I've known many acupuncturists, chiropractors, and massage therapists who describe their practice as a roller coaster ride that they can't get off of. They have lots of ups and downs and highs and lows. Some weeks are great- they have a full schedule and the promise of a solid income for the week. But then the next week is the exact opposite. They have only a few patients on the books and their phone just isn't ringing.
Why does this happen? Well, there is certainly some inconsistency to be expected if you're just starting out in practice. Some weeks will be better than others. But if you've been practicing for more than 2 years and this is STILL happening, then there are some weak links in your practice management skills.
The root source of this issue comes down to one word- systems. If you have the right marketing, education, and patient retention systems in place then the odds of enjoying a stable and successful practice go up exponentially. The key here is that you consistently and methodically implement the right systems into your practice. How do you generate new leads for your practice? What do you say to prospects who call and are looking for information? What do you do to ensure that the initial visit is a fantastic experience for the patient and that they are fully educated about the scope of your care and they understand exactly what is entailed in the treatment process? What do you do to recall inactive patients?
If you are repeatedly taking each patient through the same successful process, then you understand systems. Based on this, most of your patients tend to be compliant; they do what you tell them to do and they turn out to be good patients. If you are inconsistent in your systems implementation, you will either not get enough new patients in the door or you will lose your current ones a lot more quickly than you'd like.
The 6 figure, high volume practices out there have good (although often not great) systems in place. This gives them predictable and successful results each and every week. If that's what you're striving for, it's time to learn about systematizing your practice so you too can finally enjoy the process of building a lucrative practice.
Kevin Doherty, L.Ac., MS is a licensed acupuncturist in private practice in Superior, Colorado and a licensed business development consultant with a specialty in the holistic health professions. Be sure to opt in to his website to receive a FREE practice building kit with a free report and a valuable audio. Go to http://www.BuildYourDreamPractice.net to get a FREE conscious practitioner starter kit that will give you a variety of tools to create a lucrative holistic health practice that is based on awareness and integrity.
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