Articles

This question surprised me (but I’m so glad she asked…)

I’m not a therapist, but I play one on Zoom…

One of my favorite parts of our Team Development coaching programs – the Office Hours calls. These are Zoom meetings we host multiple times a week, and anyone enrolled in our training programs can jump on.

It’s typical that a call might look like a few folks from practice A, 1-2 from practice B, maybe 10 from practice C because the call is during their lunch break for example.

And we take this time to address questions, overcome challenges, and do “in the moment” training on hot topics and issues that we’re seeing practices face right now.

A funny trajectory I’ve noticed – A practice will start our bootcamp, and on week 1, their people won’t say anything on the call.

Week 2 rolls around, and maybe I can get someone to unmute and answer a question. But most folks are still keeping it closer to the vest.

By the time a practice is in the program 3 weeks, and their people are showing up to the calls, the dam breaks.

They’ve been through enough of our daily lessons loaded with gold nuggets, memes and gifs. They’ve started applying what they’ve learned about patient communication (and it’s working). And they realize this whole “learning how to convey value and book surgeries” thing is actually fun and useful.

By week 3 on the Office Hours calls… people are comfortable, they start talking, and we have some major breakthroughs.

I had a bunch of week 3-ers on the call earlier this week, and that’s exactly what happened…

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As we often do, we were digging out so much gold on this particular call:

How to describe the benefits of different treatments
The adequate amount of explanation you should give a patient (vital to know this so you don’t overcomplicate the process)
The difference between being “Kind” (authoritative) and being “Nice” (avoid like the plague)
A bunch of 2-minute tactics to boost our energy and attitudes during the day (uber-practical and beneficial)

We get toward the end of the call – and I ask for any other questions. And one of the bootcampers typed in the chat…

“How do we work on being friendly to each other, and not just the patients?”

And I’m like, y’all wanna go deep? We can go deep…

(and this is why I love these calls. Because this kind of challenge comes up, and it’s massively important for everyone on the team to understand how to handle…)

We dug into it. We discussed why we sometimes tend to get frustrated with one another. I explained the different ways to identify the root feelings that cause this animosity, and practical methods to fight against it.

Different team members chimed in to confess that they sometimes have bad attitudes toward others.

Apologies were made. “I love you guys” and heart emojis were shared in the comments. “We need a group hug!” someone exclaimed.

It was actually a touching moment (our trainings are many great things but “touching” is a word I rarely use to describe them…).

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“Cool, Troy. So you did a kumbaya on a Zoom call. So what?”

My point in bringing this up is that this question was off the beaten path from what most would consider “sales training” (which is our main focus – so you can book more of the treatments you wanna do at the premium rates you deserve to be paid).

But it’s a crucial question. And that’s why any good coaching program is set up the way we’ve done it. You can take this concept and apply it to the staff development you’re doing in your practice.

Our bootcamps are structured in a way to make sure everyone enrolled gets a solid foundation of persuasion, value-building, and clear communication. But that’s only half of it.

The other half is open-ended. It’s not just “Well, we’re going to cover A, B and C and that’s it.” Because every practice is different, every situation has its own nuance.

Sure, everyone needs the foundations. So make sure they have that. But the rest? We go where our clients need to go. Even if that’s to the friendship circle to talk about our feelings and how we can be kind to one another.

And while my “friendship circle” comment is a bit tongue in cheek, you know the monetary implications of getting this right, don’t you?

A positive, supportive team culture is critical to your success. Which means you have people bought into your mission who believe in it and can convey that belief with conviction. A team working together so you don’t lose productivity to drama or high turnover (esp at a time when hiring is a total pain).

So patients can see and experience your team working together, which profoundly impacts the patient experience.

Your practice culture is huge. And it can make or break your surgical volume growth, your revenues, your word of mouth and your momentum in the marketplace.

