Why Health Practitioners Need to Identify Their Dream Patient

As a health practitioner, you want to attract the right patients to your practice.

That person who has pathologies you can effectively treat, who you enjoy spending time with, who values the service you provide, and is happy to pay for it.

 

You don't want "everyone" as your patients

I know, I know,

I heard the collective intake of breath and the voices in your heads shouting "Yes we do!! We can't turn people away" - But please hear me out. I have done this work with 100's and 100's of practices over the last 13 years and every practice that takes the time to understand the concept, sees an improvement in the number of quality patients they are attracting - it just takes a bit of time to get your head round the concept and trust it.

Patients who don't fit the description I gave at the top of the page, can be a drain on your time, resources, and energy. If you’ve ever had that heart-sinking feeling when you see a certain patient's name in your schedule, you know exactly what I'm talking about. When you're feeling those feels, it can be really challenging to be on your A game and provide the best possible care for those patients and they don't deserve that - so maybe, just maybe 😉 they and you would be better off if they went elsewhere for their care (just saying😳)

I believe that to build a thriving practice that makes you happy YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHO YOUR DREAM PATIENT IS

Oh and P.S - please note I said patient NOT patients!

In this blog post, I'm going to discuss the five reasons why health practitioners should identify their dream patient, and why they shouldn’t worry about excluding other patients in the process.

I’ll also provide tips on how to identify your dream patient so you can target the people you know you can help the most.

 

 

Why Health Practitioners Should Identify Their Dream Patient?

There are five main reasons why in private practice, health practitioners should identify their dream patient:

1. Provide better patient outcomes:

Let's face it you are better at treating some conditions than others. You enjoy treating certain conditions more than others, and you have the facilities to treat certain conditions more fully than others. The more you identify the persona of your dream patient and potentially the condition they are struggling with, the more you can hone your skills and services, and the more confident you are in providing treatment and modifying your care to meet their needs and preferences. This results in hugely positive outcomes for both your patients and the reputation of your practice.

2. Save time and money: 

By focusing your marketing on a specific dream patient, your marketing becomes way more effective so you’ll find you can spend less time and money on patient acquisition, and you can devote more time and money to quality care.
 

3. Create a more positive work environment:

Because you'll enjoy working with your dream patients, you are going to find your work way more fulfilling and enjoyable, making your time at work much more pleasurable for both you and your patients. Because you will feel happier and more confident at work you will naturally, without really trying, provide higher-quality care and a more impactful patient experience. You will be creating an environment and culture, where your patients and colleagues will be much happier coming thanks to your positive energy and the expeirince that gives everyone.
 

4. Build a successful practice: 

By attracting and retaining your dream patients, you will build a successful practice that is financially sustainable and generate more revenue because your patients are loyal. You're also delivering a better service when you work with the right client which means you can charge more.

  

5. Make a difference in the world: 

The moment you are able to help people who are in need, you are making a positive difference in the world around you and there’s nothing more rewarding than supporting your dream client.

 

All these points add up to you building a thriving practice that you love and spending time with people you enjoy being around.

 

 

You’re proud of the practice you’ve created and it’s a space that you and your dream patient love to be in – and that’s what it’s all about…

 

How to Identify Your Dream Patient

You are never going to wow everybody – it’s impossible. However, if you target your dream patient, you will wow them every time, and they will become loyal advocates for your practice. This then causes a ripple effect and attracts others like them, and these are the type of people you want to bring into your practice because you have the ability to provide a service that ticks so many boxes for them.

Here are a few things you can do to identify your dream patient:

• Think about the patients you enjoy working with the most: What are their common characteristics? What are their needs and preferences?

• Consider the types of patients you are best able to help: What are your areas of expertise? What are your strengths and weaknesses? 

• Research your target audience: What are the demographics of your ideal patient? What are their pain points? What are their goals?

• Create a buyer persona: A buyer persona is a fictional representation of your ideal patient. This will help you to better understand their needs and wants.

 

 

When you spend some time finding out and learning more about who your dream patient is, you can tailor your marketing and patient acquisition efforts accordingly.

So, ask yourself, who is the person that you are going to serve so well, that they will rave about you and your practice, to everyone they know? 

 

Identifying your dream patient is an important step in building a successful healthcare practice. By understanding your ideal patient, you can provide better care, save time and money, create a more positive work environment, and build a practice that makes a difference in the world.

 

Thrivers Club Members

If you're inside our Thrivers Club then you can find more detailed "How to" instructions on this subject inside the Thrivers Rehab Programme - Business Clarity module

 

 

If you are not inside our Thrivers Club and would like to join or Thrivers VIP waitlist to be one of the first to get the opportunity to join next time we open the doors please register here.

Finally, if you have any questions about identifying your dream client, please comment below or email us

If you're not there already, we'd love for you to join our free online community for health practitioners in business who want to get intentional about laying strong foundations. We achieve this by learning more about growing and marketing your practice so you can help more patients, create happiness, and build a thriving business.

 Until next time