Bosley Medical Sales and Marketing
Beneath the glossy surface of a Bosley ad there is little practical information for the consumer, and they will never show you anything negative. Bosley’s promotional materials should be taken as carefully scripted and slickly produced commercials, and not as reliable sources of information. Their paid testimonials are written or approved by marketing staff, and actors can receive tens of thousands of dollars worth of compensation to “say” whatever Bosley wants.
Bosley Medical has a long history of using deceptive marketing techniques. With increasing competition and alternative treatments being developed they are becoming even more aggressive to try and get you “in the chair”.
Before and After shots: “Results may vary”
Bosley Medical has been sanctioned for using retouched and false photos in their ads. Their marketing department makes the most out of special lighting, selective camera angles, and hair products to help exaggerate results. Their “before and after” (or in some cases, just “after”) examples are of little or no use to prospective patients because so much important information is missing. What is seldom revealed: how many surgeries were performed; the costs of the procedures; the specific doctors used (since results can vary with different doctors and locations); work done by other medical groups; alternative treatments used; and hair and makeup products worn.
The Bosley "Counselor" System
Three out of four Bosley offices are sales offices and do not have any medical staff on site. They employ salespeople called “Counselors”, a.k.a. “Senior Counselors” (and “Senior Medical Assistants” before they were banned from using the term) that meet with prospective patients (or “clients” as they sometimes like to call them). While it may seem that a meeting with a Bosley Counselor could just be a waste of time, a patient can make a bad medical decision based on information the Counselor gives them.
For Bosley, it’s an opportunity to sell the patient with more promotional materials and rehearsed lines. The Counselor can then “close” on the patient by scheduling an appointment at one of Bosley’s surgical offices.
With their Counselor system in place, Bosley’s doctors can farm out part of the time consuming duty of consulting with patients to lesser paid staff. Amazingly, some patients may not even see a doctor until the day of surgery. While a patient may get a rushed consultation with a doctor immediately prior to surgery, they may not be in the proper frame of mind to fully consider all of the consequences and may be less inclined to back out after the arrangements have been made.
