Are your vendor partnerships setting you up for success?

Are Your Vendor Partnerships Setting You Up for Success?

The technology a practice buys is only as good as the partnership behind it. In this episode of True to Form, host Tim Sawyer welcomes back industry expert and international speaker Kara Moncrief of Viora to talk about her journey in aesthetics, the forces driving the industry's surge, and, most importantly, how to choose vendor partnerships that support strong training, the right technology, and the best possible patient outcomes.

A Career Built on Communication and Training

Moncrief's role evolved over years from clinical work into communication, speaking, and training across print, social media, and television, as well as panels at major conferences worldwide. That breadth gives her a clear view of what separates a transactional vendor relationship from a genuine partnership that helps a practice thrive.

Pivoting Through the Pandemic

One of the most instructive parts of the conversation is how Viora adapted when the pandemic halted in-person training. With clinical trainers no longer able to fly out for the multi-day, hands-on sessions that normally accompany a platform device purchase, the company needed another way to keep practices well-trained.

• Webinars filled the gap. Moncrief began scheduling clinical webinars, often two to three hours long, to keep newly equipped offices trained and confident.
• The program took on a life of its own. Distributors and doctors overseas joined, attendance climbed into the hundreds, and the sessions became a permanent fixture.
• Topics expanded beyond clinical. To avoid running out of material, she branched into practice development, helping offices emerge from the pandemic stronger.

The Value of Ongoing Education

A recurring theme is that training is not a one-time event. Viora's academies, offered free to current customers, exist because staff turnover is constant and because hearing how a technology works once is rarely enough. Repetition deepens understanding, and the second or third exposure to a concept is often when it truly clicks. For practices, this is a reminder that a vendor's commitment to continuing education directly affects how well a team can deliver results.

Choosing the Right Vendor Partnership

Moncrief's central advice is to evaluate vendors not just on the device but on the entire support relationship. The questions that matter most go beyond specifications.

• What training is included? Strong vendors provide thorough initial training and ongoing education, not a single handoff.
• How responsive is support? A partner who is available when questions arise keeps a practice running smoothly.
• Does the technology fit your goals? Platform devices that combine multiple technologies offer flexibility, but only if the practice is trained to use them fully.
• Will they help with practice development? The best partners care about your business success, not just the sale.

Why Partnerships Drive Patient Outcomes

The connection Moncrief draws is direct: well-supported, well-trained providers deliver better, more consistent results, and better results build the patient trust and loyalty that sustain a practice. A vendor relationship is therefore not a back-office detail but a factor that flows all the way through to the treatment room and the patient experience.

Key Takeaways for Practice Owners

• Judge vendors on the whole relationship. Training and support matter as much as the device itself.
• Prioritize ongoing education. Turnover and the need for repetition make continuing training essential.
• Look for practice development support. The best partners invest in your business success.
• Connect partnerships to outcomes. Strong support produces better results, which builds patient loyalty.

Moncrief's message is that the right vendor partnership is a force multiplier, equipping a practice with the training, technology, and support it needs to deliver outcomes that keep patients coming back.