Let Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT teach you the best physical therapy business and physical therapy marketing tactics for physical therapy management success. Discover insider secrets on marketing your physical therapy business, improving physical therapy documentation, physical therapy software, physical therapy billing, physical therapy coding, physical therapy tools and physical therapy website marketing » physical therapy marketing

How To Manage Staff In Your Clinic (and Win Them Over)

Nitin — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 01:14:29 +0000

When it comes to managing a physical therapy private practice, a deep understanding of the true nature of human interaction will enable the physical therapy business owner to motivate and persuade his staff in a manner that’s filled with integrity and purpose.

Since human interaction has many hidden nuances to it, an insight into various “staff personality types” will allow you to identify exactly what makes some employees ‘tick’ (and others ticking time bombs).

If you can master the art of ‘staff influence’, you’ll be able to ‘read between the lines’ and look beyond someones ‘skill set’. You will be able to:

Anticipate problems before they happen
Assign tasks to individuals based on temperament
Know exactly when to motivate staff
Determine precisely when to ‘crack the whip’
Create a productive working environment

If you want to become an influential private practice owner and a powerful motivator, then you need to understand the ‘psychological tactics’ that influence the way most people think.

Managing employees is like playing chess, but there is one important difference – the goal is not to dominate the other player (staff member) and win while someone else loses, it’s to anticipate their next move and to stay one step ahead. The goal is to to lead the situation, instead of being led.

Physical therapy management is all about preemptive leadership instead of delayed reactions.

It’s important to know an individual’s “Personality Profile” when communicating with them, since the same message can be interpreted in different ways. Remember that the tone in which you speak can be more important than the words you use. People hear what they ‘want to hear’ and not what ‘is told to them’. The tonality of your voice often reveals your thought patterns to listeners. The listener, depending on their “Personality Profile” will see the world with their own perspective.

“Managing employees is a bit like playing chess.

The goal however is not to win.

It is to stay one step ahead.

Lead the situation, instead of being led.”

Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT

For example, the words “Hey there Susan, would you mind following up with your patients who have not shown up in the past two weeks?” sound a lot different than “Call the patients who have not shown up in the past two weeks” with a slightly altered tone of voice.

Even though you said the same thing, the listener’s response can vary from “sure, happy to” or “There he /she goes again, I hate being ordered around”.

Here are THREE specific examples of “Staff Personality Profiles” that you’ll commonly see in your practice. A majority of your staff members will fit ONE of the following profiles more so than others.

Motivators

Clearly know what they want.
Are ambitious yet ambiguous about their goals and expectations.
Constantly look for change and evolution.

Managing such individuals in your organization:

Manage such ‘free spirited’ individuals by offering bonuses, setting goals, tracking progress and NEVER threaten to punish such individuals. Occasionally, they may need to be ‘bought down to earth’ and made aware of potential, glaring problems that they tend to miss. Don’t expect these individuals to follow procedure, expect them to violate them and ‘push boundaries’.

Motivators will always want to come up with a better way to do something, so accept it, don’t fight it.
They are constantly look for change and evolution.
Embrace and nurture such individuals, accept their suggestions to grow your practice (and let them know in no uncertain terms if you disagree).
Such individuals are best suited for creative positions and are able to generate procedures for ‘stabilizers’.
They are able to multitask and are constantly looking to improve procedures or divert from them even if they are working.
They tend to be very flexible (sometimes too flexible) in dealing with situations.
Every practice should have a ‘motivator’ to infuse enthusiasm and vitality into the team.
In some cases, these individuals can be best suited for physical therapy management and physical therapy business planning tasks.
It takes a lot of skill to manage such individuals but the pay offs can be significant.

Stabilizers

Prefer the status quo professionally and personally.
Reluctant to respond to change, tend to stay in their jobs for several years.
These individuals are best placed in tasks that require consistency and stability with a little room for change.
They enjoy (and excel at) specific, targeted jobs that involve a limited degree of variation.
These individuals need a ‘series’ of steps and need a clear set of instructions that they follow in a particular order.
They process information in a systematic, linear manner and believe in a ‘best way’ to do something.

Managing such individuals in your organization:

The more specific you are with such individuals, the more responsive they will be. They need to be told the ‘right way’ to do things. Avoid alterations in the ‘set protocol’ since that makes them uncomfortable.

