Your desire to become a physician likely didn’t stem from an interest in sales. You went into medicine because you wanted to help people, and those altruistic intentions don’t always feel like they align with doing anything remotely “salesy.” So the idea of selling ancillary products may be something you’ve purposefully steered clear of.
But, consider this: offering high-quality items that help patients achieve their goals does help them. For example, a pain management practice offering an ancillary product like a reputable CBD line.
And in a world brimming with questionable health solutions being hustled left and right—often by people who aren’t even qualified to give health advice—your patients will appreciate some direction from a real healthcare expert. Not to mention, retail is an easy way to add cash-based revenue to your practice.
How to Create A Culture that Values Offering Ancillary Products
Even if the offering of ancillary products is new to your company culture, the mindset and approach needed to pull it off successfully shouldn’t be. A culture that includes a focus on selling ancillary products must have the following:
- Flexibility. Is your team willing to learn new skills and potentially take on new responsibilities?
- Conviction. About the product, that is. It’s important that you, as a leader and a healthcare professional, truly believe in the benefits of the product you’re going to sell.
- A strong patient focus. Do your team members genuinely care about the well-being of your patients?
- A strong education focus. Are your team members equipped with the tools they need to educate your patients on any ancillary offerings?
Notice how all these values are good for a practice to adopt regardless of whether you offer ancillary products or not? Your team likely already has what it takes to successfully integrate a culture that values providing ancillary products as part of your overall business model.
Not sure? We can help. Healthwise Management can come in and look at your practice from every angle so we can identify what is working well, pinpoint areas for improvement as well as plug any gaps that are keeping things from running as seamlessly (and profitably!) as they could.
We can also train your team in educating patients about your offerings in a way that’s not pushy or salesy, but instead, increases patient trust and enhances the patient experience. Let’s talk about it.
How to Sell Ancillary Products in Your Practice
Sell what you believe in. We mentioned this above, but it’s such an important part of the formula for success, it bears repeating!
Again, using pain management as an example, by offering CBD products inside your pain management practice you are not suggesting these products take the place of medical treatment but are proposing they will enhance the results the patient wishes to see, all while building trust and rapport.
Get Team Member Buy-In. Of course, the physician is not the only person who can speak to the value of the products your practice offers. Encourage your team members to try out these products and become familiar with them. This isn’t limited to your clinical staff, either! Your front-office employees can also bolster retail sales by discussing their experiences using the products with your patients (excluding any items that require clinical decision-making, of course).
Make Payment Processing Seamless and Simple. To make buying as convenient as possible, make sure you’re equipped to handle payments of all types. Keep enough cash on hand to make change, and use a point-of-sale system that instantly processes credit or debit payments. Even better: Use a system that’s fully integrated with the EMR you already use. We can help with this, too!
CBD Could Be A Game Changer for Your Practice
Are you interested in seeing how an ancillary product like CBD could be a beneficial addition to your practice offerings? You’re in luck! We’re co-hosting an informative webinar with a pain management clinic and Medosi Whole Spectrum Health:
What: How CBD Could Be a Game Changer For Your Practice
When: Tuesday, March 16, 2021, at 6:00 pm EST or 9:00 pm EST
Can’t make it? Register anyway so you can receive a recording!
Healthwise Management: Partnership That Matters
At Healthwise Management, we can help manage the business, so you can focus on what matters most to you—your patients. Your customers. Your craft. Your expertise.
If you’re ready to see your company flourish, it’s possible. Whether you are just starting to create your vision or are well down the path and need a tune-up, partnering with Healthwise will elevate your business’s clinical, cultural, and operational aspects.
At Healthwise Management, we’re here to help you navigate your next steps.
