Last week we suggested that you review your Statement of Purpose and consider the profile of your “Ideal Person”. After doing that I am sure that you will have a way of identifying the general style, look and feel of the values, beliefs and character traits of your favourite people. These are the people who you love to work with.
Today I am suggesting that within these “ideal people” there are further categories that give you a profile of a best customer. This will give you the opportunity to further design your outreach, marketing and ensure that your practice is profitable while at the same time being a joy to work (play) in.
From the business and commerce world there are three categories of customer that have been identified.
The Best Customer.
The best customer has store/brand/provider loyalty and spends the most money over the long term. This person occupies 25% of the time and energy of the business and produces 75% of income.
The Usual Customer
The usual customer has little or no store/brand/provider loyalty and purchases now and then, here and there. This person occupies 55% of the time and energy of the business and produces 20% of income.
The Worst Customer.
The worst customer gives you the most problems and spends the least amount of money. Attention to this person consumes 20% of the average businesses’ resources and produces 5% of income.
The chiropractic translation of this model is that the “Best Customer” is the person who utilizes our services for lifetime wellness care spending the most money over the long term. These people utilize chiropractic care as a separate and distinct facility in their health care regime. It is neither complimentary nor alternative care. They know that optimum human performance is reliant upon (amongst other things) a well functioning brain, spine and nerve system.
The “Usual Customer” is often the sick person that you see every now and then or the person who comes in occasionally (every month or so) uses chiropractic as a modality complimentary to their medical mindset to prevent a return of an undesirable condition (usually their presenting symptoms). They even bring their children in so they won’t suffer given symptoms in the future. They desire attention to their “problem of the month” and require extra work every time we see them.
The “Worst Customer” occupies our time and energies with their dramas and crisis mentality. We squeeze them in our appointment books because they have “fallen apart” again and they relate how “I’ve been great since you “fixed” me last time (9 months ago)”. I’m sure you know these precious souls.
Next week we will look at what moves your practice to embrace the Category 1 clientele.
