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What does your Patient Journey SOUND like?

Ever ask someone what kinda music they’re into, and they say “All kinds!”…?

Such a cop-out.

Even so, I am that guy. BUT I like to think it’s pretty true for me.

On any given day, I may turn to 90s country, Christmas music, new blink-182, old blink-182, hip hop, praise and worship or Mozart. Depends a lot on the task at hand and the feelings I’m trying to create.

Music is a powerful tool. Scott Adams (creator of Dilbert, one of the most successful comic strips of all time), talks often about the hypnotic and even medicinal effects of music.

“Music is mental programming. Do not ever discount its power. It changes your psyche on a deep level.” – Scott Adams

But don’t take an uber-successful cartoonist’s word for it. There are plenty of studies that analyze music’s ability to improve your mood, help you push harder through a workout, and amp up your ability to focus.

When we talk about the Patient Journey, we often look at it in literal, linear terms. The person talks to someone on the phone, books a consult, comes in, gets a recommendation, books surgery (or not), has the surgery, then turns into an evangelist for the practice.

And all of this is true and real and good.

But there’s an undercurrent of vibe / feeling / tone that runs throughout the Patient Journey. It’s more abstract, but as important (if not more so) as the practical steps of the journey itself.

What does the Patient Journey FEEL like?

Ideally it should FEEL comfortable, welcoming, momentous, with forward momentum and a dash of excitement.

But on the topic of music – if the Patient Journey was a song, what would it SOUND like?

I’m not saying there’s a right answer here. But I want to give you a few examples of ways your patient journey could “sound” – the vibe, the cadence, the joy, the determination… the soundtrack to what you’re leading patients through.

1. China Grove – The Doobie Brothers

I like to play this song when we leave the house to drive to a baseball tournament. It feels like a road trip. There’s a certainty about it. It feels like it’s moving. A mix of rock and groove.

We’re doing this thing, we’re going on an adventure, we’re gonna go win.

You can get caught up in this track. Even the bridge of the song (with its slight breakdown) feels like staring into the abyss, nodding and saying “I’m coming for you, whatever is out there.”

2. Runnin’ Down a Dream – Tom Petty

Similar vein to China Grove. You’re gonna tap your toe or bob your head or both. Lyrics talking about driving (literally and figuratively) and going and getting the thing you want.

If you isolated the lyrics, you could envision this being a slow, soft ballad. But layer that over the power drums and hard strumming of the acoustic guitar, and you have this blend of “hell yeah we’re gonna do this nice and smooth but with determination and purpose cuz we got somewhere to be…”

3. Too Much Fun – Daryle Singletary

I have a weakness for 90s country. So sue me.

This song feels fun, sounds fun, and is all about having fun. I’m a High I on the DISC scale, and this resonates with me on every level.

You’re changing lives every single day. You make grown men cry because they can see for the first time in their lives. You help grandmas get back out on the Pickle Ball court and renew their passion for being active and enjoying life.

Does it get any more fun than that?!

Wrapping up…

You may be reading this, clicking into the songs and resonating with what I’m saying.

Or you may be stuck on the idea that my musical tastes are off-the-charts horrible. (That’s your bad opinion, and you’re entitled to it.)

But that’s the beauty of all this – we’re talking about YOUR practice. YOUR brand. YOUR vibe.

YOUR patient journey can sound like anything you want. It can sound like “Bad to the Bone” or “I’ve Got a Feeling” or anything in between.

Or maybe it sounds different depending on the type of patient or condition you’re treating (Gen Z LASIK patient vs. Cataract Grandma).

But I encourage you to think about it. What’s the internal soundtrack of the Patient Journey you’re trying to create? Why?

And what can you do to bring that to life for your patients?

Musical food for thought,

Troy “Too Much Fun” Cole

An anxiety-laden sales experience I think of often

As a sales and communications coach, I mentally bookmark sales experiences that were impactful to me.

Here’s one I’ve never shared (not sure why), but think of a few times a year.

My alma mater, Texas Christian University, has an athletic apparel contract with Nike. Nike does all their uniforms for all their sports, and as such, they create awesome TCU products for retail purchase.

One of these items is their annual TCU Custom Nike Pegasus running shoe. Every year, they release a new TCU-customized version of their popular running shoe model, which I often buy.

