As a clinic owner, you’re probably on a mission to grow your business while providing the best healthcare services to your patients. But in order to do this, you’ll need to turn your clinic’s staff into sales experts.
At Ignite, we emphasise the importance of being ethical when it comes to selling treatments.
When we talk about ethical sales within the healthcare industry, we mean that instead of pushing your treatments onto potential patients, you should explain their benefits and give them all the information they need to determine if it’s the best thing for them. The prices should be aligned with what your clinic has offered patients, and your sales tactics should be truthful.
Using empathy and understanding, you can help those seeking out your treatments and provide a safe environment for them.
We’ve got years of experience in the industry, and we know what your patients want, so pop the kettle on and get ready to hear some great strategies to boost your clinic’s sales, turning your staff into ethical sales experts!
1. Getting personal: Understanding your patients
Making sure your staff are armed with the superpower of empathy will really put your clinic ahead of others. Empathy is an excellent tool for helping your team to take the time to understand your patients and their needs.
Many treatments can be sensitive, and providing a safe space to talk about their fears, doubts, and reasons for their interest in the treatment will help you provide the best care possible and help them feel comfortable.
Training your staff to become attentive listeners and taking that extra time to get to know patients will enable them to tailor their approach and provide a personalised experience. We all know that building trust is crucial, and understanding your patients is essential in order to provide a supportive and comfortable environment.
Check out our blog post on improving the patient experience for more tips.
2. Patients’ personalities: Learn to read them
If your staff can recognise the patient’s personality that walks through the door or picks up the phone, they can adapt their communication and sales techniques accordingly.
For example, someone that’s busy and always in a rush isn’t going to have as much time to discuss different treatment options and may want the information without any waffle.
Another patient may have heard about a treatment from a celebrity or influencer. Here your staff should recognise that mentioning other celebrities or influencers that have had the same treatment done can help reassure them.
Someone shy will need a different style of communication entirely.
Paying attention to this will help your staff sell the treatments effectively and offer the best care possible.
3. Knowledge is vital: Educate your staff!
Let’s face it; your staff needs to know their stuff to become sales experts. This means they need training. Treat them to comprehensive training sessions covering everything from the science behind your treatments to potential risks and alternative options.
When equipped with the knowledge, they will be able to confidently answer any questions, establishing themselves as trustworthy sources of information.
It will also help boost morale in the clinic by having staff feel comfortable and well-trained. Keep up with regular training sessions for new equipment and keep them up to date on any new regulations.
4. Walk the talk: Experience the treatments
While training your staff is key, you can go one step further. Ever heard the saying ‘’You won’t truly understand until you’ve walked in their shoes’’?
Encourage staff to experience the treatments themselves. These can even be the less invasive treatments, such as facials if they aren’t willing to try other options. Let them step into the patient’s shoes, feel the effects and witness the results.
Get other staff members to treat them as a patient and get feedback from everyone to decide how you can improve the care. By sharing personal insights and outcomes, they’ll become enthusiastic advocates for your treatments, building trust and credibility with prospective patients.
Having a staff member able to recount their own experience of a treatment to a patient is invaluable.
5. Getting prepared: Set frameworks
Consistency is the secret to ethical practises. Develop clear frameworks and procedures for your staff to follow during the sales process. From initial phone calls to consultations and addressing patient concerns, all the way to comprehensive aftercare information, having a structured approach ensures that every patient receives the same outstanding level of care.
That’s how you reinforce your clinic’s reputation. So, make it clear to your staff what you expect from them, giving them detailed frameworks for achieving this.
This can include scripts, preparation before patients come in and knowledge of the information they give.
6. Quality treatments: Sell them something worth buying
If you believe in what you’re offering, selling becomes much easier. We’ve already talked about having your staff try out treatments and be appropriately trained, but now let’s discuss what you are actually selling.
Ensure your clinic provides the best innovative procedures backed by scientific evidence and positive patient testimonials. When your staff genuinely believes in the value and quality of your treatments, your patients will feel more inclined to trust their recommendations.
7. The dream team: Hiring the right people
Building an ethical sales culture starts with hiring the right people. Look for individuals with strong communication skills, empathy, and a genuine passion for healthcare.
Seek candidates who align with your clinic’s values and are eager to learn and grow within the industry. Remember, the right people will be the backbone of your success story!
8. No empty promises: Setting expectations
One of the best methods of making sure your sales strategies remain ethical is to set realistic expectations for patients. You should genuinely want to help them get the results they desire without promising them the unachievable.
Patients love a quick fix. They want to leave your clinic looking like a better version of themselves. However, often several visits are needed, or it takes time to show the full effect of the treatment. Set realistic expectations for your patients and ensure they understand they won’t look like a new person overnight.
When they accept this, they will be happier with the results.
9. What’s working and what’s not? Analyse and adapt
Review how your staff are getting on with the patients weekly at first. Once you can see they are confident in ethical sales, you can adjust this as you see fit.
Talk through their challenges and successes. Listen with an open mind with willingness for your team to learn and improve while giving them any feedback tactfully.
Takeaways
You’ll need to work as a team and communicate openly to improve your sales strategies. Soon you and your team will start to be able to spot different personality types and understand how to talk to each individual prospective patient.
Focus on personalisation, education and empathy, and you’ll be well on your way to developing the perfect ethical sales team that puts patients first while driving business for growth.
Remember, an ethical approach benefits your clinic and builds trust and strengthens relationships with your patients, so get out there and positively impact the healthcare industry.
For more resources on how to grow your clinic, check out our page dedicated to providing you with tips and tricks in video and blog format to get your clinic thriving.
And click here to get in touch and find out how we help clinics and practices get new patients through their doors.
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