I’m not a huge fisherman, but I do enjoy Ice Fishing during our Utah Winters. Here’s why I enjoy it more than regular fishing:
- No dirt (snow instead)
- No snags (your line drops straight down the middle of the lake – no weeds or lake grass to mess up your hooks)
- Less crowds
- Relaxing in the sun
Here are 5 basic guidelines to successful Ice Fishing that apply to building your relationships with new patients and your existing patients:
1. Know what you’re fishing for. If you don’t know what your market and community want, you need to get real data and real surveys to find out. Hint: The biggest reasons for seeking a dentist probably aren’t what you assume.
2. Go where the fish are taking the bait. Don’t market or offer options that people aren’t interested in. Pain-free is a lot more enticing than “preventative” to most people.
3. Learn to think like a fish. What makes a fish hungry? What do they like to eat? What convenient options are you offering your patients?
4. Be patient with your time and money. It costs money to go fishing: fuel, food for you, food for your fish, equipment, time off, transportations costs, etc. Be patient and know your ROI. (In fishing, your ROI is measured in anticipation and enjoyment – not in the number of fish you catch, or else there would be almost no amateur fishers left in the world.)
5. Enjoy the fishing, not just catching. If you aren’t having fun at your practice, why are you doing what you are doing? There’s only one life to live – so make the necessary changes to get the most out of your life. Your patients will feel and see it in action!
Classic author James Allen said in his book, As a Man Thinketh
“Circumstance does not make the man, it reveals him to himself.“
What kind of outreach are you doing this week to your patients and vendors? How do you treat your friends and family? Are you constantly putting new bait on the line that they are interested in? Or do you just expect them to come to your bare hook?
For more on your PURPOSE in practicing, watch this week’s video:
