Will New Trends Impact Your Successful Practice?
I was talking with a friend a few days ago and our conversation turned to how things have changed over the years. As we shared stories about our experiences it struck me how much things have changed, but yet these changes, or trends, were very subtle. I couldn’t help but wonder what trends we are living through right now that could impact the development of a successful practice?
I shared a story with him about a sales meeting I attended in 1978. The guest supplier was making a presentation about their thermal paper rolls that were designed for a new facsimile machine that could send documents coast to coast in just a few minutes. The technology was cutting edge, but his next statement made the audience roll their eyes. He said that in a few years every business would have one. We didn’t believe it.
Clearly, he knew something we didn’t. He was talking about the first generation fax machine and it wasn’t long until his thermal paper was obsolete. They found a way to use regular plain paper instead of thermal paper. Now every business does have one and so do most homes.
Our discussion really got me to thinking about how our lives have changed, especially in business. When is the last time you used a pay phone? Did you ever carry a pager that let you know you needed a pay phone? How big was your first mobile phone? Of course it was larger and heavier than the one you have now, but these changes didn’t happen overnight, we eased into them. Some of us were early adapters and some of us jumped on board a little later in the maturity of the trend.
These examples of trends are pretty obvious, but what about the trends that aren’t so obvious and carry significant implications for successful practice owners. How many life changing trends are we living through right now that we need to be aware of?
The dynamics of branding and marketing aren’t the same as it was just a few years ago. If you aren’t branding your successful practice it’s a sure bet your clients or patients and the consumers in your area will. Leaving the branding to others is a risky strategy. Dependence on phone books and the yellow pages is declining. The internet and the opportunities it provides is one of the fastest moving most creative sectors in business right now and it is dictating a new approach to the way we communicate with the world. Word of mouth marketing is another strategy that can now be implemented and managed, but where in the curve are you?
New trends in personal performance are rewriting the way we approach our work and our businesses. Strengths research is giving us opportunities to be more productive in our work and be happier while we do it. And if it works for us personally, it’s a sure bet it will work for our teams as well. We absolutely have new ways to hire, train, and retain the right people for our teams. As a successful practice owner, are you aware of these trends?
Another big trend that is playing out in front of us is the change in the buying habits of the consumer. Why do they buy, how do they buy, when do they buy? If we are relying on the psychographics of our clients and patients from five years ago, we are late adapters. Consumers change just like business trends.
But how do you identify, analyze, and implement the best practices from all of these trends? After all, you do have to manage your practice and take care of clients and patients. The task can feel overwhelming, but here are some ideas to manage that overwhelm:
- Remember that trends don’t appear and mature overnight. They have a life of varying lengths and you don’t have to be the first adopter to benefit.
- Take time to read magazines, articles, and reports that give you hints that a trend is working and how it could impact your practice.
- Don’t feel like you have to do it on your own. You can participate in a mastermind group, hire a coach, or register for classes and seminars that will create more awareness for you.
- Not every trend will necessarily be right for you. Millions of people are on Facebook, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Analyze and scrutinize the trends you identify to see if they are right for you now, later, or possibly not at all.
I think this quote by John Whitmore sums it up beautifully:
“I am able to control only that of which I am aware. That of which I am unaware controls me. Awareness empowers me.”
What trends have you identified that are or soon will be affecting the way we practice?
I’d like to hear your comments.
Learn Your Way To A Successful Practice
Growing a successful practice can seem difficult and maybe even impossible at times. Solutions can be confusing and overwhelming. Perhaps reconnecting with your ability to learn is a strategy to put you on the right track.
If I asked you to define learning, how would you do that? We’ve all experienced learning and probably heard a number of definitions, but how do you explain or define the concept of learning? This past weekend I heard maybe the best definition ever in a most unlikely setting. Let me clarify by saying that the setting was the Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium in Ruidoso, New Mexico and it was unlikely because I didn’t have any expectations other than to have some fun and enjoy the day’s events.
Craig Cameron, known as “The Gentle Horse Trainer”, is a master at working with young horses. You need to know that I use the term“master” very sparingly, but he definitely is one. I worked on a ranch training young horses for a couple of years out of college, so I can appreciate his ability. During the demonstration, he worked with a two year old palomino filly that he had never seen before and had never been saddled or ridden. While working with the filly, he explained his strategies and philosophy which included his definition of learning. Craig Cameron says “Learning is our response to forced growth.”
- Craig and the palomino filly
At first I struggled with this definition, after all, forced growth sounds a bit negative. As I thought about it on the long drive home (about nine hours), the realization hit me that life is a continuous string of forced-growth opportunities; it’s not negative, it’s a fact of life. The more engaged we are the more forced growth we experience. The simple fact that you have a small or solo practice that you are trying to manage and grow into your definition of a successful practice would suggest that you experience forced growth on a daily basis.
Response is the key to how we learn from this forced growth, but what does response mean? Response is the action we take. Clearly, to respond you have to recognize that forced growth opportunities are present. This sense of forced growth can come from internal or external sources, but we still need to recognize that the dynamic is present. It seems that developing awareness of forced growth is key to being in control of our response, however we choose to do so.
Listening to Craig talk about teaching the young filly got me to thinking about how we recognize these forced-growth moments. There are a number of emotions that can give us a clue and trigger our awareness that forced growth is upon us.
Fear – Young horses certainly have fear. They are being asked to do something that is not natural or understood to them. They have to learn to trust the trainer and get past the fear that can control their response in a negative way. As legal and health-care professionals, fear can affect your response to forced-growth opportunities in marketing and sales.
Frustration – If your results are not what you want, you can become frustrated and even angry. Life is forcing you to grow by learning and until you develop a new response, you are probably going to get the same results. Generating less than desired revenue can certainly be frustrating and may require you to recognize the forced growth and the fact that a new response is necessary.
Love – You love what you do and the patients or clients that you work with, so, you seek out opportunities to improve professionally at what you do. Your desire to learn how to be better is forced growth waiting for your response.
Optimism – Sometimes we just know and expect good things to happen. By choosing the appropriate response we learn new ways to hire, train, and retain team members and cash in on forced growth.
Enthusiasm – The energy and drive to take your practice to a new level is a sign that forced growth is a real possibility if you recognize that your response is necessary.
Recognizing forced growth opportunities is to acknowledge that learning opportunities exist. When you have that awareness, you can choose whether to respond or not. After one hour, Craig Cameron was riding the young filly and she is going to be top notch horse. He taught her how to respond and learn in that forced-growth scenario. Your results may not be as simple or quick, but you do have forced-growth opportunities and the right to choose how you will respond. There’s probably an opportunity to learn waiting on your response right now.
Where’s Your Solo Practice On The Priority List?
As owner of your own small business, operating as a solo or small practice in legal or health care, you know all too well that your small business is feeling the effect of the economy, just like other small businesses. You only have to pick up the newspaper or turn on the television to get another daily reminder that the economy has the consumer by the throat and small businesses are struggling to keep their doors open.
I’m guessing that most consumers would say that the economy has less of a negative impact on professional practices, because, after all, everyone needs to get their legal documents up to date, get the family pet in for shots, get that routine dental cleaning and checkup, get that much needed chiropractic care, go to the doctor when they are sick, or get that vision exam from the optometrist. Nobody puts that stuff off or at least most people don’t, but we know differently don’t we. That’s a myth. These services are scrutinized and prioritized just like so many other expenditures that consumers have.
A myth that many solo practice owners are guilty of is accepting the fact that people don’t have any money. Unemployment is at ten percent (Higher in some places and lower in others) so people just don’t have any money. The only problem with this belief is that ninety percent of the people (again higher in some places and lower in others) are working and do have money. I’m guessing the employed are stressed by all of the bad news and are more careful how they spend their money. They prioritize their spending to get the greatest value from their money.