It’s important for the private practice owner to ‘balance’ a team with motivators and stabilizers, to foster unity, camaraderie and to minimize friction between different personality types.

Perfectionists

Similar to stabilizers, but much more methodical.
Make lists, create schedules, prefer rules, regulations and a predictable ‘plan’.
Tend to show up early for meetings, expect others to be as neat and tidy as them.
Unlikely to deviate from a strategy in the absence of empirical data.

Managing such individuals in your organization:

Perfectionists are best managed with a logical and structured blueprint, clearly defined expectations with deadlines. Compliance is rarely an issue and such individuals are best suited for jobs that require a ‘plan’ from start to finish.

They tend to be ‘the rock’ in your organization. They are the glue that binds everything together and allow your private practice to function as a smooth unit.

If your team is full of motivators, a perfectionist is important to ‘balance the scales’. These individuals are best suited for precise tasks like physical therapy billing, physical therapy documentation and physical therapy coding.

The ideal team needs a combination of motivators, stabilizers and perfectionists, managed effectively by the practice owner. As a practice owner, an understanding of the different profiles can help you manage your people better. It might even teach you something valuable yourself, if you can answer the question “Where do I fit in?”

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Local Businesses Can Grow Your Practice

Nitin — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 18:46:44 +0000

The average physical therapy practice spends hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in marketing and referral generation with doctors and patients. The goal is to advertise continuously to remain visible and develop a base of loyal patients.

It’s important to remember that the cost of acquiring a new patient is enormous most physical therapy business owners don’t realize that they should be in the business of generating a list of prospects and patients and not just trying to get new patients.

In most cases, physical therapy management focuses on spending marketing dollars to reach more new patients even though a majority of physical therapy business success comes from a small fraction of your patient audience and referral sources.

So the question is why spend your time and marketing dollars to attract new patients from referral sources who don’t know you (and are very unlikely to refer to you) when there is a much easier and less expensive way to grow your practice with your existing patience base, local businesses and organizations to help you grow your practice?

The best part is you can do so at a fraction of the cost of trying to acquire new patients.

Keep in mind here that we’re not talking about taking clients away from other businesses but adding more value to the existing clients by offering them high quality physical therapy, injury prevention and wellness services.

This is called a local business joined endorsement. One company allows another company to deliver a sales and marketing message to their clients.

Things like this happen all the time.

If you have a visa, MasterCard or American Express card you may have noticed all the other products and services that are advertised in your bill when it arrives each month.

When you participate in a local business joined endorsement as the ‘endorser’ you are boosting the profitability of the local business.

You can expect that that local business would do the same for you and drive more patients to your practice.

The best way to identify a local business joined endorsement relationship to complement your physical therapy marketing efforts is to identify individuals who already have a strong relationship with their clients

It’s also important that those businesses be noncompetitive with each other. They should also provide a related product or service that can benefit your patients.

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Three Tips To Boost Patient Arrival Rates Within 24 Hours

Nitin — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 17:58:53 +0000

The front desk person is, in most cases, the most important cog in the wheel of your private practice engine. While most front desk staff do the best they can to minimize cancellations, there are some things your front desk should never, ever do when scheduling patients.

I’m teaching you THREE quick tips to boost patient arrival rates within 24 hours in a LIVE training call on Tuesday, April 12th at 7 pm EST (that’s 4 pm PST)

Three Tips To Boost Patient Arrival Rates

LIVE Audio Training

Tuesday April 12 @ 7 pm EST (4 pm PST)

You will want to attend the call if you see any of these problems in your clinic..

A number of new evaluations are scheduled each week, but the number of patient visits is the same or declining.
The patient’s can ‘come as they please’ or ‘schedule an appointment when it’s convenient for them’
Absence of a script to maximize arrival rates (what, when and how to say the right things to boost arrival rates)
Patients cancel their appointments at the last minute (no cancellation policy in place)
Difficulties with copay collection

Most of these things can be fixed with THREE simple tweaks that you can implement within 24 hours.

I’ll be teaching you this system myself in a LIVE training call on Tuesday, April 12th at 7 pm EST (that’s 4 pm PST). I’ll also answer any questions you have.

The call is free for everyone to attend. All attendees will get a FREE template that you can use in your clinic right away – an “Appointment Reminder Cancellation Notice” template in a customizable word document. This single document has helped several clients reduce appointment cancellations by as much as 87%.

