2020-07-07
Slowing Down? 5 Ways to Bring Back Clients

Physical therapy is over when a physical therapist and a patient have met certain goals. However, there are a lot of patients who quit their sessions before they have even crossed that physical therapy finish line! Why a client doesn’t finish their PT can be for a number of reasons. But it’s up to you and your clinic to bring them back! 

If you find your client numbers slowing down, and you’re wondering how to bring your clients back into your facility, you’re not alone! There are so many different reasons why you may have lost a client here and there. However, getting them to come back to finish their physical therapy can be tough. 

Breaking down the reasons why you may be getting negative reviews, or why your clients aren’t sticking it out can be as simple as listening to your clients. When it comes to bringing your clients back, there are a few methods that you could try. Here are five helpful ways to bring back clients so they can reach their PT goals! 

Show Your Clients You Value Them

One of the most important aspects of a relationship is appreciation. Not only feeling that appreciation, but showing it as well. When it comes to the relationship between a physical therapist and their patients, showing how much you value each other is important.

Not only should you clients be respectful and show you how much they appreciate your help, but also you should reach out to them! All in all, your clients help you to maintain your business financially. However, they also allow you to follow your passions. After all, you probably chose physical therapy to help people!

Showing your appreciation to the hard work and dedication that your clients put in to their physical therapy sessions doesn’t have to be difficult. Here are a few ways you can show your clients you appreciate them enough for them to come back to their sessions:

  • Celebrate Milestones. One way to get your clients to come back is to celebrate their milestones with them! Not only will this show them that you care about their progress, but it will also show how much you appreciate their hard work to get to that milestone. For example, if your client is working towards being able to raise their arm above their head, then maybe have a tiny celebration for every five inches further they can raise their arm. It shows them you are conscious of their progress as well as making them less likely to quit! Not to mention they will tell other people about how encouraging you are, and word of mouth is extremely important for your business.
  • Have a Give Away or Offer Rewards. Another way to show your clients that you appreciate their hard work, and want them to come back to finish their sessions is to offer rewards. You can hold a give-away within your facility, or even small offers to keep your clients coming in to reach their PT goals! Not only will the fun swag give them incentive to come back, but also to keep them coming in in the future.
  • Write a Thank You Card. This is a tried and true way to show your appreciation. Writing to your clients directly will not only show them that you care about their progress, but it is also an excellent way to get them back into your facility. Not to mention it is a touching gesture to take time out of your busy schedule to sit down and handwrite a note!

These are just a few of the measures you can take to get your clients to come back. If you have another idea that would entice your PT clients to finish their physical therapy journey, then implementing it would be a great idea. All in all, showing your clients that you care about them achieving their goals is a great way to get them to come back to physical therapy.

Listen to the Clients

As a business owner, as well as a physical therapist, you may be wondering why clients are leaving in the first place! An incredibly important aspect of running a business is listening to feedback. However, this includes positive AND negative reviews and comments. 

One way you can do this is by reading online reviews of your services. Not only will people be more honest writing anonymous reviews online, but also it will be good for you to see a wide scope of reviews and experiences. However, it is important to take online reviews with a grain of salt. You may not be fully aware of all of the circumstances that would have led to their positive or negative experience without knowing who they are, or what they were going through. 

Call your clients, talk to them one on one, and truly listen to their feedback. Give them the time to explain why they left, as well as ask them what they feel you and your business could be doing better. Once you HEAR what they have to say, you can take steps to make your website, your facility, and their entire experience more customer-friendly

When you listen to your clients you are giving yourself an incredible opportunity. Not only to bring them back but also to make your business and your PT blog that much better for all of your clientele. 

Discounts and Deals

A tried and true method to bring back clients is to offer special return discounts as well as special deals. This is an incentive to bring back clients who may have left for financial reasons, as well as a great way to ensure they finish their PT programs. 

The discounts don’t have to be extreme, or even company-wide. If your client has left their program because they can’t afford the physical therapy, then you can simply discuss options with them. This could be discounted, as well as lowered payments, and any other financial incentive they may need. 

If you’re offering a deal, then it could be something like “Two sessions for the price of one!” or “Take ten dollars off your next session”, etc. You can email the client directly, offer the deals on your social media platforms, as well as post the new offers on your PT blog.

However, be certain that deals and discounts don’t hurt YOU financially before you begin to offer them. If you have an accountant to help you calculate the discounts that would be amazing. If you don’t, that’s ok, but be certain that your base costs will be covered before you give away your monthly rent in discounts! Overall, be sure your clients are happy with the deals you’re offering, and they will start to come back. 

Help Where Needed Outside of PT

Sometimes people leave physical therapy for reasons that aren’t as serious as financial aid, or being unhappy with your services. All in all, a person may not come to their physical therapy because they simply forgot! If this is the case, then there are ways you can bring back clients easily.

Here are a few ways you can help bring back clients by helping outside of PT:

  • Appointment reminders
  • Schedule out their appointments for them
  • Email at home PT reminders
  • Text, as well as Call to see if they are doing their “homework”
  • Offer amenities like coffee, snacks, etc.
  • Offer additional programs for after PT (massage therapy, work out sessions, etc)

Not only will people be more likely to come back to their next appointment if you have reminders, but also if you schedule it out for them! After all, they could only not be coming back because they simply forgot their appointments. If you offer these gestures of help outside of PT, it will easily bring back clients to your facility. 

Start Before They Are Gone

As they say, hindsight is twenty-twenty. All things considered, one of the best ways to bring back clients is to ensure they don’t leave in the first place. If you start to see clients dropping like flies, then it is time to start being proactive. 

First, try implementing all of the other four tips into your business (Helping outside of PT, Listening, Deals, as well as showing you value them). Second, actively try to make sure your clients are happy with their current care while they are at their sessions. Last, but not least, find ways you can start to make their experience even better before they stop coming in for their appointments. 

Because they are not only clients, but customers as well, it is important to make certain their experience is positive. Starting to assess their needs before they decide they don’t want your services anymore will be a huge help. This will assist you in starting to bring back clients before they are even gone! 

The Best Ways to Bring Back Clients and Help Your Business

All in all, finding ways to get clients to finish their programs can be stressful. By implementing these top five ways to keep your patients coming back, you are not only helping your business, but you are also helping your clients! Making sure they are successful with their PT journey, as well as achieving their short-term physical therapy goals. 

You may not have to use all five of these helpful tips. However, if you want to be certain your clients don’t leave you again, using all five methods will certainly help! Whether you start before they are gone, show them how much you value them, listen to their needs, as well as help them outside of PT, there are many ways to bring back clients. Once you put these tips into practice, you’ll find that your clients will definitely return 

Do you need some help with your physical therapy website and marketing? Download our Free Evergreen Marketing Blueprint for Physical Therapists and start creating long-term assets that generate new patient bookings for years to come.