Author Archives: Paul Gough

Story time:

So there I was at the weekend talking with a friend of mine who runs a coffee shop…

…we got to talking about something I call “the pain of doing business”.

What is it?…

“It’s when customers have to PAY!”

In a coffee shop, they’re paying to be recognized (by the barista and other customers), for social activity and escapism…

..and of course, the caffeine hit!

So they are often happy to do so…

In our world…

…they’re buying a GRUDGE purchase.

No bags of “stuff” (like walking out of Walmart)…

…and therefore no “instant pleasure” associated with the credit card transaction after their session.

Sure, a bit of “relief” and “hope”…

…but lets face it, along the way, it can be physically painful and then we’re asking them to cough up and pay loooooong in advance of the outcome they seek.

And, it’s when they come to pay – at the card machine – that the consumer starts to question the value of what you do!

They may not always verbalise it, but that’s the time when they’re analyzing the value you bring to them…

Don’t think it’s so important to factor into the running of your business?

Well, analyse this:

A few decades ago there was a shift from paying in cash for everything, to writing a Cheque…

(Not as painful when you write on a piece of paper as handing over crisp, dollar bills that you’ve worked hard for all week).

Then came the “credit card”…

Because the problem with writing cheques was that you could now look at the amount…

…stare at that amount – and KNOW that this amount, in the end, will be leaving your bank.

So for a while, the credit card has provided the quickest, easiest and fastest possible way for money to leave one bank account – and enter another.

Enter “contactless”.

It’s the next step in the process of making consumer spending “painless”…

…these days you don’t even have to press the four digits of your pin or hear the beeps associated with each push…

…because it’s that “beeping” noise that we’ve now come to associate with the pain of getting what we want!

With “contactless” you can literally just slap your card over the top of a machine without looking and forget that you actually did so…

Does it get any easier to ask people to do the one thing no one wants to do (and pay)?

The point of todays lesson?

The easier and less painful transactions with any business are – the more they spend…

It’s that simple…

The question is, what are you doing to make doing business with you LESS PAINFUL?

One of the easiest ways to do that is offer some *certainty* in the decision that your patient has made to do business with you…

How do you do that?

Educate.

Educate.

Educate (…via your marketing).

Preferably, in advance of the cash, cheque or credit card coming, or insurance number out.

If they know what you do, and why you do… before you do what you do… they have no problem paying for it after you do what you do!

NOT doing this is why so many doctor referred patients arrive at a PT clinic and “resist” as the co-pay or deductible cost hits home…

Picture this:

As the doc’ writes the script, do you think he’s doing ANY educating about the value a PT can really bring to that patients life?..

Of course not.

Heck, my doctor couldn’t even spot the difference between ‘piriformis syndrome’ and ‘sciatica’, let alone describe what a PT would do to fix either!

Just a thought…

..but as co-pay and deductibles INCREASE, which they surely will, so to the pain of doing business with you.

Have you got your version of “contactless” ready??

Anyhow, lesson over for today…

Sincerely,

Paul Gough

For more PT Business Education like this:

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

In this, the final part of the Accelerator Method tutorial series, we’re going to look at how you can MAXIMISE the cash value of all your new patients.

In a nutshell, you can only raise your profits in three ways:

1. Increase the number of people who buy from you
2. Increase the amount they spend with you
3. Increase the FREQUENCY of times they spend money with you

Steps 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the Accelerator Method are all about increasing the number of people who want to buy from you…

Those articles are re-capped here…

• Accelerator Method Part 1: Who Do You Want To See In Your Clinic?
• Accelerator Method Part 2: Proving Value Upfront
• Accelerator Method Part 3: Get Noticed Online And Offline
• Accelerator Method Part 4: 24/7 Inquiries From Your Website

…now it’s about creating a price structure that makes you more profitable – AND offering other products and services that are aligned with your perfect patient, that they’ll want to buy from you.

Raising prices is often hard for many business owners…

We get very emotionally attached to the price that we think we’re worth and what people will pay.

In reality, what we are is frightened that people will say “no” to that fee, and choose a cheaper option.

So the question of “how do you raise your rates?”… In part, is solved by answering the question of how do I STOP worrying about if people say “no”?…

Everything you’ve just read in the Accelerator Method – parts 1-4 – were about putting you in front of more of your perfect patients…

If more people know who you are – and more people want to do business with you – then you’re not living in fear of losing one or two people just because you’re charging a higher fee.

Make sense?

It’s called “deal flow” – basically, if you have a steady stream of people wanting to work with you – all lining up in the waiting room – then you’ll confidently be able to set your own fees.

It’s one of the most TRANSFORMATIONAL – LIBERATING – aspects of the Accelerator Method – because you’re talking to the 93% of people who are being overlooked – and nobody else is serving their needs like you are now – essentially you’re competing in a league of ONE.

You’re a specialist for the people who right now, nobody else has created a service for…

You’ve narrowed down your audience to a perfect patient…

…you know exactly what problems they have, and you’ve communicated to them that you know how to solve that…

…you acknowledge that they’re nervous and a little un-sure about giving you money…

…but you compensated for that by ADDING VALUE to their lives upfront.

All of that combined means you never have to worry about them resisting your fees.

Why?

Simply because NO-ONE is doing this for them…

And they won’t take the gamble of going off and being left out in the cold again with no clue what to do next.

So with the Accelerator Method we get you into a LEAGUE of ONE…

…And in a LEAGUE OF ONE, you set your own rules.

And to help CONFIRM this new price structure, it’s all about having a PRICE GAME PLAN…

A strategy that involves OPTIONS – a menu if your like – that your perfect patients can choose from.

The key to raising rates is to have some FREEDOM of choice…

Contrast that with most clinics who have a “one size fits all” price, and again, you’re in a different league that makes doing business with you feel EFFORTLESS.

Why is this price structure important?

Because the world – and the people in it – are getting harder and harder to cater for…

…it’s almost impossible to have a one size fits all service – especially in health care.

Some people want more than others – some people want less.

So it’s important to have different price points that they can at least begin with, and something called an ANCHOR.

Having an ANCHOR in your pricing point always allows you to position a much HIGHER priced – perhaps a “GOLD” session – that people can choose that looks incredibly great VALUE in comparison to the other.

So once you have your perfect patient in line…

…you’ve added value…

…you’ve picked them out on Facebook, or by using Newspapers…

…you’ve got your website adding authority and giving you 10 X the number of inquires…

…you can RASIE your rates without fear of losing any of your patients.

And, with the help of some “anchoring” with different price points, it becomes very easy to add $4-5K per month to your bottom line JUST by raising your rates.

What you can also do is OFFER SOMETHING ELSE.

You may have heard of it as a “cash up-sell”…

It’s an added bonus of the Accelerator Method as once your perfect patient has experienced your UNIQUE SERVICE…

…they usually want to come back for more.

Think how easy it would be to offer a massage package or pilates class to a lady in her 50’s… if your entire clinic is packed with these 50 year old ladies then it becomes very easy to offer this to them – and for you to be successful with it.

It doesn’t have to be massages, and it doesn’t have to be 50 year old ladies…

…what that is, is an example from my clinic. And it’s so successful that our cash up-sell process covers just about all of my expenses… meaning that the actual PT service is 100% profit.

