By Matt Russell, Smart Tan CEO

If you’ve purchased a reputable medical-grade red light therapy device, you need to give some serious thought about committing to that level of investment. Credible red light therapy is not, and should not be treated as an inexpensive membership add-on. With some work, your medical-grade red light therapy service can become a significant service business of its own.

I use the term “medical-grade red light therapy” because I can’t stress enough that this service is not equivalent to a sauna, a massage table, or other devices that provide limited benefits. Those devices are perfect for add-on attractions for your all-inclusive membership. They’re low-cost, soft services that people are comfortable with, and they know what they do. To emphasize my point: Have you ever had a customer tell you that your sauna has changed their life, and they can’t live without it? Probably not.

Medical-grade red light therapy on the other hand is a serious service that can provide measurable benefits that your customers will return for again and again. I like to refer to medical-grade red light devices like the SST28 as a wellness service that “has teeth.” Red light therapy done right is a “sticky” service just like the UV services your customers have become attached to for decades. Just like indoor tanning, red light therapy can help you feel better and look better, and that’s what brings them back.

So, while you’re determining where to set your prices for your medical service with teeth, keep those things in mind. Set your pricing to a level that is indicative of the seriousness of the medical-grade service and the benefits it provides.

Build price packages and/or memberships to provide enough sessions to get your customers results. Offers like “Your First Session FREE!” are okay to let customers experience the unit and get a feel for what a session will feel like. But remind them that most see significant benefits after several sessions scheduled within a few days of each other. Sure, many will feel more energy and see some difference in their skin with one session, but for others, it takes a bit more time. My point here is not to suggest you abandon your free session offers, but to make sure you let your customers know the best results will not be experienced in a single visit.

I would also recommend that you create pricing, packages and memberships designed to follow a benefit-driven protocol. For example, you may consider selling a week of unlimited red light therapy to ensure customers are using the service in consecutive sessions to get the best benefits. If you sell four sessions for $150 and they use the device once every ten days, you could be creating customers who are unimpressed with the service. Even worse, they can tell their friends the service isn’t worth considering.

Selling unlimited memberships can be effective too, as long as you’re reminding your customers before sessions about the importance of following your protocol. I would encourage you to set your prices based on the level of the medical-grade service and the benefits it can provide. If you price the service too low, you may be suggesting the service isn’t to be taken too seriously. Setting a price too high may inhibit too many customers from giving it a try. You might consider setting a strong price point and offering discounted intro packages and running occasional specials from time to time. Remember, it’s much easier to offer discounts down the road than it is to increase pricing because you set your pricing too low.

You should also be careful if you add the service to your business’s “all-inclusive” membership. You probably already have an all-inclusive package, so make sure you consider these points when adjusting that offer. Again, it’s easier to offer specials to overcome what may be perceived as too high of a price than to adjust in the other direction.

One of the issues discussed with a salon group I’ve been working with was adding red light to their memberships. These salons added a limited amount of red light sessions to several membership packages to drive their EFT sales and also get more customers exposed to red light therapy services. The concept worked well – memberships increased, and many customers got to experience red light therapy. However, after careful review, the team realized that too many customers weren’t using the service in the most effective manner. Many used the four sessions included in their monthly membership with too many days between sessions. After surveying a number of their SmartSun Therapy users, they found that they were happy with the service but weren’t in love with it as the many others who used more sessions in a tighter schedule. Overall, the seasonal sales were great, but the objective of creating an additional long-term sustainable service needed some work.

Like with any new business, there’s some trial and error that’s necessary before you find the sweet spot of success. But medical-grade red light therapy has become a beneficial service that consumers are searching for every day, so this effort is more than worth it. It’s our job to show our communities that we are the best providers for this sunlight-based service, not just because we’ve been providing sunlight for decades, but because we are the most knowledgeable and professional red light service providers in our communities.