Nitin C: Hi everyone this is Nitin Chhoda from nitin360.com and I want to thank Irene for speaking with us because it is bright and early in the morning in Hawaii and Irene is actually on vacation. I am indeed jealous because I am stuck here in New Jersey. Irene is the creator of a unique massage therapy method called Active Myofascial Therapy also known as ‘The Diamond Method’ and her website is thediamondmethod.com, is that right?

Irene: Perfect.

Nitin C: I asked Irene for an interview so we can learn specifically how she went about creating a brand of massage therapy for herself. And how physical therapists can pretty much do the same and stand apart from the competition. Irene is conducting workshops all over the country and she has established a strong presence both locally and nationally as an expert in her technique “Active Myofascial Therapy” and a lot of physical therapists attend her workshops. For a physical therapist in private practice, who has an idea about a method that they want to pioneer and they want to brand, what is the first bit of advice that you would give them if they want to go about creating their own brand of therapy?

Irene: That is a great question. First and foremost, therapists need to be be sure that their idea or method they are developing is something that is unique and different from what everybody is already doing. If they have the same techniques as everyone else, then it is not going to be unique and you could spend a lot of time trying to brand it and it won’t be successful. I think there needs to be a unique story of why they created their method.

For example, in my situation, when I was 16, I was doing acrobatics and I actually fell and ended up with a spinal cord injury and was completely paralyzed and I went to physical therapy. I got a few sessions and was sent me on my way, but was still in chronic pain so I studied everything I could. And then I started going to therapists myself and started directing them on what to do and where to push, how to get better and I started getting better.

The therapists who were working with me started taking my method and using it on their own clients and patients. They were seeing great results with them, so I knew I was on to something and then I went to school and got my degree in recreation therapy with an emphasis on movement therapy.

With my knowledge of exercise, massage therapy and neuromuscular reeducation, I created a system that is backed by science. If a therapist is listening and they have an idea of the method they want to present then of course that has to be proved, that has to be resolved. It has to be reproducible.

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Nitin C: Today, I have the privilege of interviewing Dr. Larry Benz, PT and pioneer in private practice in the United States.  Larry is the founder of physicaltherapist.com, evidenceinmotion.com and I can actually go on and on about his resume, Larry has been on the APTA advisory and on practice and the board of physical therapy specialty. He is the recipient of a number of business and physical therapy awards including the Kentucky physical therapy outstanding physical therapy award and the Ernst and Young entrepreneur of the year award. Larry, I’m so happy you took the time out from your busy schedule to speak with us for a few minutes today, thank you again.

Larry: You’re welcome. Glad to be here.

Nitin C: Our topic for today is what physical therapists in private practice can do to improve their business using the internet. A lot of PTs in private practice are recognizing the importance of a website and what it can do for their practice. What advice would you give to a PT in private practice who is looking to use the internet as a medium to get more patients or offer more relevant information to patients?

Larry: Well it’s a great question because I think the internet is a great way of obtaining new patients but what I think, physical therapists have to gain a greater understanding is the fact that consumers are leading the way. They are skeptical, demanding, they want access, they want twice the transparency, they want unlimited choices and they want high quality. What you have is a little bit of age compression. You have certainly from the middle age of your baby boomers on up, they might not be as savvy as the younger set in terms of building access information on the internet. But they are paying attention, they are listening. The younger set from what I would call a sort of a four year old on down to the generations after that, they have a genuine distrust of healthcare providers right now. They are going into information and finding things about you. Whether that would be in the social networks you travel in, the services you provide and who is recommending you to others. The enabling technologies whether they be everything from ratepts.com to networks such as FaceBook, Twitter and other blogging services, people will find out about you. They will self-diagnose and they will seek out your service.

Everything starts off with your basic website. What is my company and what do we stand for, what are the services we offer, what are the timings or the convenience factors. That’s the basics, and most PTs kind of use their website as how-to or general information and they kind of end it. What they don’t understand is, they can use various mediums within the internet technology to create more memorable experiences for their patients resulting in engaged experience, which further results in patient-loyalty which further results to word of mouth marketing, the best kind of marketing that exists.

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This dummy test is timed so it will help you practice in pacing yourself. Time management is a crucial element of the physical therapy exam. Personally, I have found one strategy to work well, hand in hand, with PEAT and other online tests. I call it ‘mental brainstorming with the NPTE‘.

Here is how it works…When you look at the question, try and anticipate the answer, without looking at the choices. Force your brain to think through the question and brainstorm really hard. With some practice (and a few thousand questions), this will be a skill you will develop and which will become sharper with time. Mind you, this is not an easy skill to build, since it involve some degree of ‘engram formation’, where your brain is forced to predict the answer, without access to the multiple choices. If you can’t think of the answer, try and think of a solution that is close enough so that when you finally resort to viewing the options you can pick the closest answer. This is where the NPTE really tests you… 2 of the 4 options in the test are usually a waste of time.  The remaining 2 options are (generally) likely to be correct.  Your ‘mental brainstorming’ of the question prior to looking at the answers will tip you over the edge and help you choose the correct answer…

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Accurate can make all the difference towards a successful practice. As a practitioner, you want to be reimbursed quickly and appropriately.

