Only if you actually want lifetime patients!
On a weekly (Sometimes daily!) basis I am faced with an interesting scenario.
It starts with a doc coming to me for help with the following sentence…
“HOW DO I IMPROVE MY RETENTION RYAN?”,
There are of course many reasons for poor retention and therefore many ways to improve it, but what I want to focus on is one suggestion that I KNOW FOR A FACT, increases retention like gangbusters. A MANDATORY HEALTH CLASS! However, when it’s suggested the response it elicits is akin to if I had sworn at them!.
*NB* Of course this is certainly no “new” procedure, ALL THE GREATS DID IT.
But it’s very much something that has fallen out of favour. Part laziness, part falling out of habit during lockdowns, part people desperately hoping for the unicorn of sitting at home in their underwear getting new patients online etc.
Either way… IT’S DOWN RIGHT IDIOCRACY TO SUGGEST IT “DOESN’T WORK”!
You may not want to do it… and that’s another conversation, but it absolutely 100% works!
So here is what I want you to take from this piece…
Why not simply make it mandatory!
Honestly, I have almost NEVER seen a practice successfully fill internal educational or orientational workshops on a weekly basis without making them mandatory. I’m not saying docs don’t do it, but it’s as rare as a four leaf clover.
Many of you bulk at the word “mandatory”, yet I know for a fact that if every single person reading this would see their patient retention skyrocket if they simply did a weekly mandatory health class in which they:
- Educate
- Future pace
- Demonstrate testimonials
- Explain the different phases of care
- Manage preconceived expectations of healing times,
- Deal with common objections to continuing care before they arise.
Of course that’s just touching on the benefits of “retention”, let alone the insane opportunity to get family members and guests to attend that result in referrals etc.
Yet they refuse to make it mandatory.
But How Ryan?
It’s pretty easy actually.
Simply walk to the front desk and say every single person I work with now has to attend the weekly health class at some point in their health journey and that our new procedure forces the customer to book the health class upon booking their care plan.
I’ve even seen docs make it mandatory to attend this very similar class prior to doing their initial consultation. Not something I recommend in most cases but I love that they insist that prospects follow a process they know for a fact increases conversions and retention.
There’s something incredibly “attractive” about that.
‘’This is the way we work. We know it works. We’ve helped thousands of people in exactly the same position as you and we know when they don’t come to a health class and complete the care plan they don’t get the results that we both want. That’s why this is the way we do it.’’
I would read that sentence again, and read it to your team. It could be a script at the front desk and it could be a mantra within your business. It’s black and white, there is only one way to work with me and that is to attend the health class at some point.
The Script!
The line you’re looking for is. “how we work here is that {Fill in the blank, i.e first thing we need to do is get you booked for the care class, that’s every wednesday evening at 7pm, does this week work?” NO JUSTIFICATION NEEDED….
Or if you really must justify..
“After working with thousands of patients we simply know that {fill in blank, i.e.“Patients that attend the health class BEFORE they start, get the best results}, so can I book you in for that at 7 pm on Wednesday?
Then you back it up with the correct procedures, scripts, processes, and training that filters through the whole business.
It’s worth mentioning that not only is it incredibly attractive for the clients that they are dealing with someone that stands their ground and isn’t “needy”, there is an immense amount to be said for the clarity that your team gains from this.
By clarity I mean it sends a clear message to the sales and support team i.e. your front desk staff and chiropractors. This is the way we do it and this is the only way we do it! Clarity on the direction and boundaries that the team must operate within.
JUST TRUST ME!
Firstly, only good can come from doing a care class and secondly, I truly believe that if you’re serious about it, save yourself the immense heartache of doing classes to empty seats and consider just making it mandatory.
I luv ya and I am rooting for ya!
PS: this topic is covered in depth in both conversion alchemy book, grab it here for FREE
