How We Increased This Clinic's Weekly Consults by 20% in 6 Weeks

I just finished 6 weeks of clinic coaching and consulting with Elite Edge Physiotherapy in Sydney and by the end of our time together, we achieved an average increase of 20% in their weekly bookings. This was purely working on their teams beliefs and giving them the ability to pitch better treatment plans. 

To respect Elite Edge's business privacy, I'll give you a snapshot of when we started, to when we finished as a % expressed of the initial week.

For example, if the week we started together was 100 consults, and the week after they'd increased to 110, then I would notate Week 2 as a 10% increase. If by W3, they had 120 consults, then I will notate W3 as 20% increase. 

So, as the week's go... this is what happened.

14/7 - normal (consulting began)
21/7 - 9% increase
28/7 - 31% increase
4/8 - 26% increase
11/8 - 19% increase
18/8 - 19% increase

So if I was to average the 5 weeks after consulting began, it is an average increase of 20%. Tbh, I'm not sure if that's an accurate way of 'averaging' percentages, however if I was to just give you the raw number of consults, it works out about the same.

A 20% increase in average number of consults resulted in significantly higher weekly revenue, and as long as Mike, the owner, is able to maintain the skills that his team learnt, there's no reason why this average won't be maintained. 

On this article, I'll break down the exact process I took to help Mike achieve the results that I've just shown you. If you prefer watching the video version, I've recorded it for you below. Otherwise, read on!

Step 1 - Wtf was the problem anyway?

 Before I start any consulting work, I spend a lot of time understanding 'wtf' the problem is. I use 'wtf' because that's exactly what goes on in my head when I inquire. Obviously I don't say it out loud (unless I know you really well), but you get the idea.

That's why before Mike and I started with anything, we sat down via a virtual meeting for an hour where I explored in depth exactly what he perceives to be the gap. After we spoke for about an hour, we pinpointed a few key issues to address. They were - refining the pitch, being creative with plans and understanding patient objections. 

Secondly, I took the time to understand the personalities in his clinic from his point of view. Every team has personalities and every personality has their own thinking process. By understanding what personalities were in the team, I would have to tailor my delivery style to suit everyone, or limit content that I just know they won't be ready for. 

Step 2 - Here's how it might look

 After we completed our meeting, I spent a few hours creating a meeting recap with specific strategies and ideas that I would implement should we start working together. I outlined how we might address the pitch, being expansive with treatment plans, and objection handles. We also included marketing in there because his team does sports coverage which is a marketing tool. 

Mike and I then discussed the plan, and after he was happy with it - we decided to move forward with an official consulting arrangement. 

Step 3 - Hiding in my Cave (Planning the Workshops)

I went away and started planning the material that I wanted to present to his team. For the purposes of engagement, I decided that the best way to do this would be to write on a white board and facilitate a discussion. I balanced the education I was delivering with role plays and discussion so the team had more engagement, but to also gauge where their mindset was regarding certain topics. True change happens when I am able to challenge an existing belief that is holding them back from delivering better care.

The key content I presented was this:

-Ways to improve the pitch
-Specific techniques to set expectations
-Learning how to empathise with patient's objections
-What true retention is
-What marketing is and how to do it in their field

Step 4 - Presenting

My presenting style is quite conversational. I don't like to talk AT a group of people for too long. In small groups, I prefer to facilitate ideas. In larger groups, it's impossible to do this without wasting a lot of time, so I stick to just speaking. With Mike's team, I balanced speaking with open dialogue. If you want a feel for how my workshops/presentations usually go, you can check one out here. 

Step 5 - Consolidating

We intentionally spaced out the workshops every 2 weeks so the team had time to utilise the skills in person. At each workshop, I would check-in with them and over time, they noticed that the techniques started to work.

One physio said 'to be honest, I wasn't convinced what you were saying worked, but after a few patients actually went with higher care... I started to think that maybe the techniques do work.' 

Most people I present to are skeptical of me at first (which I understand, almost everyone unanimously freezes up when talking about 'sales'). However, if they just try the techniques for enough time, their world view begins to change regarding what patient care looks like, and the innate positive reinforcement engrains the skills.

Step 6 - Maintenance

 One of the mistakes I made in the past with my workshops was thinking that individuals would just 'do it' after they learnt it. So wrong. So very wrong. I had one physio tell me that 'it was working so well... but then I just got complacent and stopped doing it.'

Imagine converting patients 20-30% better and then stopping because 'I just got complacent.' That's why even after the 4 workshops, and very clear improvements in rebookings, Mike and I sat down for a debrief where I showed him how to maintain these improvements. 

Since these skills are innate to the physios now - that is, there are zero external factors that can influence whether or not they apply these skills, as long as Mike or his practise manager are able to facilitate and reinforce these behaviours, there's no reason why these results can't be maintained forever.

Final Thoughts

 Mike and I were able to achieve great success with his team by following the strategies above. I hope he is able to maintain this 20% improvement for years to come, which, as a business owner myself, is a HUGE revenue boost. What he decides to do with that revenue is up to him, but having spent some time with him now, I know he will re-invest in his team, his business and deliver an even better standard of care to his local community.

If you're wondering whether this process can work for you - the first step is for us to chat. You can book in a call with me here. 

Till next time,
Phil