Did you know that client information and practice records are an often untapped opportunity and can be used to improve how you run your practice?
The fact is that marketing and communication is the best way to acquire and retain clients. The great news is that you can optimise how you grow your client base by maintaining a holistic understanding of your practice records and using them to run reports.
Simply put, you can use your reports to find golden opportunities. Here’s how!
Why is Communication and Marketing Important?
These days we’re saturated with information. Social media and vast global networking means that you need to stand out from the crowd to stay in the game. By keeping top of mind, you can help retain existing clients and remind new ones about your practice.
Still unsure what this has to do with reporting? It’s simple. Your records can help you see whom you need to get in touch with. By running reports on the information you already have, you can build relationships and benefit your practice immensely.
7 Reports to Improve Your Practice
#1 Inactive Clients Report
It’s essential to keep track of your client activity. This report will help you learn which clients are due for an appointment but have not yet made it to your practice. While clients may have moved on to a new service provider in some cases, in other instances, they might have simply forgotten to schedule their follow-up appointment.
It’s worthwhile to give inactive clients a quick call or send them an SMS (depending on their preferred method of communication and your relationship) to see if they’re okay and to ask if they’d like to make that follow-up appointment. Clients will generally appreciate the personal touch.
#2 Referral Expiry Report
Another useful report that can help you manage relationships with clients is a referral expiry report. You can create this report by identifying the referrals due to expire within the next 2 months.
Once again, as soon as you’ve identified these patients, it’s worthwhile to give them a call to inquire as to whether they’d like to make an appointment before their referral expires. Perhaps that little extra reminder is precisely what this client needs!
#3 Client Sources Report
Have you been putting in the effort when it comes to marketing? A client source report is possibly the best way to get a clear indication of where your clients hear about you. While in some cases it might be referrals from friends, it might just be one of the marketing channels you’ve been using. The first step is to collect this data through customer forms. From there, run a report and get a statistical analysis of where clients are finding you. Once you’ve identified the primary sources, it’s within the interest of your practice to spend more time, and maybe money, marketing on those particular platforms.
#4 Recent Referrals Report
A little communication goes a long way! A great way to acknowledge referrals is through a referral feedback letter. Even just a simple ‘thank you’ will make the referee feel appreciated and more likely to refer business to you in future.
#5 Inactive Referrers Report
It’s essential to keep track of your recent referrals and run a report indicating which parties have stopped sending patients. It might be helpful to arrange to meet them for coffee or give them a call, taking an interest in their latest work. You may find that they’ve simply forgotten about you, and started referring elsewhere instead. Maintaining a friendly relationship can help them become loyal to you and your practice.
#6 Invoices and Payments Report
Most clinics collect payment at the time of service. However, in some cases, there may be outstanding invoices. It’s essential to keep track of these! You should run a weekly report to indicate outstanding fees and gently contact your clients to remind them that payment is due.
#7 Birthdays Report
A fun way to retain customers is through running a weekly report on client’s birthdays. You can then send them an SMS or give them a call to congratulate them on their special day. You might also want to give your client a discounted service or a small gift if they book an appointment during their birthday week. Again, the information on this can be included in the SMS and other marketing material.
The overriding theme here is that you’re fostering close relationships, whether it’s with other practices, businesses, or patients. Communication puts you top of mind and will set you apart from the rest. You may find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work it takes to run a successful practice. Start by putting these reports into a process that you run once a month and take it from there.
Did you find this article helpful? Check out our How to Grow Your Health Practice with Reports (+ a Webinar!) as well!
