The 8 most costly mistakes therapy and exercise professionals make

Here at SIF Health, we speak to specialists daily, from new starters, through to established multi clinician businesses.

What is abundantly clear, is that the processes used to save time, effort, and money, are the same, no matter the stage or the size of a business.

What we see too often, are businesses not actually using these processes.

So what are the common mistakes that specialists make which costs them time, reduces their chance of success, and increases their workload?

Well, we compiled the most common things we hear:

Not having a voicemail greeting

If you have not got a voicemail greeting at all, then there is a good chance that the client may give up their effort of trying to book with you. It can simply be a holding or re-direction message if you want. 

How many clients are you missing out on by not having a voicemail message?

Not leaving clear instructions on your greeting

You may have a voicemail, but what does the message say? Have a listen to your greeting and try to picture yourself as a client listening to the message. If it says, "I’ll call you back", or "please try again later", are you actually capturing that client, or are you leaving yourself extra work in the evenings?

The best voicemails give clients instructions, with clear call to action such as  " You can book in 30 seconds via my website which is (insert booking platform or website), If your query is about anything else, please email me on example@examplespecialist.com".

Not having clear instructions on social media auto responses

a.       This is very similar to the previous point, but we know many patients search for therapists via Social Media. Ensure you have a link to your booking page, If the client is looking to book, this is when they’re ready to book, so you need to capture them at this purchase stage/

Give clients clear instructions if they are not booking e.g. "see my latest videos via my YouTube channel, or leave a message, or email me via example@examplespecialist.com".

Not keeping on top of your finances

Make it a habit to record your financials in the same way you record your notes. This takes a few seconds to do (and a good booking platform will do most of the work for you), it also  saves the headache at the end of the financial year, or when your accountant is chasing you at the end of each month, and can save hours each month.

Not making back-ups of notes

This is one that most don’t think about, but what happens if your notes go missing? This can unfortunately happen at any time, be it an act of God, or losing a file accidentally.

 What happens if you’re then asked to produce your notes to a client and they don’t exist? The simple solution is to create back ups. This can take time and be costly in storage and a reputable notes platform will do this automatically for you.

Not advertising for tomorrow

Too often we hear specialists say they don’t need to advertise or market because their calendar is full and they don’t need any new clients. Firstly, this is fantastic news!, but what about Nike and Coca Cola for example? You see their advertising everywhere you look.

This is because it’s wise to advertise for tomorrow. It’s good to think ahead and consider the question, ‘what am I doing to ensure I’m still as busy in 6 months’ time?’.

Not asking for testimonials/ recommendations

Online testimonials are fantastic for Google search rankings, they also allow patients to gain trust in you from the social proof of others. Word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing, so don’t be afraid to ask people to provide you with a testimonial or recommend you to their friends and family.

Remember, every client is a potential marketer for your business.

Not sending reminders

No shows are a right pain. In fact, these can cost specialists on average £2,400 per year! The best way to prevent these is to send reminders, be that email, or SMS (or even better, both)

Worse case scenario, the client messages back saying they cannot turn up, and you have a day or two to fill the now vacant space, best case scenario, they turn up, and you get paid.

Once again, a good booking platform will do this for you automatically saving you a huge amount of time.

 Just by implementing these small changes, you can save yourself hours each week, and dramatically reduce your admin burden.

If you’d like to chat to one of the team about your processes, and how you could improve on these, please feel free to book a call here.