If you want to receive a text message reminder about the phone call, just text REMINDER to 77453. Also, leave your comments and questions below if you want me to address specific questions on the call.

In case you miss the call, the call recording will be available for members of the Inner Circle on my blog.

Join the LIVE training: Dial: (712) 432-0075

Access Code: 758410#

Be sure to attend 5 minutes before the call starts. Only 1000 spots are available and this will fill up quickly, so mark this in your calendar and sign up right away.

Need an email reminder? Enter your email below.

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5 Quick Tips To Boost Patient Referrals

Nitin — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 09:06:32 +0000

I’m just about ready for the Private Practice Formula event this weekend.. can’t wait to meet all the speakers and attendees and deliver some practical, cutting edge tools for all attendees.

Today, I wanted to share some of the golden nuggets from my upcoming presentation with you.

Ready to learn the FIVE key elements to boost internal referrals? If you want a zero cost way to grow your practice, harness the power of patient referrals and discover some new, counter-intuitive options that exist right under your nose, watch this video below.

It explains the FIVE things you should do right away to increase patient referrals in your clinic…

Be GENUINE, Identify With Patients, Let Your Personality SHINE
Condition Patients To Take ‘Buying’ Actions From DAY ONE
Create COMMUNITY (Interaction, Fraternity, Camaraderie)
Master COMMUNICATION Modes and Frequency
Use strategically written EMAIL Subject Lines (actual examples provided)

Check out the video and leave me your comments below.

The email subject line is my favorite part, since small tweaks in your subject can results in a BIG percentage increase in your open rate (and response) to all your emails. So the next time you are about to email your patients, use one of the subject lines I recommend.

Want to learn some other email subject lines, specifically the ones that have been PROVEN to get high open rates? I give you the FULL details in my inner circle.

For Inner Circle Members

INSTANT ACCESS to a special report on the ‘Top 25 Subject Lines’ to get your emails opened (and read) by patients. These are subject lines you can SWIPE and use AS IS, or edit and use in your marketing.

If you are member of the inner circle, please login here.

If you are NOT a member of the inner circle yet, click here to see what you are missing out on.

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5 Factors For Private Practice Success

Nitin — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 05:46:24 +0000

Starting my own physical therapy private practice was one of the most intimidating things I ever did. For an immigrant who first set foot on US soil with little more than a briefcase, I thought I had experienced all the highs and lows in my eventful journey from rookie PT to physical therapy business owner, but nothing prepared me for what I was about to experience as the first time owner of a PT clinic – understanding all the ins and outs of physical therapy documentation, physical therapy billing, physical therapy coding and building a physical therapy website turned out to be quite a handful..

Some of the lessons I learned (which I teach you in the upcoming event – Private Practice Formula) will help you save hundreds, potentially thousands of dollars AND add more revenue to your private practice at the same time.

Call For 24 Hour Toll-Free Prerecorded Message 800-421-8442 or Click Here For Registration Form

You can learn EVERYTHING I used to single-handedly build a six figure generating physical therapy private practice using scripts and techniques that will transform your practice. All my coaching and mentorship clients have used these strategies to drive more new patients, get doctors to refer and ignite referrals from existing patients and you can learn everything in New Jersey on March 11, 12, 13.

Like everyone else, my reasons for starting a private practice included the need for freedom and independence. I wanted to unleash my creativity (which my previous job restricted) and be my own boss. I wanted to make patients feel better, and have doctors reach out to me to treat their patients. My expectations were high – to help hundreds of patients in the community AND double or triple my previous income in the process. There was also another, deeper reason. Having grown up in a fiercely competitive city (Mumbai, India) and arrived in the US with nothing more than a suitcase filled with books and clothes in August 2002, I was always driven to ‘prove myself’ and set myself apart from the competition.

Whether you took the same path I did, or are thinking about it, opening up your own practice can be a daunting proposition, especially in a stuttering economy.

Here are FIVE key factors that will help your practice thrive, not just survive in today’s competitive climate.

1. Have a good support system in place (personal and professional)

It’s important to have someone to talk to. Let family members know what you are doing, so you have someone to lean on. Listen to objective advice and be prepared to handle criticism. They may have some good advice, or even be able to point you in the right directions for resources to help you get up and running. Try and join a ‘mastermind’ group of like-minded, success oriented, private practice owners who are willing to share some of their growth strategies. Being in the same room with other, more advanced practitioners than you is the FASTEST way for you to grow your practice. If you cannot organize such a group, the next best thing is to find a mentor who can coach you every step of the way.