In your clinic – once you know who your perfect patient is, you’re then much more likely to be able to offer a Cross Fit athlete some sort of cash pay option that is in-line with keeping him fit and healthy so that he can stay in the gym.

Make sense?

So it all starts and ends with knowing your perfect patient…

…adding value to their life…

…building that TRUST, and getting them to the point where they will want to buy from you at your rates – including any other service you’ve got.

It’s all 100% possible using the Accelerator Method.

In the next few days we’ll be opening up registration for the Accelerator Method Masterclass where we’ll be giving 50 business owners the chance to work with us on re-creating this Method inside of their practice.

It’s a 6 week Masterclass where we will work with you to help you to implement everything that we’ve covered on these tutorials over the past 5 weeks.

To get more info, go here…

– Accelerator Method: 6 Simple Steps To More Patients and Higher Profits >

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For more PT Business Education like this:

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

This question came in from one of my coaching group members, yesterday:

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“Paul, curious to know where your ‘ask for permission’ principle to your business originated from.

I LOVE it and want to dive a bit deeper into understanding the psych behind the technique. Can you talk more about it and point me in the direction of a resource? Many thanks”!

– Matt DeBole, Agile Physical Therapy, Palo Alto, CA.

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Am I okay to give you the answer???

(Thanks!)

So here goes…

…(why I’m a huge fan of the “asking your patient for permission” for EVERYTHING concept).

The primary reason is that the old fashioned way of the “Doctor is God” way of thinking, is now, just about, absolutely DEAD!

Other than your Grandparents – or people aged 70+ – there’s not that many people who enjoy being told what to do – by anyone!

(My 3 year old son “Harry” REALLY doesn’t like it 😉 )

The problem is that many health care professionals have failed to recognize this massive shift in human behaviour…

The internet, Google and things like Facebook in particular – have given YOUR consumer a voice that can be heard…

They have an opinion…

…and most importantly of all, they have a “CHOICE”!

And the moment we start to “tell”…

…we are talking to them in a way that doesn’t respect how they live the rest of their lives…

If we “ASK”, we build confidence, TRUST and we EMPOWER our patients…

All of that means they feel safe and if they feel safe they make more confident decisions.

Now, of course, we’re going to ask in such a way that leads the person to the point where we KNOW they need to be…

How do we know where they need to be?

Through ASKING the right questions on our websites, at the initial phone call and in the Eval.

(And then LISTENING).

The problem is, so many PT’s hide behind their “qualifications” and STILL live the way it was 10-15-20 years ago where people USED to respect people like you and I who told them what to do…

The white cloak or shirt and tie with a clip board in arm worked in the 70’s and 80’s – even the 90’s perhaps…

…but not in 2016.

Getting patients to comply and agree so that they FOLLOW THROUGH ON YOUR PRESCRIPTION starts with YOU asking for permission for everything:

“Am I okay to tell you how else we might be able to help you?”…

…”Am I okay to make a recommendation of care?”

…”Am I okay to put my hand on your leg?…”

…Knock, knock: “Am I okay to enter the room?…”

…Ring, Ring: “am I okay to ANSWER THE PHONE” (…if your receptionist is talking to a patient in reception…)

…”Am I okay to go ahead to charge your card for your contribution to todays session”…

And so it goes on…

The more that you “ask” for permission, the more successful you’ll be…

A resource to look up to learn more about this?

Try this book: “UCLA: A Prescription For Excellence” (By Dr.Joseph Michelli)…

(When you’ve read it, be sure to get in touch and let me know how it impacted you).

Anyhow…

Have a great day 😉

Sincerely,

Paul Gough

P.S Which of the following did you miss??

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Round up of last weeks top content:
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– Accelerator Method: Accelerator Method – 24/7 Inquiries From Your Website (…this article reveals why most PT websites are failing – be sure to show it to your webmaster 😉 )

– Podcast: Episode 006 with Dr.Jarod Carter, the “Larry King” of PT Podcasts talks about the challenges he’s facing as he grows from solo-practitioner to business owner with staff… click to download and listen to it while you run, walk, drive or fly!

– YouTube Show: Episode 025 – Why No One Wants To Pay For Physical Therapy Anymore (…it’s true, and this video explains what they will pay for instead!!)…click here to watch it then Subscribe on Youtube!

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For more PT Business Education like this:

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

On this tutorial we talk about how to acquire new patients using your WEBSITE by following the Accelerator Method.

Before we begin… if you’re new to this 5 part series of tutorials, you can catch up on the previous ones here:

Part 1 – Picking Your Perfect Patient

Part 2 – Prove Value Upfront

Part 3 – Attract and Get their attention Online and Offline

In Part 4, we are talking about how to effectively use your website to win more of the massive pocket of people currently being overlooked for PT, by most owners when they’re marketing their services.

Remember, the golden opportunity that exists for you right now is when you consider that so many people with problems you can solve, are being overlooked…

“93%” of people who are going to a doctor with pain, are NOT leaving with a referral for PT…

And there’s even more people who aren’t even going to their doctor in the first place (…but still need some help)…

Most people have no clue what a PT even does, or if they can help what they’ve got…

And many people are just simply too “skeptical”, lack motivation or remain confused about the benefits of what a PT even does.

So when you take all of that into consideration all of the above, it makes sense to STOP communicating with people about Physical Therapy…

…and start talking to them about their CURRENT problems – and show how you can help them overcome those problems.

We can most definitely do that on our website.

The reality is that most PT websites are built to communicate with people actively looking for a PT clinic…

…you now know that there’s NOT that many, and that explains why so many business owners are so frustrated by the performance of their sites.

And given that there’s Physical Therapy clinics aplenty in your small town…

…the chances of being successful just because you have a nice looking “me-too” style website all about you and your PT – is slim.

Does that mean that having a website is a waste of time?

Far from it…

It just means we have to design your website slightly different…

You need a website that clearly articulates how you’re able to solve the problems of your perfect patient…

Think about someone with chronic low back pain right now…

How do they use “Google” to solve their problem?

We know that most people are NOT searching for PT.

What are they searching for?

INFORMATION – in the form of ADVICE – on WHY their back pain is happening…

…and THEN what they can do about it.

So, how about we design websites to reflect what consumers are actually DOING and LOOKING for?

(Rather than creating a site which is only about our services?)

Most PT’s do it because they use a “done for you” style company who are WRONGLY assuming that anyone with low back or knee pain etc, is thinking about choosing a PT.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Google is a QUESTION engine…

Meaning most people who use it, do so to get ANSWERS to problems.

I know for sure there’s 100X more people in your town today typing “back pain advice”…

…than typing “good physical therapist” into their iPhone. .

So, one of the easiest ways to boost response from your website is to design it in such a way that you’re the one able to answer their questions…

We do that by ensuring that people can interact and engage with our sites – and NOT just book appointments.

One of the biggest mistakes of any PT site is to ask people to “Book An Appointment” or “Schedule Now”.

You might get one or two people who are ready to “book now”…

…but you’re NEGLECTING to consider the HUGE amount who aren’t.

Asking me to “book now” is like asking me to get married when we’re on our first date.

You wouldn’t do it.