A few years ago, weeks before Christmas, I was with the family at a Dick’s Sporting Goods store. They had one of the TCU Nike shoes on display, and I was eyeing them. I wasn’t in a buying mood that day, having spent a gazillion dollars on kids gifts already.

But the salesperson came up to me, and this was the exchange we had:

HIM: “You like those Horned Frog shoes, eh?”

ME: “Yeah, they’re pretty rad.”

HIM: “What size are you looking for?”

ME: “I’m a 12.” HIM: “Oooh, man I might be sold out of those. Let me go take a look…”

ME: Experiencing brief anxiety over the idea of losing something I didn’t even actually want to buy in the first place

HIM (After a few minutes): “Yo, I found a pair back there.”

ME: “Awesome, thanks.” Proceeds to purchase without a second thought

Why does this sales experience stick out to me so much?

I wasn’t even looking to buy, but he got me into a buying conversation by assuming I was and asking me my size.
I don’t know if he truly thought they were sold out of size 12s, or if that was a tactic. Either way, it was good. Because I immediately became concerned they may NOT have my size available.
By talking about possibly being sold out, it gave me the perception that these shoes might be hard to get in general, so I should snag them.
The tension that was built was naturally relieved when he came back with my shoes in hand. It was like a mini story that I was a part of.
Feeling like the mission might fail (they wouldn’t have my size), and realizing that he made the mission succeed, led me to feel a slight sense of reciprocation. “He did his part, so I have to do mine and buy the shoes.”

What’s your takeaway from this, and how do you apply it to your practice? Well, as often as we like to “Make things happen” for people, the selective use of “I don’t know, let me see what I can do” is quite impactful. Even if you know you can make it happen.

There’s a concept of “effort” that correlates with quality of service. If this guy had just responded, “Cool, I’ll go get them,” that feels more like order-taking (low-status). But the fact that he had to go look and see if they had any, that felt more like “I’m gonna try to make this happen for you” (high-status).

How can you apply this? You can do it with scheduling patients on certain days / times. Same-day post-ops. Adding patients to surgery days.

Anything that would add convenience to the patient, you can go with a “Oh, I have an idea but let me see if I can make it happen.” Even if you’re pretty sure you CAN, make sure they know you’re having to go to some kind of effort to do it.

This is one of the many persuasive techniques we teach in our E3 Conversion System Bootcamp. As you can see, it’s designed to be influential without being pushy or aggressive.

So if you want to book more surgeries in 2025, and you want to do it without coming off the least bit salesy, this may be the program for you.

Learn more here and snag a discovery call to see if the bootcamp is a good fit for your team.

– Troy “Pumped Up Kicks” Cole

T-Cole’s Fun Fact for More Surgeries in 2025

I have 3 go-to fun facts I deploy any time I’m involved in an ice breaker activity.

I was a D1 Collegiate Cheerleader (Go Frogs!)
I grew up on a Miniature Donkey Farm in the Deep East Texas Pineywoods
I got talked into doing a bodybuilding competition a few years ago.

Fun Fact #3 is what we’re focusing on to move your practice in the right direction for 2025.

This particular “physique show” experiment occurred 3 years and 2 weeks ago. As such, this time of year I see it pop up in my “Memories” on Facebook stories.

And at the time, I wrote a number of articles comparing (and contrasting) the preparation of a fitness competition with sound practice growth principles.. mbar Luna on instagram

We’ve had a bunch of folks join our ecosystem in the last few years who’ve never seen those essays. And frankly even if you have, they’re worth a re-read. (Heck I revisited them and took a few good nuggets out of them myself…)

So for your reading pleasure this weekend, here ya go. Linked in order for your convenience…

1 of 3 – Sometimes you have to borrow belief

2 of 3 – The boring thing works (so do more boring)

3 of 3 – This 1 Aspect of Practice Growth (is completely different from bodybuilding)

Enjoy,

Troy “Pump You Up” Cole

The opposite of nice isnt naughty

This time of year we’re bombarded with messages, songs and movies about being “naughty or nice.” Here’s a holiday truth bomb for you:

Sometimes being “nice” is the worst thing you can do for your patients. I know, I know. That sounds about as blasphemous as saying Die Hard isn’t a Christmas movie. (But it totally is.)

Your patients aren’t coming to you because they want a new BFF. They’re coming because they want their vision fixed. They want clarity. They want confidence. And sometimes, being too “nice” gets in the way of giving them what they really need.

