Great feedback on yesterday’s message about protecting your inputs.
In case you didn’t see it – I talked about staying away from the toxicity that political ads, the “news” and social media create.
This actually hit me in the face yesterday in my Toyota service department waiting room.
You can read the full piece here in case you missed it.
LogiCole Consulting client and refractive rockstar Dr. Greg Parkhurst replied with a reminder of something important I failed to mention. To paraphrase:
“It’s also a good reminder that we shouldn’t be playing the news and political ad garbage in our waiting rooms either.”
He’s exactly right.
Because it’s not just about protecting YOUR inputs, as I discussed yesterday.
You need to protect your patients’ inputs as well.
How does that play out practically?
For one, take his advice – don’t play the news in your waiting room.
Doesn’t matter that your patients may be older and they like the news. Doesn’t matter that it’s easy.
The reasons should be obvious, but if not:
You want your patients in a good, happy, upbeat mood when they go through their consultation.
It’s why you have a nicely appointed waiting area. Fresh coffee, water and refreshments. A front desk concierge who greets them by name, with a smile.
You do all that to create a great impression and good energy…
But then you supply tragedy, fear and anger from your lobby TV that’s tuned to CNN or Fox News, or even your local news broadcast. And it negates all your efforts to create a warm and friendly environment.
It’s like:
“Welcome to our spa. We want your massage to be a calm, relaxing, positive experience for you. Before we get started, we’d like you to stand barefoot in this fire ant pile for 10 minutes. Thank you.”
Ridiculous right? So is showing the news in your lobby.
Remember this:
Your patients come in with the general anxiety about surgical procedures. You already have to battle that. Don’t make the fight any harder than it has to be.
Turn off the news and turn on the testimonial videos.
Turn on images of happy patients.
Turn on photos of your team’s last birthday celebration.
Turn on slides of useful questions to ask their counselor during the appointment.
Turn on screenshots of Google reviews.
Heck, turn on a video loop of cute puppies playing in the yard.
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Just make sure whatever you’re showing is HAPPY or USEFUL or INSPIRING.
And this speaks to a bigger issue to always keep in mind:
Your practice is a respite. An escape. A step outside of reality. A break from the stresses of normal life.
When your patients come see you, you want it to be the highlight of their day. They should look forward to it. They should receive joy and energy from it.
And what plays on your lobby TV is one small (but important) way you can protect your patients’ inputs in the office…
Now, you also want to protect your patient’s inputs outside of the office. It’s a little trickier, but doable.
This email is long enough already. If you want me to share strategies around how to control your patients’ inputs outside the office (which is crucial to your conversions), reply and say so.
I don’t want to share info that’s not useful or interesting to you.
Best,
Troy “No News is Good News” Cole
PS – Please forward this to someone who needs to hear this simple but important reminder. I would appreciate it, and they would too.