Better to ask people to MAKE AN INQUIRY which is much less of a commitment, and easier for them to do…

Remember, success in business is simply about working out how humans interact in every day life – then re-creating that, inside of our business.

This “Book Now” issue explains in a “New York minute” why so many owners look at their website, see that 400 people have been on the site, and yet only 3 people booked.

It’s less than a 1% response rate – which is TYPICAL FOR MOST SITES…

…And yet on my site, the “Paul Gough Physio Rooms”, we get anything from a 15-20% RESPONSE/CONVERSION rate.

Why?

Simply because on my site, we let people take “baby steps”…

We don’t ask for any big commitment, and they can leave their contact details in exchange for my free tips reports (the ADVICE they’re looking for)…

…and as a result we will come into our clinics each day with the contact details of anything from 6-10 people.

Contact details of people who live within a 5 mile radius of my clinic, who I now know are SUFFERING with low-back pain, (or knee pain etc), who want some help.

Now I know that these people didn’t book a session with me…

But that’s alright…

…because I have my follow up systems in place (discussed in Part 2) and they go to work at educating and proving VALUE of what I do and how I can help my perfect patients.

So now that I know my Perfect Patient (covered in Part 1), it means that any information that this person takes is specific to THEM…

And that gives me a much better shot at them becoming a patient.

Now you know why we covered the Perfect Patient and Proving Value FIRST – all of your marketing fails, or is held back, unless you do this and go through those exercises first.

When it comes to marketing – contact details is the new currency you should be thinking about.

Not “how many referrals did I get today…”

It’s “how many INQUIRIES did we get today, that we can begin relationships with”.

I work on the theory that for every 10 people who make an Inquiry on my website, 5 or 6 will become patients once they know more about me – and how I can help them.

It’s just a matter of earning their trust – which takes a little time, but once I do have their TRUST, I inherit a very valuable patient that is likely to stay with me for life.

So when it comes to websites, it’s about being clear who the website is FOR…

…which ISN’T for people looking for PT (because you know there isn’t that many of them)…

…it’s about having words on that website that prove to your PERFECT PATIENT that you know how to solve their problems…

…and it’s about letting them make INQUIRIES, and get answers to concerning questions in EXCHANGE for their contact details.

If you have a website that reflects those basic principles and respects how people actually make decisions on the internet, then you’re going to get a lot more leads and new patients at your clinic using this Accelerator Method.

In the Next, and final Tutorial in the Accelerator Method series, we’ll talk about how to combine everything that you’ve done so far…

…to pick a perfect patient…

…educate and prove value…

…get noticed online and offline…

…pick up inquiries 24/7 from your website…

…and use all of that LEVERAGE to RAISE YOUR RATES above the $160 mark.

Success with raising your rates is a lot easier when you have something called “Deal Flow” – that is a constant flow of people who wan to do business with you.

Now that you have that, because you’re using the Accelerator method to communicate to the MASSIVE AMOUNT of overlooked people..

…you’ll find it much easier to raise your rates.

We’ll talk more on that in the next tutorial.

To get more info, go here…

– Accelerator Method: 6 Simple Steps To More Patients and Higher Profits >

===

For more PT Business Education like this:

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

Please read the following sentences very slowly (and more than once):

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“You have a 90% chance of survival”…

…Or,

“There’s a 10% mortality rate”…

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Which would you rather hear?…

How about:

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“I’m calling to talk to you about the free back pain report you just requested”…

OR,

“I’m calling to discuss a solution to why you’re unable to walk for more than 15 minutes before being stopped by back pain”…

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Which do you think is more likely to allow a conversation to begin that might lead to a prospect becoming a paying patient?

It’s obvious.

And it’s this simple use of words in the right order that is often what determines your next level of success in business…

Whether it’s marketing, conversions, influencing staff, asking for money owed OR current patients to send referrals from friends…

…the order that you put the words in place determines your chances of success.

Hard to accept, isn’t it?

That you spend “5” years at PT school – borrow $100,000 to learn all about the human body, why it breaks down and how to fix it…

…to be then told that the likely reason your business WILL or WILL NOT get to the *next level* is down to your ability to put words in the right order out of your mouth – or on paper.

It’s how you help someone see the value of what you do – so that you can actually put those hard earned skills to even better use.

(Have a bigger impact).

With more and more small cash-pay PT clinics opening up everywhere…

…it’s becoming less and less about the “skill”…

…and more and more about the way you can COMMUNICATE the value of the skills you’ve got.

This inability to put words in the right order is reason No.1 why so many PT’s remain “overlooked” and “under-used”…

It’s not because no one wants or needs your service…

…it’s not because no-one reads the newspapers or doesn’t respond to Facebook ads…

…and it’s definitely not because “no one in your area wants to pay for cash PT”…

…it’s simply because the words you used didn’t help the person hearing (or reading them) see the value of what you can do FOR THEM, in a way they can quickly understand.

But the good news is this:

You don’t have to be an expert at this business game…

And, watching the Olympics over the weekend reminded me of that fact…

Did you know that to win a gold medal in the “Decathlon” competition, all that you have to do is come “4th” in every event?

It’s true…

And business success is no different…

If you’re world class at the “PT skills” side of things – but you’re finishing 8th and 10th in the Marketing and Communications race…

…then chances are you’ll miss out on a medal!

It’s as simple as shifting just a little bit of the time and energy you’re currently devoting to the “PT SKILLS” side of things…

…and using that to get just a little better at communication and marketing!

Do that, and maybe you’ll find yourself on the small business success podium, singing the national anthem, while your country’s flag is raised up high and all your competition look on in amazement at what you’ve achieved in your business life…

Just a thought.

(But a nice one though, right?)

Sincerely,

Paul Gough

P.S In case you missed any of it, here’s a round up of last weeks TOP CONTENT for PT Business Owners:

– The Business Education School Podcast – Get Episode 1-5 Here…on iTunes

– The Paul Gough Physio Show [Episode 24] …Catch up on the learning happening inside my own clinic

And,

– The Accelerator Method Part 3 – Getting Noticed By Perfect Patients….this is an in-depth article revealing how to get noticed by a huge pocket of people that are currently underserved and being overlooked for PT… <– your big area of opportunity is here! 😉

Welcome to part THREE of the Accelerator Method:

In part one of the process we spoke about the OPPORTUNITY that exists to access the 93% of people who are currently being overlooked for PT…

– Click here to catch up on Part 1- The Perfect Patient

…this is called finding your PERFECT PATIENT and once you know who they are – and why they’re NOT coming to see you and what you can do to over come that…

– Catch up on Part 2 where all that is covered on here! >

…then the NEXT thing you need to do is ACTUALLY get noticed.

Here’s the thing… long lasting business success is a simple 3-step process:

1. Get Noticed.

2. Serve more people

3. Build a bigger business

So the big question is this:

“How do you go about getting NOTICED by your perfect patient?”

Well, depending upon WHO that is, that’ll determine where you will want to run your ads…

For example:

My ideal patient “Mary” is aged “53”… so she’s STILL reading NEWSPAPERS…

…she has done for years and will continue to do so because it’s a habit…

…so I can find and get her attention there…

…and she’s also spending a lot of time engaging and connecting on Facebook theses days.

