5 Ways to Grow your Chiropractic or Physical Therapy Practice (#1 is so easy!)
Do you feel like your physical therapy practice is sitting dormant? Or maybe you’re wondering how your chiropractic business can make more money? Honestly, if you asked a team of experts the best suggestions for practice growth, you’d be left with a long, long list. Where would you even start?
New clients are a crucial part of growing your practice, so you may want to try a few different tactics to see what’s most effective in attracting patients. We’ve narrowed down a very long list of ideas to the top five that have led to significant growth for other clinics.
Here are five proven strategies for physical therapists and chiropractors to get more patients and get more revenue.
5. Start a Referral Program
Word of mouth advertising is one of the most powerful marketing methods to this day. If existing patients love your services, their friends and family are sure to hear about you. And why not reward that? If a new client comes to your practice specifically because a current client told them about you, you’ll delight that word-of-mouth patient even more by recognizing their recommendation. You could offer a certain dollar amount off their next visit, or partner with a local business to give out gift cards. Rewarding quality referrals is worth every penny. And yes, we know there are limitations on what and how much appreciation you can gift for a referral. If this idea makes you nervous, then remember that a sincere thank you and personal recognition can also go a long way.
While we’re on the subject of referrals, another wonderful source for new patients is your local network. Build relationships with local physicians and practitioners via business networking opportunities, fundraisers, trade shows, community events, and your local Chamber of Commerce. Connect with the high school and sports programs in your area offering sports evals, and education. Partner with large corporations to be a part of the health & wellness programs they offer to their staff. If they need to refer a patient for more specialized care, hopefully you are the first name they think of. And you can reciprocate by referring your patients to them.
4. Upgrade Your Software
It’s no secret that the right software will streamline the efficiency of your practice. If you spend less time managing medical records and check-ins, you’ll have more time to focus on your practice growth. In fact, we believe this is such an important piece for your clinic that we only partner with practices that use Eclipse or ChiroTouch software. These quality programs help your team work effectively with (and we quote) a seamless flow from check-in to check-out, billing to claims, and scheduling to follow up. Best of all, it’s easy to get up and running in no time at all.
3. Outsource your Insurance Billing
The thought of giving up control of such an important part of your business can be unnerving, and maybe even terrifying. It sounds complicated, but the reality is it’s the complete opposite. It’s more profitable to outsource your billing needs because it limits errors, saves time for employees to focus on other duties, and eliminates the stress of trying to keep up with the constantly-changing codes used in billing. Did you know that 4 out of 5 medical bills contain errors? Check out our recent post on insurance billing mistakes if you’re not convinced.
Outsourcing your insurance billing to coding experts will benefit you in many ways.
- Maximize collections
- Increase cash flow
- Collect payments faster
- Have an entire team of billing experts behind you
We would be honored if you’d consider outsourcing your insurance billing needs to Money Tree Billing. Our professional, detail-oriented billing experts will help reduce stress and eliminate mistakes that are costing you and your staff time and money. To get started, schedule a call today or contact us.
2. Invest in Digital Marketing
This is a huge category to cover, so don’t feel like you have to do it all. Traditional marketing methods include social media, newsletters, search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), and targeted social media boosts. Based on your budget, you may want to try one or many ideas and experiment with what collects the best leads. If your efforts are not converting customers, make necessary adjustments like changing direction, redesigning, or changing your message. You may have someone in your office comfortable with marketing, otherwise you may want to consider hiring a freelancer or agency to help implement successful campaigns.
Make sure you have a clean, responsive website with clear calls to action and engaging, keyword-focused content. Also, connect with and engage followers on social media to expand your reach and build relationships. Once you have meaningful content, you can then start directing traffic to specific pages or landing pages on your website and social media. Use analytics to see what’s working and what’s not, and so you can understand where people drop off along the way. By paying close attention to your sales process and conversion rates, you can nurture leads to inform, entertain, delight and convert them into paying customers.
1. Ask for Patient Testimonials
What is the first thing a potential client will do when interested in your services? They Google your business and read the reviews. Whether those testimonials are on your Google page, social media, third party sites, or your own website, customer feedback is an excellent tool for someone to decide whether or not you’ll be a good fit. This is why it’s so important to secure your online reputation.
There are ways to automate requests for testimonials, but a good old-fashioned conversation right after their session is often the better way to ask. If a patient is overjoyed at their experience with you, it won’t take much convincing for them to go one step further and share their experience. You can alternately ask in an email, and provide an easy link straight to your Google reviews. Most happy customers will write their testimonial if you simply ask them.
Real reviews from real patients strengthen your credibility and establish trust. It’s social proof that your practice goes above and beyond to satisfy your clients. By boosting your online reputation, you’ll attract and convert leads into sales. And if someone leaves you a dreaded one star review, respond to it immediately with compassion and concern. Try to address their issue, not only to not lose that customer, but to improve your process and show others reading that review that you truly care about improving your practice.
There you have it, our top five ways to grow your practice.
As you can see, there isn’t one singular solution to flood your business with customers. All of this can be a little overwhelming, so start with one that inspires you and see where that takes you. Growing your practice isn’t easy, and it won’t happen magically overnight. With the right marketing tools and an attitude focused on improving client care, you’ll soon see your effort rewarded. Remember, the easiest way to stand out from your competition is to always offer exceptional care. You’ll keep happy patients, they’ll talk to others about their experience, and maybe they’ll even write you a review. All you have to do is ask!