Sustainable growth is a term that is thrown around a lot, but what does it mean? Sustainable means something has staying power and will be long-lasting - often in an eco-positive way. Growth means forward movement and expansion. How can independent audiology clinics reach these goals? These eight steps will explain all.
Reach for a goal
Every business needs a goal, and hearing practices are no exception. Goals are tangible notions to work towards and enable a team to stay on the right course while seeing positive results in the work environment. Infinite achievement markers exist, and tapping into what you want to make happen in the next week, month, and year is a good place to start. Make the whole team aware and everyone can work together to realise them. Top goals for independent clinics include:
- Securing new clients
- Expanding services
- Attending more training courses
- Improving aftercare
Manifesting the goal
Having a goal is definitely a great sounding board for jumping off, but the actual results will arise when said target is completed. Therefore, once a goal is in place there are some things that need to happen too. The main step is to communicate across the practice through either a whole-team meeting or individual catch-up sessions. This will ensure that everyone in the clinic understands what the collaborative focus should be.
After this, a monitoring-style assessment should be implemented to verify whether targets are being met along the pathway. Where there are shortcomings, it is important to re-strategise and focus on how to plug the gaps. Don't forget to celebrate the successes.
Focus on hiring strategies
When a practice is strong, it is often because of the underpinning talent that resides within it. Having a knowledgeable, professional, and on-the-ball team of audiologists and support staff is the only way to see actual growth. This is why hiring strategies are so important. How do you attract the right talent?
The first step is to have an iron-clad vacancy advertisement that states the purpose of the role, the salary, and the benefits. After this, ensure the vetting process matches up with what you need for the clinic so that when candidates are selected for interview, they really are a great fit for the position. This will become apparent when you have the initial conversation, but it can be uncovered through pointed questions about goals and experience too.
Seek out partnership opportunities
For a smaller hearing practice to really blossom and bloom, they can look for a reliable and respectable partnership. These are the global innovators that impact the industry niche, so in this case, audiology and all that entails. There are a ton of benefits to this, especially when connecting with a major brand. For example, a partnership with Phonak [www.phonak.com/en-uk/professionals/become-a-partner] will open up a vast new world of opportunities that are highly supportive of authentic forward movement. It will be possible to upgrade equipment to the latest and greatest devices and have access to a platform of training and innovation that didn't exist in your remit beforehand.
Protect the client experience
The customer experience is an important factor from start to finish. Customers need to be able to find you in the first place but also access information in a clear format too. This stage is vital because if a website is not up to scratch (hard to navigate or find the information required), people will simply search elsewhere. Often, a website audit from a third-party professional is a great way to ensure this won't be a problem.
During their time with you
During an appointment, what does your team do? It is not enough, in 2023, to simply focus on the clinical side of things. Customers want a holistic experience that makes them feel comfortable. This will include a positive rapport, open-ended questions and answers, and a comforting environment too.
Aftercare
The aftercare from the lead audiologist is also essential. Customers will want to have a clear plan of action and a pre-scheduled review. The goal is to protect the whole experience from the minute they find the practice to after they walk out of the door.
Marketing
Marketing is a direct way to implement positive changes and gain momentum. For any small hearing centre, a viable marketing strategy must always be informed by research and contain a variety of strategies. These strategies must circle the main goal, which is to increase exposure and build a bigger client subscription.
Don't be afraid of expansion
With a great marketing strategy, the clinic should see a boom in terms of appointment requests and loyal customers. When this happens, it is natural to wonder whether expansion is a good idea. This could be through upgrading your building to something bigger with space that caters to the growing need. Growth can only happen if the practice keeps up with demand, after all, and it won't be sustainable if adaptations aren't put in place.
Actively control the budget
A business' budget should never be ignored. This is one of the most important documents that will improve the chance for growth. It is wise to keep it in a state of constant review while protecting the core elements. By doing this, any major red flags will be noted as soon as possible and there can be a plan for how to address them.
Reputation focus
Reputation is the thing that people talk about when they name drop a clinic. All of the above points will contribute towards whether you successfully carve a positive one, and this should be a top priority for achieving sustainable growth. Increasing the talking points is a good move, but if the service does not deliver on what it promises, then everything will fall apart. In the world of business, especially healthcare, what people think and say really counts towards how a practice is able to move forward.
In summary
Sustainable growth is possible when all of the elements are considered and brought together. For independent audiology clinics, it is a competitive world. So finding ways to continue forward is the best way to go.
Copyright 2023. Featured post made possible by Sofia Edwards.