The automobile dealerships, restaurants, furniture companies, department stores, and every other consumer focused company understands that and works hard to move up that priority list so that they capture their share of the consumers money. Is it reasonable to expect that legal and health care services have a reasonable and credible case to make for being higher on the priority list? I think they do and I hope you do to.
If you would like to become a higher priority in your patients and clients lives, then consider the following ideas to make that happen:
1. Begin building a closer relationship with your patients and clients – How often do you touch them with a hello, a note, or some type of communication to remind them that you are there all year, not just when they absolutely need you?
2. Educate them – We are all in the information business; that’s right, all of us. We are trying to get the right information to the right people at the right time. The right information is the compelling reason why they need your service for better quality of life. The right person is the clients or patients that know you, like you, and trust you. The right time is now – If they don’t know why your services are important to them, they will spend the money somewhere else because it fills a more important perceived need.
3. Offer new services and products – You can’t assume that your patients and clients know everything you do or offer. Their circle of knowledge about your practice is most likely limited to the services they have received.
4. Listen carefully – I know this sounds simplistic, but this may be one of the most potent marketing tools at your disposal. Your clients and patients will communicate to you what is important to them. Listen for the hints that will unlock the compelling reasons why you deserve to be high on the priority list.
5. Ask for referrals - It’s ok to let the clients and patients that love you already to know that you like referrals and that you appreciate them. This is word of mouth at its finest.
6. Don’t do it alone – Recognize the strengths of your team and get them involved in building relationships, educating, brainstorming ways to offer new products and services, and listening for the nuggets of solid gold information.
What other strategies do you use to move higher on the priority list? I’d like to hear from you.
How Do You Define Your Successful Practice?
It sounds like an easy question, but is it? Your successful practice probably wouldn’t be defined the same way as someone else.
If you have a legal or health care related practice, how would you know if your practice is successful? If you know anything about me, you know that I love a good question so let me throw a few out to help you define your successful practice.
How much gross revenue will you generate?
How much of that will be left for you?
Is money the most important way to keep score?
What else is important besides money?
How much time are you investing each week in your successful practice?
What do you do better than anyone else in your profession?
Why do your clients or patients come back to you?
What are you known for that sets you apart?
What is your most important marketing strategy?
What is your second most important marketing strategy?
What is your third most important marketing strategy?
What are you doing to replace the top three with more effective strategies?
How does your team contribute to your successful practice?
How important are client or patient referrals to your successful practice?
How do you encourage those referrals?
What do your patients or clients say about you?
How would you describe your perfect patient or client?
How often do you get to work with your perfect patient or client?
How are you communicating and reaching new perfect clients or patients?
What do you love most about your practice?
What do you do best in your practice?
How often do you get to do what you do best?
Why are you optimistic about your practice and your future?
What is the one thing that you haven’t accomplished, but this year you will?
There you go. If you can answer these questions you will be able to define your successful practice or at least have a pretty good idea of what you need to do to attain your successful practice.
I can’t answer these questions for you, nobody can, but I can help you find the answers.
What’s another important question you need to answer? I’d like to hear from you.
Are Your Professional Weaknesses Draining Your Bucket?
Have you thought about your professional weaknesses lately? Probably not a subject you want to dwell on because nobody wants to admit that they have them, yet we all have weaknesses. Your professional weaknesses affect your performance regardless of whether you work in a larger practice or a solo practice. As a veterinarian, attorney, dentist, podiatrist, chiropractor, optometrist, or physician you still have weaknesses. We all do.
Imagine for a moment that you have a task to complete that involves filling a barrel with water. The challenge is that the barrel is about 50 feet from the water source, which happens to be a pond, and the only tool you have to fill the barrel is a bucket with several holes in it. You begin to haul the water, but you quickly realize that by the time you reach the barrel, the bucket has lost most of the water.
