Accelerator Method – Get Your PT Clinic Noticed (Part 3)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDkDSAA0KWg

Accelerator Week 3 is here and I can’t believe we’re halfway through already!

This week I taught my group of incredible PT business owners live from beautiful San Diego – one of my most favorite places, and on Module 3 we spoke all about something called  ‘old school marketing mastery’ – and when it’s done right, Direct Mail can be the key to a goldmine of additional profits for your clinic. More on that in a moment…

In case you’re only just joining us, here’s a quick re-cap of what we’ve covered so far:

In week 1 we spoke about the OPPORTUNITY that exists to access the 93% of people who are currently being overlooked for PT – defining your ‘perfect patient’click here to read more here.

Then, in week 2, once my students got clear on who that patient was, we dived right into why a lot of people don’t choose to come and see a Physical Therapist, objects, and how to overcome them – catch up on week 2 here.

Now that’s been covered, here’s where week 3 comes into play – this week it’s all about how to ACTUALLY get noticed, so you can serve more people, and build a bigger business.

We’ve put together the 10 biggest takeaways from Module 3 of Accelerator for you to enjoy, here’s a look behind the scenes!…

Takeways

#1 The 3 Key Ingredients To Lasting Business Success…

1. Get Noticed.

2. Serve more people

3. Build a bigger business

Now you know that, the next big question is this:

“How do you go about getting NOTICED by your Perfect Patient?”…

…So you can grow and scale you business and serve more people better?

By knowing this:

#2 Know Your Perfect Patients Behaviour

Why is this important for your clinics marketing success?

Well, depending on WHO your perfect patient is, their age, and what they like to do – that’ll determine where you want to run your marketing.

Where do they hang out? Do they go to a coffee shop each morning to read the newspaper? Are they active on Social Media?

My ideal patient “Mary”, is aged 53… she’s still reading newspapers…

So if Mary is reading the daily newspaper, can you guess where I’m going to run my ads?

A newspaper!

#3 Newspapers STILL Work

A lot of people will say to me that ‘newspapers are no good’, that ‘nobody reads them anymore’this couldn’t be further from the truth.

If your perfect patient is 50 plus – running a newspaper ad (especially if you’re a small clinic), is one of the best areas of opportunity to get noticed.

Back to my perfect patient Mary, who is 53 – she’s read newspapers for years, and will continue to do so because it’s a habit

Put your ads in front of the people you want to target where they spend their time most – and you’ll grab their attention.

But keep this in mind…

#4 Forget ‘Pretty’ Looking Ads

Most people when they go about their Marketing – want something that looks ‘nice’.

But does a ‘nice’ looking ad make you money?

Nope!

Not if the message isn’t right anyway!

Most designers would be horrified by the fact that my ads aren’t ‘flashy’, colourful and don’t have pretty images all over them – but they don’t all understand what we’re wanting to do…

Put an ad out there that talks to your perfect patient and an ad they can resonate with – and you’ll have tons of new people who need your help, calling your clinic.

#5 The Purpose Of Your Marketing Is To Build Trust

The message of your ad is the most important thing, don’t get the message right – you’ve lost them.

Remember, trust is one of the things that you need to win over if you want to access the “93%” of people who have been overlooked (who need your help!).

What will you say in my ad?

Well, believe it or not…

NOT an ad that is all about physical therapy.

Why?

Because that’s NOT what people are looking for.

So, what are people looking for?…

This:

#6 Advertise Solutions To Problems

Your perfect patient is in need of a solution – but currently they don’t even realize the the solution they need can even be Physical Therapy.

So your marketing has to advertise a solution to their problem.

This problem could be anything from:

* Fear of a life time dependency upon painkillers

* Risking dangerous spinal surgery for chronic back pain

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

So when you realize all of this, you can create an ad that talks about how your clinic can solve those problems!

#7 Talk To The ‘Internal’ Problems…

Those 3 bullet points I just described above – they’re INTERNAL problems.

And the clinics that solve INTERNAL problems (and talk to those problems) are usually a lot more successful, and can charge higher prices.

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 a lot of patients have learnt to live with the pain for so long, that an ad about ‘back pain’ is likely to be skipped over.

