Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Need new patients? Take a contrarian approach.


I like being contrarian. I always have. A contrarian is someone who goes against the grain, not because he or she is being difficult, but because they see opportunity. In a new medical practice, taking a contrarian approach can really pay off. If your competition does not have Saturday hours, see patients on Saturdays. If you are told to go with an answering service, answer your own phones after hours. If everyone has strict office hours, make your hours flexible. This way you can adapt and grow and capture patients that think like you and can't just conform to another's convenience. You'll find that you will pick up a surprising number of new patients that you may not have otherwise obtained. Plus, you'll do it your own way. And you'll have fun. I've always been one to question everything, think for myself, and do my own thing. And now I have found a way to make it pay off with new patient business and overhead reduction.
Try it out.