Comes a question on the Facebook Community message board:
===
“Paul, is it a good idea to *bonus* front desk team members for converting prospects to say “YES” to a Discovery visit?
If so, how do you guys structure it?
– Arlan Alburo, Valparaiso, IN.
===
I get asked this a LOT and my answer is always the same…
And I explain it best like this:
“No I don’t – simply because that’s
their “f’ing” job – and why I pay them
in the first place!”
In fact, I’d go so far as to say that there really needs to be a “rain check” on all of this nonsense about always feeling like you have to pay your staff MORE (…and more) with incentives, just to get them to do stuff for you.
At what point does all of this stop?
Will we get to a point where we have to incentivize them to say “please” and “thank you” to our patients?…
Here’s my honest thoughts on all this:
Whenever you see a business FEEL the NEED to to this, it’s usually because that business has a *PROBLEM*.
It either a “culture” problem.
A “time” problem (… not enough to sit down with staff and explain WHY this is now needed)…
A “lack of understanding of how people are motivated”, problem (…because the MONEY thing is second on the list for most staff)
And, most definitely a “leadership” problem…
Because every time you add an extra incentive to the pay cheque – you’ve made it almost impossible to ask them to do anything thing else in future without them FEELING like they should be compensated for it.
In the end, that’s going to lead to you hitting a BIG-old road block, at some point soon.
However, if that employee is told right at the very beginning of the relationship…
…with a firm tone and a sturdy look in the eye that their No.1 JOB is to support you and help you to achieve YOUR SAID GOALS…
…so that you can grow this business of yours in the fastest possible time frame…
…and that will require them to do various things that you don’t even know exist yet…
…then you never have to do this extra money and incentive stuff!
Because it’s now what they MUST do – just to keep their job!!
Remember, they are doing this on the time that you’re *already* compensating them for in the first place…
…so how and why is this ever needed?
It’ll always go back to this one thing:
“Have you got the right staff
on the bus with you?”…
The right staff APPRECIATE the fact that you are giving them new roles and tasks and that’s because it means they are working in a “healthy” environment – and for a business that is successfully growing.
The ones who DON’T appreciate these new tasks – they’ll push back because they FEEL as though you’re asking them to do something EXTRA that wasn’t in their “job description” at the beginning.
And if you accept it, it’s like letting the “inmates run the asylum”.
“What’s that you say?”
Tons of other PT’s are doing it?…
Well, that’s exactly why you shouldn’t.
Their business illiteracy is your “unfair” advantage in the market place you’re playing in…
Get clear on why you’re staff are employed in the first place…
…remind them of that REGULARLY…
..and sure, if they end up making a huge success of the new tasks you’re asking them to do for you…
…reward them with a nice big fat pay rise or some extra time off at the end of the year!
Call me old-fashioned – but I believe that’s the way it’s supposed to work in every business!
Aaaaaaallll right, that’s enough of that Business Education lesson…
Sincerely,
Paul Gough
P.S Do you need to see this?…
==========
Top Content From Last Weeks “New Wave PT Show”
==========
On this Episode – 014 – I take you inside of my clinic again and share with you another snippet of the WORKSHOP style staff training we do every week at my practice.
This week I’m working with two of my staff encouraging them on how to better engage with prospective new patients who walk into the clinic.
Click to watch – and feel free to share these training videos with your staff or anyone else who you think needs to watch this!…
Press Play – then subscribe!
- 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