So, what I might do is run the SAME ad on Facebook – as I do in the newspapers…

…familiarity breeds TURST and remember, trust is one of the things that I need to win over if I want to access the “93%” who have been overlooked.

What will I say in my ad?

Well, believe it or not…

I’m NOT going to run an ad that is all about physical therapy.

Why?

Because that’s NOT what she’s looking for.

Mary (my patient) is in need of a solution – but currently she doesn’t even know that solution she needs CAN even be physiotherapy.

So my ad in the newspaper OR on Facebook has to advertise a solution to her problem…

This problem could be anything from:

* Fear of a life time dependency upon painkillers

* Risking dangerous spinal surgery for her chronic back pain

* Losing independence or mobility…

* Not knowing what’s wrong to cause her pain…

So when I realize all of this, I can create an ad that talks about how my clinic can solve these PROBLEMS.

They’re called “INTERNAL” problems…

…And the companies that solve INTERNAL problems generally are a lot more successful – especially when the price is over “$100”.

For context, running an ad that says you solve “back pain” is solving an EXTERNAL problem.

Fine on the face of it, and is definitely one step up from advertising physical therapy…

But remember – a lot of our patients have learned to live with that pain for a long time now – so they’re not THAT motivated to actually do something about that pain…

…until…

…the INTERNAL problem surfaces.

That could be realizing that they’ve been on pills for too long…

…seeing an elderly relative in a wheel chair…

…somebody commenting that they are ”slowing down” these days…

Whatever it is, THAT is now the driver that’ll keep them motivated to want to find a solution.

So, when you talk about these internal problems in your marketing – a lot more people are NOTICING you…

…giving you their attention…

…and much more likely to take action.

So instead of my ads running on Facebook to EVERYONE within a 5 mile radius of my clinic…

…they’re only running to females in their 50’s and 60’s.

And all I’m doing is talking about the problems that she’s living with – is offering some easy way to make a difference.

I’m NOT asking for appointments – I’m not asking for them to do anything but take some of my free advice and put one or two of the tips to good use…

…and if they do that, and they experience a “little win” in terms of how good they feel, then most likely they’ll want to know what else I have to offer them.

And when that happens, they ASK for more information – and that’s when I talk about my physio services.

Essentially, I have reverse engineered the process…

…from me wanting them…

…to making them want to ASK about me.

It lets me schedule from a position of authority and confidence, and means the patient is going to be much more committed and fully bought into my plan of care.

I could also find “Mary” using postcards, Social Media, giving talks at sports clubs, attending community events, taking a stall at a fundraising event, using Google Ad words, sending mail pieces to her home…

…there’s an INFINITE number of ways to get noticed by your ideal patient ,but what always remains the same is the STRATEGY to make it work.

1. Pick the perfect patient.

2. Get their attention either online or offline by offering them something of value…

3. And then give them more information about what ELSE you can do.

It’s that simple…

And it is why the “ACCELERATOR METHOD” is working so successfully for small clinics around the US and across the world…

It’s a completely new method for connecting, engaging with, showing value to – and acquiring a vast number of people who need what we do, but just don’t know enough to say yes (yet!).

In the next article we’ll talk more about how to DESIGN your WEBSITE to ensure that it follows the “Accelerator Method” of picking a perfect patient, providing information and leading with value FIRST.

Most websites convert visitors at less than 1%…

…my website is converting at anywhere between 15-20%.

Do the math on that and you’ll see why making just a few of the changes we suggest to your website – to bring it online with the new trend for response online – is going to be very lucrative for you.

We’ll talk through that part of the Accelerator Methodology, next time.

To get more info, go here…

– Accelerator Method: 6 Simple Steps To More Patients and Higher Profits >

Until then, if you’re new to my work, go here next to receive more business education from me:

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

On this PT Profit Academy Tutorial we look at part 2 of the “Accelerator Method” which is helping 1000’s of PT business owners to tap into the “93%” of people who need some help from you – and who would pay for your services – if only they knew more about you…

Part two is essentially about educating people about the value you can add to their lives, IN ADVANCE of them paying for your treatment…

The good news is that it’s really EASY to do, and we’re about to explain how…

If you missed part one of this “5” part “Accelerator Method” series, click here to read more about step one in the Accelerator Method, titled: Picking Your Perfect Patient. 

Lets do a quick recap:

The “Accelerator Method” is about helping you to access the 93% of people currently being overlooked by physical therapy owners in your town…

If you remember, we highlighted a study by Fritz and Childs which explains that just 7% of the people who visit their doctor with low-back pain never leave with a referral for PT…

…despite the evidence suggesting that PT is more effective in recovery time and COST.

The question for you to answer is not WHY is that figure so low…

…it’s :

“How do you get access to the 93% who are still left with back pain and have no clue what to do for the best”?…

This is a huge pocket of people – and when you think that there’s the same thing happening to people with knee pain, neck pain, pelvic floor dysfunction, traumatic brain injury, in need of home health services and sports injuries etc etc…

…it’s easy to see the OPPORTUNITY that exists if you switch your marketing and your communication to these people, that all of your competition are currently OVERLOOKING – and under-serving.

My clinic – the Paul Gough Physio Rooms – experienced explosive growth in new patient acquisition when we switched our attention to this group, that I’ll refer to as the “93%”, using what is now referred to as the Accelerator Method…

Lets dive into the teaching:

So we’ve picked your perfect patient (re-capped in this article)…

…the next thing we have to do is educate them on the VALUE of how you can impact their life so much that they’ll want to pay your for it.

Doesn’t it make sense that if you want people to pay out of pocket, fund their “co-pay”, and even just give up their time, it has to appear to be worth it for them??

And at very least, they have to PERCEIVE that it’s going to be worth it…

…because in the beginning, something called “perceived value” is all that matters.

Meaning, no matter how good you think you are – or how good others say you are – if they don’t think you are the right fit for them, your Marketing won’t work.

And no one is ever going to give you time or money unless you prove value first VIA your marketing (…especially NOT when the cost is more than $100).

Fact: You and I make “impulse purchase” decisions”, and your prospects do too – if the cost to them is below $100 – but as soon as it goes over $100 – (which most PT sessions are these days) – they have to really think about whether it’s going to be a fair exchange and represent real value.

That “thinking about it” as the investment in PT increases, is what is currently the OBSTACLE to most clinics being as successful as they could be…

To highlight this… lets think about someone who is CONFUSED, SKEPTICAL, who can’t understand why their doctor didn’t mention PT or why their friend or work colleague is suggesting the “cheaper” chiropractic alternative or to see a massage therapist – that person is going to be very reluctant to pay you money EVEN though they will benefit from what you do.

All of these things are going on when people are thinking over their options – and it’s YOUR job to help them to see why their best option is YOU…

You’ll do that through this style of Marketing covered in the Accelerator Method.

So the only thing you have to do is first ACCEPT that this is what is holding people back from coming to see you…

…then figure out a way to WIN despite this situation.

How do we do that?

We do that by PROVING to them through communicating in such a way that the person is able to understand what you REALLY do (…not what they’ve been told, or led to believe, what we do!)…

…then, show that we understand them…

(Like no one else)

…that we’re able to connect and engage with them…

…that we “get them”…

…that we appreciate they may have been let down in the past by another provider who made a promise they didn’t keep (and still keep their money)…

AND, most importantly of all, that we know it may take a little time for them to TRUST themselves – and us – to make a decision about giving us their $700 or however much their contribution is.