So, when you talk about these internal problems in your marketing – a lot more people will NOTICE you.

#8 Don’t Ask People To Book Appointments

Not in your newspaper ad (or on Facebook anyway).

Asking people to commit and make a decision as big as that in an ad right away, (when they don’t even know you), is a big mistake.

I’m NOT asking for appointments in the ads I run – 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 you can talk to them all about your PT services.

#9 Reverse Engineer The Process

One of the best things you can do to get committed patients, is to reverse engineer the Marketing process…

What I mean by that is this – with my ads I’ve worked backwards 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.

What small clinic owner doesn’t want that?

#10 One Form Of Marketing On Its Own – Isn’t Enough

Newspaper ads are great – especially if they get people to call, but what happens when you rely completely on one source, and the calls stop?

There’s plenty of other ways to find your perfect patient.

You could also find also find them 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…

The number of ways is endless – putting your ad in more than one place, is a great way to establish expert status and build trust.

That’s it for week 3 of Accelerator!

Now you’re armed with 10 of the most powerful ways to grow your business and get noticed by more people who need your services.

To sum it up:

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.

Next week my students have a week devoted to implementing everything they’ve learnt so far into their practice, then in week 4 we’ll be expanding on even more ways to get noticed by prospects online.

So if your perfect patient can be found hanging out on google and Facebook, be sure to stick around for this 😉

P.S. Here’s some pics from the Impact Tour this week:

I got to hang out with Amazing PT “Scott McAfee” in L.A:

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“Roxi Zilmer” of ZPT and “Jason Han” of  Healthfit: Performance and Wellness:

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And then onto meet up with “Jerry Durham” in Hollywood:

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If you’d like to know what city I’m in next, click here for all the tour dates, and lets meet!

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If you’d like to get notified of when this class next becomes available – please click here and we’ll be sure to add you to the early priority list, next time.

OR If you’re brand new to my PT Business Education Material:

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

Accelerator Method – Prove Value, Boost Profits (Week 2)

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Week 2 of “Accelerator” is here…

…and this week it’s all about the most important part of ANY Marketing system – which is quite simply the missing link for a lot of PT Clinics…

It’s something called the ‘conversion system’.

We’ve all experienced this: patients referred by a doctor, a workers comp, or direct access client who makes an “inquiry” about your services… but for some reason will still stall over coming to see you.

But no matter what excuse they have, or what referral source they come from – there IS a way to put an end to people resisting.

Week 2 is where my students discovered how to do this.

There’s never been a better ROI on my time than building out this ‘conversion system’.

Sound like something you’d love to do too?

I’m about to share with you the 10 biggest takeaways from Accelerator that I shared with my students – which are quite simply the most important part of any PT Marketing system.

You’re going to want a pen and paper at the ready for this…

Key Takeaways

#1 The Consumer Has Changed

As the cost of health care rises, as co-pay and deductibles go up – it’s no wonder why people show resentment to paying extra fees.

A lot of Physical Therapists think that the consumer knows what we do – in reality, most have no clue what we do.

People don’t book PT because they haven’t got the money – they don’t book because they’re frightened, nervous, skeptical and just don’t know enough.

So how can we expect them to risk paying higher prices?…

Just like you would need more information before making a decision about paying $100 or more for a product or service – patients are the same.

Understand this – and you’ll be able to grow and scale your business with more ease.

What can you do to overcome the price objection?…

#2 Educate, Educate, Educate

After you’ve picked your ‘perfect patient’ (covered in week 1’s highlights of ‘Accelerator’)…

…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 you 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 to them…

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).

So, lets take a look at how we can begin this education process…

#3 The Power Of The Follow-Up System

In week 1 I covered the importance of giving away free information to begin building trust and educating more people on what we do – so they can make a better decision.

This is where the follow-up system comes into play.

People need to feel more certainty in the outcome they’ll get with you, and they need to feel more confident before they invest in your services.

Once they request free information with you – follow-up!

Provide even MORE information – you’ll keep building trust, and in the long-run, you’ll gain yourself a lifetime patient happy to pay for your services.