Research shows that overly polite communication can actually spike patient anxiety. Wild, right? It’s like when your doctor starts a sentence with “I hate to tell you this, but…” Your heart rate probably just jumped reading that.

When we’re too “nice,” we dance around important points. We sugarcoat crucial information. We leave patients confused and uncertain. And confused patients rarely become scheduled patients.

Think about it. Would you trust a surgeon who says “Um, maybe, if you’d like, we could possibly consider doing the procedure next month… if that works for you?”

Heck no. You want someone who confidently says “Here’s what you need, and here’s why.” And a team who reinforces that with the same level of confidence.

But here’s the tricky part – you can be direct without being a total Grinch. You can be warm AND assertive. It’s not an either-or situation.

And that’s the essence of our E3 Conversion System. It helps teams nail that perfect balance between warmth and authority. Because at the end of the day, the best gift you can give your patients is clarity and confidence in their decision.

You don’t have to choose. You can do both. And if you need a reminder, the first couple modules of the Bootcamp are a great refresher going into the new year!

Ready to stop being “nice” and start being effective?

Cheers,

Troy “Sometimes naughty is exactly right” Cole

PS – Have a Merry Christmas and/or Happy Hanukah this week. Wishing you and your fam the Peace of the Lord as you celebrate together.

My favorite room in Fort Worth (and why)

This city has a lot of great restaurants. You’ve got a slew of em down in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards, ample options in the upscale Clear Fork shopping center, a few hotspots around TCU and a variety of choices on West 7th.

But my favorite spot isn’t just a restaurant, it’s a room within a restaurant.

And I’m talking specifically about the bar at Eddie V’s, which is where I took Susan for a Christmas date on Wednesday night.

Eddie V’s isn’t a local spot. They have restaurants in 14 states. And I can’t vouch for their other places. But ours is phenomenal.

You walk in the main doors, and the vibe of the bar is palpable. You turn left and enter the room, where a long horseshoe bar is the centerpiece. Surrounded by bar top tables and booths, a jazz band plays in the corner at just the right volume and tempo. Mirrors along the back wall add the illusion of space to the relatively small area.

And the room buzzes with energy. You look around and see business men and women, couples on dates, cowboy hats. The sounds of laughs, commentary, clinking glasses, silverware on plates all combine to create a symphonic ambiance that signals “things are happening.”

Drinks being delivered from the bar, dinners being brought in, cleared plates being bussed out. The movement. The energy. The sounds. It all pulls you in. It attracts.

This fantastic room is a place of activity. It has a lively pulse that takes you over as you take a seat and take a sip.

Nothing is throwing it off. The waitress beside us knocks over a bottle of wine and spills a bit on the table. A quick apology, a joking comment from the table, and the vibe keeps going.

A fork falls on the floor. Who cares? The energy of the room blows right past it. Another fork arrives, along with a reloaded basket of bread and a fresh Manhattan. Everything keeps going.

The default of the Eddie V’s bar is movement, anticipation and excitement. It engulfs you.

When you think about the patient experience in your practice, this is exactly how it should be.

It should have a vibe, an energy. We’re here doing amazing things, and we’re glad you’re able to be a part of it, dear patient. nude photoshoot Mai

Slight hiccups, little challenges – not a problem at all. Of course it happens, when you’re moving and shaking like we are, it’s bound to.

But nothing is thrown off track, the momentum continues to build, the good energy persists, and the needle stays on the record.

Conversions become easier, the patient experience becomes better, sales conversations become second nature, the surgery schedule fills.

Going into 2025, the Fort Worth Eddie V’s bar should be your vibe. If it’s not, ask yourself (or me) why. How do you create it? How do you make it consistent? How do you create this atmosphere of movement day in and day out?

Freight Train Energy. We’re on the tracks, chugging along, headed to Clear Vision Town. We’d love to have you join us and take you where you need to go, dear patient.

But we aren’t leaving the tracks. We’re not slowing down. We’re not changing destinations. We already know where you need to go, and everything we do is to take you there.

This is one of the more understated yet insanely powerful concepts you can use to set yourself apart from other practices and every other business trying to distract your patients and take their hard-earned money.

And it’s the core underlying theme of everything we do in our coaching program.

So go forth and create the “room” your patients want to be in.

Cheers,

Troy “In the Right Room” Cole