Solving the “culture challenge” has multiple-6 or 7-figure implications. And even if you don’t think you have a problem with culture / team satisfaction / whatever you wanna call it – make sure you’re keeping a pulse on the team so you know. That’s a message for another day…

Why did I send you this today? A few takeaways.

I like sharing my experiences with amazing practices, and I thought one would be useful to you. Hopefully it brought a bit of inspiration to your day.
When I say our programs are more comprehensive than awesome sales training, this is one of many examples of what I mean.
I want to convey the benefits of an open forum / feedback loop to discuss challenges with your team (whether that’s through one of our training programs, through weekly/monthly meetings you host in your office, or some other way)

That’s all I have for you today. Go forth and build a culture that serves your team and your patients. Make it a great weekend!

Best,

– Troy “Culture” Cole

Sometimes you have to borrow belief

In case you aren’t in the loop, I’m doing a physique competition in December.

“You mean where you get on stage and prance around in a little speedo and a spray tan?”

Sorta. Apparently the “physique” category requires board shorts. So I have that going for me. But yeah, definitely the spray tan.

I have no idea how any of this works. It’s all new to me, and I’m learning a ton as I go.

“Why are we talking about your modeling career, Troy?” First off, it’s not modeling, OK?

Here’s why: Because I share anything I learn that can help you level-up your practice, your conversions to surgery, your team and/or your life.

And what I’m learning as I prep for a physique competition is highly useful to your practice growth strategy.

So you’ll be hearing more about this in coming weeks as I distill and apply these lessons. I already see ways they are super-charging my business, and I know they can do the same for you.

Let’s talk about borrowing belief.

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I met my trainer “Chop” in August of 2018. It was 2 weeks after my mom died from cancer, and I was in a bad spot.

I was exhausted – mentally, emotionally, physically. And I had already been overweight and unhealthy for a few years anyway. I just felt… bad. In a number of ways.

I needed to do something. Some thing. A new hobby, an activity to get my blood flowing, get me back in shape, get some frustration out.

So I went to visit a local gym I’d heard about – Body by Chop – to try a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout.

And I liked it. And I signed a membership. And I started attending several times a week. And my body (and mind) began to transform.

I even did a couple of Chop’s ‘6-week challenges’ which were fairly strict in terms of workout and meal plans. And that accelerated my transformation even more.

Then about 6 months ago, it started…

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“C’mon, Young Troy. Just do it with me!” Chop is nothing if not persistent.

Running fitness classes isn’t Chop’s only gig. He’s also a personal trainer, and he has a bodybuilding team that competes in shows around Texas.

Chop saw my transformation and thought I had what it took to compete. So he asked me to join the squad.

He asked every week. Every week I said no.

I don’t have time. I can’t commit to that. I’m not interested. I’m happy where I am.

👆 These were my excuses disguised as reasons. The real reason – the main reason – I just didn’t think I could do it.

But his persistence worked.

And when he asked me one Thursday at the end of the summer… for some reason my answer was different. I said, “You know what? Let’s do it. If YOU think I can do it, then I can get on board. Tell me what to do.”

See, I didn’t have my own belief in myself. So I borrowed his.

And here’s the thing: As soon as I started his plan, and I followed the path, and I did what he said to do… even when some of it made no sense to me…

I started to see the results. Actions breed results which breed belief. My own belief. I’m seeing and experiencing it for myself. And I don’t need to borrow his anymore.

So how does this apply to growing your practice…?

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“Borrowing belief” is something I’m reminded of each week as we launch new practices in our bootcamps.

We have every bootcamper – phone team, techs, counselors, even front desk – complete intake surveys, so we can hit the ground running and help each of them overcome their particular challenges.

And many times, the actual cause of a challenge – inability to speak confidently about a procedure, difficulty handling pricing objections, etc – is rooted in a lack of belief.

A lack of belief that the results are worth the investment.

A lack of belief that your practice is the best in town.

A lack of belief that a $15,000 procedure could actually be the best money someone ever spent.