2. Network, network, network…

In real estate, they say there are 3 things that are important – location, location, and location.

In Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty, author Harvey Mackay writes: “If I had to name the single characteristic shared by all the truly successful people I’ve met over a lifetime, I’d say it is the ability to create and nurture a network of contacts.”

If you go at it alone, you may be (unknowingly) heading for failure. You will certainly make a lot more mistakes and waste more time and energy than if you had a network of peers to assist you. As mentioned earlier, finding the right network of people who want you to succeed, and are willing to give you honest and constructive feedback about things like your website, company name, logo, and any other significant step. I still meet quarterly with a group of my peers. We share marketing strategies, and even key strategies to help grow our businesses.

Call For 24 Hour Toll-Free Prerecorded Message 800-421-8442 or Click Here For Registration Form

The importance of networking is that this network should constantly grow and evolve so your private practice is injected with new ideas for innovation and growth.This is exactly the kind of network you can expect when you attend the Private Practice Formula on March 11, 12 and 13 in Rutherford, NJ

3. Master (and Protect) your time

Your time is the most valuable thing you have. Treasure it, and wisely manage the time you have to the tasks only you can do.

The first thing you will learn at the Private Practice Formula is to identify and eliminate all low value tasks. All these tasks should delegate. Remember, the time that you spend on your business is designed to grow your business. Any activity that does not do that, may be outsourced at a reasonable price. This includes answering phones, scheduling patients, faxing paperwork, and even trying to change things on your website – give these activities to someone who knows how to do it, and focus on the ‘high lifetime value’ tasks.

A high lifetime value task includes activities that can build your business and professional reputation. This includes:

Communicating with referral sources
Training staff to improve customer service and clinical productivity.
Creating systems, policies and procedures
Evaluating return on investment with marketing methods
Identifying untapped sources of referrals
Organizing and utilizing testimonials from patients

At the Private Practice Formula , I will teach you how to identify your high lifetime value activities and leverage them in your favor.

4. Get the right staff on your team

The right staff can make all the difference. When it comes to industries that are service-based like massage places, nail salons, and physical therapy, customer service is king! If your staff knows how to answer phone calls, talk to people in pain and their family, and do something for the patient (like call for the ride before being asked, or opening the door for someone with crutches or in a wheelchair), that patient will definitely take notice and appreciate your practice and staff. If however, your staff doesn’t answer the phone right away, makes a caller stay on hold for a while, or your staff keeps a patient waiting in the waiting room for a long time before being treated, chances are that patient is not likely to come back. An unexpected, sincere act of kindness goes a long way. Learn new strategies to grow a responsive, productive staff that helps you grow your practice at Private Practice Formula 2011

Call For 24 Hour Toll-Free Prerecorded Message 800-421-8442 or Click Here For Registration Form

5. Invest in your physical health.

Remember to eat right, exercise regularly and keep up with your annual physicals. Practice what your preach! Our job requires us to be motivating and a positive role model to our patients. Go beyond the physical. Keep motivational and inspirational quotes around your office where they are visible. Be sure to read inspiring books that can help steer you and your business in the right direction.

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Private Practice Formula – March 11-13: Rutherford, NJ

Nitin — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 23:41:36 +0000

“Who Else Wants to Come to Rutherford, New Jersey For The Most Groundbreaking Event In Private Practice This Spring?

(And Get Access To The BEST Methods For Referral Generation, Patient Retention, Billing Practices and Turnkey Business Systems To Help YOU Get To a Six, and Even Seven Figure Income In Your Private Practice And FINALLY Live a Do-What-You-Want Lifestyle Making Predictable and Reliable Income.)”

Once in a while, an event comes along that not only adds to your clinical skills and rewards you with CEUs, it also helps build business skills that result in more referrals, improved staff management and more efficient billing procedures.