#4 Keep Building A Bridge

Once someone has seen your blog, your ad in the newspaper, your Facebook ad and they’ve made the first decision towards better health by requesting your free information report…

You’d think they’d be ready to say yes to your services, right?

Hoooold your horses, not quite yet (very few will be anyway).

So what can you do? You need to keep moving people in the right direction, making it easy for people to make ANOTHER decision.

The best way to do that is to offer something else!

Maybe a free telephone consultation, an in-house workshop, a taster session – something that allows them to ask you more questions, to build more trust…

Show people that you ‘get them’, and that you may just be the solution they need – and you’ll stand a higher chance of converting them into a full paying patient.

#5 Keep Communicating The Offer

Why? Because people rarely understand anything the first time…

Especially if they’re confused, unsure, or in pain – and that’s important for you to understand

The worst case for any clinic is that a patient arrives nervous, skeptical and in pain… And when we talk to them about sciatic nerves, about torn cartilage, or a disc problem that’s going to take weeks to get any better and it’s going to cost them $1500, is it any wonder that patients call up saying they won’t be able to make the number of sessions prescribed??

The clinics who fail to communicate in a way which people understand and are able to see the true value in what you do – will keep running into the same problems over, and over again…

Which brings me onto this:

#6 The Biggest Area Of Opportunity With Confused, Skeptical Patients

Is by keeping IN TOUCH.

(With an email follow-up system and the telephone).

I said it above – if we fail to keep in touch and communicate what we really do, we’ve lost them forever.

The FORTUNE is in the FOLLOW UP – is another one of my favourite sayings!

Most people will think they can get their problem solved elsewhere.

And some will!

…But many won’t!

And many will never think to get back in touch with you in fear of looking ‘silly’.

You likely know I’m BIG on having systems in place – and this one email follow-up system will address that you know why they might have gone elsewhere, but that you also know they won’t get what they NEED by going elsewhere!

This will get patients who drop-off them onto schedule quick, and those who are confused at the beginning, to gain trust.

#7 When New Patients Are MOST Motivated…

…As soon as they request free information!

The moment they request that free information – they are more motivated than ever!

And are likely to make another decision – which good news for you!

So, how do you get them when they’re most likely to say ‘yes’?

Within the first 24 hours – follow-up with that prospect right away on the phone and you won’t miss out on another opportunity to help someone get back to living the life they deserve.

#8 But What If You Can’t Get Them On The Phone?

Use other forms of communication!

If you can’t get hold of someone on the phone don’t stop.

This is where a lot of PT clinics miss out on an opportunity to get more patients on schedule – they think because someone hasn’t answered their phone, they’re not interested, so they don’t pick the phone up to get in touch with them again out of fear they’re ‘bothering’ them.

But the truth is, a lot of people don’t answer their phones! People are busy.

You’ll never get me to answer my cell phone – but most of the world will reply to an SMS or an email.

Use other forms of communication, and you’re likely to have more success with getting in touch.

#9 A New Way To Talk On The Phone

When you do get hold of someone on the phone – It’s important that you don’t get involved in a “transactional” phone call…

…and no matter how they are on the call, it’s about you being able to smoothly transition to a question that is both engaging and emotional.

This allows you to add EQUITY and VALUE to the relationship BEFORE you even get them on schedule.

What’s more, doing this will help you better answer the first question that almost all patients ask when they’re almost about to book an appointment:

“Do you take my insurance?”

#10 Get Them To Fall In Love With You!

As a small PT clinic owner you’re going to get a lot of patients come to you who have already experienced PT elsewhere, or have received treatment from a hospital system that treats them like a billable unit, and didn’t even know their name…

So how can you expect them to want to say yes right away, when they’re going to have false assumptions about PT because of a previous experience?

You want to find out what they already know about PT…

If they’ve had PT before what did the like? What did they dislike?

Are they aware that you can do more than just ease their back pain? That actually you can help them to feel more energized, walk further for longer, dance in their favourite pair of high heels with everyone telling them how great they look?…

Get on that level and hey presto!

