What’s the best way to deal with those tech type customers who get into the nitty gritty of lens composition and frame manufacture?
Indulge them. And enjoy the opportunity to go mano a mano in the field you’ve devoted your life to (just make sure you’re prepared). Explain things thoroughly and don’t be afraid to “think out loud” to help this customer feel informed. Listening is key because such patients like to feel heard and it boosts your credibility if you can back up your decisions with reasons, facts and experience. Jennifer Leuzzi of Mill Creek Optical in Dansville, NY, recommends allowing such customers to win the conversation. “Be sure you know what you’re talking about and don’t BS them,” she advises. “Be confident and let them know you’re on top of the technology.” Sure, such encounters can be hard work, but “you may indeed learn something,” Leuzzi adds.
What do we do when one of the partners in our practice won’t stick to our policies or tells staff to ignore policy?
This is difficult in any organization, but especially so with medical practitioners.
It’s hard to criticize or discipline a peer because you are dependent on them for revenue and call coverage. Lack of dialogue is one of the main reason partnerships fail. If communication has broken down, bring in an outside facilitator to establish or re-establish basic dialogue skills. You have to make it safe to express opinions. Unless everyone can get past being mad at each other, nothing will work toward fixing the problem. It may take the involvement of an outside facilitator whose ox hasn’t been gored to get the dialogue going again. This is especially important in a smaller practice that’s less likely to have professional management, where the practitioners are the managers as well.
But you have to be able to have that depth of conversation and to be grateful that the subject was broached.
Even if they bring different points of view and agendas to the conversation, they still have to make the best decision for the practice and come away as friends.
Why don’t more of our existing customers follow our social media?
If your approach pretty much consists of telling patients: “We’re on Facebook. Look us up,” then you’ve got a bit more work to do. Social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram don’t always throw up names from a simple search. It could be because your practice has a name that is similar to another’s. Or maybe because the staff tends to emphasize the doctor’s name over the practice name, so patients are searching for the wrong thing. Or you have so little engagement your account is showing up on search page 247. As such you need to ensure the exact name of your office’s social media accounts where patients can see them, often…in your ads, on billing statements, your website, business cards, handouts, even on signs in the waiting room. When patients want to follow a practice, they generally give it one shot and then give up. Give them your exact Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram handle and make it easy. What makes social media different from other marketing channels is the amount of data immediately available. Statistics, analytics, research – it’s all at your fingertips and not taking advantage of data is not just stumbling around in the dark, it’s to miss the point of social media. Such data allows you to experiment. Always be testing, iterating, and perfecting. Double down on what works and greater engagement will follow.
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Lately, my father, who founded our family practice seems to be working less and taking more cash out. There has always been an understanding that I’d eventually buy the business. I have big plans for it. I want to grow it, but I can’t unless we start reinvesting our profits.
Well, it is your father’s practice. He built it. He’s at a different stage of life and wants something different than you do. That’s the joy of being the founder, and the curse of being the successor. Still, you don’t necessarily have to buy it. In fact, you may decide your future lies elsewhere (spend some time with something like the Edge Retail Academy’s Gap analysis (invmag.us/031803) to see if the store can deliver the lifestyle you want). If separate paths looks like the best option, you obviously want to leave on good terms. At this stage, we’d recommend bringing in a mediator. Sit down with your father (and mother) and lay out your plans. Reassure him you want to come up with a plan that allows both of you to achieve your goals. And do it soon. Otherwise, you’ll be 10 years older; your father will still be alive, hopefully; and you’ll be in the same position you’re in today.
