The Performance Doctor: Saving you $15,000 Pt 1

Here are the first 5 lessons I have shared with them:

1. Start before you are ready. This was a HUGE missed opportunity on my part when I was in school. I am not talking about starting to treat patients when you are still a student. No. What I am talking about here, is start sharing your perspective, your experience and your expertise before you even open your doors.
   
   Most entrepreneurs/business owners, including myself, have waited until we have the keys to the door to start sharing who we are, what we stand for, our perspective, and our experience in social media.
   
   That is WRONG! You need to start building your personal brand as soon as you can. We live in a world where attention is highly valuable. If you can gather attention from a person and provide them with value, you are more likely to earn their trust in the long term.
   
   How many of you follow a total stranger whom you’ve never met personally on IG, yet feel quite connected to them because of what they share, and will purchase something they recommend in a heart beat? Trust me, I do too.
   

2. Underpromise but overdeliver. Quite a complicated scenario in the world of rehab, pain and performance. How do you underpromise, but overdeliver in this areas?
   
   Here’s the example I use most of the time: If I believe a person will get better in 3-4 sessions. I’ll tell them that I am expecting them to get better in about 6-8 sessions. I am not trying to sell them on more sessions. Y’all know I work in individual sessions.
   
   By telling them 6-8 sessions, I open the opportunity for them to be excited and happy when on their 4th visit, we do a re-evaluation and they graduate from care! On the other hand, if it does take us longer, they already expect their progress to take longer.
   
   This makes you a person of your word — POWERFUL
   
   Now, don’t go using this as a blanket statement. Your diagnosis and rehab MUST guide your treatment time.
   
   If you overpromise and underdeliver, you become a whishy-washy person - and it’s hard to overcome this.
   
   Be a person of YOUR WORD.

    

3. Start Lean. I’ve always looked at a way to maximizing my efforts when it comes to patient care. If you took a Dry Needling Course with me at my St. Charles office, you saw all the equipment I had.
   
   You DON’T NEED all of that stuff — unless your goal is to be able to coach/teach training classes on the side.
   
   Since I moved to Nixa, I downsized my office. I now work out of a 400 sqft facility where 150 sqft is my office, another 150 sqft I rent out to a nurse injector, and 100 sqft is my lobby.
   
   I run a very lean business, and I am always looking on ways to improve my patient’s experience and care.

   
   I have a very specific set of standards of when I will move the office to a larger space - but the principle that has stuck around with me came from one of my teachers at Logan:
   
   “Don’t go so big that you are stressed about filling it to make your monthly expenses. Start small until you are bursting at the seams and you need to expand.”

4. Get known locally. If you are looking to open a brick and mortar practice in a specific region don’t try to become a viral sensation online. Your audience won’t be there.
   
   Yes, utilize social media to create your vault of content in the event someone finds you online, but don’t spend hours trying to create content here.
   
   The best use of your time now, is to go and introduce yourself to the local banks, to the local chamber of commerce, to local networking groups, to local personal trainers, hairstylists, real estate agents, mortgage officers, etc. These are people who are most likely well connected and will be able to share your story, your practice and more with the local community.
   
   If you are a religious person, take advantage of meeting new people at church. If you are a runner, find a running group and introduce yourself.
   
   Trust me. The only reason I was highly successful from the get go when I opened my practice in St. Charles, was because I knew a lot of personal trainers, crossfit athletes, strength coaches and athletes. In your local environment, your network determines your net worth.

5. You are a business, not a charity. You can’t run a business without paying your bills. If you are just getting started, don’t start cheaper than the rest of the doctors in the area.

   
   Start at the same price or higher.
   
   Most, and it happened to me too, will struggle with imposter syndrome at the beginning.
   
   Can I really charge more with zero experience?
   
   Can I really be more expensive than the doctor who’s been in the community for 20+ years?
   
   Yes. You can.
   
   I’m not saying you NEED to charge $250 for a one hour session (read Raise Your Rates issue here) like some business coaches will have you do. After all, if you are just getting started you might not have your messaging right, you might not know how to sell, you might still be figuring out who you want to attract.
   
   This will definitely impact your confidence if you are not closing sales and your are also not seeing patients.
   
   The best thing to do is, RESEARCH.
   
   Research the average cost of your services through the Fair Health Consumer website. https://www.fairhealthconsumer.org/medical
   
   Research the average cost of services with practitioners near you.
   
   Research the demographics of your area.
   
   Come up with a value that is no lower than the average cost of services for your area.
   
   This will help you 1) attract patients not on price but value and 2) get better at promoting the value of services with YOU than with other doctors.
   
   Once you have a handful of interactions under your belt, raise your prices.