By survey, very few practitioners actually WANT their practice to be shutting down or slowing down for the summer, yet many of you experience a definite drop in the numbers in the summer months. Sometimes things just seem to slow down or get sluggish. And down, down, down goes the production levels. If this has been the case for you in past summer months, how can you avoid it happening THIS summer?
Here are some of the reasons and what you can do about it:
1. Less Marketing:
Marketing actions started dropping out in May or June resulting in income down 5-6 weeks later.
Answer: Cure this right away with a short but interesting email newsletter that you can get done in a day or two. Invite them to make appointments or to refer friends, family, coworkers and neighbours. Plan a Summer Open House with lots of fun activities. Update your Facebook with some interesting information. Send a fun summertime email newsletter to your whole patient base inviting them to submit summer activity ideas and then publish the list in another email. And so on. No shortage of ideas that are quick and easy to do – just create!
2. Thoughts Shifting:
In May or June, you and your staff started thinking and talking about holidays over the summer.
Answer: Re-direct everyone’s thoughts onto the practice growth and working out ways that the practice can have the BEST SUMMER EVER.
3. Missing staff:
Staff are off on vacations and you are doing without various personnel while they are away and this slows you and the practice down.
Answer: Get temps to fill in.
4. Missing Boss:
Same (as above) goes for you as the practitioner – get a locum if possible.
5. Distractions:
The team’s minds are more on getting out from work each day to go home and enjoy the good weather with BBQs, outdoor activities, etc. They spend time daydreaming and talking about weekend trips and cottages etc. In other words, their focus may have shifted from how to make a GREAT practice to how to have a GREAT summer.
Answer: Again, you need to shift their focus back to creating a great practice with some good planning of marketing activities.
6. No Shows and Cancellations:
Patients or clients not showing up for appointments – especially on weekends in the summer when the weather is nice.
Answer: Improve your confirmation system so they are more firmly scheduled and confirmed enough to get them to keep their appointments.
Take the above initiatives and have a great summer! Enjoy the heck out of it!
