By Patricia Hospy, DC

We often greet other people’s successes with mixed emotions. And that’s especially true when a high-achieving practice in your community leaves you, shall we say … a bit in the dust.

You may find yourself conflicted between admiration and insecurity about how to create the same result. Comparing your operation in a global fashion to the “mega-practice” can be overwhelming and defeat your efforts by putting the brakes on your improvement program.

This analysis paralysis is the result of trying to “eat the pie whole” rather than cutting it into slices and solving each piece of the challenge in a systematic way. Since successful practices are likely to have some common characteristics, one of best solutions is to focus on their strengths and how to acquire those in your own practice, one “piece” at a time.
It’s these “star qualities” that will move your practice ahead of the pack.

Here are 10 tips for giving your practice the “star status” you are looking for, and the competitive advantage that will set you apart in your community.

1 Define your market and marketing message. Successful practices understand who their customers are (or wish them to be) and have designed their marketing messages, advertising, literature, promotions, events and PR to appeal to them.

Be sure you are speaking to your specific audience effectively, whether your target market is kids, athletes, active adults, seniors, families or a specialty sub-market. The old adage, “Don’t confuse the customer” is the key point here. Make your message “sing” to your desired audience.

2 Define your practice identity and image. In keeping with the preceding, your practice identity and image must also resonate with the market(s) you choose to serve. Develop a close relationship between how your practice looks, feels and operates and the needs and preferences of the market(s) you are serving.

For example: A downtown practice focusing on daytime office professionals would do well to avoid teddy bear motifs and scrubs, opting instead for a professional look and atmosphere. If you want to appeal to a particular audience, make the audience feel at home with what you create.

3 Create a marketing plan. Success doesn’t happen by accident and planning is one thing you can be sure the mega-practice has in place.

In addition to your standard business plans, you should have an annual marketing plan with both internal and external marketing calendars. Once your twelve-month calendars of events are in place, don’t make them a well-kept secret. Work them!

Community involvement and visibility and regular marketing not only ensure a continual flow of new patients; they enhance your stature in the community and contribute to positive PR and free publicity.

4 Conduct regular promotions. Keep current patients interested and new prospects coming in with regular in-office promotions and events. As part of your marketing planning, schedule a minimum of four quarterly promotions on your calendar each year.

Plan educational events targeted to your market’s interests or pull in new patients with a variety of seasonal or regional themes, community events, workshops or philanthropy.
As you plan your events, put yourself in your patients’ shoes: Would you give up your time to attend? If it passes that test, plan and promote the events well.

5Keep quality ‘number one.’ If you’ve ever comparison-shopped for any products or services, you understand the quality issue. We respect the quality leader and accept the fact that we are making trade-offs when we choose a lesser source.

What are patients giving up when they choose your office? What else could you be providing that is more than what your competitors are doing? Inventory your practice operations at all levels and look for ways to improve the quality of your patients’ experience. What would make you the quality chiropractic leader in your community?

6 Remember that patients are customers. The ordinary practice tends to be so locked into clinical objectives for patients that they’ve forgotten about customer service and relating to their patients as people.

This disconnect makes patients feel like “cases” or “numbers” and when they feel sufficiently disregarded, they leave. Solve this by building appropriate relationships with patients and checking in regularly on their goals and objectives for care, and modifying treatment plans when necessary. Successful practices also build operational systems that are patient-centered and not self-serving. And courteous, respectful service in a professional environment is always standard fare for the mega-practice.

7 Watch the details, in everything. Often, the great dividing line between ordinary practices and the mega-performers is attention to detail. If you were born with a discerning eye and the natural tendency to ferret out the minutiae, get out your note pad and go to work. And if attention to detail isn’t your forté, ask a staff member who has that strength to take on the task!

From the cleanliness of your office carpets to your choice in business attire, patients and prospects are looking at every detail and forming opinions about you and your practice. Those opinions may translate into “stay” or “go.” It behooves you find every way you can to improve your presentation, both personally and professionally.

8Maximize perceived value. Winners know how to make the most of what they have. And the mega-practice isn’t necessarily the one with the $50,000 interior design makeover.

However, it’s also unlikely to be the one that screams of inattention, a lack of investment or general poverty.
I believe that sophistication and class always win over tackiness and neglect, so here’s my argument: Identical goods and services sold in a discount environment are usually perceived as being worth less than those sold in a more upscale setting. This is proven by our willingness to pay two to three times more for the same meal offered in a “high end” restaurant where ambiance and service are exceptional. Doing things in an “out of the ordinary” way enhances their value and their desirability. Give your practice and your services more value by providing them with more “panache.”

9 Promote confidentiality. While the ordinary practice drags out the “You can’t believe how many forms we now have to give you…” dialogue, you can bet the mega-practice has turned the recent HIPAA mandate into a positive.
Knowing privacy is a valued feature to patients, successful practices handle this dialogue and the entire matter of confidentiality a little differently. A few words such as, “Let’s step over here where it’s more private for you,” mean far more than reams of documents. Make sure patients know you are privacy-oriented because you care about your patients, not because you were required to comply. Then, be sure to demonstrate how you value your patients’ confidentiality at all levels of your operation, all the time.

10 Build long-term relationships. No matter what business you’re in, it’s common knowledge that it’s less expensive to keep the customers you have than try to recruit new ones.
And while every business needs a flow of new customers, the message here is that we should always be mindful to take care of the clients we have and be respectful of their patronage and association. They are the source of continued referrals and the core of any enterprise. But retaining customers takes work and intention.

Successful practices know this, so they identify and refine the attributes that make patients want to stay, while swiftly abandoning repelling characteristics. Intrinsic to patient satisfaction and retention are ethical business practices, appropriate and high-quality healthcare services, and dedication to your patients’ interests as your primary function.

So, no more trying to eat the pie whole! Put these ten “slices” into action and you’ll be well on your way to surpassing the ordinary and having the practice of your dreams.

Patricia Hospy, DC is president of The Parian Company, a San Francisco Bay Area communication and marketing consulting firm, and has trained over 1,200 new chiropractors on affordable and effective practice development methods. Dr. Hospy can be reached at 650-557-0071 or through the organization’s Web site at www.pariancompany.com