You’ll get prospects to fall in love with you, happy to pay $100+ for a specialized service ‘they can’t get anywhere else’

Ok, there’s your ‘digest’ of Module 2…

To sum up:

It’s all about PROVING to people through communicating with them in such a way that they understand what it is a PT REALLY does (…not what they’ve been told, or led to believe, what you do!)…

…then, show that you understand them…

(Like no one else)

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

…that you “get them”…

…that you 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.

Once you’ve created the SYSTEMS to educate and prove value it becomes very easy to raise your rates and get more patients on board.

Next week we’ll cover how to get noticed – 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.

Stay tuned for next week’s highlights from module 3 😉

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If you’d like to get notified of when this class next becomes available – please click here and we’ll be sure to add you to the early priority list, next time.

OR If you’re brand new to my PT Business Education Material:

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

Accelerator Method – Who Do You Want To See In Your Clinic? (Week 1)

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Week one of “The New Patient Accelerator Method” kicked off this week, and just as I imagined, we had a GREAT time with a number of breakthroughs.

In week 1 we cover the essential foundation that all small business success is built upon.

It was eye opening…

Exciting…

And there were a lot of breakthroughs…

If you joined in with us, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

As we had a packed out class, and because I know some of you weren’t able to join us on the program this time – I wanted to keep you in the loop with everything we’re learning.

So here’s a look behind the scenes of what happened in Module 1 of the Accelerator Method, we’re going to share with you “10” of the most powerful highlights from week 1 of the class, get your pen and paper ready!

Key Takeaways

#1 Why Most PT Marketing Fails

Most PT clinics experience some kind of frustration when it comes to Marketing.

You might try putting an ad in a newspaper or local magazine, a letter, a leaflet or flyer – something that looks “pretty and nice” and is professionally designed – and on the face of it, is a GREAT ad for a Physical Therapy clinic…

But that’s the problem.

The ad is all about Physical Therapy and NOT about the person they can help.

Let me explain:

One of the main reasons why most PT clinic ads fail is simply because the ad lacks the one single thing that all great Marketing pieces must have – a clearly defined “pocket of people” who you want to pay attention to your ad!

Which brings me onto this:

#2 WHO Do You Want To Do Business With?

You can’t be successful with attracting new patients if you’re trying to reach everyone, which is why you’ve got to get clear on this:

WHO you want to do business with.

Unless you’ve got a multi-million dollar business – the real profit lies in the RELATIONSHIP you have with those people – and you BEGIN and ENHANCE that relationship with your clinic marketing.

Here’s an example:

At my clinic – the Paul Gough Physio Rooms – we call this person our “Perfect Patient”, who 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 and restriction that they need some help with, but just don’t know what to do.

Our Perfect Patient is called Mary – she’s 53, has two children and 3 grandchildren, and loves to live an active lifestyle attending Pilates classes a few times a week and socializing with friends.

So, here’s something for you to think on – who is YOUR “Perfect Patient”?

#3 Why You Need To Get Crystal Clear On Who Your “Perfect Patient” Is…

The biggest area of opportunity lies within figuring out WHO is is you’re talking to.

Because if you don’t, then you can’t say the right things in your Marketing that’ll get their attention and instantly tell them that you have something that they should consider paying attention to – or reading on.

We have to be able to show them that we understand their problems and frustrations…

…and that you’re the place to go to for help to solve their problem.

These people are likely being overlooked by other Physical Therapy clinics in your town – because so many of them are focusing on getting referrals from Doctors that they’re neglecting the people who DON’T get given a referral from a doctor (even though they need us).

So it’s your job to help them.

But how do you find those people currently being overlooked?…

By understanding this:

#4 Your Patients Have Three Problems

External, Internal and Philosophical.

Most PT’s talk to people about their external problems when what they should be doing to stand out, is talk to them about INTERNAL problems.

What pain are they in emotionally? What are they struggling with and missing out on because of the physical pain they’re in?…

#5 The Most Important Point To Remember When “Selling Your Services”

As a general rule, we move people AWAY from pain and loss – not towards health and happiness – which is why Marketing that promises to “reach the peak of health”, doesn’t resonate with many people or compel them to make decisions.

