True Story:
So there I was in a queue for a cab on Friday night after watching the “Britney Spears” concert at Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas…
(She was awesome BTW!)
In front of me in the line, were two girls – both in their early 20’s – both having been to the gig and both staring at a photo of one of them with Britney.
I politely asked:
“Is that real?”
The girl in the photo replied:
“Yes – I got it taken before the show”.
Me:
“How much did it cost?”
Britney Fan:
“$1500”.
Me:
“WOW!…Was it worth it?”
Britney Fan:
“Well, I’m a huge Britney fan – she’s like my idol, and I always wanted to meet her and the photo turned out really well…”
Me:
“So, was it worth it?”
Britney Fan:
“Wellllllllllll…… the thing is……
I was a little disappointed.
I paid all the that money to have a picture with her and she didn’t even take the time to ask my name or answer any of my questions”…
Britney Fan:
“OUCH!!!!”
Way NOT to make an impression on your bill payers!
And it got me thinking…
In every profession, in every city, anywhere in the world, PEOPLE are motivated in the exact same way…
We THINK we want EXTERNAL stimulation (like pictures with celebrities)…
…and yet we judge how we feel about stuff, INTERNALLY.
This girl got her picture taken with Britney…
…but STILL left disappointed.
Logical?
Or course not.
Normal?
Yes.
People are very “predictably irrational”.
The lessons to be learned for PT’s from this?
There’s two:
1. This girl admitted to me that she didn’t really have the money to pay $1500 for a PHOTO – but she paid it any way.
How many patients will this week tell you they can’t afford you?
(And how will you respond?!)
2. The girl paid $1500 for a photo – she got the photo, and yet was disappointed…
In our world we THINK (or are led to believe) that it’s all about the OUTCOME – the relief from PAIN.
The problem is, they judge you on EMOTIONAL and INTERNAL factors…
Don’t believe me?
Take one look at the review sites and you’ll see that almost every review ever left – good or bad – is rarely about the thing that they were buying and is usually about how they were made to “feel”…
(You book a hotel room for a good nights sleep – why leave a bad review about how long it took to check in??)
So the question is, how do you take what I learned from Britney and apply it to make yourself more successful??
Easy…
You start solving the INTERNAL problem FIRST.
How to do that?
In your Marketing of course.
Acknowledging that you UNDERSTAND that THEY don’t want to live on pills or risk losing their independence is a good place to start if your client is in his or her 50’s – and suffering with low-back pain…
If your client is a CrossFit athlete…
…put it out that you UNDERSTAND the pain and frustration that comes with being told to rest from the gym – and promise to find a solution that lets them keep active while you fix the shoulder pain…
It’s subtle marketing messages like this that checks the box for your patients and has them thinking “this guy or gal seems to get me… I think I’ll give them a try…”
It’s that easy.
After that, it’s up to you to put your great PT skills to great use.
Want some help to get your Marketing up to speed?
Sincerely,
Paul Gough
P.S The latest “PT Business School Podcast” – EP10 – is available for download and it’s all about “healthcare consumerism”…
Basically, about how things that are happening to your patients OUTSIDE of the healthcare profession (like the Britney story) are influencing the way that patients view their healthcare providers – and how they choose them.
It’s REALLY important for you to hear early….
Or, go here if you like to listen to it on iTunes!
P.P.S Some photos from the Las Vegas “Meet Up” as the Impact Tour continues:
That’s me and the team with Top PT “RJ WiIliams” after speaking with his staff at “Fyzical Therapy and Balance Centres” in Las Vegas…
And that’s me, Amy and Rachel (two of my marketing team) with RJ who took us out for dinner VIA the famous “Las Vegas” sign at the beginning of the strip…
(I LOVE to mix business with pleasure 😉
===
For more PT Business Education like this:
- Violating Social Norms and Outdated Levels of Thinking - 22nd October 2020
- MORE from LESS: The Go To Strategy During A Financial Downturn (Like here in 2020) - 15th October 2020
- How To Confidently Sell Your Physical Therapy Services - 29th April 2020
- Telehealth: What Does The Future of PT Look Like? - 17th April 2020
- How To Get More Buy-In From Patients - 16th April 2020
- Telehealth: Have You Already Done It Without Realizing? - 16th April 2020
- Telehealth: What Is the Most Important Thing You Can Sell Right Now? - 15th April 2020
- Telehealth: Is A Marketing Funnel Needed Right Now? - 14th April 2020
- Telehealth: What Happens To Discovery Visits? - 13th April 2020
- Telehealth: How Will I Compete With “Big Box” Insurance Companies? - 10th April 2020
