Top 5 Management Mistakes Private Practices Make (And How to Avoid Them)
As the owner of your own practice, you're both a medical professional and the manager of a small business. While you may have joined the field to focus on caring for patients, running a successful practice involves making shrewd business decisions, too. Without help, there are simple mistakes you could be making without realizing it! At SmileMakers, we understand the unique challenges that medical professionals face. So we've identified five common practice management mistakes that have immediate solutions.
1. Neglecting Your Online Marketing
Almost everyone knows the importance of having some form of an online identity. Since 2013, more than 75% of internet users look for health care providers online. Having a website is an essential part of every practice. While most medical practices now have website, not all of them are engaging or well built. A poorly made site does you no favors. If your site needs a redesign or you're ready to update, hire people that are qualified to create a site that matches your standard of excellence. For consistent quality with online marketing, you'll only see growth if you hire people who understand the different platforms.
If you're struggling to deal with all this yourself, consider using a marketing agency to help guide you through the process. A smart marketing team will not only help curate a professionally looking website, they can also help with SEO, PPC and other digital marketing metrics. Your website is only one section of online marketing, and the more work you put in to increase your online visibility, the more you'll see results. As the world continues to go digital, it's important to stay ahead of the curve.
2. Not Focusing On The New Patient Experience
For new patients, their interaction with your practice starts the moment they learn about you and can continue to have an impression for the full extent of their time with you. The better their experience, the more likely they are to return and refer. Since the new patient experience begins with their first interaction with your practice, it's important to ensure that you leave a good first impression. It's equally important to maintain that standard throughout the process, though. Your brand reputation, website aesthetic, and communication throughout the process can have a dramatic impact on their experience. Remember, every detail counts. A "good enough" experience isn't very memorable but a great experience could create a patient for life.
3. Taking Your Staff For Granted
When you're working all the time, it's hard to appreciate what you have. That's why it's all the more important to show your staff how thankful you are for all their hard work. No matter how fun your practice may be, there is always a chance that they need a little sign of gratitude. With all the patients that come through your doors, you may feel busy all day. It's important though to take time to make sure your staff knows that you value them. Take your team out to lunch or take a day off together to do some fun activity, even a simple thank you card can go a long way. Each expression of gratitude will help grow the bond in your office, and sustain a healthy work environment.
4. Overlooking Your Office Aesthetic
When purchasing or rebranding a practice, the office aesthetic is a top priority. The problem arises when you've been working at your practice for a while, and haven't updated recently. As you're no doubt aware, appearances are important. No matter how good it may have looked a few years ago, maintaining that bright and clean-looking aesthetic is key. For new patients, entering a modern and well-furnished office is reassuring. It implies that you have an eye for detail and stay up-to-date as a practice. Having new and crisp decor is especially important with children. As anxiety is common for kids visiting dentists and doctors, having an aesthetic that puts them at ease is the first step to help them feel safe at your practice. Decorating your operatory with vibrant, friendly decals and wall murals will entertain them and keep the-m distracted during their time in the chair. And don't forgot to go all out on the waiting area, too! The more comfortable your pediatric patients are in your practice, the better they'll behave during their treatment.
5. Missing Consolidated and Automated Buying
With so much of your day-to-day work focused on making other people's lives better, it's easy to miss all the ways you could improve your own situation! Online purchasing takes all the hassle out of restocking or ordering new products. With features like quick ordering, saved account information, and Autoship, you complete the ordering process with just a few clicks of a button. At SmileMakers, our website is customized to help medical professionals purchase supplies in a matter of minutes. By ordering through SmileMakers, you're removing the tedium of online shopping. And by setting up an account with us, each subsequent order becomes even faster!
Interested in more helpful tips and tricks? SmileMakers has you covered!
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