Supply and Demand

Why the relationship with your Suppliers is one of the most important things in your aesthetic business

As an aesthetic clinic owner, one of the most obvious relationships to prioritise is the one you have with your patients. After that, you’d probably focus your time on the relationship you have with your team.
Beyond that though, do you leave any real time to work on relationships with your suppliers?

When it comes to an investment, there’s so much more to gain than just a machine purchase and a wave goodbye. Any supplier worth the price tag they give you will be there to support you throughout your working career together.
What matters to your customers, matters to you. And that’s why your suppliers are so important.
Here’s a few key benefits to that clinic-supplier team-up:
 
#1 Long-Standing Suppliers
In order to protect your business, it’s important to choose long-standing suppliers who know what they’re doing and care about it too. Choose to invest in those with experience under their belts and a supportive team to match.
 
#2 Question their Ethics
What matters to each supplier will soon rub off on your business by stocking their brand name in your clinic. That’s why you must ensure a supplier’s ethics are always in the right place and that their devices are safe, FDA approved and led by outstanding patient results. It’s also good to read-up on any clinical trials they may have.
 
#3 Marketing Support
This is undoubtably something you should talk to each supplier about before you choose to invest in one of their products. Do they have a team who can walk you through your key marketing questions? What’s their image stock like? Do they help with social media?
In order to make any investment work you need to promote, promote and promote it again and a lot of that is reliant on your supplier.
 
#4 Training Opportunities
A company that continues to support your growth with training is one that will help to make your business a success. You can never know too much, and the market is ever-changing, so a constant stream of refresher and new product or protocol training from each supplier is important to keeping you and your team at the top of your game.
 
#5 Those Unexpected Moments
Holding a good relationship with suppliers is crucial to those unexpected breakdowns and downtimes that could result in cancelled treatment sessions. The better your communication lines, the more likely you will be to get someone out quickly who can fix the issue and get you back up and running.
 
#6 Pricing Structure
There’s no denying that having a good working relationship with a supplier can bring a few little perks. People buy from people, and if you can build a good rapport and level of respect then there may be a discount or two to be had on future purchases.
 
#7 For Your Ears Only
With over a thousand aesthetic clinics in the UK now, it’s never been more important to find a genuine USP and sell, sell, sell it. Being on the best possible terms with your suppliers can often mean you’re the first to hear about new product launches, giving you early or first access and therefore putting you ahead of the competition. They can also invite you to exclusive events that may open up new doors of opportunity.
 
#8 Share and Share Alike
In a world swamped by social media, it can be harder than you expect to be seen. Every aesthetic clinic is playing the same game on social and trying to stand out. If you can build a positive online relationship with your suppliers and tag them in everything you share, you’ve got a great chance of them resharing your content organically and helping to widen your reach and potential customer base.
 
#9 Consistent Stock
As much as we all try to keep on top of our stock count, sometimes things go wrong or get missed. If you have an open communication line with your supplier and keep in regular contact, you are more likely to get what you need, when you
need it – even if it is a little last minute!
 
#10 Look to the Future
Simply put, a good supplier opens up opportunities for you. They care about your future, they invest their time into it. Speak to each potential supplier about what extra opportunities they may have for you, like becoming a KOL, trainer or speaker for their brand.

As a UK trainer and speaker for Wigmore Medical, Global KOL for HydraFacial and Brand Ambassador for InMode, I can’t stress enough the importance of these supplier relationships. So much of my career can be accredited to the enormous opportunities offered to me by these suppliers, most recently speaking alongside Dr Obagi at FACE Conference 2022.

From the products I offer in clinic, to the exhibitions I speak at and the products I train on, I have over the last 15 years developed a huge passion and belief in the brands that believe in me too - which makes our relationship the most natural and easy thing to sustain!


Sara Cheeney is an award-winning Nurse Prescriber and owner of Pure Perfection Clinic in Rossett,North Wales. With over 14 years of experience in the aesthetics and beauty industry, Sara has gained widespread recognition for her patient's transformative skin results. She is an international speaker and KOL for Hydrafacial and Inmode UK, and one of the UK’s leading speakers for ZO Skin Health. Sara’s main priority is to bring out the confidence in her patients through her practise through a holistic approach to care. For more information, visit pureperfectionclinic.com