You decide to make some changes so that the bucket works better. First you decide to run with the bucket, but that requires way too much energy and the progress is only marginally better. It will take forever to fill the barrel at this rate. Then, you try to fix the bucket, but you don’t have the right materials and the quick fixes don’t last. You’ve wasted more time and still haven’t made any progress.
You’re frustrated, tired, and still have an empty barrel. Then, you discover a pump and a water hose in a storage shed and all of a sudden, the problem is solved and the barrel is full. It was quick, didn’t take a lot of energy, and after the fiasco with the bucket, you enjoyed filling the barrel so quickly.
The bucket with holes is much like our professional weaknesses. As hard as we try to make it work and improve the situation, we expend a lot of energy, make very little progress, and aren’t pleased with the results. Our weaknesses are unique to each of us and could be areas like communication, empathy, organization, time optimization, strategic thinking, learning, listening, or a whole host of other possibilities.
The pump and the hose are like our strengths, which provide an outcome that is quick, efficient, doesn’t require a lot of energy, and performs near perfectly every time. And like our example, strengths can give us options that our weaknesses can’t.
The Gallup Corporation has done some wonderful research in this area. As was reported in Now, Discover Your Strengths, by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton, they asked the question of over one million people, “At work do you have the opportunity to do what you do best everyday?” What do you think the response was? Only 20% of the people said they actually do get to do what they do best everyday.
This number was amazing to me. Apparently, 80% of the people are still trying to fill the barrel with buckets that have holes. So why aren’t we talking about strengths instead? Actually I do talk about strengths and in fact, it is an important part of my work with clients, but it seems like so many people still don’t get it. So, I decided to talk about it from another angle, professional weaknesses.
When we dwell on our weaknesses we can expect to:
Expend more energy than we would using our strengths
Experience only marginal improvement
Waste too much time
Settle for lower productivity
Live with a constant source of frustration
We’ve only talked about your professional weaknesses. Since everyone has weaknesses, what about your team? Are they doing what they do best everyday or are they trying to fill the barrel with a bucket that has holes in it? We need to throw that bucket away!
So, let me ask you the question again. Have you thought about your professional weaknesses lately?
Are You Managing This In Your Successful Practice?
It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory. ~W. Edwards Deming
A rather sobering endorsement of change, but I’m sure most of us would like to think that we adapt and embrace change, when it seems appropriate. Change is a part of our lives and each of us have our own way of dealing with it. The act of building a successful practice, whether in the legal or health care fields is not immune from change either.
Change can be swift or sneak up on us without notice. It happens right in front of us like the decline in daily newspaper distribution or the use of printed phone books. When is the last time you used a phone book? I tried to remember when I last used one and couldn’t. The internet has profoundly impacted both traditions, and long term viability is questionable.
Do we really embrace change or do we tolerate it? In terms of buying styles, recent research tells us that 53% of the population has a buying style that is averse to change and will resist if not approached in the right way. In the past few years, the public has become very adept at prioritizing expenditures and that extends to professional services as well. If the expense is necessary they spend (most of the time) and if they can wait, the public generally will.
Your professional practice is now competing with the movie theater, the grocery store, the car dealership, and the next vacation. Whether we like it or not, we are selling – and don’t forget that 53% of the population doesn’t adapt well to change. Change impacts every aspect of our lives.
Strategies that were new, popular, and effective fifteen, ten, even five years ago may not be nearly as effective today, because we have to connect on a new level with the client or patient. We have to sell them on why our services are important and why we are the right professionals to deliver that service. We have to find out where our perfect clients or patients are and go there to communicate.
Change affects the building of a successful practice and the way we manage patients and clients. What new technology have you incorporated in the last year or two? What new technology are you considering? How many marketing strategies do you have in place to generate the new clients or patients that are right for your practice? Do I need a website and will it really do anything for me? I’m amazed at the number of legal and health care professionals who put so much energy into building a successful practice and don’t have a website. It is after all, replacing the newspapers and phone books.
