It occurred to me the other day that I could describe our clinic this way: We’re the most expensive We have the worst parking We offer the most inconvenient hours Every one of those is true. But I’m not going to focus on them. Why? Because faced with the decision to talk about our crap […]
When was the last time you thanked a client for choosing you, and not someone else? When was the last time you told a patient that you realize how inconceivably big a deal it is that she trusts you with her health? When was the last time you walked a client to her car? When […]
Back in 2006 (wow) we listed five things we wished we would have done in practice right from day one. Since the New Year is almost upon us, it seems like the right time to pass on a few more. Even if you started your practice long ago, you can still pretend like the new […]
…would you do anything differently? We tend to tackle “firsts” with a special kind of energy. We give more to them. We immerse, offer up more of ourselves. And then something happens. First becomes usual, and our energy shifts, ever so slightly. It’s normal – after all, you only get one first. It’s a distinct […]
We had a student in the clinic the other day who sat in on a few patients. One of her comments was, “You don’t give your patients any handouts.” It’s true. We don’t, really. No diet plans. No “foods that are high in Vitamin Whatever” lists. No gluten-free recipes. Why? Because patients don’t need more […]
You’re rewarded for two things in practice: value and risk. The first is the obvious one. It’s helping people feel better, providing great service, offering exceptional products. Caring. Going the extra mile. Getting great results. Value is something that everyone needs to do to be rewarded more. The chef in a restaurant gets paid more […]
At any moment in time you’re either playing offense or defense in your practice. You’re either pursuing the goal – marketing to grow your business, forging new relationships, adding a new service or product – or you’re protecting what you have by watching your costs, retaining clients and running a tight ship. Doing one of […]
Recently, the naturopaths in Collingwood and surrounding area got together to discuss some joint marketing for Naturopathic Medicine Week. There are more practitioners here than ever (and many more coming soon), and this is something we’ve been wanting to do for years – to collect all our “competition” in one spot and chat. Why, you […]
We’re firm believers that there comes a time when finding success means you need to work less at some things, not more. It’s counterintuitive, I know, but sometimes the most important things are. Here’s are 6 reasons why cutting your hours might just take your practice to the next level: 1. You’ll Be More Efficient […]
During our sabbatical in Paraguay, we started a free clinic using donations from patients back home. As word spread, it became a common sight to find people scattered about the various shady spots outside our makeshift clinic waiting for la doctora, and trying to get a some relief in a place where a dollar day […]
“Money is in some respects life’s fire: it is a very excellent servant, but a terrible master.” -PT Barnum One of the most common issues we hear about from practitioners is not how to set their fees, but how to learn to feel comfortable with them. It’s one thing to say, “That’ll be X dollars, […]
We’re thrilled with our new clinic. We’ve been able to offer better (and more) services because of the extra space, and the goldfish effect really seems to be kicking in. One of the small drawbacks, though, is that our patients have to pay for parking – ouch. It was one of those little things that […]
A few weeks ago we talked about how to increase professional referrals to your practice. Developing this referral source is essentially a networking exercise, but the point of the post was to provide a framework in which to do it without feeling weird, creepy, or uncomfortable. I know there are a lot of alternative and […]
Like most of you, we’ve often been faced with tough decisions. Moving offices, adding new products or services, hiring staff, investing in a new marketing campaign – all these things can be overwhelming because of their cost, complexity, time commitment and level of change they bring to your personal and professional life. We’ve had great […]
Reader B. writes in to ask about dealing with patients in multi-practitioner settings: You decide to take a 2 week vacation…now, the client doesn’t want to see you as their primary practitioner anymore and has requested to switch to the other [practitioner]. What is the etiquette? How should the client be accommodated? How can this […]
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