As the COST of health care – and the COST to the patient OUT OF POCKET increases – which it will – never has it been more important to figure out how to do this NOW.

Now, what is great about this pocket of people (who are nervous and even skeptical about PT) is that IF you do take the time to educate them…

…to HELP THEM…

…to hang in with them and help them to make a better, more educated and more informed decisions about their health…

…is that they’ll LOVE you forever.

Meaning, they’ll look for ANY reason to come back and see you.

Why?

Because no one else does this type of thing, as most businesses are “too busy” being “busy” to recognize this need that must be serviced BEFORE they enter the treatment room.

So, another HUGELY significant advantage about creating systems that helps educate the consumer to make a better, more confident decisions, is that you acquire customers for life.

It’s another reason why the Paul Gough Physio Rooms is so successful…

We’ve created systems that educate our patients to see the value of what we do – and when the penny drops, they stay with us and recommend us to everyone they know.

It’s allowed us to charge higher prices than anyone else in town…

..compete against a free socialist health care system…

…and, has many of our patients ASKING what else they can buy from us which makes our cash up-sell process as valuable and profitable as the actual physical therapy service.

And all because we take the time to educate through a simple series of pre-written emails, videos, phone calls and letters mailed to their home which helps them to decide for themselves what they should do next…

We never have issues with missed appointments…

…people have no problem booking out a full plan of care, paying in FULL, in cash, and we never have to ask for referrals…

…they do that for us automatically.

There’s never been a more significant addition to my business than working exclusively with customers EDUCATED about the VALUE that my PT skills add to their life BEFORE they show up.

Contrast that with how most patients arrive at a PT clinic – UN-educated because their doctor didn’t take the time to tell them about WHY they should get PT and how valuable one actually is…

…it’s all “here’s a script, go get some PT, come back if it’s no better – close the door on the way out”.

Is it any wonder so many doctor referred patients resist paying their co-pay these days?

Once you’ve created the SYSTEMS to educate and prove value it becomes very easy to raise your rates…

…but we’ll do that later on in the process as the next step in the Accelerator Method is to “GET NOTICED”.

And that’s what we’ll cover in the NEXT tutorial – how you get the attention of your ideal patient both ONLINE – using things like Facebook and Google – and OFFLINE – using things like newspaper ads or postcards.

We’ll talk through that part of the Accelerator Methodology, next time.

To get more info, go here…

– Accelerator Method: 6 Simple Steps To More Patients and Higher Profits >

Until then, if you’re new to my work, go here next to receive more business education from me:

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

This question was left in my private Facebook Community last night:

===

“Set up a booth a local expo event over the weekend… had a few guys come to the booth interested and one of their first questions were “how much are the sessions?”

I tried to say something like we have a variety of treatment packages and payment plans available depending on what you may need.

They then came back with something like “well on average what does it cost for a session.”

How would you handle this situation?

I lost them both after giving them the price”.

– Ryan Seifert, Outcomes PT, Austin TX.

===

How would I handle this situation?…

Easy…

By asking the prospective patient a couple of questions back…

And the first is always… ALWAYS… ALWAYS:

“What have
you done?”…

Because the easiest way to LOSE a patient who asks a “transactional” question…

…is to answer it with a “transitional” response and actually give them the price.

Asking “what have you done?”…

…is you connecting and engaging…

…it’s what their FRIENDS and FAMILY will be asking…

…and allows the guy asking “how much?”, to talk to you about himself, his problems – and his goals and needs – BEFORE he makes a judgement on your services based upon three numbers in a row.

(Key word – “before”)

What happens when they open up and talk to you all about their problems?

Simple:

You LISTEN.

Ask another question…

Maybe another…

And however many it takes to extract the information so that you can THEN prove to him that:

a). You understand his frustration and concerns

b). You’ve heard his story before

and

c). How your skills and solutions can clearly solve his problems.

Once you’ve done that…

…the number that comes out of your mouth – which should be at least $150 – is now the amount that you charge to SOLVE HIS SPECIFIC PROBLEM.

Not provide PT.

(Big difference, massive difference….)

And if you REALLY wanted to do this right…

How about you ask him this question:

“Is the price per session the number one thing that will influence the PT that you choose…

…or are are you more interested in receiving the best possible outcome?”

Then pause.
.
.
.
.

Then wait for his reply…

It’ll NEARLY always be that people want the best possible outcome for themselves…

…after that, your price can be given and it almost becomes irrelevant what you charge because:

1). He wants the best possible care

and

2). Your fee is about solving his problems

(NOT getting PT).

Make sense?

I hope so…

Because the faster you’re able to communicate with – and influence – the MASSIVE amount of people with problems that you can solve, then the faster aaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllll of your business headaches will disappear.

Sincerely,

Paul Gough

P.S “Selling to Serve”…

…what I’ve just described to you in the lesson above is SELLING MY SERVICES with the intent to SERVE more people better.

Almost everything that I’ve learned about “selling” my services – A.K.A. proving value up front – is going to be revealed on this class:

– Selling To Serve: Raise Your Income, Serve More People! >

Expect a HUGE mindset shift, more confidence, the ability to answer more difficult questions, make stronger and more impactful business decisions – and raise your rates to the $150 + level that you should be charging (at LEAST!).

If you’re wanting to get any, all, or just some of that – join me and the other students on the LIVE video seminar event that kicks off next Thursday morning (4th August at 10.30 EST):

– Selling To Serve: Raise Your Income, Serve More People! >

Note: All seminars are recorded and will be yours to access for life – so you can go ahead and register EVEN IF you’re busy that morning.

===

For more PT Business Education like this:

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

On this PT Profit Academy tutorial we’re going to talk to you about one of the essential components of GROWTH in your business.

Specifically, we’re highlighting the first Module covered in the “Accelerator Method” Masterclass program which has already helped 100’s of small physical therapy clinics raise their profits…

What we’ll cover today is the essential foundation that all small business success is built upon – so it’s worth reading every word carefully.

More: It also highlights the biggest opportunity there is right now to grow a business without having to fight with other physical therapy clinics for referrals from doctors.

Lets get going with the tutorial:

Most PT clinic experience some form of frustration when it comes to marketing…

…you try an ad in the paper or magazine, a letter, a leaflet or flyer – something that looks “nice” and is well designed by a professional and on the face of it, is a GREAT ad for a physical therapy clinic.

And that’s the first problem – the ad is about physical therapy and NOT about the person they can help.

Let me explain:

One of the reasons why so many PT clinic ads fail is simply because the ad lacks the one single thing that all great marketing pieces must have…

And that’s a clearly defined “pocket of people” who you want to pay attention to the ad.

You can’t be successful with new patient attraction if you’re trying to reach everyone…

It’s better to have “10” people VERY interested – than 100 see your ad but skip over the page.

At my clinic – the Paul Gough Physio Rooms – we call this person we want to see our ad our “Perfect Patient”.

Our perfect patient comes from the HUGE pocket of people who are being OVERLOOKED by most clinics in our area.