Be honest with yourself – Right now, how do you feel about change? Is it a little scary or maybe a lot? How about some good news to create a new perspective about change? Change can be the catalyst for new patients, new clients, new growth, and more personal satisfaction from your practice. I’m one of those 53% and I understand the reluctance to change, but I am making my peace with change and have discovered some ideas that actually help me embrace change:
Learn to recognize when change is locking you down – It’s that simple. When we focus on recognizing that the idea of change is uncomfortable, scary, unpredictable, or whatever we may be feeling, we can then deal with it on an intellectual level. Once we label it, we can work with it.
Analyze the change to see if it’s right for you – Not all change is good for you. Again, once you have identified the change you’re struggling with, you can analyze it to determine if it will benefit you.
Don’t do it alone – I had to learn this the hard way by running into a few brick walls. You don’t have to analyze and navigate change by yourself. Hire a coach, join a mastermind group, or find a mentor. A single perspective can be a dangerous thing if it’s the only one you have.
Tap your creativity – Ok, I can hear most of your responses now, “But I’m not creative.” Sorry, I don’t believe that. Follow the three ideas above and you are on your way to creating new thoughts about the change your dealing with, then there is one more action to make yourself a creativity machine. Know yourself and that means discover your talents and strengths. When you do, you tap into your brains neural pathways that will give you your best chance for new thoughts, ideas, inspiration, and confidence. You may even have more fun.
Change can be a barrier or it can be a catalyst for positive growth. We are all free to make that choice. What change are you dealing with right now? I’d like to hear from you.
Get This Right For A Successful Practice
I’ve been thinking about motivation lately, not because I don’t feel motivated, but the concept of motivation has been top of mind for me. Motivation has been popping up in my thoughts and in some reading I’ve done. As a manager and now as a coach, motivation has been and is a topic of interest. Building a successful practice certainly requires motivation, but what kind and how?
I guess the question that intrigues me the most about motivation is the debate on whether motivation is internal or external. We see plenty of examples of external motivation in corporations, small businesses, sports, the self-help industry, and even in building that successful practice; yet, and here’s the question for me – doesn’t motivation really have to be internal to be effective and lasting?
In his latest book DRIVE: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Daniel Pink addresses the idea of motivation in a new and maybe even controversial way. He very carefully uses research from the last sixty years to build a case that motivation is not only internal, but that external motivation tactics used by most companies and organizations may actually be detrimental to productivity and happiness.
What? The carrot and stick approach doesn’t work? Pink delivers research that suggests they don’t. Pink goes on to say that today in the 21st century, people need more of a sense of “autonomy, mastery, and purpose.” There is an innate need to do more than complete a task because we know we will be rewarded for it.
As a practitioner of the DISC behavioral and motivator assessment, I have been introduced to a level of awareness that suggests Daniel Pink is spot on with his position. The DISC motivator survey helps my clients and me understand the motivators that trigger behavior and help us build the successful practice we desire.
You noticed I didn’t say achieve money. Money can be a component or reason to be motivated, but there are other valid reasons we are motivated to achieve. Everyone has his/her own definition of success and it isn’t always money.
People are motivated in varying degrees, by the following:
Utilitarian – This can be the pursuit of money, but is characterized by the need to receive a return on investment of time, talents, and investment of money.
Theoretical – The pursuit of knowledge and truth through learning. People motivated by the theoretical are lifelong learners.
Social – Commitment to helping others. It may be a worthy cause or the desire to help others have a better life.
Aesthetic – The love of beauty and harmony all around me that inspires me to be all that I can be.
Individualistic – The need for power, influence, and recognition.
Traditional – They interpret, understand, and seek a system for living. Choices are clear and they choose the system that works for them.
As individuals, we can be strongly influenced and motivated by one, two, or even three of these motivators and the assessment helps us to benchmark our motivators with a larger population. The intensity of a motivator can also give us insight as to why we do what we do.