The Private Practice Formula 2011 in Rutherford, New Jersey on March 11, 12, 13 is going to be an event that goes down in history as a game changer for success-minded private practice owners, with experts on topics including:

Referral generation to get you more patients
Billing procedures to overcome claim denials and increase your bottom line by tens of thousands of dollars.
Hiring and management methods to build a successful, stable private practice
Medically supervised weight loss programs paid for by insurance companies (and how you can help patients and benefit from this opportunity)
Google and Facebook optimization to drive more patients to your clinic (things your web designer is currently charging you THOUSANDS for – you’ll learn how to outsource them
for pennies)
Neuropathy for physical therapists – The new untapped territory for PTs, how YOU can help 20 million new patients desperately looking for providers

http://www.privatepracticeformula.com <———– Early bird registrations now OPEN

Here are 5 reasons you MUST attend this event:

Unconventional approach to the BUSINESS of private practice
Speakers include 7 figure income producing private practice owners candidly willing to share what worked and what didn’t.
Take-home blueprints to get more patients and grow your practice IMMEDIATELY
Meals, networking cocktail party, practice analysis by expert panel, prizes, Ipad giveaway
Earn CEUs for attending

The speakers will help you IMPLEMENT systems to get new patients, reactivate old patients and increase physician referrals.

http://www.privatepracticeformula.com <———– Early bird registrations end Sunday, Feb 13th

“This will be a landmark event in the history of private practice.. If you don’t think so, I will refund you TWICE your registration fee to cover the costs of the airfare and hotel”

Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT

On March 11, you get a workshop on functional assessments and exercise programming. You earn CEUs for this workshop. This is DAY ONE of the THREE day event.

On March 12 and 13, you get 2 days of marketing and operations insight from the leading private practice owners in the world. This is DAY TWO and DAY THREE of the THREE day event.

This landmark event only costs $397 for early bird registrations, and is only open to a limited number of attendees.

Bring a guest and save more!

By attending this history-making event, you will learn the techniques and practices of the most successful private practice owners in the world, all under one roof for the first time ever.

This event is GUARANTEED to sky-rocket your private practice to new heights. A SINGLE concept from any speaker could hold the key to explosive growth in your practice.

Early bird registrations are now open, but you have to act soon to hold your seat if you want ALL the additional bonuses outlined on the page below (the bonuses ALONE are worth the price of attendance. Visit the page below and judge for yourself).

http://www.privatepracticeformula.com <———- Early bird registrations end Sunday, Feb 13th

The location is the Marriott Renaissance Hotel in Rutherford, New Jersey on March 11, 12 and 13.

PS – The ENTIRE weekend comes with a 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE, which means if at any time during the weekend you don’t feel like you got your money’s worth, just approach the event staff and you’ll get your registration fee back on the spot, plus additional reimbursements for travel and boarding. No catch and no hard feelings.

PPS – Read what other attendees; private practice owners like yourself, have said about past workshops and trainings by visiting this link.

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The ‘Starbucks’ of Private Practice

Nitin — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 04:49:39 +0000

I’m writing to you from Miami, FL after having finished an intense day of masterminding with a team I assembled – a highly successful group of private practice owners.

In my presentation today, I taught each member of my group how to position his / her clinic as the “Starbucks” of private practices in the community.

I taught the lesson with a simple, true story. After an intense day in the heat and humidity earlier this week, I was starting to get really thirsty. A tall, cool drink – my beloved iced coffee from Starbucks was all I could think off. There were a bunch of coffee shops near the hotel but none that served coffee like Starbucks does (at least not in my opinion).

There was no Starbucks in the area, and my thirst buds started to guide the way.

So I decided to catch a cab to the nearest Starbucks, 3 miles away.

It cost me $15 plus tips each way to get to the nearest Starbucks plus the cost of my iced coffee, so in reality, the coffee cost me over $33.58.

But to me, it was worth every penny.

Why?

Because every single time I step into a Starbucks, I feel like a VIP. I am greeted with familiarity and comfort, in addition to consistent, outstanding customer service regardless of which coast I am on. That’s exactly why I was willing to pay a premium.

My mind flashed back to Betty, the server at my local Starbucks where I usually pick up my $4 soy decaf blueberry latte every day at 7.30 am.

“Hi Nitin, great to see you! I see you are running a couple of minutes behind today. I don’t want you to be late for work, so is it going to be the same? I suggest a dash of hazelnut – it just came in today and I think you’ll really like it!”

One thing was pretty clear. Each time I visited Starbucks, I got more than a cup of coffee, I got an experience. I was made to feel special.