Whatever the issue is, we help our bootcamp members borrow belief as we teach them to create it on their own.

We coach them on techniques of borrowing belief from us, from their surgeons, from their patients, from their patients’ families, from scientific studies, from their own personal life experiences.

And it works. Just like it worked for me on my fitness journey to the physique show.

This concept of “borrowing belief” is not often talked about, but it has so much utility. I encourage you to leverage it with your team and even within yourself.

What is it that you’re trying to do? Where are you trying to go? Where do you or your team lack belief to make it happen?

Life is short. Windows of opportunity are small. Now is the time to make moves, take advantage and kick ass. Borrow some belief and let’s go.

– Troy “Don’t Stop Believin” Cole

PS – I am loosely documenting this physique show journey in my Facebook and Instagram stories. And I’m always dropping marketing and sales nuggets there too. So give me a follow if you’re interested in learning more about how this physique show thing turns out…

PPS – If you want a surgery schedule full of premium patients, it’s your team that’s gotta make it happen. Period. So if you want to talk about getting your team firing on ALL cylinders, hit me up and let’s have a conversation.

Does your sales team need “money perspective”?

“Well… I feel like $8k for eye surgery is a big expense.”

A client’s surgery scheduler shared this during a coaching call re: her conversions. She was having challenges booking surgeries, and now I knew why.

She was going into the consult thinking about “how much money” she was asking them to spend. She viewed the vision correction as a major expense, a cost, a negative. And she had been projecting that onto her prospects.

It’s a common mental block that rears its ugly head and ruins a critical step of the Patient Journey – Asking for the Business.

If your team feels like you’re overpriced, or that you aren’t delivering the value, or that you’re asking for a lot of money in general… will they have the confidence to overcome objections and book surgeries? No.

So how do you help your team overcome this? Your sales people need “money perspective.”

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Heard a great example of this during a recent training I went through.

The trainer asked about people’s high ticket offers. Someone said “We sell a high ticket service for $9k.”

And he replied – “That’s not high ticket. You know what $9,000 is? It’s an old, beat-up Toyota Corolla.”

The trainer contrasted the person’s offer – and all the benefits their prospects would receive – against spending the same amount money on a mediocre used car.

I’m not saying you would use that example with patients. But the point is that we often need to reframe how we think about these investments ourselves.

Even your highest priced procedures aren’t expensive. Either compared to the total amount of money and what it could buy elsewhere (some used car). Or more importantly, compared to the results your prospects will achieve by investing in themselves.

Think about it – for $100 – $200 a month, you’re changing every waking moment of a person’s existence. That’s huge.

But forget about months, let’s break this down more… 👇

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If you really want to get granular (and sometimes that’s useful), weigh the investment in terms of cost-per-hour.

Someone spends $8000 on laser vision correction, an investment they use 18 hours a day for 10 years (being conservative here).

**That works out to 12 cents an hour. **

Compare that to the cocktail dress your patient bought for $500 and wore to one party for 4 hours = $125 an hour.

The dress is literally 1000x more expensive your procedure… when you compare the costs appropriately.

(This gets into how most people don’t have any idea how to think or compare or make hard decisions, which is whole other essay altogether…)

And if you’re a cosmetic dentist, plastic surgeon or even bariatric practice, you can make similar comparisons.

We spend SO much money ALL the time on things that don’t deliver a fraction of the value, benefit, joy and utility of the procedures you offer.

You team needs new “money perspective” so they can get out of their own heads, their own opinions, their own priorities and understand the incredible value they’re delivering to your patients.

Once they grasp this, it creates massive confidence to Ask for the Business.

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Similar situation when we enroll clients on our bootcamps.

Practices will go out and spend millions of dollars building out offices or ASCs. They’ll drop multi-six figures on a new laser or pieces of diagnostic equipment. These investments are important for your practice, and I’m all for it.

And our team coaching programs are a fraction of those investments. Yet I can make the argument that our world-class sales and communication bootcamps are essential if you actually want to fill the surgery center, get people under that laser.

