Summer is approaching and with family holidays competing for patients’ time, you might find your clinic has quite a few cancellations and schedule gaps. Whilst online bookings are a great way for filling these slots and SMS reminders can reduce DNA’s by up to 90%, the simple truth is that sometimes gaps can’t be avoided. So, how are gaps in the diary best spent?

Your first thought might be to take the time to relax, sit in the sun for a while or even take the rest of the day off, additionally, you may send a clinician or two home. “Flexing” as it is often called, is becoming an increasingly common cost-cutting move for clinic owners. However, as tempting as it may be to flex your therapists when things slow down, there’s a better way to use their time. Not only is being flexed insulting — your therapists have surely stayed late to complete admin documents (a process significantly improved by TM3) on busy days — but it also robs your team of growth opportunities. Plus, you could be missing out on a valuable chance to leverage your therapists’ non-clinical skills in ways that can dramatically improve your practice.

It’s time to get creative

Chances are that you and your therapists are probably pretty talented writers, and there’s no better place to share wisdom than on your clinic’s blog. Blogging is important for several reasons:

• • Publishing regularly keeps your website content fresh, which helps with search engine optimization (SEO), essentially making your practice more visible online. Use those free appointments to ensure future ones fill up faster!
• • Custom content puts a face to your therapy team and clinic. A stagnant, static webpage with no personality does nothing to attract patients.
• • Custom content makes patients feel safe in your care. If you maintain an active blog with plenty of thoughtful articles by your own team members, patients will feel confident that they’re going to see an expert.
• • Blogging is a fun way to brag! Do you have a stack of positive patient reviews? Write up a blog post highlighting the best ones!

Spread the word

Whilst some clinic owners might consider it to be outdated, good old-fashioned practice marketing is still a reliable way to get patients in the door. And patients in the door is what every clinic needs to keep the doors open. Some therapists are outgoing, confident, and eager to network, so why not fill those therapists’ free slots with marketing opportunities, like giving presentations at networking events and organising fundraisers?

But, it’s not just physician marketing that your clinic needs to thrive these days! Don’t forget about social media marketing, content marketing, email marketing, and other patient-facing efforts. All of which TM3 can help with to drive business to your clinic.

To find out how we can improve your operations this summer, get in touch with one of our experts to discuss the needs of your practice.