Because of their Denver hub, I’ve been flying United Airlines for years, racking up over a million miles with them. Because of my loyalty, I’m practically guaranteed a seat in their Economy Plus section. This is an area of Coach in which the pitch between seats is 5” greater than Economy, allowing you to cross your legs and use a laptop without the passenger in front of you reclining their seat into your chest. So I was taken by the gate agent auctioning off seats in Economy Plus for $41 prior to boarding the plane this morning.
How brilliant. If you’re stuck in Coach and an upgrade to First Class isn’t an option, here’s a way to improve your experience for a nominal fee. For United, it, along with selling “food” on board, is a way of extracting a bit more income out of a resource that was previously untapped opportunity. It may not be much, but it can add up.
What resources are you overlooking that could increase your income, improve your visibility or enhance your community standing? Here are a couple of ideas that occurred to me from 2C this morning.
Meeting space. If your office has space for lectures or rehabilitation equipment, consider renting this space to allied health professionals for yoga instruction, La Leche League meetings or Lamaze classes? The nominal rental fee may not be as important as the opportunity to have health-conscious people in your office, exposed to your philosophy.
Charging for community lectures. Attract new patients by setting up monthly lectures in your community about vitalistic health options. Rent a meeting room at the Marriott. Charging admission pays your expenses and validates that what you’re offering has value. Because it does.
First visit deposit. If you conduct spinal screenings and you attract prospects you express interest in beginning care, collect a modest deposit for their first visit consultation. Reduce no-shows. Confirm that your screening approach is actually working.
Website promotion. If you have a Perfect Patients website, it’s attracting repeated visits by your patients and health-conscious people in your community. Sell a page on your site that endorses a massage therapist, acupuncturist or some other allied health professional. Being big enough and unthreatened by anointing others, raises your validity.
Inactive patients. Of course the gold mine is your inactive patients. Most practitioners shun those who probably had a great chiropractic experience, know where your office is and know you’re not some cult leader. The modest investment in newsletters (printed or emailed), birthday cards and practice announcement is returned in the form of reactivations and referrals.
These small income sources will not produce the financial rewards of a juicy personal injury case. Instead, it’s about getting all you can out of what you’ve got and being a good steward of the resources that you’ve been entrusted with.