The huge group of people who are living with some form of pain or restriction that they need some help with, but just don’t know what to do for the best.

In our world – we write every bit of our marketing for our Perfect Patient and we even give her a name…

…She’s called “Mary” – she’s 53 and she has two kids and three grandchildren.

And we know a lot more about her that just that.

We have to…

Because if we don’t, then we can’t say the right things in the ad that’ll get her attention and instantly tell her that we have something that she should consider paying attention to – or reading on.

We have to be able to show her we understand her problems and frustrations…

…and that we may be the place to go to for some help to solve her problem.

We also know that she’s likely being overlooked by other physical therapy clinics.

Why?

Because so many of them are focusing on getting referrals from doctors or insurance companies that they’re neglecting the ones who DON’T get given a referral from a doctor (even though they need us).

I know a lot of physical therapists have previously built their business on referrals from doctors, but we all know those types of patients are less and less valuable, and harder and harder to come by.

After reading this you’ll soon realise why – and it’ll also fill you with some hope that there is a better way…

Recent Study:

A recent study by “Fritz” showed that out of every “100” people who visit a doctor with low back pain – just “7%” are given a recommendation or a referral for physical therapy.

The question I started to ask my self was this:

“What is happening to the other 93%?”

I’m more interested in that HUGE pocket of people, than fighting over the small 7% with every other PT clinic in town.

I don’t know about you, but I want the huge slice of the pie (93%) – and I’m not interested in fighting over the crumbs (7%)!

So my perfect patient is in the “93%”.

She’s someone who doesn’t like to take pills, doesn’t want to bother the doctor – and yet still wants to keep active and mobile, despite her back problem.

Mary wants a solution that resembles that life style choice.

The problem is, since she went to see her doctor and DIDN’T get a referral from a doctor (because most don’t) – she’s a little “confused”…

..she was told to rest, accept it, and take pills.

And because she’s confused about why her back pain is no different, and her doctor didn’t recommend physical therapy when she went to see him, I KNOW she’s NEVER going to respond to an ad or marketing campaign of mine that is all about physical therapy.

Why would she?

So I realized that my chances of success are insanely higher if I talk to the 93% of people who need what I do…

…but don’t know enough about me to want to give me money or their time in exchange for my services until I EDUCATE and PROVE VALUE of what I can do.

So my direct marketing success starts with understanding this concept…

That I have to be 100% CLEAR on who my perfect patient is…

…and what she’s thinking and feeling – then talking about how I understand her, and how I can help her.

Then I’ve got make it easy for her to get in touch with me and start that journey she needs to go on to become one of my patients.

Picking your “Perfect Patient” is like deciding “who do you want to do business with”…

Because you DO have the choice – we all do.

It doesn’t matter whether you want to work with cross fit athletes, people with regular low-back pain in their 50’s, children with TBI, or pelvic floor dysfunction…

…there’s a MASSIVE pocket of people out there who are currently suffering with something that you can help with – and who would do business with you – if only you’d help them make a better decision.

It starts with deciding WHO.

I know this is NOT something that a lot of PT’s ever consider…

…and that’s because we’ve been led to believe that anyone with any type of pain or stiffness is someone we could help.

And sure, you might have the “SKILLS” to do that…

The problem is, marketing doesn’t work like that.

If it’s generic, it fails.

And since all business success and small business growth – in the end – relies on great marketing to bring in new customers, there’s no choice but to turn to this strategy (covered in-depth in the Accelerator Method Masterclass).

Success with growing your clinic is about identifying WHO your Perfect Patients are – knowing WHO you’re talking to in your marketing – and WHO you don’t want to talk to.

It’s about running ads with structured, well crafted messages and conversations so that they know you understand them and it all starts with you deciding on your WHO – and learning more about them than they know about themselves.

There’s so much more I could say on this topic – but I think I’ll end by saying once you get this right, ONLY then can you move onto learning how to EDUCATE and SHOW VALUE up front to the huge amount of perfect patient’s that are out there waiting for you to serve.

This is all covered in Module 2 of the Accelerator Method Master Class which we’ll cover in next weeks blog post.

To get more info, go here…

– Accelerator Method: 6 Simple Steps To More Patients and Higher Profits >

===

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– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

Word for word, here’s what was sent to me over the weekend by a PT from Maryland:

===

“Hey Paul, wanted to share this update with you about the PT position we ran on Facebook…

After making the changes you suggested (to being more about what we can DO FOR them vs. being about what we want), we have 2291 PT’s reached, 108 post engagement, 104 website clicks and 21 opt ins.

We have 6 interviews set next week and all for $200 spent.

Thank you, thank you!”

– Steve Kinsey, Hereford PT, Parkton, MD.

===

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

Here’s what I want to say on this…

…Facebook is becoming more and more and more – and more – of an invaluable resource for growing a successful PT business.

I’ve been using it myself for “3″ years now and it’s become my number one source of referrals…

…and I’ve also been using it to find staff for my business, too.

But this note is not really about “Facebook”…

It’s about the two lessons that can be learned from Steve’s message.

Here goes:

1. If you play differently – just a little – it’s very possible to make dramatic changes to your business circumstances.

Let me give you this example:

Steve has invested in his business education with me quite significantly…

Lets pick a number and say he’s spent $3000 and as well as other things, I showed him how to use Facebook to find staff…

In this example alone (of how to find staff for his business) he’s probably saved about $10,000+ in NOT having to pay for an outside agency or company who wants a 10,15 even 20% finders fee.

He’s now $6,800 UP.

(Minus my costs + the $200 to run the Facebook ad).

Now lets say he used that money he’s SAVED, to RAMP UP his clinics marketing efforts…

…he now has $6,800 to spend on Facebook ads, newspapers, invest in new software technology…

…send out postcards, letters, mailers, re-marketing and even re-vamp his website and the compound effect of that extra marketing is going to be HUGE for him.

And as more patients come in, he’s going to need what??

That’s right…

“More staff!”

Where does he find his staff?

Facebook – for the measly sum of just “$200” (instead of the $10,000 what most PT’s have to spend…)

And so the cycle continues.

There’s a second lesson in this note, too:

2. Steve started the Facebook “we’re hiring ad” and ran it for two weeks – without a SINGLE opt-in from a PT, before we had chance to re-work it for him.

What did we do?

We simply switched the ad from being all about WHAT HE IS LOOKING for…

…to what HE CAN OFFER.

And “hey presto”, 21 names, email addresses and telephone numbers of highly qualified PT’s wanting to work for Steve, arrived in less than 7 days.

The moral?

Words in the right order change the way people feel about wanting to work for you…

…and the same rule applies to patients when you’re running ads for more patients for your practice.

If the ad is all about YOU (i.e. “I’m a PT, a good one, a Doctor, with 10 years experience, and a lot of good reviews, you should call me”)…

…very few people care.

If the ad is all about what you can do FOR THEM (i.e. help them live without painkillers, avoid surgery, walk further etc etc)…

…a lot more people are interested – and your chances of success are sky-high.

Right now there’s hundreds of thousands of PT’s who are STILL stuck in old fashioned ways of growing a PT business…

…failing to recognize how many opportunities there are out there for growing a successful business, 2016 style.

