How to Find the Best Med Spa Training Courses

In this interview, Kristin Groop (a.k.a. “The Laser Chick”) discusses the importance of on-going med spa training.  Kristin helped create curricula for laser estheticians at the Esthetic Advisor Laser Academy.

Due to her expertise in the area, Kristin acts as an expert witness in laser-related lawsuits. Because of that, she’s seen some bizarre cases. Many of the issues in these cases come down to a lack of training. Unfortunately, most states have zero requirements when it comes to providing light-based therapies.

This episode will cover:

• Why device research is the first step towards good med spa training
• What to look for in great med spa training
• Why sales training matters as much as device training

After getting started in the industry, she left one course feeling like she hadn’t received good information during the entire ten-day period. She knew laser training needed to change. Laser technicians needed good, scientifically-based information from peer-reviewed sources.

Training needed to be more than words; it needed substance. Eventually, this led to her creating her own curriculum and training school. She’s been training since 2005, educating more than 10,000 estheticians around the world on how to use light-based therapies and esthetic procedures. 

Device Research is the First Step Towards Good Med Spa Training Course

Med spa directors get excited about purchasing a new machine and want to start training on it right away. But ensuring you are buying the right devices for your med spa is the first step in getting the best training. This process starts with looking at your patient demographics. Your demographics will drive what treatments you can do and who you can work on. That’s because not all laser treatments work well with all skin types. So you need to determine who is coming to your med spa, what they need, and how you can provide it. 

Keep in mind that many devices may require you to receive additional training or to register with local governing agencies. The salesperson may neglect to mention this. That means the buyer only finds out about these extra costs afterward. Be sure to check out the local laws on any devices that you want to buy for your med spa so you know what to expect.

The truth is that manufacturers want to sell equipment. They don’t care what medical spas are buying as long as they are paying. This is a quick way to make your med spa business cash poor. You end up investing in equipment that you can’t use effectively. So slow down and do your research on your device before you start researching the training. 

How to Find Great Med Spa Training Course:

★   See if the course is money or skill motivated.

A lot of training courses available focus on making a profit instead of actually increasing the student’s skill set. When money is the motivation, eventually estheticians are going to make very big mistakes. A lot of those mistakes come back to a lack of ethical, skill-based training. Research the company and see if they are a certificate mill or if they focus on skill growth.

★   Check out the instructor’s background

It can be difficult to determine the quality of an instructor! If a school has a lot of great marketing, it’s going to make the instructor look good. But you can Google anyone. See if they are actually working in the field in which they are teaching. Medical spas shouldn’t be a “see one, teach one” industry. A lot of trainers only recently learned how to do the procedures themselves before they started training others to do it, too.

★   Look at the student-to-teacher ratio.

Some classes have 15 students or more. In an eight-hour training day, that means each student is only going to get a maximum of 32 minutes of hands-on training time. It’s likely to be a lot less than that. Look for courses that minimize class size to maximize the amount of hands-on time each student receives.  

★   Do a tour of the school. 

Call before you sign up for a training course and make an appointment to tour their facility. Pay special attention to the cleanliness. If the waxing station is a mess, then there is a good chance the rest of the school will be, too. Get a feel for the school by seeing how instructors and students are interaction and what the general mood is of the place.

★   Find out how much of the training is online.

Many estheticians are trying to get their education from Youtube and Facebook. Hands-on training from a human is essential, but there is a time and place for online training. Some courses cover the basics by offering the first part of the training in an online format. The second half of the training is through hands-on time with a qualified instructor. This helps students save on travel costs and can make getting more training easier to fit into a busy schedule.

★   Ask questions. Lots of questions.

Kristin warns, “The faster an educator talks, the less they really know about that subject.” That’s because they are trying to fly through the material and hoping no one will stop them to ask a question. If the instructor asks for questions, it’s a good sign they actually know their subject. But don’t just believe your instructors, either. Take time to check the research for yourself and make sure what you are being taught is correct.

Why Profitability Training Matters, Too

Training should be about more than how to run a machine. The best training also teaches you how to get clients in, make them happy, and get them to refer your business. Good training should include how to maximize your profitability.

Many practitioners don’t think of their med spa as a business. They need to know how to maximize their revenue per hour per room. If you are going to be profitable, you need to have a goal and you need to know how you are going to reach it. Once you understand how to reach your goal, you can train your teams about how to get to that number. 

A lot of training comes down to sales training. Estheticians may feel uncomfortable asking for the sale, but it’s part of their job. Look at opportunities for new procedures. You don’t sell things to clients they don’t need. But if you are doing hair reduction on a bikini line, you should ask about doing it on their underarms and their lower legs, too. If they need skincare products, they should be buying them from you.

Kristin says it’s like having a toolbox with a lot of tools; you don’t have to use the hammer every time. Combine the tools together to reach a higher price point as well as give your clients a more effective treatment. 

Looking for More Information on Med Spa Training and Growth? 

Kristin says the med spa market isn’t saturated, despite what some people think. That’s because it’s not saturated with good estheticians who have the proper training. The right med spa training will help those estheticians truly understand what they are doing and how to get the best outcome for their clients. 

Are you ready to finally stop wearing all the hats and feeling like an employee in your own medical spa? If so, it’s time you step into your true role as CEO!

Join us at the 2021 Med Spa Growth & Profitability Summit!