And practices inherently know this when they come to us, otherwise we wouldn’t even be speaking in the first place.

Our prospects know their teams need our coaching. Your prospects know they need your procedures.

But it takes a high level of confidence and conviction – a new “Money Perspective” – to communicate the massive value and benefits.

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Key takeaway – The life-changing investment in your procedures is minimal at best. Your patients give the equivalent of a used Nissan Versa, and they get the entire world in return.

Sounds like a darn good trade to me. Make sure your team understands this too.

Happy Thurs!

Troy “Money Perspective” Cole

A Sales Lesson from My Favorite Band in the World

Last night, I went to a concert for a band you’ve probably never heard of…

I’ve seen these guys 15ish times over the last 20 years. They never fail to put on a great show.

They’re called Less Than Jake, a ska/punk group from Gainesville, Florida.

So when we heard they were touring… and the first night of the tour would be in Dallas… and it was the first concert we’d be able to attend since the world went sideways with the ‘rona 18 months ago… I rallied the troops.(Tickle your earholes here)

Both my brothers, my 2 best friends and me. The 5 horsemen. Going to see a band we’d seen a bunch of times… play all the same songs… again.

The show was everything we hoped it would be. Loud guitars, a blaring brass section (they’re a ska band, which means they have horn players), confetti, balloons, bad jokes, the whole 9 yards.

Once they concluded their final song and the drummer tossed me one of his sticks (which still gives me a thrill), we decided to head to the back of the venue, rehydrate and regroup.

My friend Jason turned to me and said, “Dude, for the first night of the tour, they were on point! They always put on such an incredible show. It seems like they’re having just as much fun on stage as we’re having in the crowd.”

And THAT LAST LINE, my friends, is essential to building an extraordinary practice.

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We’ve all dealt with businesses and employees who clearly don’t enjoy their jobs. Scowls on their faces, monotones to their words. They just want to get you “handled” and move on to the next thing.

Unfortunately, this is the case with most business interactions. Going back to the Customer Service essays I shared a few weeks ago (which you can find here), it’s pretty common for people to “go through the motions” at their jobs.

I’m not telling you anything you don’t know – you’ll experience this very thing multiple times today.

Keeping with the theme, here’s another concert example to illustrate the point:

I remember seeing the band Kings of Leon at Lollapalooza about 10ish years ago.

There’s a much better chance you’ve heard of Kings of Leon vs. Less Than Jake. And back in the early 2010s, Kings of Leon was blowing up. They were all over the radio, had a bunch of big hits, and were one of the headlining acts for the massive Lollapalooza festival that year.

We decided we had to check out their show. But 2 songs into their set, we’re all looking at each other wondering… why is the energy so low?

They were going through the motions. Which doesn’t mean they sounded bad… quite the contrary. They sounded exactly like their albums. The sound was incredible.

But the presentation – the show, the passion, the enjoyment of what they were doing – it wasn’t there.

Maybe that’s their schtick as a band. I’m not judging them. All I can tell you is everyone in our small group felt the exact same way – “Well, this is pretty mediocre.”

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There’s something to be said for people who truly have a passion for what they do (or at least appear to).

Because you’ve had interactions with those people well. They’re rare, but awesome.

One of my boys (Caden Brave aka CB) takes ukulele lessons.

Susan and I are like, “Wow, this lady is REALLY into her music lessons.” And it gave us a great feeling.When Susan was looking for an instructor, she called the local music school. The woman who runs the place was so excited about what they do, so passionate about teaching music, so eager to meet my son and give him a great experience.

Her passion and energy showed how much she cared. Cared about providing a great service… cared about my son’s experience.… cared about us spending our hard-earned money with them.

These are the same beneficial by-product feelings you create in your prospects and patients when you exude energy and passion for what you do.

