Every individual can be
considered to fall into one of the following categories, as
it pertains to your private practice.
A stranger (unlikely to do seek your services)
A suspect (aware of, but unsure about your services)
A prospect (considering your services)
A patient (actively using your sources)
A referral source (recommends your services)
A human billboard (has used your services and is a raving
fan)
These stages form the 'patient ascension ladder'.
With your clinical skills and business systems, your goal is
to move an individual through the various stages of this
ascension ladder by offering them the best possible
experience every step of the way. This can increase
awareness and interest about your practice. An understanding
of the patient ascension ladder will allow you to build
sustainable, long term relationships with patients and
referral sources..
Once the foundation of evidence based practice
and advanced assessments, interventions and techniques are in place, consider a
'prospect stimulator' to promote your practice. The best way to do this is to
have a 'front end' product that gives the patient valuable information and
leaves them wanting for more, which is why they seek out your services.
When a patient calls for information or visits your website,
offer them a free ‘front end’ DVD or book filled with unique
content relevant to them.
Transition the individual up the ascension ladder.
When a stranger or suspect accepts your gift / prospect
stimulator, they have already made a small commitment to
your practice. A small affirmation can lead to a larger one
over a period of time. When a patient requests your prospect
stimulator, you should make it mandatory for them to provide
their mailing address, phone number and email.
This helps you build a patient and prospect list. The next
goal is to provide value to this list through regular phone,
email and snail mail communication so that they are
responsive to your message. More importantly, the
individuals on your list will organically transition up the
ascension ladder.
The best way to move patients up the ladder is to get them
into the ladder in the first place. In order for a stranger
or suspect to enter your 'funnel' and climb up the ladder,
you use the 'prospect stimulator'. What you achieve with
this tool is:
1. A mechanism for your practice to collect a list of
qualified prospects for your practice
2. Instant differentiation - You are now the only practice
‘giving away’ a valuable educational tool
3. The ability to contact your prospects again and inform
them about special offers, lead them back to your services
and finally bring them into your clinic
Once you established a system to move patients up the
ascension ladder, offer them new and improved services to
improve their lifestyle and well being.
The ascension ladder does not have to be restricted to
patients alone, it can be applied to all kinds of referral
sources. There are 3 types of individuals critical to the
growth of your practice:
1. People whose lives can be changed by physical therapy
(Patients).
2. People whose lives have been changed by physical therapy
(Past patients = referral sources).
3. People/ organizations related to physical therapy
(Physicians, medical organizations, medical representatives,
health clubs, spas, massage parlors, insurance providers,
accountants, attorneys, manufacturers and retailers of
exercise equipments = referral sources)
Building relationships with local businesses and moving them
up the ascension ladder is an important component of
business and marketing. Imagine if you joined forces with a
local accountant (there are several you can speak with right
now) and jointly created a special offer like “Free DVD
reveals 21 ways to save money, improving financial and
physical health” and allowed the accountant to promote this
to your patients. In exchange, the accountant finances the
cost of the DVDs and also sends it to his entire list of
clients.
Take a moment to think what just happened here. You have
managed to:
- Position yourself as an expert for free
- Leverage the time, energy and resources invested by the
accountant to cultivate a list of clients – and you just got
instant access to them
- Create a new referral source (you can mail to his list
again in the future)
- Reach a new category of patients who would never have
known you existed
Imagine doing this with local, enterprising physicians with
successful, growing practices. Imagine if you created such a
partnership each month and advertised this in the local
newspaper?
Such marketing collaborations can build your practice from
the ground up, in little or no time, as long as you can
build the relationships with them and move individuals up
the ascension ladder.
To learn more about private practice and marketing you can
visit Nitins' websites at
addnewpatients.com
where you can download his free 4 step formula on how to
attract new patients, increase referrals and grow your
referral network with a simple 4 step plan and
physicaltherapywebsite.com where you can download a
free book on physical therapy marketing.
Last revised: April 12, 2011
by Nitin Chhoda, PT, DPT
