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Hey Med Spa owners — today’s topic is all about devices. This comes up constantly — in our podcast interviews, in client strategy calls, in peer discussions with other consultants and marketers in the space, and just from our own boots-on-the-ground experience working with med spas around the country.
Last week, I had a great conversation on the podcast with Ben Hernandez from Skytale Group — a firm that helps med spa owners evaluate, grow, and even sell their businesses. In that conversation, the topic of device purchases came up yet again, and it’s been on my mind since.
So I wanted to dedicate this week’s Wednesday Thought Series to what I believe is one of the most overlooked — and often mishandled — business decisions in this industry: when and how to invest in devices.
The Problem: Trying to Fit a Square Peg Into a Round Hole
Too often, practice owners fall into the trap of chasing dollar signs. They see a new device, get excited about the opportunity, and end up spending hundreds of thousands of dollars — often financed through a loan — with the hope that it’s going to rapidly boost their practice’s revenue.
Here’s how that scenario typically unfolds:
- You invest in the new device.
- You try to get patients excited about it.
- You go to your marketing agency and ask them to start running ads.
- The ads go live… and the results are disappointing.
This isn’t just theory — it’s a pattern we’ve seen repeatedly.
A Real-World Scenario: Savvy Owners Still Get Caught
We recently worked with a new client on the West Coast who’s launching a large-scale med spa. They’re very business-savvy — they came to us with an idea to use a device as a “gateway drug” to the med spa.
Their thinking was this:
“Let’s use this device offer to generate low-cost leads and get foot traffic through the door, then we’ll upsell or cross-sell those patients into more profitable services.”
It sounds strategic in theory — and they weren’t wrong to think this way. But once we walked them through our data, campaign performance, and behind-the-scenes conversations we’ve had with high-performing med spa owners and consultants we trust, the truth became clear:
That strategy doesn’t usually work.
What Devices Really Are: Upsell & Cross-Sell Tools for Existing Clients
In most med spa settings, devices should be thought of as an upsell or cross-sell opportunity — not a top-of-funnel acquisition tool.
Ben from Skytale, who works in the private equity and M&A space, sees this same pattern again and again. When evaluating practices for profitability and acquisition potential, he often finds that over-reliance on device revenue — especially when driven by cold acquisition — is a red flag.
If you want to boost your practice’s:
- Profitability
- Valuation
- Operational consistency
- Owner peace of mind
…then treating your device offerings as extensions of what your current clients already want is the much safer and more effective approach.
Aligning Devices With Existing Client Demand
One of the best indicators that a device might be worth investing in is this:
Are your current patients asking for it?
If you have an existing client base and you’re repeatedly getting requests for a treatment that requires a specific device — that’s a good sign.
On the other hand, if you’re buying a device only because a rep told you it had great revenue potential — you’re likely walking into a costly mistake.
The Danger of Hype Over Substance
Device reps are skilled salespeople — it’s their job. But you have to ask yourself:
- Does this device provide outstanding results?
- Do my providers believe in it enough to recommend it?
- Do our patients love the outcome?
Because if the answer is no to any of those questions, you’ll end up with a device that:
- Has low retention
- Doesn’t drive referrals
- Gets weak word-of-mouth
- Makes providers hesitant to sell or recommend it
That’s what I mean by trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Without belief, enthusiasm, and proven results, no amount of marketing can save it.
Why Belief and Results Matter
It’s worth repeating:
If your team doesn’t believe in the device, they won’t sell it.
Patients feel that lack of confidence. And if the device doesn’t produce wow-worthy outcomes, you won’t retain those patients or generate buzz.
Your internal buy-in and your patients’ satisfaction are what make a device investment profitable in the long run — not just the initial surge of curiosity.
Are Devices Ever a Good Top-of-Funnel Strategy?
Let’s address the elephant in the room: Can devices ever be used to bring in new cold leads through ads?
Yes — it’s possible. But it comes with caveats.
I’ve talked to practices, like one in New Jersey, that spend $40,000/month on Meta ads promoting CoolSculpting — and they generate $200,000/month in revenue.
Sounds like a dream, right?
But here’s the kicker: those patients don’t retain.
So what happens? Every month they go back to the drawing board and spend another $40K to drive new CoolSculpting leads.
That’s high-risk, high-cost revenue. It’s not sticky. It doesn’t compound. And if you’re trying to build a business that you can scale or even sell one day, that model becomes increasingly fragile.
The Hidden Risk of One-and-Done Revenue
In my conversation with Ben, he made this clear: If you’re relying on acquisition-heavy device revenue that isn’t repeatable or consistent, you carry more risk:
- Your valuation is lower
- Your business is harder to sell
- Your stress as an owner increases
Compare that to injectable-based practices, where 50–60% of revenue is recurring. Patients come back every few months to maintain results — a far more stable, valuable, and sellable business.
Why Devices Have Trouble Standing Out in Ads
Here’s another reason top-of-funnel device marketing is hard:
- Most devices (CoolSculpting, BBL, etc.) have low brand recognition
- Patients don’t perceive big differences in outcomes between providers
- That means you compete almost exclusively on price
For a new patient choosing where to get CoolSculpting, it’s often an “apples to apples” comparison. They’ll likely choose the reputable provider with the lower price.
So unless your offer is incredibly competitive — and you accept a high CAC — it’s going to be difficult to win consistently with cold ads alone.
What Can Work with Device Ads?
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t advertise devices — just that you should be strategic:
- Some devices have low consumables and high margins.
- Others pair well as add-ons to core services.
- And some (rarely) build strong retention.
If that’s the case — great! Consider those green flags.
But if your plan is to advertise that device as your main entry point into your practice, here’s what you’ll need:
- Aggressive price points
- Willingness to accept high CACs
- A strategy to immediately cross-sell or upsell those patients into longer-term care
Otherwise, you’re running a campaign that may generate some quick cash — but leaves your marketing team and staff scrambling every month to refill the bucket.
Summary: The Smarter Approach to Device Investments
When it comes to deciding whether or not to bring a new device into your practice, here’s the checklist:
- Do your patients already want it?
- Do your providers believe in it?
- Does it deliver truly exceptional results?
- Will it complement your core services?
- Can you afford to market it at a competitive price point?
And most importantly:
Are you treating the device as a supplement — or expecting it to be your savior?
Avoid making decisions based on hype, pressure, or dollar signs. Focus instead on long-term fit, retention, and demand.
Want a Custom Strategy to Grow Smarter?
This episode was brought to you by my agency, Med Spa Magic Marketing. We help med spas and aesthetic practices grow through smarter marketing strategies.
I know — “effective marketing strategies” is a vague phrase.
So here’s something real: I offer free 90-minute strategy calls for new prospects.
During this session, I’ll:
- Build a custom marketing plan for your practice
- Walk you through the exact offers, targeting, and funnels we’d implement
- Give you the full blueprint — whether you hire us or not
You can use it yourself, hire someone else to execute it, or partner with us. We don’t hold anything back.
You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how to allocate your marketing dollars and how to avoid the common mistakes most practices make.
Schedule your strategy session at: medspamagicmarketing.com
Thanks for reading — and remember: believe in what you sell, align it with what your patients want, and always think long-term.
