow their own aesthetic businesses.

Finally, through the Entrepreneurs Club, I’m mentoring a group of driven, focused and hungry business owners to grow and develop not only their businesses, but also as entrepreneurs.

As part of my consultancy business, I’ve worked with businesses ranging from small, independent start-ups to large chains. I’ve also been involved in deals concerning anything from one box of filler through to £3m worth of breast implants.

I like pioneering things and I love being an entrepreneur. I’ve been involved in start-ups and new businesses pretty much my entire career and I love the energy of launches, new ventures, new products, and working with new businesses.

Why am I telling you all of this? Because I value myself. I value my insight, my skills and my talent. I’m proud of the results I get. I’m also extremely proud of the results my clients get. I can assure you, they don’t sell fillers by the ml.

As an industry, we have enabled clients to feel it’s acceptable to ring up and say, “how much is 1ml?” hen did that become a thing?

IN COMPETITION

It’s natural to feel threatened by competition and feel like you have got to discount because someone is offering something cheaper, but the race on price is a race to the bottom. There’s always someone cheaper, however, you don’t have to light on price. In my career I never have, nor never will compete with anyone on price, and neither should you. If price is really all your clients are focused on, then they are really not for you. It’s all about outcome and, let’s be honest, that’s really what they should be buying on. My business, like yours, is outcome-related and it really annoys me that as an industry, we have enabled clients to feel it’s acceptable to ring up and say, “How much is 1ml?” When did that become a thing?

As you now know I’ve been working with fillers since collagen, and it was never a thing. When did we allow the market to cheapen and give clients permission to dictate this element of the process? It’s time to demonstrate leadership, educate the consumer and claim back our business. Hopefully it’s not too late. If you want to clearly differentiate yourself, don’t charge per ml.

VALUING YOURSELF

If someone rings you up and asks how much it is for 1ml, the reason they’re doing it is because they have no other point of reference at all. They’re doing this because the only way that they know how to navigate and select is through price. It’s a case of, “My mate had her lips at £100, so that’s what I want too.”

For me, pricing is all about credibility and fear. You might be worried that because you’re just at the start of the journey that you have no credibility. Nothing could be further from the truth. You might have a lack of experience in certain areas, but you have credibility. The way to get over this is to perceive yourself as strong, not weak. In my intro, I outlined my credibility, my authority, my value. You must learn to value yourself and your own skills before others can.

If you don’t value yourselves, then your clients aren’t going to value you either. This will also impact how you communicate to the market, how you carry yourself and how you interact with your clients. To allow your treatments to be judged on the product you use makes no sense at all. Often this is down to a lack of planning or thought around who your target client is, what problem they have, and how you can solve it.

A lack of a plan will make you feel overwhelmed and exposed. Because you have no plan, no real clear cut structure, no idea of your own value, you leave yourself open to being completely and utterly overwhelmed. It’s this paralysis, that sense of overwhelm, that sense of “I haven’t got a clue what I’m doing”, that creates a feeling of panic.

Because you’ve invested heavily in your training, you’ve invested in aesthetics as your future. Maybe you let a job to do this and this leads to desperation to make it work.

If you want to clearly differentiate yourself, don’t charge per ml

But it’s this desperation that leads people to price filler by the ml, or commoditise their products and services.

What is it that makes you stand out from everybody else? We’re in a market that’s growing rapidly, and if you are reading this, you most likely have the skills and talent to perform your work well, and that should make you feel comfortable, however, confidence and credibility comes from establishing and understanding what your unique selling points (USPs) are. As an industry, we solve problems, we generate trust and we build relationships. This is your first USP, but other USPs can be as simple as having a red door or having a big smiley face the first time someone walks in your door. It depends on what attributes you have that enable you to be successful. Don’t be afraid of your clients, just be direct and trust that they are on the same wavelength as you. Your clients’ desire to pay a certain price does not and should not set your pricing. You must know your value. To become a mere service provider is to totally devalue everything you have learned to this point. The studying, the late nights, the investment, the failures, the successes, the nights in while your mates went out, the waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat wondering what you have done, the stress, the elation, the advice given and taken, the mentoring, the time you did that amazing thing that you are really proud of. All of these things are worth much more than, “Hi babes… how much is it for 1ml?”

So create an authority statement and write down what you have done. List out all of the experiences that got you where you are now. You probably have amazing skills, that you probably haven’t even realised, such as empathy, compassion and listening. Don’t take these for granted. Value them and make this worthwhile. Then that annoying question might go away.

Richard Crawford-Small has more than 14 years’ experience in helping to grow aesthetic businesses. His unique

approach to consultancy, and helping you put your clients first has led to the creation of the award-winning iConsult system. Crawford-Small is the author of the best-selling book, Changing Faces, and the creator of Aesthetic Entrepreneurs (aestheticentreprenuers.com), the fastest growing aesthetic business community online.