Early in my career when I was building my practice, I remember how important building a team was in the growth process. I understood that in order to build an efficient and effective team, expressing my vision for the practice was critically important. Deciding on the rules for how we (as a team) would play the game was another very important factor in getting desired outcomes. However, there was one characteristic that was prevailing in its importance, and that was commitment. My commitment and that of the team members. If there was one person on the team that was not committed, it destroyed the entire team. "You're only as strong as your weakest link".
Here's on of my favorite definitions of commitment:
Commitment
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative ( and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.
Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now”.
– J. W. von Goethe
If you are committed, there is ALWAYS a way! If you are committed to marketing in your business, there is always a way to get it done. Using "the economy" as an excuse for not marketing your practice is just that, AN EXCUSE for not achieving the success you deserve. I know, I've used this excuse before. So often I see doctors cutting their marketing budgets or even worse, turning all the channels of marketing the practice completely off!
N O O O O O O ! !
This is NOT the answer. There is always something that can be done if you are committed. Have a team meeting and spend 45 minutes over lunch, masterminding with your team about ways to "reach" your patients. You'll be surprised at how creative your team can be when feeding off the ideas of others. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- run a contest in your practice that gets them to take some kind of action.
- encourage your patients to "LIKE" your Facebook FanPage.
- create a FREE REPORT on "How To Raise A Cavity-Free child". Place a web form on your blog that gives this FREE REPORT away to those that fill out the form with there first name and e-mail address. Now you can send special promotions and offers to these "prospective new patients".
- Hand out some of your business cards with a special offer that your happy patients would be happy to share with a family member or a friend.
I will be posting more on really inexpensive ways to promote and market the practice internally and externally over the next couple of weeks.
In closing…… ask yourself the question, and be real honest:
AM I COMMITTED?
Please let me know what you are thinking.
Comment below and feel free to "SHARE"…. remember, sharing is caring!
