[Apologies for the audio quality on this piece.]
As I have been talking to many healthcare practitioners, the one thing that strikes me is the common theme about trying to deal with lack of time. We are all time pressed these days, but if you work in healthcare I would wager there are a whole number of other challenges to be faced.
But based on the number of conversations I have had over the past four months to help understand how to improve their practices, it has begun to emerge that top performers in the space have developed certain methods for not only coping but thriving.
One of the key exercises that they have completed is a time inventory, which helps them understand what they do with their time and what the value of that time is. I’ve heard people say that there is $10/hr time, $100/hr time, and $1,000/hr time and delegating (or removing) the $10/hr time helps them focus more on the higher value tasks in their day.
In this interview Holistic Nutritionist Jane talks about her practice and some of the ways she manages it efficiently for growth.
Interviewer: I have with me Jane Durst Pulkys who is a practitioner in Toronto. Jane, I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about your practice?
Jane: Okay, that sounds great! My practice involves something called live blood cell analysis. I take a drop of client’s blood and then examine it underneath the microscope and make dietary and lifestyle changes for them.
I also do something called psychosomatic energetic medicine healing which is looking at the energy blocks in the body, which can dissolve these conflicts at a cellular level. I also do metabolic balance which is a weight loss program out of Germany that balances your insulin and your hormones and gives you a customized program designed specifically for you, based on 35 of your blood values.
I also do nutrition mentoring for students who have come out of a nutrition school so that they can get their businesses up and running. I also teach life blood cell analysis for anybody who’s interested in incorporating that into their personalized business. That’s a two day course. I also do just nutrition consultations for families, for children, for groups of people. Lastly, I do seminars for companies and corporations. Everything involving stress to fatty acids to any kind of topic that they’re interested in.
I also do self-esteem workshops for women and for men. I have been involved in the school board system where I go in and speak with some of the students about healthy nutrition. That’s basically what I do in a nutshell.
Linda has been in practice since 1996 so she has a lot of experience to draw on when it comes to running her dietitian practice.
Jeff: I have with me Linda McCharles. And Linda’s going to tell us a little bit about her practice. Welcome, Linda.
Linda: Hi. Thank you, Jeff. I’ve been in private practice since 1996. I am a registered dietician. I would say that I run on a general practice, focusing on people that either have weight to lose, weight to gain, have digestive issues. I like to focus on diabetes, Type I and Type II diabetes, as well as cardiovascular problems. People with high cholesterol, for example.
My practice is a well-established practice, and I have to say that it’s been a very good practice. It’s a pleasure. I have a lot of nice people that I work with.
Jeff: Fantastic. So what are some of the techniques you’re using to get new clients into your practice?
Linda: Because my practice has been as well-established as it is, a lot of my new clients come from word of mouth. So whether it be from a group of doctors that I’ve built a relationship with over the years in looking after their patients, or whether it is, you know, client X who comes in and then goes and tells two of her best girlfriends that she’s seeing this new dietician that she really likes. It’s mostly through word of mouth, at this stage.
Jeff: Okay.
Linda: I do some public speaking, as well. Not as much as I used to. When I first started building my practice, I did a lot more public speaking. I did lunch and learns. And they were wonderful. You know, it’s a nice way of going out, spreading the word, getting to know people. You don’t make a lot of money at it, but it comes back in the long run, because you get a lot of new people coming to see you, and then it’s, you know, she tells a friend, who tells a friend, who tells a friend. Or it’s the wife’s husband who sees that his wife is eating differently, and she’s looking fantastic, and now he wants to jump on board, too.
In this interview, Diane talks about some of the things she is doing to get new clients as well as how she is improving her practice.
JEFFREY: I have with me Diane Murphy, who is a Registered Orthomolecular Health Practitioner. And Diane, would you be able to tell us a little bit about your practice?
DIANE: Yes. I’m self-employed. I’m the owner of HoliNutrition. I’m a Holistic Nutritionist, which means that I work with clients to improve their diet through whole foods. I work with supplementation, and we work on lifestyle changes. I typically see a client at home or at a nearby coffee shop, to conduct our consultations, and then we just go from there.
JEFFREY: So, what are some of the things you are doing to attract new clients to your practice?
DIANE: Well, there are a number of things that I do. I do seminars. I do workshops. I do corporate talks. I do food demos. I also do networking through clients who often recommend someone else, a family member or a friend. I have a website going. So, those are some examples.
JEFFREY: Okay, great. Now, what do you find is the most effective way of gaining new clients? Is it through your website, or is it through the seminars?
Welcome to the site!
Our goal here is to understand the ins, outs, and (sometimes) frustrations of running a Health Practice. On top of helping patients there are countless tasks that have to be taken care of in your business. And there sometimes aren’t the resources out there to quickly help.
That’s what we are trying to do: connect with practitioners to get to the bottom of what they would like to improve.
Stay tuned for more as we continue along this journey together!
And let us know if you have any comments! We’d love to chat!