Sore Muscles, Water and The 16 Man Syndicate

They say if you don’t go nuts once in a while, you go nuts.

That’s exactly what me and a group of friends did last week in Canada, when I attended my friend Vince Delmonte’s bachelor party, an unusual but highly entertaining white water rafting trip (I am actually going back to Toronto in 2 weeks to attend Vince and Flavia’s wedding and my wife Ritika is attending as well). If I said I was being tossed and turned in a raft moving downstream at a frantic speed, that would not do the experience any justice, so I said – why not show you a video.

The video at the bottom of the article says it all.. and more about my trip. If you have never been white water rafting, and have a sense of adventure, watch the video.

Sore muscles and water sports aside, this 16 man unit is just one of my ‘syndicates’. In my sold-out program on physical therapy marketing called “Referral Ignition”, I talk about the importance of  ‘syndication’ in Module 4.

Definition: The word syndicate comes from the French word syndicat which means trade union (syndic meaning administrator), from the Latin word syndicus which in turn comes from the Greek word (syndikos) which means caretaker of an issue.

Why is this important to your private practice?

The truth is, doctors refer to physical therapists they know, like and trust. In other words, there is a secret ‘insiders circle’ that no one talks about, with referrals. If your business is not a part of this transfer of patients (and revenue), you are leaving a lot of revenue on the table without even knowing it.

The same goes for patients. If you, as a private practice owner are able to build a strong community of loyal, supportive patients, you will never have to worry about referrals again. Encouraging patient compliance is a step by step system, and the final result is a ‘status’ where patients refer friends and family to you over and over again.

Let’s think outside the box and look beyond doctors for a moment. Think about local businesses like restaurants, massage parlors, health spas, fitness centers, hair stylists, attorneys, accountants and even plumbers and carpet cleaners.

Each one of them has a list of customers.

Every single person in their list could be a potential patient.

The best way to reach out to their customers is if you have a good relationship with them (each of these local businesses) to begin with.  This is possible when you build your own community, your own ‘insiders circle’ of individuals who support your business.

What will they get in return from you?

a) Cross promotion

b) Recognition

c) Appreciation

The final results: Everyone benefits. Everyone shares the patient and strives to provide the best possible service, improving the experience of the patient / client.

Why did I use the word ‘client’ instead of patient?

Your patient is NOT JUST YOUR PATIENT. Your patient is a buyer or a client. He or she goes to other establishments in your area.  The question is, are they going to businesses that are a part of your syndicate?

Anyway, back to my syndicate, and the video I promised earlier. It’s pretty entertaining. Without further ado, here’s the video, and it shows me and a bunch of friends (who are also a part of my business syndicate) looking rather silly in the waters of Canada.

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Tags: physical therapy marketing