The Real Revenue Isn’t in the First Sale. It’s in the Follow-Up.

Field Note No. 01

I've been going to my aesthetician for a while now, more than 3 years I think. I first “met” her during the pandemic when we did a virtual assessment. Someone I followed on Instagram had shared about the tweakments she had received and who had done the work. So I looked her up. I liked her right away: she was formerly a nurse, now a nurse injector, so she had credentials behind her name. She was also Black, and I figured she probably knew how to treat Black skin. Her own skin was great. So I trusted her.

She put me on a regimen. The products were pricey, but effective. And that was enough for me to stay consistent.

Before I found her, I had spent thousands at Sephora. Like, it’s actually wild how much I spent there chasing results (and the novelty of new products and retail therapy). And to be fair, Sephora isn’t bad. There are great products there. But my needs had outgrown what I could cobble together myself. I was tired of guessing and buying just for the sake of wanting something new. I wanted more results and less trial and error.

Remember, this was the heyday of beauty influencers. Brands were sending them products constantly, and we’d watch them film get-ready-with-me routines and go buy what they were using. I was in deep, just like everyone else.

But I was building a regimen based on what I hoped would work, not what actually would.

When I found my aesthetician, all of that changed.

Her recommendations were simple, elegant, effective. Not necessarily stronger, just better for me. And because the regimen worked, I stuck with it. I didn’t have to keep switching. I wasn’t swayed by the latest product drops. I had what I needed and it was working.

But then came the gap.

We met online, and when the world opened up, suddenly it actually became important that her clinic was several cities away. It was far. During lockdown, I’d just order online. But post-pandemic, sometimes I’d run out of product and hesitate. I didn’t want to drive. I didn’t want to pay for shipping. And Sephora? Sephora was everywhere.

Sephora was in my inbox. In my mall. On my screen. Always top of mind.

So even though I loved the products from my aesthetician, I’d end up buying something else from Sephora just because they made it easy.

And let me be clear: it wasn’t even about loyalty to my aesthetician, though I did like her. I was loyal to the results. I wanted to keep seeing progress. I knew that moisturizer worked better than anything else I’d used. But ease won.

The truth is, Sephora knew how to be omnipresent. Their emails were constant. Their ads were targeted. They gave me free shipping. They lowered the risk. I could buy, try, and return if I didn’t like it.

Smaller brands don’t always have that luxury.

My aesthetician built that regimen specifically for me. It worked. I saw real changes—my skin evened out, my oily T-zone calmed down. But the follow-up wasn’t there. No reminders. No automation. No gentle nudges that said, “Hey, it’s been two months—time to restock.”

And that’s the gap.

Big Brands Make It Easy for Me to Say Yes

The truth is, big brands aren’t just sending emails. They’re tracking data: what I bought, when I bought it, how often I come back, what I return, what I browse. They’re watching everything.

They know when I’m likely to run out. They know what pairs well. They know what to recommend next.

But more than that—they’re present.

Amazon has my credit card on file. With three clicks, it’s on the way. Sephora is a five-minute drive, and they’ve got a whole team optimizing subject lines, layout, recommendations.

It’s not just about the product. It’s about frictionless buying. Ease. Timing. Relevance.

Why Small Businesses Think They Can’t Compete

I get it.

You’re a service provider. A solo operator. Maybe it’s just you and an assistant. You’re already maxed out serving clients, running your business. The idea of adding AI, email marketing, personalization?

Overwhelming.

You’re thinking:

• I don’t want to sound salesy.

• I’m not a marketer.

• When I put things into ChatGPT it doesn’t sound like me. And what’s up with all of the em dashes?!?!?

• I don’t have time for funnels and flows and tech setups.

But here’s the truth: you already have the most important thing big brands have.

You have data.

You know your clients' birthdays. You know their skin types, their favourite services, the products they reorder. That’s powerful.

Here’s another truth: you have a personal relationship with your clients. One big brands envy.

What’s missing isn’t access—it’s activation.

Last truth for now:

The tools and resources exist

What’s Possible Now with AI and Automation

Used the right way, automation doesn’t feel robotic. It feels personal. In fact, it lets you show your clients you know them better than a big brand ever could.

The trick? It’s not just name-dropping. It’s journey awareness.

Tools like ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, and even Mailchimp allow you to tag, segment, and speak directly to where someone is in their relationship with you.

Someone who just got a chemical peel? Don’t send them a sale on cleanser. Send them a customized aftercare email. Remind them on Day 5 what to expect. On Day 14, invite them back in.

Someone who bought a moisturizer two months ago? Let them know it’s time to restock. Remind them why it worked. Encourage them to stick with it.

These aren’t one-size-fits-all broadcasts. They’re targeted, timely, strategic.

And yes—you can absolutely use ChatGPT to help write the copy. But only if you know how to use it right.

When done well, automation sounds like you. Like your brand. Like a continuation of the conversation you already started in person. And technology helps you to do this without adding much more to your workload.

In High-Trust Industries, Relationship = Revenue

This matters even more in industries where trust is everything: aesthetics, wellness, coaching, personal finance, education.

People come to you with vulnerability. Their skin. Their aging. Their health. Their insecurities.

They’re not just buying a service. They’re buying confidence. Safety. Results.

That’s a relationship. And like any relationship, it needs care, consistency, and communication.

In-person, sure. But also online, in the in-between.

That’s what lifecycle marketing is about. It’s about what happens after the first appointment. After the first sale. It’s about building trust, staying top of mind, and guiding people over time.

When you do that well? They stay longer. Spend more. Refer others. Rebook without hesitation.

So How Do You Do That?

You give value, then give again, then again.

You teach. Reassure. Remind.

You don’t just pop into their inbox when you want to sell something. That’s not a relationship. That’s a transaction.

You don’t need Sephora’s budget to create personalized experiences. You just need to start thinking like a modern business owner. One who knows how to blend their expertise with automation. A practitioner who can reach out with heart to hundreds of clients at a time by leveraging technology.

Because the future is already here. And your competitors are figuring this out. If you’re not following up smart, someone else will be.