My hairstylist is a scruffy guy named Banjo.
The guy works magic with his hands. When I am done, I feel like my head was unscrewed, serviced and reattached. Oh, my hair looks different too.
He always has me singing his praises, as do all his other clients. It doesn’t matter that he looks funny what matters is, he has established himself as a guru in his craft with his clientele. And every time I go see him, I have to wait in line, even when I have an appointment.
What is important is the results, and the feeling he gives his clients with each session. Everybody remembers him, and he has a strong relationship with past and present clients. Last week, I got a call from him saying “Hey Nitin, where you been? When you coming in”.
I scramble for my schedule, in embarrassment, asking “Are you available next Thursday at 4 pm?”
Banjo, has not only mastered his craft but his marketing approach as well. Do you have this type of connection with your patients? Are your patients raving about you?
Imagine having an army of patients singing you praises every single day! Envision a band of raving fans, walking, talking human billboards who are determined in marketing your physical therapy business practice at every social occasion they attend. A social sales force that transforms the image of your business from obscurity to stardom.
A tribe of raving patients is possible and can happen in weeks, not months. The results are worth a lot more than their weight in gold.
The real asset of a physical therapy private practice is its relationship to past and present patients. The ability to engage, captivate and influence the patients healthcare decisions via email, phone and regular mail is priceless.
It is important to treat your patients as a gated community. As a therapist, never ever take your patients for granted and surround them with a wall of information and credibility describing your practice.
In a competitive economy, coupled with declining reimbursement rates, many businesses and professionals are standing by to steer patients away from your practice. A patients’ attention, once gained, should be valued, nurtured and constantly looked after. Patients who are made to feel unimportant or under-appreciated may easily be lured away from your clinic.
Personal contact with your patients is a great way to show them that you value their business. Reinforcing that with alternative modes of communication, such as emails and phone calls ( phone calls being highly recommended), spread strategically throughout the year takes you and your physical therapy business practice one step closer to success.