The Starbucks business model has changed the coffee industry as we know it. Coffee drinkers are able to customize their beverage with the hand-crafted assistance of a ‘barista’ (the Italian equivalent of a bartender). This customization adds a heightened level of satisfaction for each consumer, with simple, yet delightful additions like soy milk and various ‘pumps’ of flavor and sweetener. Compare this with a system-based, automated approach like your order at McDonalds, and you’ll see why people (myself included) go out of the way to pay $4 for a cup of coffee that would normally be 50% cheaper at McDonalds.

In fact, I didn’t even know that McDonalds sold lattes and cappuccinos until my wife Ritika mentioned it to me. Have you ever had such a problem when trying to educate patients or referral services about your services?

“When your patients and referral sources think of you, are you the McDonalds or the Starbucks of physical therapy private practices in your community?”

Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT

The truth is, what a consumer pays for is not always what he / she wants. A customer who pays $4 or more for a latte is paying for the experience, the ‘feel good’ factor, the human connection and not just the drink. In fact, the customer subconsciously knows he/she is overpaying, but still continues to pay top dollar for a premium service. Consumers in a new economy, a sophisticated, fast-paced world will pay a premium fee for a genuine, ‘warm fuzzy feeling’ human connection.

This ‘human touch’ is one of the factors that adds to the perception of quality. In a service related profession like physical therapy, success has a lot to do with perception, since perception is perceived as reality.

If you want to be the busiest, most in-demand and the most referred to private practice in town, then you need to be the Starbucks of private practice – plain and simple.

Being the ‘Starbucks’ of private practice means you get more patients, the best patients. You get more referrals from your current patients and more referrals from doctors. You can even command high prices in some situations. You can provide patients with more products and services beyond ‘traditional’ physical therapy. So how do you become the Starbucks of private practice?

Attend the Private Practice Formula 2011

Starbucks like every other conglomerate, started with one store. Founder Howard Schultz said “The success of Starbucks demonstrates that we have built an emotional connection with our customers… We have a competitive advantage over classic brands in that every day we touch and interact with our customers directly.”

“Our product is not sitting on a supermarket shelf like a can of soda. Our people have done a wonderful job of knowing your drink, your name and your kids’ names”.

Similarly, in private practice, the patient interacts with the therapist several times during the course of the treatment. This presents the clinician with several opportunities to provide a ‘blue chip’ patient experience. Don’t forget that the patient has several options. He / she could easily go to a local pharmacy and pick up some over-the-counter medication for pain relief and avoid physical therapy, even if they need it. They could also consult with other professionals including personal trainers and chiropractors. The fact that we, as clinicians, get the patient’s undivided attention several times during the course of the treatment (prior to discharge) is a significant opportunity. Happy patients present you with a zero-cost branding opportunity. At the March event, I’ll teach you exactly how to condition patients to recognize your authority and refer friends, family and co-workers, and even act as a bridge to introduce you to their referring doctors.

About Private Practice Formula 2011

I’ve gotten the most successful private practice owners in the world at one time and they’ll be going up on stage at PPF11 to give away their most valuable and potent systems for quickly growing your private practice and achieving massive success.

This whole thing takes place March 11th – 13th in Rutherford, NJ. Each year, this event is attended by private practice owners from all over the U.S. and four countries, all looking to get the most cutting edge business building strategies and systems to grow their practice.

BUT, there’s one tiny little problem…

…and it’s because of this tiny little problem why you probably won’t make it to PPF11.

See, each year Private Practice Formula sells out weeks in advance.

This year is no different.

And since PPF11 is more then 77% sold out already, you can bet that we’re going to close off the registration process very soon.

So if you want the tools, tips, tactics and systems for taking your private practice to the highest level then this is your “opportunity is knocking” article.

Don’t miss out by procrastinating.

Learn more and see the amazing line up of presenters here.

You’ll learn how to create a ‘Starbucks’ culture in your practice. Dave Olsen, senior vice president of culture and leadership development at Starbucks states that “It doesn’t matter how many millions or billions of cups of coffee Starbucks has served, if the one you get does not suit you.”

“We will deliver a drink that suits you every time, and create an experience in the process. The experience must fit the customer.”

Starbucks strive to maintain a high level of consistency and quality for that particular customer, and that is their promise.