The biggest mistake physical therapists make regarding their physical therapy billing is allowing the process to take too long and becoming a ‘victim’ of insurance companies, who try stalling tactics to delay payments. To be successful at physical therapy billing, you must follow up diligently with payors and make sure you get paid!

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Marketing personal training will help you find new customers as well as keep your fitness business profitable. However, if you are just starting off your business, the chances are that you will not have as many resources available that you can devote to your marketing efforts. This is why it is important to explore each and every possibility for marketing personal training.

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If you visit a few of the websites that belong to fitness professionals, you will realize that most of the content on the sites revolves around the owners. With so much to read on the internet, the only way you can hope to grab attention is by making the content on your website compelling. You can make that happen by focusing the content on your customers and talking about them rather than about yourself. When you go about building your website look out for the words “me”, “we” and “us” and keep their usage as low as possible. Instead, use words like “you”, “yourself” and “your” that shift focus towards the customer. Even if you spend a lot of money getting your sire up and running, it means nothing to the visitors on your site. Every visitor asks the question “What’s in it for me?”. If your site is able to provide the answer, your visitors will stick and your internet fitness marketing plan will be a success.

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A functional site should introduce professional and support staff, and outline the methods of treatment. It should provide an outline of standard services and procedures.

You definitely need to appeal to your prospective clients—just why should they come to you? What special value do you offer? What are some of your unique selling points?

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Fitness membership sites can be a great source of recurring revenue for you and a valuable service for your customers.  If clients face roadblocks and need support, you provide them with the answer. They are easy to unsubscribe from if you find they are not a good fit. They require minimal or no financial commitment and offer a combination of flexibility, independence and privacy for the user.

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There are a lot of fitness websites out there, and the ones from large chains like  24 hour fitness and Bally’s total fitness tend to look the best.

A good personal trainer website is all about content and ‘stickiness’. The key question is: Does it keep the visitor coming back for more?

With a massive amount of fitness information, activities and interactive capabilities, your website can reflect your true identity as a personal trainer or physical therapist. You should have the best personal trainer website design that is helpful and search engine.

Before you set up a plan for your personal trainer website, you will want to check out some of your competitor’s website designs using google and websites like compete.com.  Browsing other fitness websites will give you a general idea of what your competitors are doing and how you can do better.

Where do you find a good website designer?

Depending on your budget, you want to work a website designer located in the United States or overseas. Typically you can find a website designer for your personal trainer site and design needs on websites like elance.com or guru.com; however the majority of reputable website designers charge upwards of $65 an hour, therefore you need to set a budget before obtaining website designs quotes.

If you’re looking to save a little money and planning on upgrades and customizing your personal trainer website and design, you can look in to some pre-made sites which can be more affordable if you can’t find an inexpensive website designer.

The best place to look for a personal trainer website designers is by referrals from friends who have used such professionals before.  You can find several website designers by doing a search through your favorite search engines and tailoring your search by including personal trainer website designs. This will ensure you’re directed to website designers and pre-made website designs that fit your personal trainer website needs.

What to look for in a personal trainer website design or designer.

If you’ve done your homework, then you already have a general ideal of your website design.  The next step is determining the best method to have your site developed. There are three choices in the best website designers, premade stand alone, premade customized or custom designed.

Premade stand along personal websites are exactly what it says “Premade”.  These website designs are generic in style and content.  There isn’t much interaction included in the premade personal trainer website design and options to enhance your site can get expensive.

If you are computer savvy and know a little about website designing you may want to try a premade personal trainer website design where you can make your own adjustments according to your preference.  However you may need to still consult with a website designer for more complicated applications and forums.

But if you are not inclined to design your own personal trainer website nor do you want to have the same site design like another personal trainer website; the best website designs are custom designed. Make sure you select a web design service that specializes and/or has a background in the fitness industry.

Specialized fitness website designers can offer better prices and more support. Always request testimonials before you begin working with a designer.

What your personal trainer website design should include.

Now that you have your plans in motion to get your personal trainer website designed, there is specific information your site should include to make it the best personal trainer website on the internet.

• Motivational articles relating to setting goals, keeping goals and commitment to physical fitness.  There also should be how to articles that guides your customers into the right direction.
• Live fitness forums and personal interaction such as chats rooms.  This helps your customer stay focused as well as communicate with others going through similar situations and fitness goals.
• Extensive dietary regimen customized to levels of weight loss.  In other words depending on the amount of weight a person wants to lose, he or she can consult varying diet and healthy eating routines.
• How to videos on exercising, and other physical activities accessible to members only.
• Member profiles that include tracking and monitoring your member’s goals and accomplishments.

These are just a few suggestions on what makes a great personal trainer website. As a final note, try to reflect your identity in your posts and articles. Allow users to get to know you. The more personalized you make your website, the more your visitors will interact with you and the better your personal trainer website will be.

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