So, what does this mean? Simply, if we are trying to perform or motivate, or be motivated by external forces that aren’t congruent with who we really are, we are taking a long, winding, and bumpy road to our desired destination. This is significant for a legal or health care professional building a successful practice.
As an example, if you are managing your practice with the single goal of making money (Utilitarian) and what really motivates you is the desire to help others be better (Social) you may be feeling some frustration. There’s nothing that says helping people be better can’t be profitable. If you are honoring what truly motivates you, your satisfaction and productivity will align with your purpose.
I guess it’s pretty obvious that I’m choosing the internal motivation side of the debate as opposed to the external. I’ve seen too many examples of internal motivation providing the understanding, awareness, and breakthrough that we all look for and want.
What do you think? I’d like to hear from you.
Your Solo Practice: Uniquely You
Over the past few years, I have developed a healthy skepticism of one-size-fits-all mindsets. Whether it’s sales training, business development, or investment advice, there seems to be an abundance of information that claims to be good for the whole world. Being in the business of developing your solo practice, you have probably seen your share.
You only have to go to your local bookstore and scan the shelves to see all of “the” solutions to your problems, whatever they may be. “The Only Sales System You Will Ever Need,” “Six Easy Steps To Everything You Want,” or maybe the practice management system that is touted as being the one best way. Somewhere along the way, it seems we have lost the right to express our individuality and be more than a member of the masses.
The recent June issue of Fast Company magazine featured their second annual, “The 100 Most Creative People in Business.” I thoroughly enjoyed the first annual article and the second one did not disappoint. Your solo practice is a business and I think the article delivers some valuable lessons on being uniquely you.
The people selected ranged widely in age and industry, but their passion and their results are extraordinary. The people on the list include a grocery store executive, philosophy major, documentary film maker, banker, storyteller, chef, and a 14-year-old blogger that has become a who’s who in the fashion world.
I’m sure each of these people, and the many more on the list, had plenty of advice on how to become successful in their chosen fields. They probably even took some of the advice, but what they do that makes them so special is to understand what their unique and incredible strengths are and then to trust them. They live in their strengths and enjoy the creativity that naturally comes from those strengths. Everyone has strengths, yet few can actually articulate what they are.
You have the same opportunity as the “100,” in your solo practice, to identify your strengths, develop them, and experience the creativity that creates new opportunity. Here are some of my take-aways from the article:
Purpose – I was struck by the clarity of purpose that each of the “100” has. They know what they are trying to achieve and why.
Specific Target Group – They know who their work will impact. They don’t try to be everything to everyone. It’s good branding and it’s powerful.
They Allow Themselves To See Things Differently – Because they are working in their strengths, they look and see their world in a different and unique way.
They Don’t Do It All Themselves – They recognize what they are good at and they reach out to others that have strengths that complement them.
Persistence – They have a knack for moving forward and trying new ideas and strategies.
Do you have a one-size-fits-all mindset? Do you know your strengths? Would your solo practice benefit from identifying and developing your strengths and those on your team? Let me know what you think.
If you’ve read any of my blog posts or newsletters, you probably know that I’m an enthusiastic advocate for identifying, developing, and living in your strengths. If you own a professional practice or small business, you may not only live in your strengths, but take it to the next level. Building a strengths-based practice is allowing your strengths and the strengths of your team to permeate, energize, and guide the direction of your practice.
In the early 80s, I had the opportunity to attend the Byron Nelson Golf Championship in Dallas, TX. At that time, the tournament was played at Preston Trails Golf Club. I don’t even remember who won the tournament that year, but I do remember what I saw, late one afternoon after the play had ended and most of the spectators had gone home. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was about to receive a lesson on the importance of building a strengths based practice.
On the practice tee, fine tuning their swings, were Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player. There weren’t any other players on the practice tee and these three legends were lined up hitting golf balls. They were in their prime and were arguably the three hottest and most well-known players in professional golf.
To this day I can visualize each man’s golf swing and the unique trajectory and movement of the golf ball that each man preferred. On the course, their style of play was unique as well. Arnold was aggressive and a real crowd favorite. Jack was cool, calculating and, early in his career, a bit distant with the crowds. Gary was steady, charismatic, and in complete control of his emotions.
Each man had his own style. He knew where he would have the greatest success. I would suggest to you that each man understood his strengths and relied on them to reach greatness. Had they tried to pattern themselves and their game after someone else, they would not likely have had the success they did. They honored and depended on the best of who they were.
Building a strengths-based practice gives you the best opportunity to reach your greatness. By understanding your strengths and the strengths of your team you will have your best chance of building and enjoying the practice you want by:
Tapping into your greatest opportunity for growth personally
Utilizing your creativity in ways you may not have imagined
Building a team that understands and supports your purpose for the practice
Energizing you and your team
Watching Arnie, Jack, and Gary together, was a rare treat. The lesson learned was a rare gift.
Do you love marketing your private practice or do you hate it? While some private practice owners do love it and look forward to it, others really dislike it. That statement could lead to some lengthy analysis and discussion, but I want to focus on a simple, yet probably the most effective marketing strategy that every private practice owner or small business owner must master: word of mouth.
Put simply, word-of-mouth marketing is the most powerful and lowest cost strategy to drive new clients or patients to your private practice. When friends and family refer us, it carries more credibility than any brochure or advertising strategy because the people giving the referral are considered by the people receiving the referral to be people they know, like, and trust.
I had an experience this morning (Saturday) that confirmed for me, once again, that word-of-mouth is powerful. I had a flat on my lawn tractor and started early to get it fixed. I went to three businesses that do that kind of work and each one, for one reason or another, couldn’t get it done today for me. They either didn’t have the right equipment or didn’t have anybody working that could do it.
I was getting frustrated until I tried the fourth place that I had been told about. It was a small lawn mower shop and wasn’t particularly noticeable from the street. I was pretty sure they weren’t going to be able to help me either, but there were several cars out front, so I thought I would give it a try.
I went in and was quickly greeted and asked how they could help. I told the man my problem; he took the tire to the back, and said he would be right back. About 5-10 minutes later, he came out and said he had bad news and good news. The bad news was that he couldn’t guarantee the repair because the tire was so old. The good news was that he wasn’t going to charge me. He let me know what a new tire would cost and said to let him know when I was ready.
By the way, the whole time I was there, maybe 20 minutes, there was a steady stream of customers bringing in mowers for repair, picking up mowers, buying parts, and buying mowers. Each customer received the same attention and care that I did. I realized that this little business was thriving because every one of their customers has a positive experience and most likely tells someone else.
Mower Depot in Duncanville, Texas is awesome. See, I just told you about the incredible work they do (the tire, in spite of its age is working.)
Word-of-mouth marketing works positively or negatively in every business whether it is a lawn mower repair shop, attorney’s office, dental office, optometrist, physician, veterinarian, or chiropractic office. Is word of mouth marketing working for you in your private practice? Here’s what I was reminded of this morning, while getting my tractor tire fixed, and I think it applies regardless of the business:
Acknowledge and respect your clients/patients
They have chosen to trust you.
Listen to your clients/patients
The power of truly listening and hearing creates a strong bond.
Be honest and direct with your clients/patients
The information may not be what they want to hear, but only then can they consider the options and solutions. Remember – they have chosen you to trust.
Word-of-mouth marketing is a mindset for every person on your team.
It has energy and can be created by the person at the front desk or the person answering the phone.
Your current clients/patients are the best place to start building a powerful word-of-mouth marketing campaign, in your private practice.
Can you guess where I’m going to buy the new tires for my lawn tractor?
How are you creating strong and positive word-of-mouth energy in your private practice? Share your comments.
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