Starbucks encourages employee individuality, and avoids scripted customer service approaches. Staff members are provided a structure to engage with clients in productive, meaningful ways. Management at Starbucks calls this the “5 Ways Of Being”

1. Be Welcoming

2. Be Genuine

3. Be Considerate

4. Be Knowledgeable

5. Be Involved

How can the “5 Ways Of Being” work in your practice? Ask yourself:

Is your practice giving your patients those memorable experiences?
Are you or your staff connecting with your patients on a human level?
Is there a sense of community within your staff?
Do you share your knowledge with others (including staff) to generate passion and awareness for your practice?
Is the staff engaged and willing to contribute ideas/ suggestions to boost your reputation and efficiency?

In a private practice, the way your team interacts with a 62 year old patient recovering from a fall injury must be different from a 17 year old high school athlete with a torn meniscus. This goes a step beyond clinical intervention – it’s the human interaction that leaves a lasting impression with the patient (customer), long after discharge. Patient’s want more experiences with individuals like Betty in your clinic. It is the experience that will be what they remember most and that’s what will keep them (and their friends) coming back. At the Private Practice Formula 11, you will learn EXACTLY how to give patients this ‘Starbucks’ experience.

Your clinic, like Starbucks, must successfully master the application of the most basic principle of giving the consumer an experience to remember- this has helped Starbucks build its brand and keep their customers coming back.

It’s how the founder Howard Schultz went from a salesperson in a xerox corporation to an owner of a global franchise and a personal net worth of $1.1 billion (2006, Forbes). He did allow negative comments and naysayers to hold him back. He never once thought:

It’s just coffee – no one will pay $4 for a cup
This industry is different – the ‘barista’ approach won’t work
I am not worth that much
My clients will not like this approach
Now is not the right time
There is nothing unique about what I have to offer
This is beyond the scope of my expertise

Sounds familiar? Don’t let negative self talk hold you back.

In fact, negative self talk and limiting beliefs represent another reason why you may not make it to PPF11… I can’t change your mindset (until I work with you).

And I can’t make you click this link and register for Private Practice Formula 11, but what I can do is give you EVERYTHING you need to take your private practice to a whole new level when you attend.

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Igniting Referrals From Patients

Nitin — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:53:19 +0000

Besides quality care, there is a strategy that allows you to pull patients and referral sources towards your clinic. It’s called ‘education based marketing’. You empower patients to recover faster and become healthier by educating them with tools (books, audio CDs and DVDs) that you create (or have rights to) and that position you as the expert. You ‘give away’ these tools to prospects (advertising) and patients (reactivation) to drive people back to your clinic.

I call this the ‘patient stimulator’ approach.

Here are some examples of patient stimulators. One or more of these might be applicable to your practice.

The 3 critical components of fall prevention
Pre and post-natal care redefined – The Physical Therapy perspective
The ultimate pain relief protocol
Injury prevention and sports conditioning for baseball
FINALLY! Do away with that ‘pain in the neck’
Put the ‘spring’ back in your step – Knee pain elimination 101
5 ways to overcome low back pain
How to beat arthritis

In my upcoming training program called Referral Ignition, all participants get done-for-you books (peer reviewed content and professional design – ready for you to customize) on all of the above topics, plus a whole lot more (shoulder pain, elbow pain, wrist pain, hip pain, knee pain, obesity, concentration, fall prevention and many more)

I also reveal a unique formula for private practice success that can be summed up as:

QS + RP + PS + CI + NO = Private Practice Success

Quality service (QS)
Right patient (RP) Importance of niches, hyper segmented markets
Patient stimulator (PS) Allow you to build trust, overcome skepticism, stand out and reverse hesitation
Continuity income (CI). The initial patient visit is the beginning of the relationship. How can you continue to do business with them over and over again?
Next Offer (NO) What else can you provide them? People always want whats next…People always want the ‘new thing’

The ultimate goal is to improve Patient Perception

Patient perception is a priceless, enduring asset for your practice. It is directly related to the success of your practice. A successful practice is measured by:

Number of visits (revenue)
Longevity of your patients
Patient conditioning
Influence

For more information about my upcoming referral ignition program, click here to visit the Referral Ignition Website

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7 Habits Of Highly Successful Private Practice Owners

Nitin — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 21:16:18 +0000

As we start a new year in our clinics, it’s important to identify trends and new drivers of profitability in your clinic. A successful business is in a state of constant innovation, looking for new ways to improve customer experience and streamline operations. In order to establish new standards in profitability for your business, you need to master a new set of skills. Becoming a business manager first and a clinician second is the only way to grow a private practice. Introducing the 7 most effective habits of a successful private practitioner.