Whether you do or you don’t choose to invest in learning how to take advantage of those opportunities, is completely up to you…

Sincerely,

Paul Gough

P.S The Selling To Serve Program is filling up fast…

– Selling To Serve: 4-Part Live Event Program. The Details Are Here ! >

…this is the program which is showing PT’s how to serve more people – and raise your income.

Take a look at the full details, and join us if you need some help in charging what your worth and making more confident business decisions:

– Selling To Serve: 4-Part Live Event Program. The Details Are Here ! >

P.P.S For more PT Business Education like this:

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

“Sell the value of what you do”…

A lot of PT’s know they need to do that now…

..it’s not like years ago when patients showed up with a script in their hand ready to book out a full plan of care.

Those days are LONG gone.

The problem is, you’ve probably never been shown how to “sell the value of what you do” properly…

I know my PT school didn’t teach me how to do it.

That’s why I’ve created this new program:

– Selling To Serve – Raise Your Income, Serve More People! >

This is a special 4 part LIVE event program you’re invited to, that’ll show you how to sell the value of what you do, without being “salesy” or “pushy”.

It’ll help you raise your income – while serving more people better.

If you’re not 100% confident when it comes to the money conversation…

If you don’t like “selling”…

If you’re not as confident as you would like to be when it comes to asking patients to book out a full plan of care…

If you’ve been fed the LIE that health care practitioners and making more money don’t mix…

And if you want to SERVE your patients better than your competition while raising your income….

Then this 4 part LIVE event video seminar program is perfect for you.

Take a look here:

– Selling To Serve – Raise Your Income, Serve More People! >

On the program we’ll be showing you the new “ETHICAL INFLUENCE” methodology that I’ve already taught many of my clients.

It’s a new method of communication that’ll help your patients to see the real value of what you do…

…let you impact your patients in a deeper way…

…and create a new higher price and profit structure in your business.

Since I adopted the “selling to serve” mindset at my own practice, the results for my patients, my staff – and my income – have been astonishing.

Truth be told…

…I had no choice but to learn this new way of selling the value of what I do.

It isn’t easy selling against a completely free socialist health care system in the UK that offers physical therapy completely FREE to my patients…

Discovering “Selling To Serve” has allowed me to overcome that problem, and what’s best is that my team and I never have to “hard close” or “wrestle” with another patient ever again, to book out their plan of care.

– Selling To Serve – Raise Your Income, Serve More People! >

Since learning how to “sell to serve” we lead with VALUE and are scheduling our patients much more eloquently and graciously.

I can’t help but think that as things like “co-pay”, ONN costs, deductibles and monthly health insurance costs RISE in the US, and around the world – a lot of PT’s will come up against more and more resistance to paying for PT.

That’s why it’s never been more vital to adopt the selling to serve methodology at your practice as soon as possible.

You can see what this program has to offer you when you look here:

– Selling To Serve – Raise Your Income, Serve More People! >

And we invite you to Enrol in this class which, because of the “3” students who signed up yesterday, has just 12 spots left.

If you do it NOW, you can also save $400.

If you’d like to “serve more people AND raise your income”, please join us:

Enrol here.

Sincerely,

Paul Gough

P.S. For more PT Business Education like this:

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

So the plane has just touched down on my flight from LAX…

…I’ve spent the last 7 days meeting and working with some of the USA’s best and most successful physical therapy owners in Los Angeles and Detroit.

I have LOTS I could share about what I learned…

…and over the next few days, I plan to.

I think I’ll start with this from “Jason Han” of “Health Fit”, Pasadena (Ca):

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“Paul, after what you told us on a recent coaching call, we changed the form on our Website from “ask the PT a question” – to a form that is multiple choice and lets the patient self select the answers.

Before the change, we were maybe getting “1” inquiry per week from our website – since the change, we are regularly getting “5” or “6” people from it each week”.

===

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

It’s hard to believe such a simple change could make such a big difference…

But when you REALLY think about it…

…these results are not surprising.

Here’s why:

Ever been to an event, seminar or on a webinar and had the chance to “ask a question” of the speaker/teacher??

I bet you have – and I bet you didn’t ask one!

Because very few people do…

I’ve been in seminar halls with some of the most successful business people on the planet – and when the invitation comes to “ask a question” at the end of the keynote, hardly anyone gets up to ask one!

Why?

Because in that moment, most of the audience have no clue what to ask…

…sometimes it’s a case of:

“What if I ask a dumb question”…

…but mostly, it’s just because they’re unable to think of a question that they want to know the answer to in the context of the situation.

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

(Brain freeze at its best!)

And it’s the same with your patients…

…it’s not that they don’t want to ask you a question, they just don’t know what they CAN ask, or TO ask, to get the inquiry started.

Think about being in the treatment room:

“Do you have any
questions for me…?”

They mostly say NO, yet how many get home later that same night and think:

“I wish I’d asked about this or that…”

A LOT, if not most.

So what’s the moral of todays lesson?

Success in business is a lot easier than most people will have you believe…

…view your business through the eyes of your patients…

…obsess over THEM, and how they think and act – and not about whether your this type of clinic, or that type of clinic, finding any and every excuse to disclude your self from this type of stuff working for you.

The “gold” in the NEW health-care economy is being delivered in a TRUCK via a BOAT to the clinic owner who helps their consumer to make easier and better decisions.

(And so it should!)

What’s even more pleasing about “Jason Han’s” story is that because of the increase in the number of inquires he’s got through his new website…

…we were able to raise his prices!

When you have more demand for your services, you can charge more.

As a result…

He’s now charging what he’s worth…

…patients get the great health care they want…

…and everyone is happy EXCEPT the PT’s at the head of the “old-boys club”, petulantly whinging and moaning on Twitter at the weekend about PT’s “selling their services”, in an attempt to be more successful…

While those guys continue to look for cook-books and new recipes to feed the faces of the doctors they “sell themself SHORT to”…

…we’re all building our own “success club” with a new way to serve people better – and happy to sell the VALUE of what we do, to get what we want:

“A successful business that
makes a lot of people better”.

Are you wanting to join us?

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>
Sincerely,

Paul “jet lagged” Gough

P.S Here’s some pics from my trip:

===

For more Physical Therapy Business Education:

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

Greetings from Auburn Hills, Detroit…

…and happy 4th of July! 😉

Here’s a question I received in the Facebook Group over the weekend:

===

“I need to get a Facebook ad going to advertise for some new Pilates classes I’m going to be teaching.

I’m open to suggestions about content in the picture ad, but should I offer my free Pilates report too?”

– Gav Noble, Physio, Northern Ireland.

===

Here’s what I would do…

…and it wouldn’t be to advertise a “Pilates” class.

Why?

Because although there ARE ‘some’ people looking to attend a Pilates class in your town right now…

…there’s “1000’s” more who AREN’T looking to attend one…

…just because they don’t understand what doing so would do for them…

…and yet would LOVE to live with the benefits of what a Pilates class does.

Which could be something like, to “tone up and ease pain”.

What woman (or guy!) wouldn’t want that?

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>
(That is the EXACT title of my clinics Pilates class, btw!)