People have a hard time imagining how good it feels to be happy and healthy right now when they’re suffering. Move them AWAY from pain, and co-pay won’t be an issue.

Which leads me onto this…

#6 The Real Purpose Of Your Marketing

Once you’ve become crystal clear on WHO it is you want to do business with, and you understand them on a deeper, emotional level…

It’s time to show up and drop the solution to their problems – in their lap.

With my Perfect Patient at the Paul Gough Physio Rooms, I know that ‘Mary’ is someone who doesn’t like taking pills, and doesn’t want to ‘bother’ the Doctor – and yet still wants a solution to her problem that resembles her lifestyle choice.

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

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

Therefore if you show up and and give away free information that helps her to make a better decision – you’ll gain her trust and she’ll know that PT is the solution she’s been looking for all this time 😉

But keep this in mind…

#7 Marketing Is All About Building A Bridge

The rules of small business advertising have changed.

It’s almost impossible to get people to say “yes” and hand over money for your PT services immediately.

When stats suggest that just 3% of the population are confident enough and ready to buy now – the key for you is to build a relationship and develop trust with your Marketing messages, to help people make better decisions.

So how can you begin to do this?

#8 Give Away Free Information

For small businesses like you and I, providing people with MORE information to help them make better decisions, faster, is the ONLY way to win.

Because of TRUST issues, it’s much easier (and smarter!), to advertise helpful information than it is to ask people to buy from you immediately.

Putting out an ad that says something like: “Back pain evaluation – call today” will waste the attention of 9 out of 10 people and your precious dollars.

But offer free information as a solution to their problem, and you’ll be helping people to confidently say YES to PT services, and get back to living the life they deserve!

#9 Adopt The Strategy Of Pre-Eminence

What do I mean by this? You offer to help your Perfect Patient BEFORE you ask for any money.

Think about how trust was established in PT clinics years ago… by doctors who TOLD THEM to go and see a PT – patients didn’t have to make a decision!!

But now that times have changed (and more importantly if you want to move away from relying upon doctors for referrals…) you need to re-create that trust, so people can confidently make a decision on their own.

One of the ways we do it at the Paul Gough Physio Rooms? With free information reports:

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There’s no effort required on your prospects part, it’s low-risk and easy to get – therefore MORE people are likely to respond to your ad.

A great way to understand this is to look at it like this:

#10 Think Of Going On A First Date

You wouldn’t ask someone to marry you on a first date, would you?…

Well, asking people to book an appointment with you in your Marketing is a lot like asking for marriage on a first date.

Slowwwww down, that’s too quick – you don’t know each other well enough yet, go for coffee first 😉

Remember, not everyone is ready to book now, offer free information, be helpful, get to know your prospects and nurture them.

Master this and issues with “co-pay”, “deductibles” and the increase in monthly premiums will become a thing of the past.

To sum up:

In PT school we’ve been led to believe that if people are in pain, they’ll book our services when they see us Marketing how great our clinic is in an ad…

But in reality, not enough people know what PT actually is – and not enough people are confident enough to make decisions about their health for themselves

When you really start to think about WHO your Perfect Patient is, and understand them at a deeper level that many health care professionals don’t take the time to do – you’ll be able to serve the MASSIVE pocket of people who are currently suffering with something you can help with – and who will be happy to do business with you – by helping them make better decisions.

See you right here next week, for Module 2 where we’ll cover one of THE fastest ways to boost your clinic’s profits, and how to get more patients on schedule from ANY referral source.

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If you’d like to get notified of when this class next becomes available – please click here and we’ll be sure to add you to the early priority list, next time.

OR If you’re brand new to my PT Business Education Material:

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

Why PT’s Need To Get Out Of The “Pain Game” – And Into The “Transformations Club”…

Heard this from a PT just yesterday:

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“I can’t seem to get them to attend all of the sessions that they need.

I especially have a hard time getting them to “9” – they always say they’ll just do “6” for now and see how it goes – I have to compromise even though it’s in their best interests that I see them 9 times”.

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Common issue I suspect…

I talk regularly about the need to “market solutions to problems”…

…not market “PT” services.

