Getting the HALO™: Driving Record Profits with Sciton Hybrid Laser Technology

Skin Rejuvenation Clinic is a top ranked cosmetic medicine practice offering a broad range of skin care treatments. The clinic’s doctors and professional staff adhere to high standards of excellence and customer service aimed at superior patient outcomes and building business revenues. Early in their practice, physicians Elizabeth and Mark Hagberg established a relationship with Sciton, adding laser treatments that have helped sustain annual double-digit revenue increases.

Practice Overview

Physicians Elizabeth and Mark Hagberg founded Skin Rejuvenation Clinic in 2004. Located in Edina, Minnesota, the clinic is ranked among the top 200 US practices and is consistently in the top ten Sciton HALO™ practices (by volume) worldwide. Beth and Mark are committed to providing patients with the finest, most current, and highly effective treatments using the top-quality equipment and products available. Offerings include body contouring, laser treatments, and aesthetician services as well as injectables, and a comprehensive line of medical-grade skin care products.

“You need to assure your patients of results. That’s why they come to you, and Sciton does that for me so that I can pass it on to my patients. Sciton technology and design is absolutely brilliant.”
– Elizabeth Hagberg, MD
Owner, Skin Rejuvenation Clinic

The Challenge

From the outset, the challenge was how best to accelerate Skin Rejuvenation Clinic’s growth. As with any new business, getting started means establishing a business model and a  mission statement. For Elizabeth and Mark Hagberg, the mission begins with building excellence into the quality and delivery of treatments. They set out to provide “unparalleled customer service,” from an expert team that surpasses expectations and tailors laser and cosmetic treatments to each individual. They believed that the benefits would show in patient satisfaction, continuous services expansion, and revenue growth.

Growing the Business: Recruiting, Training, and Retaining Staff

The clinic takes pride in the quality, warmth, and compassion of every staff member. Each new hire is carefully screened for the right mix of skills and personality. They must care about patients and make every effort to deliver extraordinary services. Extensive training also helps develop skilled aestheticians who are mentored and guided by in-house physicians and educated in every aspect of cosmetic skin care. All employees of the clinic also undergo skin treatments so that they can speak to patients from personal experience – validating results and boosting sales.

Expanding the Portfolio. Expanding Revenue.

Skin Rejuvenation Clinic has increased its revenue by carefully expanding services and staff. The clinic occupies a 7,000 square foot facility with patient services delivered by four physicians, six aestheticians, a practice manager, retail sales manager and eight support staff. Each new treatment and equipment purchase is evaluated for revenue potential and complimentary integration with other services. As new services are added, they are broadly marketed and given time to grow. A full-time marketing manager has the responsibility to promote new offerings with a mix of outbound marketing, social media promotions, website announcements, and staff awareness activities. Tracking services progress is all about the data. The practice software can create a range of analytical reports that go beyond P&L and the bottom line.

Data analysis helps to make informed decisions and answers key questions such as:
• Who are my clients?
• Where are they coming from?
• How many are referrals?
• What is their Frequency of Visit (FOV)?
• What is the revenue from an average visit?
• What is the breakdown of services and retail?

“When to purchase new technology is also important. Keep in mind the right time to incorporate a new piece of technology is often not when you have “money to burn”… it’s when you don’t.”
– Elizabeth Hagberg, MD
Owner, Skin Rejuvenation Clinic

Creative Marketing and Business Relationships

Tight budgets in the early days limited outbound marketing to an independent marketing consultant with experience in marketing cosmetic medicine specialties. However, as she helped Skin Rejuvenation Clinic become a flourishing business, she joined the full-time staff to direct their marketing, communications and public relations activities. The clinic now uses a variety of marketing measures to expand business and acquire new customers. They include local marketing channels, regular monthly product promotions, and rewards programs promoted on the clinic website and directly to customers. Also, an on-site retail store and an online shop feature a full line of medical-grade skin care products that add revenue and help promote the full range of clinic services.

Patient engagement is a regular activity, providing service reminders and special promotions. Client education includes a monthly newsletter and regulars are invited to an annual VIP event. Separate special email blasts and social media messages help support practice awareness, and targeted incentives are offered to patients who haven’t been seen recently. Marketing also happens in person. An important first step to “reap HALO rewards,” says Dr. Elizabeth Hagberg, “starts in the consult room.” She educates each patient about HALO’s benefits. Patients are motivated by discounts on a second treatment within a limited timeframe. Additional discounts may include adding BBL™ to HALO facial treatments or adding the neck and décolleté areas. Also, Hagberg says, “Sciton Marketing does a fabulous job creating materials for physicians and providers as well as for patients.”

Financial Rewards

The Sciton laser’s versatility has been a major factor in revenue growth for the clinic.

Sciton benefits show in clinic results:

• Annual double-digit growth since 2008
• Revenue up 11% in 2016
• Revenue up 15% in 2017
• Revenue estimated to increase 20%  in 2018 and now own their fourth JOULE
• HALO now contributing 49% of annual laser revenue
• BBL contributing 34% of annual laser revenue
• Repeat HALO patients increased revenue by 16% in the first two years
• BBL added to HALO treatments created an additional 23%.
• HALO paid for itself in just four months

“We have been partners with Sciton for more than 14 years,” says Dr. Beth Hagberg. “We own six Sciton products – one is the first laser we purchased in 2004, and it has continued to operate reliably through all these years. And, the products are versatile. HALO, for example, can be used to treat more skin care issues in a single session than any other laser. Product dependability combined with their advanced technology makes Sciton the best company out there.”
– Elizabeth Hagberg, MD
Owner, Skin Rejuvenation Clinic

To learn more about the advantages that JOULE and HALO can deliver for your practice, visit our HALO treatment page https://scitondev.wpengine.com/physicians/halo or contact your Sciton representative at info@sciton.com