If Not Now, When? If Not Us, I Know Who!
There is a foam board on her head, a dumbell in her right hand, a blindfold over her eyes, a ball between her knees, a 1/2 Bosu(TM)-style ball under her right foot, a foam roller under her left foot, and in her hand at the end of her outstretched arm there is a Pekinese dog. She is wearing a T-Shirt with the (slightly edited) inscription, “Pain Stinks”.
Is this masochistic Chinese Torture? No, it is an ad I just received today for a personal trainer con-ed. class on “corrective exercises for pain and performance”. After I write this, the ad is going in file 13. It is a two day course for $299 taught by a non-therapist CSCS. By the way, in the background of the shiny postcard ad there is a Total Gym(TM), an exercise bench and a rack of dumbells.
You don’t have to go learn how to do PT from personal trainers but there is a marketing lesson in that ad. We have to go for great results with our clients and must add value at every step of the way to give every patient a “WOW” experience. Another thing we can learn from this trainer is to expose yourself to the media. This particular one had been quoted in a major newspaper. Write, and get local media to cover you.
I have a challenge for you. This week ask your patients this series of questions at the end of their treatments, “Did that have value”? Maybe the next visit ask, “For example if for some reason insurance wouldn’t pay quite as much for your therapy would it still have value to you”? Maybe the visit after that ask, “How much would you be willing to pay for services like my treatments if insurance wouldn’t pay at all”?
Work with those questions a little and get back with me on your results. Ask them one thing they really liked about your services. Write it down and get their permission to print it. The best way to find out how much perceived value we’re providing is to ask.
All the best,
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