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What’s Less Than Jake’s recipe for sustaining a 30-year music career with die-hard fans all over the globe? It comes down to 2 things:

They have a great product.
They exude a passion, energy and love for what they do.

It’s the same formula you can use to stand out from the other practices in your area. They’re boring. They don’t love what they do. They’re going through the motions.

You’re different. You’re passionate. You’re excited. You’re eager to help. You want to put on a great show – that is, to create a great experience – for your patients.

Do that, and your practice can rock for 30+ years too. (And you’ll make a whole lot more moola than a ska-punk band from Florida, I promise you).

– Troy “Rock On” Cole

PS – To stay excited and energetic and passionate about what you do… isn’t always easy for your team.

If you want to hear some practical rhythms we teach on this very subject, shoot me a message and I’m happy to share.

Customer Service Q: Are Great Results Good Enough?

This week, we’ve talked about bad customer service (at water parks and other places) and what good customer service feels like (with Carlos at our favorite Mexican food joint).

To wrap up this week’s chats about customer service, let’s talk a minute about a possibly polarizing topic:

Your great treatment results don’t equate to great customer service.

Here’s a patient review illustrating exactly what I mean:

To paraphrase: “The doctor was great, but the rest of my experience was not. 1-star.”

Even if you give your patients great outcomes, weak customer service can still hold you back from reaching your growth goals.

Want another food example? I thought you’d never ask…

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If I go to a steakhouse that has an amazing ribeye…

But the hostess isn’t friendly, the waiter isn’t attentive, and part of our order is wrong…

I’m gonna be hard-pressed to return for another dinner. EVEN IF the main reason I went there – the steak – was excellent.

It’s easy to say, “Yeah our wait times are long, sure our front desk gets overwhelmed, and maybe our billing department makes small mistakes from time to time, but we get great results for our patients so it shouldn’t be that big a deal.”

I agree – it probably shouldn’t be that big a deal. But it is.

And when you aren’t firing on all cylinders across every step of the Patient Journey, your growth will be capped.

Maybe you get a bad review like the one above. In other cases, it will result in a long-time patient finding another provider.

At the very least, it’s going to hurt your happy patient referrals.

Hey Sally, was ABC Eye Center awesome?

“Well I like my results. They aren’t the friendliest folks. And their wait times are forever. And they were supposed to call me back about a billing question I had, and they haven’t done that. But yeah, I mean… they were fine.”

☝️ That’s a ho-hum testimonial from ho-hum customer service.

You don’t want a patient delivering that message to their friend. And you certainly don’t want that patient delivering that message to the entire planet via Google reviews:

You are a world-class provider. And for that reason, I want what you want – raving fans who preach your amazing care to the world.

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In conclusion: pay as much attention to Customer Service – to crafting the Ultimate Patient Journey – as you pay to the care and results you personally give to your patients.

Hopefully that doesn’t sound impossible to you. I assure you it’s doable because I work with many practices who do this very thing. They put an inordinate amount of focus on the Patient Journey, and they reap massive rewards for doing it:

Tons of referrals (from happy patients and other doctors alike), happy patient reviews (free marketing), commanding premium prices, higher conversions to surgery, and one more important thing…

A happier, healthier, positive Team Culture. Yes, even your team benefits for excellent Customer Service.

Your surgery results AND your Customer Service should both be A+. If they aren’t, no worries. Just start taking steps to fix it.

That’s all I have for you today. Enjoy your weekend.

Forever rooting for your success,

Troy “Patient Journeyman” Cole

PS – If this sounds overwhelming, OR if you’re wondering “where do I start?” OR if you think I’m just flat-out wrong… shoot me a message and tell me. I’m here to help, and I always appreciate your feedback.

PPS – Customer Service is one of several Practice Growth Factors we teach in our E3 Conversion System Bootcamp. Enrollment for the Fall Session of our Bootcamps is closing soon, and we have a couple of spots left. If you want more info, head over here and book a Strategy Session asap. It’s time to go. Let’s do this.