Vanessa Bird discusses reputation and what that means in aesthetics

Reputation

noun a widespread belief that someone or something has a particular characteristic

T he importance of your industry reputation should not be underestimated when it comes to achieving success. The world of aesthetic medicine is increasing in size, yet despite this growth, it remains small and close-knit when it comes to human interaction.

Medical professionals mix online and in person, meeting at conferences, training academies and socially. Company representatives frequent many different clinics each day, seeing and hearing what’s going on at every site they visit and sharing snippets and updates with others. PR agencies and journalists announce the latest developments in treatments, new KOL positions, and industry news, having sourced the relevant information from different people. Awards ceremonies are bursting with people networking, socialising and talking about themselves and others.

This is a people-focused industry, and it can work incredibly well for you if you manage and protect your industry reputation. Doors will open, opportunities will present themselves, and your profile will elevate. However, if you fail to protect your name, you will, at best, limit your growth in aesthetics and, at worst, damage your own reputation and business.

WHAT IS AN INDUSTRY REPUTATION?

Since the Pandemic, we have seen a rise in the use of QR codes. When scanned by smartphones, those little matrix barcodes will pull up a wealth of pre-programmed information on a restaurant, website or brand. It tells us what we need to know, showcases the best bits and helps us decide whether it’s something we want or need in our life.

Industry reputation is a combination of medical expertise and character; how you interact with others, the value you bring to the aesthetic world and the relationships you build

Your industry reputation is very similar to a QR code. Promote and market yourself as the number one surgeon for abdominoplasty or the best nurse injector for liquid facelifts. As long as your work reflects this, the information will serve as a concise bio or ‘business card’ to others as your professional reputation.

An industry reputation offers others an insight into who you are, what you do, your character and your ethical and professional standing in aesthetics. It can inform people about your level of education and areas of expertise but also tells them what you are like as a person and whether you’re someone worth getting to know or someone, they should avoid connecting with.

It isn’t medical expertise alone that builds an industry reputation. Industry reputation is a combination of medical expertise and character; how you interact with others, the value you bring to the aesthetic world and the relationships you build with companies, suppliers, consultants and other satellite service providers. It tells people whether you have influence and could be an asset to them. Industry reputation also informs people if you are warm and fun-loving and go out of your way to help others, freely sharing your knowledge and experience.

Word will get around, and that will positively affect your industry reputation. If you help others connect, you’ll soon be labelled as the goto person for introductions and networking. Your industry reputation touches people you have yet to meet as they get to know your name, face, and how you fit into the aesthetics community. What happens next? They verbalise this ‘QR code’ to others, and it can bring new exciting opportunities your way.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

You may think as long as your professional reputation is flawless, you will succeed In your chosen field, and to a certain extent, that is true. People will hold you in high regard and respect what you do but will that necessarily open doors to new opportunities? Will it allow you to grow your profile, expand your business, make the right connections and increase job satisfaction? Possibly not. Here’s why.

THE AESTHETIC CONSULTANT®

Having worked for many leading distributers in aesthetics, Vanessa Bird uses over a decade of industry experience, knowledge and connections as the Aesthetic Consultant to understand the specific challenges faced by many successful, high-profile individuals and clinics as she helps them to succeed in the elite ‘top tier’.

Visit theaestheticconsultant.co.uk or email aestheticconsultant@icloud.com

Think back to those conferences where you’ve been in the audience listening to a Key Opinion Leader present on stage. Why did they select that particular medical professional to speak on this subject? Perhaps you believe you have much more knowledge and expertise than the speaker or know someone else who would have been able to provide much better content and education than the person standing on stage in front of you.

How did they manage to get this opportunity? Quite simply, their industry reputation (‘QR Code’) opened the door for them. They have a relationship with the company they are representing. The company knows that this practitioner is popular and can draw a crowd. The audience always enjoys their presentations and respects how they share business knowledge or ways to improve clinical results. The company that invited them to speak has listened to the industry reputation, found it to be positive, and given them the role of KOL. It’s the same for people who contribute to journals and magazines. Their industry reputation goes before them. They are known to be knowledgeable, imaginative and great at writing.

What’s more, they can stick to a deadline and can be relied upon to provide great content. Why would a magazine editor take a risk on someone who doesn’t have an industry reputation as a great content provider over choosing someone who is?

Your industry reputation can help with business too. Perhaps you launched a training academy, but you don’t seem to be as busy as other academies despite offering the same standard of training. Consider what people are saying about you. Graduates will talk about the support they received and how approachable the tutors were, as well as the content and education provided. If you’re not being as helpful or engaging as others, then why would they recommend your academy to colleagues and friends? Delegates want to know how approachable you are, whether you’re skilled at teaching techniques to others and even if you provide a great lunch on the day. Small things add up to a powerful industry reputation.

If your actions in public and online aren’t aligned with your brand and how you want others to view you, revisit what you are doing.

WHEN THINGS GO WRONG

Never underestimate how closely connected people are. People talk! If you are rude or dismissive to people thinking they aren’t very important, word will spread and limit future opportunities for you. Arrogance never comes across well, so expecting to win an award on name alone without taking the time and effort to correctly fill out the application shows a lack of respect for the process. Writing or speaking opportunities are going to be few and far between if you behave unpredictably or controversially. If you are late paying bills or owe people money, don’t be surprised when businesses don’t want to deal with you or staff turnover is high.

If your actions in public and online aren’t aligned with your brand and how you want others to view you, revisit what you are doing. If you expect companies or colleagues to pay for dinner or drinks every time you meet, you’ll soon find yourself excluded from future arrangements, which means you’ll miss out on valuable networking. If you copy people’s ideas, you may find yourself out in the cold, excluded from business and social events. If you cut corners, overcharge and underdeliver on treatment results, don’t be surprised to find your patient retention drops and your clinic gets a bad reputation. Once your industry reputation is damaged, it can be very hard to fix as that ‘QR Code’ can also share negative information about you.

HOW CAN I REPAIR MY REPUTATION?

It will take a concerted effort on your part to repair any damage. Speak to someone you trust and ask for honest feedback. What do people think of you? What’s being said? Do others view you as a professional or a party animal? Form an action plan to address any negative issues raised. You may need to apologise for your behaviour or make some adjustments to how you interact with others. Restricting personal posts on your business social media will reduce the risk of ‘off duty you’ damaging your professional reputation. Manners cost nothing, and respect can be given to everyone you meet regardless of their role in our industry. Consider getting an experienced PR agency to ‘relaunch’ your image to raise your profile in a positive way. Reach out to others and ask for their advice and support in helping you relaunch your profile.

GROWING YOUR INDUSTRY REPUTATION

It’s far easier to protect a good reputation than fire-fight a bad reputation, so make sure you consider your actions and make changes before any serious damage happens. Decide what to make public and what to keep private to limit damaging gossip about you. Consider what you upload onto social media. You can still be authentically you but perhaps think twice before posting something controversial. If in doubt, ask a friend first. Our industry is a social one, so you can still party, but do you really need to get so wild AND document it? Once someone screengrabs a comment or photo you posted, it can circulate rapidly and cause damage, so think before you post. With a risk of sounding like a grandmother, “It’s nice to be nice”. Politeness costs nothing, so treat the people in aesthetics the same no matter what title or role they hold. What can you genuinely do for others without expecting something in return? Remember, people recommend people they like, whether that’s a patient recommending you to their friends or a colleague putting your name forward for a new role or award. It feels good to help and support others, and developing this side of you will benefit your industry QR code and bring longevity to your aesthetics career.