Confessions Of A Loss Of Sales From My Own Physical Therapy Clinic

by · 3rd July 2015

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Ever noticed a drop off in the number of people who don’t follow through on your POC?…

Ever blamed “they don’t have the money” or heard your therapy staff saying “they say it’s too expensive” as the reason why it’s happening?…

Well, I noticed something similar beginning to creep into my own clinic these last few weeks.

Here’s the story:

So we offer “prescription foot orthotics” to any of our patients who needed them to aid recovery and or prevent future problems.

And they’re not cheap.

The equivalent of $600 a pair and the profit margin is HUGE for us.

Even better, they really do make a difference to people with low back pain, knee pain, flat feet, etc.

The problem we run into is that the government funded health care service in Britain (the NHS), also offers what look like “orthotics”.

And even though they’re nothing like the “made to measure” ones that we offer in terms of their success – patients will often tell us they’ll try the freebie NHS first.

And so over the last few weeks, more and more patients were doing just that.

Hurting our sales and jeopardising their own health choosing to opt for the “crappy” inserts given to them free.

(They rally are bad!).

So here’s what I did:

In our weekly “con-ed” meeting on Wednesday, I asked every therapist to explain to me the reason “why” I should invest in a $600 per of orthotics (and not get the freebie ones off the government).

A.k.a “role play”.

We do tons of it.

Here’s some of the responses I got from my staff (as I played patient):

* “They’ll stop you from suffering again”.

* “They’ll make sure pain doesn’t come back”.

* “They’ll re-align your body so that your bones and joints are in the right place”.

Yawn. Yawn. Yawn… And so my therapists went on.

Giving me different (but still boring!) versions of the same “prevention of pain” line hoping it would motivate me enough to buy.

Thing is, it rarely does.

Despite what we’ve been taught… very few people are motivated enough to invest in prevention of pain.

What does motivate the patient?

“Value alignment”.

Clearly articulating how these, what seem to be expensive (and must be paid in cash!), orthotics can help solve their real problems.

Something like…

===

“And if you want to be able to get round that golf course and continue to play 18 holes of golf for another 15 years Mr Smith, my recommendation is that you invest in a pair of prescription orthotics that will help you to do so.

I appreciate that you have another (free) option, but it’s my absolute duty to inform you that although they might look like our orthotics, the ones you will get from the NHS will, in my experience, not be the ones will help you to do that.

How would you like to pay?”

==

…Would probably work better!

The difference?

It’s about their “why!”.

(Why I’m “REALLY” here!).

Thing is…

“Prevention” is way to hard to sell.

Most of your patients… they can’t see into the future to imagine what life will be like if they don’t take your advice.

All they care about is getting out of pain or being more active in the NOW.

Anyway, the result of the chat I had with my therapists?

An immediate bump in sales.

Want some help to get more people to follow through on your POC?

Start here if you do:

Show Me How To Get More Patients To Agree To My POS! >

Have a great weekend 4th of July weekend 😉

Sincerely

Paul Gough.

About Paul Gough

PAUL GOUGH is one of the top Marketing and Business Coaches in the physical therapy industry and his Systems are helping clinic owners all across America run more profitable clinics. He is a published Author, Newspaper Columnist and before his stunning success in business was hired by top professional soccer teams. HIS SUCCESS STORY is one that inspires many pt's around the world - at the age of 26 Paul QUIT a high profile job in professional soccer to begin his own clinic. He had NO money, NO business or marketing skills and NO experience - and yet now owns and runs 4 pt clinics and has a proven track record of growing a physical therapy business from 0 - $2m in record time.
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