How to Sky-Rocket Your Retail Sales

Written by FYZICAL | July 27, 2017

Are you thinking about adding retail to your physical therapy clinic? You should! Not only are you helping to provide a service to your patients, but you can offer fittings and consultations and boost your clinic's revenue - all at the same time!

Sales has a bad rep for pressuring people into buying things. We aren’t talking about “selling.” We are talking about offering.

Consumers buy products or services for two reasons: they need or want them. For example, a person needs a bed to sleep in, but they buy decorative pillows because they want them. You get the picture.

As healthcare professionals, we focus mostly on what patients need to feel better and get well. That is our goal, after all. To help a patient heal. An injury or pain a patient experiences creates the need for therapy services and wellness products.

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This is where retail products in your brick-and-mortar store can be easy-access and beneficial to your patients. Aside from having the luxury of finding the products you recommend directly after treatment, patients will also have your consultation or fitting and feel confident in the products you endorse.

Knowing which products will sell in your physical therapy clinic is important. First and foremost, think about which products your clients will use the most. Consider items of all types - braces, pain therapy, pillows, exercise equipment, lumbar supports - it's nice to have an assortment. You'll also want to think about items that may be difficult to get, items you will need to show your patient how to use, or will need to fit properly.

Once you've chosen your items, you'll need to display them properly. Quality shelving and organization will help. Here are some tips for setting up your retail display so you can maximize your sales efforts:

Display your products in the highest traffic area.
Group similar items together with signage.
Be sure to keep your shelves fully stocked.
Make products accessible so patients can touch them.
Keep your shelves looking clean and uncluttered. Dust products each day.
Ensure your staff understands the benefits of each product so they can help in the sales process.

It's always important to keep in mind that an injury or pain a patient experiences creates the need for therapy services and wellness products.

3 Tips To Increasing Cash-Based Sales in Your Physical Therapy Practice

Imagine you have a patient in your clinic for a knee injury, but you notice they keep grabbing at their jaw. Instead of dismissing the patient’s additional issue, you may ask, “Do you have pain in your jaw?” Now, there is an opportunity to offer the appropriate supplements or services to the patient to help relieve the pain in their jaw.

This very scenario happened in one of our FYZICAL clinics. A patient told us about her tumultuous journey of seeing every doctor and dentist she could find in the marketplace. She had accepted that she would deal with her pain for the rest of her life. Then, she came to FYZICAL for a different injury. One of our FYZICAL therapists felt for their patient, offered treatment, and cured her of her ailments!

Patients are not necessarily coming into your clinic expecting to pay for anything if their treatment is insurance-based. However, if you establish trust and they like you, you can show them the products that will serve them best and help them get well. These offerings will lead to increased sales, an increased bottom line, and, most importantly, increased satisfaction from your patients.

However, not until patients get into your space and you develop that rapport will they trust you and your staff to suggest additional products to assist in their treatment.

At FYZICAL, we've done all the work for you! We have identified dozens of products that are 1) extremely easy to sell, 2) very profitable, and 3) valuable to your patients. These products are available at a reduced rate for FYZICAL members, too.

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By offering these products, you are expressing your care for the patient, and they see that. Patients will thank you again and again for giving them the right tools to get better!