So, what I would do INSTEAD of advertising a Pilates class on Facebook…

…is create a Facebook ad with a picture of a your ideal, most perfect student and then appear in their newsfeed using Facebook’s unbelievably helpful, targeting options…

…and offer *free information* to help them see how they can achieve that (…tone up and ease pain).

In my case – it would be a lady in her 50’s who we would want in our class…

…and that’s because it’s a lady in her 50’s I want to see in my physio room.

This way, the Pilates class becomes a feeder for patients at my clinic…

…and patients at my clinic become a feeder for a perfectly positioned Pilates class that we can invite them to join – and sign up for – after their care is over.

Use your Facebook ad to offer a freebie report containing “7 Pilates exercises” that they can do at home to “tone up and ease pain”…

…then in that report (and follow up emails), describe to them how (and where) they can get more…

I.e at YOUR NEW CLASS 😉

Maybe give them a guest pass for a months worth of FREE classes (…to get them comfortable coming to you)

…show them one or two videos of your class in action (…to build desire and settle any nervousness or skepticism)…

…and “hey presto”, you’ve just acquired a new Pilates (and maybe a PT patient), out of the blue.

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

This Facebook thing is something that very few clinics are doing right now…

…and yet, it’s never been easier to do.

It’s like I always say…

“So long as you have a plan – and have the discipline to work that plan, success in business – any business – is really, really… really easy to achieve”.

That plan is also known as a “strategy”…

Anyhoo… “Happy 4th of July” – and thanks for having me in your amazing country on this Special Day.

Sincerely,

Paul Gough

P.S Did you see the latest Episode of the “Paul Gough Physio Rooms” show?

Click here watch Episode 019 – which is all about “working your magic BEFORE patients even experience your PT services”…

…it’s something that many clinics neglect to consider – and yet it’s so important to them booking out care plans AND paying out of Pocket.

Click here to watch it – then Subscribe to our channel on Youtube if you’re being impacted by the videos we’re putting out to help you become a more successful business owner.

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For more PT Business Education like this:

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

So my bags are packed – again!!!!

I’m back to the airport today flying over to “Detroit” to spend “the 4th” with a group of awesome PT’s…

(…”Jerry Durham” included…)

…and after that, on Wednesday 6th July – I’m flying over to LAX and will be staying in the “Marina Del Rey” area, just outside Santa Monica, for 4 nights.

If you’re around either cities, why don’t you let me know and let’s arrange to meet for dinner, coffee or a beer?…

(A “Bourbon” – if Jerry is still around 😉

Anyhow, that’s not my primary purpose for writing to you today…

But this is:

I want to let you know about this new training webinar you can attend over the next few days:

– Click Here To Take The Email and Newsletter Marketing Webinar ! > 

It’s a training that shows you how to add systems automation to your clinic using this recently updated CRM software…

I’m a huge fan of using a CRM software to power much of my clinic – and this webinar talks you through all of the different ways you can use email and newsletters at your practice to add in some of that automation.

There’s only TWO ways to grow a business:

1.) You either need to leverage PEOPLE

OR,

2.) You leverage SYSTEMS.

(I prefer to do both).

Enroll here. 

If you’re looking to make a switch with your CRM or you want to get going with email and newsletter marketing to keep in touch with your patients…

…then check out this Webinar which also gives you an option to start a $1, 30 day trial of the new “Therapy Newsletter”.

Here’s the link again:

– Click Here To Take The Email and Newsletter Marketing Webinar ! >

Paul Gough

P.S One last thing:

I’m going to be speaking at the Referral Ignition Event in September, in sunny San Diego…

Take a look at the agenda:

– http://www.ignitionevent.com

…and if you think it’ll advance your business education, why don’t you come along to meet me?…

If you confirm your seat through this link, use the promo code “paulgough” and you’ll save “$50”.

More:

Reach out to me when you have confirmed your seat – anyone who uses my promo code “paulgough” is invited to dinner with me at a nice restaurant in San Diego, on the Saturday evening of the conference.

(On me, of course 😉

So, if you’re wanting to learn from me – and some other great speakers at this Referral Ignition event – and come out for dinner with me and my team in San Diego, paid for by me, so that I can get to know you and more about your business personally – sign up through this link:

– http://www.ignitionevent.com

I hope to meet you in person, soon.

– Check out the Event here! >

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For more PT Business Education:

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>

Word for word – this was posted in the Facebook Message group this weekend:

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“Yesterday, (as Paul said) I kept thinking to pursue and keep following up on my clients that were procrastinating in seeing me.

And true enough, I got one to schedule a session and another booked 2 appointments.

Never give up on them until they say No or Bye to you.

Hurray!”

– Purissa Saville, Tenafly, NJ.

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I’ve said this for a long time now…

”THE FORTUNE IS
IN THE FOLLOW UP”.

Meaning, if they say “no” – it just means “no, not right now!”

Here’s the thing:

The primary reason why people don’t book their appointments – or follow through on care plans – is NOT because they haven’t got “any money” or “don’t want to pay for it”…

…it’s because *I* (the business owner) hasn’t done enough to show them that, in exchange for their time and money, I’ll be able to deliver on the outcome they are looking for.

A.K.A, provide “value”.

And that’s all commerce is – a transfer of time and money for a specific and uniquely defined, pre-determined outcome.

And guess what…

You and I need to see this VALUE too…

And if we don’t, we stumble and stall over making a commitment to ANYTHING the moment we think (or feel) that we might not get it.

Do we label ourselves as “cheap” or “tight” for not wanting to pay for it?

(Of course not).

– Click here to subscribe to my email list and I’ll send you more Physical Therapy Business Education >>>
One more thing:

I’ve noticed that a lot of business owners take that initial rejection of their services personally…

…it’s as if they’re thinking:

“I’m qualified and skilled – and I have given up “15” minutes of my time to talk to you on the phone – therefore you should book your appointment right now and if you don’t, I’m going to forget all about you and move on to someone who values my time”.

The problem with that way of thinking is that it gets you nowhere…

…definitely doesn’t make you richer, it won’t make you happy – and you’ll be missing out on a LOT of chances to help people live more active and healthy lives.

Taking the time to follow up and give just a little bit more of your time to the people who originally said “no”, is likely to be the biggest area of opportunity for most people reading this email…

…you’ll find that many will all of a sudden value your services a LOT more, they’ll trust you more – and they’ll be way more compliant as a patient.

And all with the same amount of money in their pockets as when they say they didn’t have the money to pay for it, a month ago.

Go figure.

Anyhow…

Big Tip Time:

Instead of looking at your patients and thinking about them as having back or neck pain…

…instead, see them as suffering with skepticism, fear, nervousness – and being tentative about getting another decision wrong.

Set up your business to help people overcome THOSE things, and the rewards will undoubtedly come your way.

Aaaaaallll right, BIG lesson over for today.

Sincerely,

Paul Gough

P.S We covered this exact topic on the “Paul Gough Physio Rooms” Show just a couple of weeks ago….

Click here to watch the Episode.

It’s aaaaaaalllll about not taking rejection personally and trusting in the marketing process.

It’s already been watched by 100’s of your peers – and many of them are using my in-house training videos to develop their own staff.

(Which is cool ;-)).

If you get value from these videos and it helps you, leave us a comment and let me know how it impacted you.

Watch here and then subscribe to get to see the videos first, as we release them…

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