"I'm not good at sales" — and other beliefs holding practices back

Hi there,

Josh here — welcome to the first edition of The Synergy Circle. 

Most aesthetics practice owners I speak with say the same few things: “The market is down.” “Business is slow.” “I can’t find new patients.” 

Sometimes that means bookings feel inconsistent. Sometimes it shows up as underutilized staff, a new service that isn’t gaining traction, or revenue that feels harder to predict than it used to. 

When I ask what they've tried, the answers vary, but digging deeper shows me a pattern.

Providers know they should be focusing on sales and consultation conversations, team alignment and training, and marketing efforts, like posting on Instagram, hosting events, and updating their websites. 

They've heard the advice, but what often gets in the way isn’t awareness or effort — it’s the story they're telling themselves about what they can and can't do.

After working with hundreds of Midwest practices, I've seen a scenario like this happen over and over: a successful practice owner invests in a $60,000 device, then turns and says, "I don't know how to sell this to my patients."

They can sell. The capability is already there. But they’re missing the confidence that they can do it again, repeatedly, by revisiting what’s already worked.

Reaching sustainable business excellence requires addressing what’s getting in the way, even if the answer is uncomfortable. We at Synergy are here to help you overcome any obstacle you face.

Breaking Through the "I'm Not Good at Sales" Barrier

A provider called me after purchasing a new device.

The investment they put in: $60,000.
The concern they brought to me: "Josh, I don't know how to sell this."

This is someone who had already built a business, hired a team, and made a meaningful investment in their growth. And they still worried that they couldn’t do it again. I see a lot of capable, successful practice owners questioning themselves not because they lack the skill but because they don’t yet have a clear, repeatable process they trust.

So, I asked, “What did you do the last time you successfully introduced something new?” I often ask practice owners to look at what’s already worked, because success leaves clues.

They said, ”We put up banners in the waiting room, trained the front desk on how to explain it, and posted on Instagram."

They marketed and sold a product successfully. Yet the doubt remained that they could do it again.

I see this pattern often: successful practice owners who have already demonstrated business ability convince themselves they lack essential skills. But the obstacle isn’t a lack of capability, it’s a lack of confidence and focus in a repeatable process. 

What separates practices that scale from those that plateau?

Over seven years working with practices across the Midwest, I’ve noticed a consistent pattern: the practices that grow aren’t necessarily the ones with more capital, better locations, or superior clinical skills.

They’re the ones led by growth-minded owners.

These owners think differently. They roll up their sleeves.

→ They ask peers what’s worked
→ They call other providers.
→ They attend conferences and learn in real time. 

When they hit a wall, they get resourceful instead of assuming they lack resources.

A fixed-mindset sounds like: "I'm not good at sales. I can't afford this. I don't have time."

A growth-oriented mindset asks: "What have others done in this situation? Who can I learn from? What's one thing I can test this week?" 

That difference between "I can't" and "How might I?" matters more than any tactic ever will.

The 10x10x10 diagnostic framework

Most business advice overwhelms practice owners with long task lists. When everything feels urgent, nothing moves forward. 

The 10x10x10 framework simplifies the conversation by focusing on these questions:

These three numbers tell you where your real bottleneck is — acquisition, retention, or pricing.

When a practice owner tells me business is slow, we walk through these questions with them. Instead of chasing every solution, we focus on the one lever that actually needs attention. Over time, we work together on each step of the 10x10x10 intentionally to create compounded results.

Why this matters now

Most practices don’t stall because they lack resources. They stall because they stop being resourceful.

When growth is framed as needing more time, more money, or perfect conditions, owners don’t take action. They wait, and they wait, and they wait for those perfect conditions to appear.

But when owners focus on what’s already within their control, progress resumes.

Tactics won’t help if the beliefs underneath them are working against you. All the sales training in the world won’t bring in more revenue if you’re telling yourself, “I can’t sell.” Shift the question from “I can’t sell” to “I can educate.” 

But when a practice owner takes ownership of the next decision by reframing the story they’re telling themselves — testing one idea, adjusting one lever, asking a new question — momentum returns. Action creates clarity.

Your practice already has resources you’re underutilizing, capabilities you’re underestimating. You’ve already proven you can grow by building what you have today.

The question isn’t whether you can do it. It’s whether you’re willing to challenge the stories you’re telling yourself that you can’t.

“What was the most impactful business decision you made personally?”

Investing in myself by working with a coach. I hesitated initially — the investment felt significant. But working with someone who challenged my thinking and helped me see my own blind spots changed how I operate. That decision shaped how I approach business, how I coach our team, and how I work with practice owners today. I’ve learned to model success from others and leverage their knowledge and experience to save time.

Mark Your Calendar: Synergy Signature Events This February

Join us for hands-on portfolio education and training at two upcoming Synergy Signature Events. Learn best practices for our full product portfolio, connect with other Midwest practitioners, and get expert guidance on clinical techniques that drive results.

You built a profitable practice from the ground up, solving problems you'd never faced before.

The next stage of growth will bring new challenges and ask you to solve new problems, but you've already proven you can figure out what you don't yet know. 

We're here to help bring clarity to those next decisions so you can move faster.

Thanks for joining us for this edition of The Synergy Circle, we’ll see you next time.

— Josh + The Synergy Aesthetics Team