A good number of practices get 80% of its net profit from 20% of its patients.
Of that 20%, 5% will be hyper sensitive; they will take part in almost everything you offer them and are raving advocates of your practice and whatever it is you do.
This same small group are also responsible for an inordinate number of referrals, testimonials and “hassle free” patients.
Yet surprisingly, very few practice owners ever identify this “golden list” or do anything special in order to thank or nurture them.
In fact in most cases, such patients are completely ignored while less worthy and even “problem” patients are ardently wooed!
In fact, often more time and money is invested in trying desperately to upgrade the “worst” patients in favour of doing anything to retain and reward the BEST!
Even those who DO actively nurture their prized patients, often miss another opportunity; to “show off” this elite group of patients to less well performing patients on their list, thereby creating the discomfiting impression for these people that maybe they’re missing out on something; that they have been left out of some kind of a prestigious ‘club’.
There are 4 basic steps you can take to correct, if indeed you concede YOU are guilty of making this mistake in your practice.
These are:
- Grade your patient list A. B. C. D. E. ….
- Identify your top 20% (A & B)
- Create a rewards program for your A & B patients. Select Cs and Ds for special attention to upgrade to the level of you’re A & B clients.
- Make your Rewards Programme known to the rest of your list via your newsletters, photos, in-house ‘signage’, website, Facebook, etc.
It doesn’t take much to acknowledge your most valuable patients. One of the most primal needs we have, as human beings, is to be acknowledged; acknowledged for our achievements, acknowledged for our contribution, acknowledged for a job well done, acknowledged for being a worthwhile person and on it goes.
If you fulfil this need in your patients, not only will they continue to advocate you and your practice, they may even strive to reach even higher levels of support for you.
