You have a business. The basic function of your business is to provide a service to consumers who will receive benefit. In previous training sessions we have discussed the importance of clarifying your personal inspired message (PIM), which stirs passion and emotion within you. The resultant enthusiasm (not just your need for cash) should lead you to take the persistent action of communicating your PIM to your target audience. This is an essential foundation for success.
As a small business owner, a solopreneur so to speak, you probably don’t have an entire department dedicated to marketing and communication strategies. However, you are most likely not completely alone in your office either. If you are, let’s talk and see about changing that condition right away. Let’s at least help you buy a friend. For the remainder of this conversation I think we can assume you have at least a small team, composed of you and one or more supporting cast employees.
There are many small business and professional practice misconceptions. One is that if I’m really good at what I do, especially if I have an advanced degree that confirms my expert status, then I shouldn’t have to do any marketing or promotion. People should just show up. Hopefully we’ve already begun dispelling that myth for you. However, another common thought is that all the marketing outreach is solely dependent upon you the owner, and your employees are only responsible for billing and collecting money, appointment setting and reminders, greeting patients, ordering supplies, and doing paperwork, etc. Wrong!
So…how should it be then?
Here is a list of essentials for winning in your business…as a Team:
- You must clarify with your staff that everyone’s primary job is to get and keep patients without exception. Everyone must keep the patients coming and coming back. We know that it is in the patient’s best interest to do so (and if you don’t know that, then it’s time to back up and review people’s serious needs and your powerful solutions, and possibly improve your service offering) and it is also the lifeblood of your successful practice (in terms of both fulfillment and finances). The doctor, AND EVERY EMPLOYEE, must be somehow involved in the identification, attraction, getting, and keeping of patients. Without enough thrilled-to-effervescence patients, nothing else matters. Nobody gets paid and the organization doesn’t survive! It is that simple.
- Make sure that your staff knows and owns your PIM (Personal Inspired Message) and the UCA (Unique Competitive Advantage) of your service.
- Once you have that completed, hold training sessions with your team and drill on these foundational elements of your business. Make sure all of you know these components inside and out so that everyone can clearly and succinctly articulate them. Practice consistently to help all employees be able to comfortably initiate and engage in relevant health conversations (that flow from your PIM and UCA) in the office and community and be equipped to answer any questions that might arise.
- Liberate your staff from excessive task involvement during patient care time (i.e. computer and paperwork immersion) so they can focus on interacting with patients and their family, co-workers, and friends that accompany them. Your practice will grow by leaps and bounds by doing this one simple (but not easy) thing.
- Teach your staff to recognize that nearly all people who visit your office (those not yet patients), as well as most everyone they meet, interact, and conduct business with during the course of their day have had injuries and overwhelming stresses. They may have pain and overt ill health causing a current perceived need for help, and a focused staff conversation might bring this to the surface. This could lead to an invitation to a special evaluation opportunity and/or attendance at an upcoming class at your office. Everyone, including all staff, must be awake and alert to seize the moments to serve that are happening around them all the time. Remember this isn’t a job, it’s an inspired mission.
- Your teammates need to own that all people with spines and nervous systems need help although they may not know it yet. They should be prepared to offer a word of education and encouragement as opportunities arise.
Here are a few additional possibilities for unleashing and empowering your staff to promote your office and impact the health of the community that will help move the public toward seeing you as THE go-to doctor:
- Take your health show on the road through a booth at health fairs, trade shows, and anywhere else people congregate and train your staff to confidently reach out.
- Determine a health topic that stirs the enthusiasm of your teammates and put together a talk that they could present for a local business, civic group, or other organization. Provide public speaking skill training as necessary. If they’re not willing to speak, have them assist you in your presentations.
- Have staff members contribute blog posts and articles for your website as well as local print or online media that will spread your healing message and convey your UCA.
- Encourage every team member to mine their entire circle of influence and expose everyone they can to your office, including attending classes, being evaluated, and knowing how to share your PIM and UCA to their sphere of influence. Your message can spread far and wide in this fashion.
These are just a few of many ideas you can utilize to shift your local culture and build a highly successful practice. We will be training in depth on these strategies and many more as time goes on.
