Last October I took a deep breath and invested in a specialist platform to automate my business. Not only does it send out my emails, it also gives me detailed information. It holds my programmes and products, delivers them seamlessly, takes care of secure card payments without my involvement, installments, projected income and even allows me to have affiliate schemes with partners, if I so choose.
The point of telling you this is that my business has more than doubled since I made this bold step! When somebody in New Zealand purchases a course or product from me, they no longer have to wait until I wake up, make a cuppa and write them an email before they can begin work! It is all delivered automatically, emails are sent with their personal log in details and I sleep on oblivious. This has meant that I can always deliver top quality service and programmes which automatically release a new module every week without me even touching it. Frankly it’s a relief not to be endlessly involved in every detail. Once I’ve set it up – and I’m surprisingly good now at the techie aspects – the job is done and any purchases are dealt with automatically and the product delivered instantly.
Automation saves time and energy whilst also increasing revenue
This means that I can reach more people, serve more Clients more efficiently and deliver my courses 24/7 anywhere in the world at the touch of a button! Even the Old Boy is rather proud of my accomplishments in less than 3 years in business! I have learnt fast, kept focused, invested in my own fabulous Business Coach and taken bold steps. And when I hook up with like-minded Clients we can create a dramatic shift in their Osteobiz and get them treating more patients and increasing their income. This is largely due to the massive amount of time saved from having these systems in place. It allows me to do far more private coaching which I really love with a passion.
In the same way, those Clients who have agreed with me to automate their systems have found that their diaries get busier almost immediately. Why? Because in this modern world, people have no time and no patience!
Imagine – they come across your website at 10pm and you eloquently state how you are the perfect solution to their problems BUT they can’t book to see you! Do you think they will be bothered to hang around? No they will not! They will go back to their search engine results and have a look at someone else who has had the foresight to automate their systems and take 24 hour online bookings.
These days we book everything online, be it hair appointments, restaurants, hotels, theatres and flights across the world. So if we can’t book a simple online appointment with an Osteopath, we will soon find someone else who will accommodate us. If you are still taking phone calls, offering several appointment options, then separately emailing confirmations and cancellations policy, you are likely getting quite exhausted!
Time and again, I suggest automating systems because I KNOW that Clients who have no online booking systems are losing out on new Patients. I KNOW they are losing out on revenue and I KNOW they are monumentally frustrated at the numbers of no shows too!
My shocking revelation!
It’s very embarrassing to admit this but I am a serial DNA culprit! Head down, creating a new programme, writing a blog, spreading the word about the latest news in the Osteopathic world; I can get deep into my work in my own little world. The App ‘Stand Up’ on my phone is set for 50 minute intervals but it feels like it pings at me every five minutes! So many times my friend and Osteopath has texted me to ask me where I am! But as you can see, it’s easy to get distracted when we’re busy and so the beauty of an automated system is that texts are sent out by it and the patient is reminded. DNAs drop to zero overnight and your frustration is eliminated.
Other ways to automate
Newsletters must be dealt with by way of a system which allows people to unsubscribe so you cannot just send mass mailings from your private email address! This is worldwide legislation to protect people from spam and unwanted contact. If you automate your e-newsletters, then you can keep in touch with your patient list, add value, give them expert advice, tips and information. This keeps you top of mind, works to send more people to your website, increase bookings and encourages previous patients to rebook if they have been putting up with a painful condition and not thought to rebook.
You can also automate your social media marketing which will save you endless hours! Search for Buffer or Hootsuite. Now you can be marketing whilst you’re also treating!
Which automated booking systems do I recommend?
Obviously I am talking to worldwide Osteopaths all the time and the consistent winner of online booking and patient management systems is the Australian company Cliniko. Not only will it take care of bookings and reminders, it handles all your notes, creating a paperless patient management system and integrates easily with Xero bookkeeping and accounting software as well as Mailchimp email software. That’s pretty much everything rolled into one!
If that is currently a step too far, then I highly recommend Osteopath Ben Court’s bespoke system which is both free and easy to use, with no subscriptions or tie-ins. The only charges are for email or text reminders which are at minimal cost. Click here to find out more.
We are covering this topic along with many others in my Osteobiz High Viz Bootcamp this month – why not find out more and join us?
Let’s help you to reach out into your community and nurture many more new patients.
