A Better Way to Walk for Exercise

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is an exercise technique that has been proven to greatly increase metabolic rate and improve the results of your exercise. In HIIT you exercise hard for 30 seconds and follow that with 90 seconds of low intensity exercise. You repeat this cycle 8 times and <!–more–>

you’re done in about 15 minutes.

Now for the elderly and people who are too out of shape, HIIT might be too challenging, but the principles of HIIT can be incorporated into your walking. Dr. Mercola has written an article on this topic and I’ve linked the article for you to read <a href=”http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2015/03/06/walking-high-intensity-interval-training.aspx”>HERE</a>. I hope you enjoy it and incorporate this easy change into your exercise regimen.

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Multiple Streams of Income

We’re big fans of guys like Robert Kiyosaki, Tony Robbins, Tim Ferris, etc.. These guys have made millions in multiple businesses and you’d be wise to listen to what they have to say.  One thing they ALL preach is having multiple streams of income.  You never know what the future holds and putting all of your eggs in one basket is a risky proposition. Continue reading

Wowing New Patients Part 3… The Consultation

Now that the new patient has been thoroughly wowed by your staff, it’s time for the doctor to step up.  This post will be a little different.  I’m just going to bullet point a few of the musts when it comes to your patient interaction:

• Shake their hand.  Smile. Make good eye contact.  That first impression again.

Continue reading

Wowing New Patients Part 2… The In-Office Experience

If you’ve done what we outlined in the Part 1 of this series, your new patient has already been blown away by their experience.  Now it’s time to continue the WOW.

First impressions are everything, so you better make it a good one.  When someone walks though that front door they should see a nice and neat space.  If it’s an older space and you don’t have the money to give the space a facelift, it should still be clean and neat.  You need a clutter-less space:

• The reception counter should have very little on it…maybe some cards, a few pamphlets, and some flowers.
• What the patient can see behind the reception desk should be very clean and organized.  I have seen many offices in which the reception area is just a mess… stacks of charts, mail lying around, coffee cups, food, etc.  Clean it up! Nothing says unorganized doctor like a mess up front.
• Art should be on the walls in the reception, not nerve charts and footleveler posters.  And…the art should be nicely framed.  IF you have anything hanging anywhere in the office with a thumbtack, address that now.
• The waiting area should also be clean and clutter-free.  Get rid of old magazines and anything that looks cluttered.
• Paint and walls should be in good shape.  Fixing any blemishes and adding a fresh coat if needed is cheap and can be done over a weekend.

Now that the look of the space has been addressed, let’s look at the patient greeting.  Drives me crazy when I go to a doctor’s office and I get a cold greeting from the nurse or receptionist as they sit behind the counter.  Your receptionist should have a smile, stand up, and shake the new patient’s hand. Don’t get right down to business.  Make small talk for about 30 seconds.  Our script goes something like this.

“Hi you must be Barb.  Well Barb it’s very nice to meet you.  My name is Chris.  Did you find the place okay this morning?  I     understand Betty referred you in.  Be sure to let her know that we really appreciate it and that we’ll take good care of you.  Why don’t you come over here and have a seat and I’ll get you your paperwork.  Before I do that, can I offer you something to drink?  We have gourmet coffee, mochas, lattes, tea, and water.”

The receptionist then brings the paperwork and briefly explains what they’re filling out to speed things along.  Lastly she gets a copy of their insurance card.

When the patient finishes her paperwork, the receptionist reviews it to make sure everything is complete.  She then gives the patient a brief tour of the office and either brings the patient directly to the doctor or into your consultation room for a short video before the doctor comes in.

Now it’s up to the doctor to continue to wow.  See Wowing New Patients Part 3… The Consultation

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A Message from Dr. Pearce

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Wowing New Patients Part 1… Pre-Appointment

You never get a second chance to make a first impression!    What you say and do before the patient ever walks through the door plays a huge role in the success of your practice.  Get this right and the new patient is:

• less likely to no-show on you
• excited and expecting a good experience in your office
• ready and willing to begin referring to you right away as long as your in office experience matches the pre-appointment experience.

Here’s my list of tips for a proper pre-appointment wow:

• The phone has to be answered in a nice and professional voice.  Call your local MD and there’s a good chance they’ll answer with “Doctor’s Office”.  Not a nice, warm first impression.
• Answer with a smile.  I know it sounds dumb, but people really can sense when you’re in a good mood and smiling.
• If they’ve been referred in by an existing patient, you better acknowledge that patient.  For example, “Oh you were referred in by Jenny.  That’s great to hear.  Next time you see Jenny you let her know we really appreciate that.”
• Try to get their insurance info over the phone if it is handy.  We always say something to the effect of “If you have your insurance card handy, I could take your information and verify your benefits before your appointment.” Most people are concerned about the cost, so if you can have that info ready for the first appointment, it will help when it comes to your case presentation.  If you tell them that you want to see them for 3x’s per week for 1-2 months, they’re going to want to have an idea of how much it’s going to cost before they agree.
• Here’s a simple way to really blow them away.  Get their email address so that you can email them a health history form (don’t send informed consent or hippa stuff).  We always says, “Bob can i get your email address so that I can send you one of our forms.  It will save you about 10 minutes in our office.”  Here’s the magic and this is simple because you have a draft saved in your email account and you just have to make a couple of changes.  The email reads something like what follows:

“Dear Bob, thanks again for choosing our office.  We’re excited to have you join the practice and Dr. Pearce will do everything he can to get you feeling better quickly.

We have you scheduled for Tuesday at 3 o’clock.   The appointment will only take about 45 minutes and we really value your time so you won’t have to wait long to see the doctor.  I’ve attached the health history so that you can fill it out before your appointment.  If for any reason you don’t get it filled out, it’s not a big deal at all…It will just take you a few more minutes in the office.

I’ve also included a map of our office and directions from Capitol Drive and from Highway 94.  If you have any problems finding the place, just give a quick call.

We look forward to meeting you.

Chris

PS… If for any reason you are unable to make your appointment will you please call us and let us know

PPS… Make sure you tell Jenny thanks for telling you about us.  We really appreciate it.”

I can guarantee that your new patient has never received an email like that and you’re making it easier for them to refer to you later.

The PS is important as it will cut down on no-shows.  Also if the appointment is more than one day out, make sure to give a reminder call the night before.  The PPS is very important because we want to show our new patient that we really value referrals and it will grease the skids for their referrals later.

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