And, I also talk about the need for PT’s to get out of the “pain” or “movement” game…

…and join the “transformations club”!

What A Patient -Price Objection- Really Means (6)

What do I mean by that?

Well, as most PT’s talk aaaaaaaallllll day long about “pain” and or “restoring function”…

…some even brag on it in their marketing or on websites…

…me and my team are talking aaaaaaaalllllll day long about things like “who my patient will become”, AFTER we have gotten rid of their pain AND restored function.

See the difference?

(Read it again).

Here’s the thing…

A lot of patients KNOW that you CAN solve their problem…

…they BELIEVE that you’re skilled and wonderful at what you do.

They just don’t know what life will look like WHEN you’ve done that…

…and they don’t BELIEVE that it’ll happen to them.

And if you can’t help them to do that – they ain’t ever going to be motivated to show up and pay, no matter how many letters before or after your name.

Not so bad if you’re relying upon referrals from doctors all day…

…but it’s catastrophic to communicate about pain and motion if you’re trying to market for direct access patients (who largely, have no clue what a PT even does).

So what’s the solution to this mis-communication issue?

Easy peasy:

Start to talk to patients about ‘who they’ll become’ AFTER your 9 sessions is done…

…talk to them about who they will NO LONGER be (which is right now someone stuck in the house and ageing fast while “pills” rot their stomach)…

…can your skills make a change in their IDENTITY?

What will their friends and family say about them after your 9 sessions of pain relief and movement techniques?

If, right now, they’re being told that they seem to be “slowing down” or are “not themselves anymore” – and AFTER you work your magic they’ll be acknowledged for moving as well as someone 20 years their junior…

…then they’ll attend your 9 sessions!

And they’ll be happy to pay – in cash or out of pocket, even in January.

(And they’ll most likely ASK for more).

Anyhow…

Todays lesson summed up:

Get specific.

“Land the plane”.

Don’t do what most PT’s are doing and keep the plane hovering at 30,000 feet…

…S.P.E.L.L out the TRANSFORMATION in a way that even a 5 year old can relate, and if you do that, you’ll have no problems getting them to “9”.

Do that in your direct access marketing AS WELL…

…and you’ll have no problem getting them IN (through the doors), to get them to “9”.

Want some help to do it?

Sincerely,

Paul Gough

P.S Here’s a REPLAY of a recent Paul Gough Physio Rooms Show where I spoke in-depth about this subject with my staff:

==> Episode 26: Helping People Overcome Resistance To Booking Out PT ! >

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The Real Reason Why Seeing A PT Is So “Painful”

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 A Patient -Price Objection- Really Means (5)

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 >>>

Accelerator Method: Maximising Cash Value (Part 5 of 5)

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.

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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…

…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 >>>

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Why A “White Cloak” And A “DPT” Isn’t Leading To More Compliance…

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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What A Patient -Price Objection- Really Means (4)

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 025Why 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 >>>

Accelerator Method: 24/7 Inquiries From Your Website (Part 4 of 5)

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

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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…

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…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…

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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?

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

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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. .

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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”.

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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…

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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 >

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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 >>>

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PT Business Lessons To Be Learned From Watching The Olympics

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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PT Business Lessons To Be Learned From Watching The Olympics

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! 😉

Accelerator Method: Get Noticed Online And Offline (Part 3 of 5)

Welcome to part THREE of the Accelerator Method:

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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…

marketing ideas for physical therapy clinics

…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.

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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.

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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 >>>

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Accelerator Method: Proving Value Upfront (Part 2 of 5)

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…

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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 >>>

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How To Answer The “What’s Your Prices” Question Without Losing Anymore Patients…

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

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“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.

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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.

Selling to serve - ID design

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.

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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 >>>

Accelerator Method: “Who Do You Want To See In Your Clinic?” (Part 1 of 5)

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

Accelerator Blog (1_5)

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%)!

the 7 and 93%

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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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 >>>

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Using Facebook To Find a Staff PT For Just $200…

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

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“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.

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– 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.

Facebook Image

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 - ID design
– 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 >>>

4 Weeks To Serve More People – And Raise Your Income

Selling to serve - ID design

“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 >>>