As I sit and write this post, I can’t help but think back on the pre-blog era. It was an era that afforded time for careful planning and thought before making strategic decisions. Today, we have less time to deliberate before our innovative ideas become yesterday’s news, and this means success in your practice may depend on your ability to integrate new service offerings quickly enough to maintain a competitive edge.

For example, today the Wall Street Journal reports on peripheral artery disease (PAD)*. Although the article doesn’t specifically mention physical therapy, it is clear that the treatment includes carefully supervised exercise, and the latest studies will change the frequency of the diagnosis. If you are a PT clinic manager, you can respond to this breaking news in two ways:

  1. You can continue to do what you do and “stay tuned” and see what happens, or
  2. You can immediately begin creating content that educates your market on how you deal with PAD and deploy it.

Most practice builders would prefer responding by following the path of #2, but if they don’t have the business systems to handle this, they are left with no practical choice other than #1. You could try to sort this out on your own, or you could save money and time by outsourcing this to a strategic partner who can implement this for you.

Why is this so important?

The internet and The New Frontier of Content Management has changed the playing field. People are making decisions about everything from where to eat to which doctor in town is the best brain surgeon, all from their desk top or – gulp – HAND HELD wireless device. What used to be effective for physical therapy marketing was building professional referral relationships  with one-on-one meetings using sales techniques. Sales techniques are still important, but just a piece of the success formula in today’s much more sophisticated business environment.

In this new era, the real rewards will go to those that find affordable ways to implement and run professional marketing operations. The days of depending on sales skills, attending marketing seminars, and paying for consulting “advice” that sucks cash without ever implementing a thing are over.

Do this right and you can claim a large portion of this business, do it wrong and be left with the crumbs while others enjoy a full plate of cookies.

Links:

*When Achy Legs Are A Warning

The PT Referral Machine – When Survival Just Isn’t Good Enough.