Drew Stevens

Over time I have found the easiest way to be successful with patient expectations is to think about patient service from start. Every practice needs to consider the importance of patient service as the basis of its operation. In order to do so I have discovered that comes down to four elements. Let me describe each of them for you.

First, The people aspect has to both internal and external. This means that staff must have innate capabilities for treating people well. This infers that you’re hiring practices need to change. Individuals must be recruited and hired for their patient service skills.

In today’s competitive society patient influences are extremely vital. So much so that almost every website, blog or other electronic communication informs prospective patients through case study and testimonial. When you treat your patients right they tell other patients. Think of those testimonials you collect and how they assist in gaining new patients. When others speak of...

There is apparently a new law that is taking effect for consumers that receive droves of robo calls from telemarketers. Instituted from a case involving Mims v. Arrow Financial Services, the new consumer protection prohibits, “using an automatic dialing machine to call a person’s cell phone without prior consent; using a prerecorded voice message to call a residential phone line without prior consent; sending an unsolicited advertisement to a fax machine; and using an automatic dialing machine to engage two or more of a business’s telephone lines simultaneously”. (source = Source for the TCP Act)

Apparently many firms including telemarketing are up in arms because it curtails their way of doing business. Hey telemarketers you really were not getting much business this way. The problem with many in sales today is that they believe selling is a transactional process....

I recall a time when Bree handled the front desk for a very prominent physician. Bree was a very nice young women but rather introverted. I am fairly gregarious and each time I saw her I greeted her warmly. However she did not reciprocate. Rarely did Bree smile at the front desk and rarely was she empathetic to clients taking pragmatism over relations. Eventually patients either complained or simply went to another physician. Given concerns about revenue and future growth the physician terminated Bree.

Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, is one of the most widely read books of all time.  In 1946, Mr. Carnegie understood the importance of not what you say but how you say it so her are some Essential words and phrases that make a caller feel welcomed — and give a great impression of your company. After all, your patients will be taken with you or not from the moment that you answer or someone else answers your telephone to inquire about your practice or...

Listen, you can go to all of the networking meetings under the sun and collect hundreds of business cards while you’re at it but if you’re not hanging out with people you can do business with, you might make some new friends, you won’t necessarily grow your business.

If you want to grow your business by networking it is imperative that you network with: people who are your ideal clients, people who know your ideal clients, and/or people who do business with your ideal clients. It’s that simple. When you network with people who need your products/services (or know others who do) there will be a natural interest in knowing more about your business.

Here are some things to consider.

•          Effective networking can increase your visibility and strengthen your career. The more people you meet the more that know you. The most successful people in the world have vast networks. These help with jobs, leads, aid and a whole lot more.