Three steps to building a successful practise

Promoting your business is one of the most challenging aspects of setting up your own private practice. The majority of physiotherapists who set up their own business do so for the simple reason of helping people and not to actually own their own business. However setting up your own practice requires the physiotherapist to take care of the running of the business on a daily basis and this includes marketing

There are three basic internal marketing procedures that Physio123 advise clients to follow. One of the most profitable types of marketing and probably the least expensive is internal marketing. What is meant by internal marketing is choosing to market to just your own base of clients/patients. Internal marketing will not be that hard if you follow the steps below:

1. Realise that you will have to be a salesperson.
2. Know that answering the phone is a crucial part of getting your patient referrals up.
3. Take care of your patients in order to establish their loyalty.

1. Realise that you need to be a sales person.

A lot of physiotherapists will not think of themselves as salespeople. But it is important to remember that you have to be a sales person.

Physiotherapists can sell certain treatments to their patients as and when they need them. They can also sell the idea of hard work to their staff by telling them of the benefits. Physiotherapists do actually sell on a day to day basis without realising it. By understanding that they can sell, physiotherapists can actually use these sales practices to help improve their business.

2. Know that answering the phone is a crucial part of getting your patient referrals up.

Normally when someone phones a physiotherapy practice, they will be speaking to the receptionist initially if it is a large practice or in some cases it may even be the practitioner. Whoever answers the phone will be responsible for creating an impression of your practice. This person will have to take details, provide information and arrange appointments.

The success of a business depends on the professionalism of the person answering the phone.

3. Take care of your patients in order to establish their loyalty

If you do not look after your patients they will not want to keep coming back to use your services. You must establish some loyalty from your customers by making them feel important and by giving them a good service.

It is much harder to generate new patients than it is to keep the ones you already have. Remember to take care of the patients already on your books!