I was coaching a new client last week on the need for speed in his growing practice.
He was faced with a software decision that should have been made weeks prior, and we discussed the options and why he was delaying.
Ultimately we landed on the facts that A. either option was better than what he was doing now, and B. the decision could be easily reversed in a few months if he chose. So he made a decision, and we moved on.
Speed is a core element of a successful practice (or any business really).
If you’re not making the headway and growth you want, it may be in part because you simply aren’t moving fast enough.
Money loves speed. I’ve written about this.
And HBR has data to show the faster you contact a new lead, you are orders-of-magnitude more likely to connect with them.
But I’m not just talking about speed in our lead outreach. I’m talking being speedy in general.
The practices that make consistent progress are the ones that move decisively and quickly.
For example, I work with a bustling practice that introduced a new service line we took from concept to launch in 90 days. Literally from an idea in a brainstorm session to marketing materials, sales flow and fulfillment process in just 3 months.
But then you’ll see other practices taking weeks/months to launch a basic social campaign. Or snap a handful of happy patient pics to use in a new campaign. Or add a simple button on their website.
This creates a few big problems:
1. It creates a lethargic culture. The nature of your practice should be fast-paced – let’s get folks in the door, find out if we can help, get them on the surgery schedule, do a fast cutting-edge procedure with a quick recovery, and get them back on their way.
You want people moving quickly along down that pathway. But if you keep talking / thinking / pondering changes in your practice… and they never come to fruition… you’re creating a lethargic culture that’s not in alignment with the actions you want your patients to take.
2. You lose pace with the market. We live in a fast-paced world. News stories, memes, entertainment – they’re all around us and moving at break-neck speed. So if we aren’t moving fast, making decisions, doing what we need to do – we fall behind the market (and often times to other practices too).
3. You attract slow-moving patients. I don’t know how this works, but we tend to attract what we put out into the world. I’ve even seen first-hand in my business the faster I move, the more I’m trying various attack angles, the more success seems to find me.
If you have a “think about it, think about it, think about it” habit, don’t be surprised when you have many fence-sitting patients who “just wanna think about it” and refuse to make the choice.
So move faster. On the practice level AND on an individual level.
Whatever role you play in the practice – if you know you need to do a thing, or change a process, or give feedback to your team lead, or suggest a process change to help the practice be more effective – do it.
You are like a boat. Your moves create a wake.
Slow, timid, crawling moves = no wake. Bold, fast moves = you’re making waves across the lake, waves in the marketplace.
“Who the #*&$ is that guy hauling ass in his speed boat?” Needs to be you, friend.
Make moves. They don’t have to be perfect moves. Save perfection for the laser suite.
Perfect text. Perfect pic. Perfect angle. Perfect ad. Perfect script. None of it is necessary.
What about perfect time? OOOOH that’s a big one. Waiting for that perfect time. There’s never a perfect time.
You know what you need to do.
Need to launch that campaign? Do it. Need to let that toxic team member go? Do it.
Need to get your booking team coached up, so they have the skills to get more consults and surgeries on the books for you? Don’t wait. Make it happen.
Doesn’t mean you should knee-jerk every decision without considering the implications. That would be silly.
As I like to say, “We’re not talking about a face tattoo here.” Decisions can be changed. Campaigns can be adjusted or even canceled. Team members can be moved or cross-trained. You can create a new offer or kill an old offer.
And regardless of what happens, you’re always learning so you can make better decisions in the future.
Make sound bets on specific areas of the practice. Do that to identify areas of opportunity and leverage. Double-down on your winners. And grow.
But it won’t happen by tiptoeing around and overthinking every decision and opportunity.
Move fast and dominate.
– Troy “Take Action” Cole
PS – If you’re an Action Taker who would like to book more premium cataract patients, I’ve got a new opportunity that may be right up your alley. Hit reply if you want more details…