1. Innovation: They are NOT “know it alls” and are always open to new ideas, new ways of learning (especially from other industries and experts). They have the right mindset for growth and success, and are constantly adapting to a new economy, changing times and evolutions in standards of care and marketing. They are always looking for new materials and resources to grow. They are experts at physical therapy management and know how to leverage themselves for quick and explosive growth. They are in a state of constant innovation.

2. Identification. They know EXACTLY what type of patient they want to work with and have systems in place to attract the RIGHT patients from the RIGHT referral sources while weeding out the rest. They are able to precisely define the average patient and create a patient ‘avataar’. They know the fears and frustrations, wants and aspirations and are conscious about exactly what the patient (and referral source) needs from them. They are able to deliver this in a systematic manner, with the right people on board and are able to build successfully, mutually beneficial, long lasting relationships.

3. Investment. They invest in their marketing education and are able to measure their return on investment. For example, they are able to track that an investment of ‘x’ gets a return of ‘y’ and you only continue that particular strategy if ‘y’ is consistently greater than ‘x’. They are able to outspend their competition not because they like overspending, but because they know their business metrics so well that they can afford to go the extra mile, since they have a predictable, measurable return on investment.

For example, if a new patient is worth $800 for your practice, and you had to spend $200 to acquire that new patient (something your competitors will not dream of doing), then you can outspend your competitors because you know your business metrics better than anyone else.

4. Mastermind. They create a nurture a successful group of mentors and associates whom they can count on to get answers to their most pressing questions. They are able to cultivate the right relationships with the right people, leading to SIGNIFICANT growth and new opportunities. These ‘right people’ are usually other successful private practice owners, experts in marketing and business development, employee productivity and billing/collections. They are able to approach such contacts (and colleagues) with a giving hand, and are able to add value to the world, instead of seeking to extract as much value as possible. In some cases, they may even seek to ‘model’ their mentors. They have no interest in ‘reinventing the wheel’ and are constantly looking to expand their circle of influence and interact with individuals who have better people and systems than they do, in an attempt to learn and get better themselves. They are a part of highly successful private practice mastermind groups. 5. Management. They are MASTERS at time management and people management. They know EXACTLY how to manage their day and focus on the high value tasks (people management, business systems and relationship building) that lead to growth in the business. They tend to look past the minutia, the day to day activities and frustrations that most people get bogged down with, and have a firm, determined attitude with insight and long term vision.

6. Metric Analysis. They can clearly define the lifetime value of a patient and tie it in with their business goals. Most practices have no idea what the lifetime value of a patients (LVP) means. The lifetime value (LVP) of a patient is the amount of profit you make from your patient during the lifetime of your relationship with them. It is a measure of:

•   How much you get paid for the average treatment.
•   How many times a year the average patient schedules an appointment.
•   How many of their friends they are likely to refer to you
•   Your average net income per patient visit.

Most patients have a lifetime value of several thousand dollars. Successful private practice owners understand this and know that Repitition + Request = Referrals

7. Problem Solvers. They are not afraid to tackle difficult questions and seek solutions. A successful private practice owner has the ability to answer tough, insightful questions about his practice. He is able to answer questions like:

What do I want to be known for / as?
How much income would I like to make each year?
How many patients do I need to see each week to reach that goal?
How many therapists do I need to hire to reach that goal?
Am I good or bad at employee management?
How can I put systems in place to manage employees and achieve my goals?
By which date should I achieve this goal?
What additional products and services can I provide my patients so I can increase the lifetime value of each patient?

SOMETHING YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW:

I’m going to open up my 4 week coaching program called “Referral Ignition”, where I personally walk you through the ENTIRE process of referral generation, streamlining operations and building a 7 figure private practice. The training starts on January 31st, 2011 and is a LIVE web-based coaching program that lasts 4 weeks. It includes group coaching calls and access to me, so you can learn EVERYTHING I know to help you build your practice. I’ll tell you more later, but only 50 students can get on board. The last time I opened this program up was in April 2010, where it was sold out within 5 days.

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The State Of Private Practice In 2011

Nitin — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 09:37:10 +0000

We are almost done with 2010, and 2011 will bring with it some unexpected opportunities that you can capitalize on instantly. Here are my top predictions for 2011 and what you should do about them.

>> Click here to download this special report <<

After you read this report, please leave me a comment below and let me know what you thought about it.

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