In a recent session with a client in my Private Mentor Program we were discussing what to do when his past patients were having trouble making an appointment to see him.
To give you some background – my client (Mr X) is an exceptional therapist – and as a result has a large list of past clients – all wanting to see him – and him alone.
We have developed excellent scripts for the admin team to use and have trained his other therapists well – so past clients are always given an option to see other therapists rather than wait for Mr X to see them personally – which can be several months.
As we discussed this issue – it became very clear Mr X was making a major mistake.
He was confusing the admin team and the patients by being flexible with his roster – essentially squeezing in these past patients and working longer hours – just to keep these past client happy.
Mr X was undermining his systems and processes by booking in clients outside his rostered hours – which led to his admin team being confused about their ability to book in these clients.
Due to the confusion at front desk – some of the callers were told they would be contacted once the admin team had spoken to Mr X about a possible spot – however – in such a busy clinic – these messages sometimes slipped through the cracks.
In my coaching session with Mr X – I basically said he was the cause of this problem.
You may have heard me use the expression – “The Fish Stinks from the Head Down” – here is a classic example.
In a busy clinic – you need to do what Michael Gerber said in his E-Myth programs:
“Remove Discretion at the Operating Level of the Business“.
Mr X – already has great scripts and excellent therapists but needs to get out of their way and let them do their job.
This is a common situation many health professionals find themselves in when they transition from THERAPIST to BUSINESS OWNER.
As a business owner – sometimes the client DOES NOT come first.
Mr X only has a certain number of available consulting slots each week ( and we are cutting these down all the time) , a growing team AND a young family.
If you want to be a business owner and not just a therapist you have to make the decision to put your team and more importantly YOUR FAMILY first.
If that means you past clients have to wait for longer period to see you – then so be it.
If you decide to stop consulting for 20 hours a week to focus on team training, hiring and marketing – leading to less consulting slots and longer waiting lists – then so be it.
This is the price of being a business owner.
The bigger picture benefit is more time with your family and a better team that is able to help a larger volume of people than if you try to do it all yourself.
DO NOT make the mistake of thinking you can keep everyone happy as a business owner.
You do your best to look after your clients – but at the end of the day – your family and you come first.
If you are struggling with past clients not wanting to be treated by other therapists – you can always do what I did in my business – which cut my final 10 hours a week consulting down to zero – in a second.
I ruptured my ACL – and never returned to consulting.
When patients rang to make an appointment to see me and asked when I was coming back – they were told:
“It could be some time – he has had some complications in his recovery”.
The patients then made an appointment to see one of my team – no drama.
Look after your admin team, your therapists and your family FIRST – your patients will still get excellent care – but on your terms – not theirs.
I hope this helps you in your health business.
Coaching Update – The Best Way to Grow Your Health Business.
If you want to fast track your business results – increase income – reduce stress and have more time with your family and friends – then private mentoring is essential.
In my private program you will put in place the exact strategies I used in my clinics and with my current private clients – giving you a life of freedom and certainty.
However – I only work with a small group of smart health business owners at a time – so you need to pre-register for when a spot comes up.
You can find out more about the Private Mentor program and how to be personally mentored by me by clicking on the link below:
http://www.
Best Wishes
Paul Wright