Commercial Strategy Should Cover All Elements Of Your Practice To Succeed.
One of the most important elements of your Practice are the staff that work there.Your staff are in contact with your customers and your prospective customers on a daily basis. Their manner and deportment when dealing with your customers is obviously important. The manner in which they undertake their duties is important, but have you really explained to them the objective of their duties and how they impact on the Patient Practice relationship?
When we hire somebody we generally set out their duties, we explain the processes and procedures within our business. We then expect them to follow those processes and procedures and deal with our customers. But in order to undertake their duties with real efficiency and please your customers, they need to understand the strategy that you are applying. They also need to understand what the objective is and why you are applying that strategy. This is an important factor that we often forget, it is a failing that I suffer myself.
I sometimes give bare bones explanations or instructions and expect everybody to follow what I mean. But when you step back and look at this, you realise that your understanding of concepts are based on your life experiences and knowledge. On a day to day basis we deal with people that share neither, that is why it is imperative that when we communicate with people we do so in some detail. This is no different for your staff, you need to fully communicate to them your concepts, objectives and strategies. You also may need to explain the underlying thought processes that drive those strategies.
If you do this, do it clearly, your staff can be a valuable partner in your business. They can excel at their duties because they have an understanding of the aim and impact of their duties.If you want buy in from your staff, you have to give them something to buy in to.
Commercial strategy is all encompassing, it covers or can cover all elements of your business. In order to have the best opportunity for your business to succeed you need to asses all elements of your business through this prism. From your Patient journey, mail marketing and loyalty scheme to the communications policy and staff duties.
Regards
Geoff