Conversion Strategies: Secrets To Getting More Of Your Patients Friends And Family To Book Appointments

by · 21st September 2015

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On this PT Profit Academy Tutorial we show you how to get more of your patient’s FRIENDS and FAMILY to show up at your clinic.

We’ve all been there…

In clinic with a patient who KEEPS on telling you that their friend or family member SHOULD be coming to see you.

That this person has neck or back pain (…or any kind of pain that you can solve) and yet they refuse to come in and see you, no matter how many times they tell them how good you are and what you’ve done for them!

It’s a common problem. And one that is costing you a small fortune when you work out how many times it happens – but one that can effortlessly be overcome, when you learn how to overcome those objections skillfully.

Now most PT’s will continue to nod in agreement with their patient about why they should keep on “telling” that person to come and see them.

But that’s not the right way to do it….

There has to be a different conversation that takes place OTHER than one which is in the best interests of YOU (as the PT who stands to make money) and even that of the potential patient who stands to live with less pain.

When possible, that different conversation needs to be aligned with how it’s in the best interests of YOUR PATIENT (…the one you’re currently in clinic with and helping).

And it’s a scenario I had this week with a PT Owner who is a long-standing member of my coaching program.

As part of one of the Live Group Calls we all have together we talk through different case studies and scenarios happening in our clinics that if we just changed the way we communicate with those patients, could very well result in a different out come.

Ultimately, an outcome that has more patients coming to see us!

And in this particular call, we talked through a case study of a WIFE who IS a patient, who keeps telling this PT about her husband, who ISN’T a patient, who is in lots of neck pain and really should be getting PT.

And yet no matter what she says, he just won’t come down.

Now, you might think that the way to get the husband to come down is to just keep asking the wife to keep talking to him about YOU!

But “oh no”…

That’s NOT going to work.

What we have to do in this scenario is something completely different and I’m about to show you how.

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First, here’s precisely what the owner told me on the Live Group call:

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“Paul, this guy in question, he has severe neck pain, and he is the husband of a patient who I’ve been seeing consistently for something else, but what I did to the wife was – she’s kinda like the driver, so I told her to give me 5 minutes of his time on a phone call to try to understand what the problem is and why he has such an objection of seeing any medical specialist, for his neck pain… but I can’t get him on the phone, he won’t call me, he won’t come in, even with the wife driving…”

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Now, the only chance you’ve got of success in this scenario is if the wife is made to understand what impact it will have upon HER life, if this neck situation keeps on going…

If that was me faced with that patient, and in this scenario, I would just be having a conversation about how his hindered lifestyle impacts HER… and I would want to get her “irritated” so much by her husbands situation that she physically drags him down to my clinic. That’s all you can do.

I would have a chat and say…

“So Mary, what’s it like having a husband in the house who can’t get out of bed without moaning and groaning? Who can’t do this, who can’t do the other, is leaving you to do all of the house work?…’Is this the guy that you married?’ Kind of conversation…”

I’d be saying to the wife:

“So this has been going on for a long time now has it?”

“Isn’t it a shame that he doesn’t want to come down?”

I’d bring it up right at the end of the treatment with her and it would be the last thing that I would say to her after every session.

I would want her getting in that car “full of hell”, driving back, literally wanting to drag him in that car to my clinic because she’s now realized that it’s her life that’s being affected, just as much as his!

That’s the only way you’re going to get that to turn around in your favour. In a nutshell that’s what I would do to get this patient to my clinic. She’s the driver, she’s the one who will make that decision for him when she realises it’s now about her and not just him.

The angry wife at home with him each day is the best follow up system you can get…

Instead of having an email chipping away at him everyday, this time you’ve got that wife chipping away at him every single minute of his life because now it’s her life that is affected, and she has realized the significance of having a husband at home who isn’t cleaning up, who isn’t cutting the grass, who isn’t his joyous self who wants to go to the cinema, or go on date night, or whatever they do… so now it’s in her best interest to get him to see you, because it affects her.

That’s how you deal with that.

Here’s a question you could ask:

“How do you feel about the prospect of living with a guy for another 25 years who can’t get out of bed??”

That’s the question — everything else is just the same but lame. Any other attempt is just like how most people do their Marketing, trying to be “bigger, better or faster”, marginally better than others but still running in the wrong direction with all their competitors because their STRATEGY is completely wrong.

My advice would be to just get off that “oh just tell him to come in” train, and get on another one… and start talking to that wife about how his neck pain affects HER.

Emotionally fire her up so that she drags him with her to her next session.

Just say, “Mary, we can put 5 minutes aside next time, it’s always there for him.. for your sake, I hope to see you and him next week! I’ll leave it up to you!”

Do that and you’ll win more times than you won’t when it comes to getting people to your clinic like this.

When he gets there, he’ll realise that you’re very skilled at what you do, and a couple of treatments in, the progress will be evident and you’ve got yourself a very happy wife, and a husband who is happy and healthier, too.

Who knows… you may have saved their marriage as well as solved his neck pain! Just a thought.

For more ways to overcome the 16 most common objections that stop people from coming to see a Physical Therapist, you may wish to take a look at this:

NPO - horizontal

It’s a Marketing and Sales Mastery Program that shows you how to acquire more Np’s AND for a limited time we’re giving away a special bonus report entitled: “Make them Say Yes!” – and it covers the 16 most frequent objections to patients booking appointments – AND what to say to overcome each one.

Take a look when you click this link:

NP OVERLOAD – The Short Cut To Attracting More Enquiries And More Patients For Your PT Practice! >

You’ll also be walked through precisely how to market for your ideal patients coming to you directly using things like postcards, newspaper adverts, newsletters and referral flyers.

Take a look:

NP OVERLOAD – The Short Cut To Attracting More Enquiries And More Patients For Your PT Practice! >

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For more marketing (and sales) ideas like this join Paul’s email list now and we’ll send them directly to your inbox.

Click Here to Subscribe to Paul’s Marketing Tips Email List >>>

About Paul Gough

PAUL GOUGH is one of the top Marketing and Business Coaches in the physical therapy industry and his Systems are helping clinic owners all across America run more profitable clinics. He is a published Author, Newspaper Columnist and before his stunning success in business was hired by top professional soccer teams. HIS SUCCESS STORY is one that inspires many pt's around the world - at the age of 26 Paul QUIT a high profile job in professional soccer to begin his own clinic. He had NO money, NO business or marketing skills and NO experience - and yet now owns and runs 4 pt clinics and has a proven track record of growing a physical therapy business from 0 - $2m in record time.
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