What's with the Medical Spa price wars? Cheap is no way to build a medical practice.

Medical Spa physicians always seem to want to offer the lowest price. Why?

I speak with a lot of physicians. One of the first few questions that I'm asked has to do with pricing. (read the MedSpa Business or Med Spa Advertising Q&A here.) Physician and medical spa owners seem to be highly agitated by not offering the lowest price in town. This shows directly a lack of competence and belief in their own abilities. If you can't imagine why anyone would come to you except that you have the lowest prices, you have big trouble.

Anyone who will choose you based on price, will leave you just as quickly. That's OK if you happen to be able to deliver services at substantialy reduced costs compaired to your competiton (think Wal-Mart) but it's certain death if your not the clear low-price leader (think K-Mart). Does your Botox, Restylane, Thermage tips, or staff cost significantly less that your competition? No.

The only sustainable business you can build is a reputation on something other than price. Make a decison about where you want to be and start moving in that direction. No woman ever recomended Surface to her best friend with 'they're the cheapest'.

From Seth Godins Blog:

Cheaper is the last refuge of the person who's not a very good marketer. Cheaper is easy and cheaper is fast and cheaper is linear and cheaper is easy to do properly, at least at first. But cheaper doesn't spread the word (unless you are much cheaper, but to be much cheaper, you need to be organized from the ground up, like Walmart or JetBlue, to be cheaper). They are, you're not.

Cheaper is a short term hit, not a long term advantage. Cheaper doesn't create loyalty, because the other guy can always figure out how to be cheaper still, at least in the short run.