How To Convert Program Patients To Long Term Members

Overview

Learn about what to do when your patients finish their programs and are wondering what they should be doing next.

Pros and Cons of Programs

Programs come in many different shapes and sizes. Some of them last eight weeks, some three months, and some can last as long as six months. Programs that are typically focused on specific results typically run shorter. I personally don’t recommend exclusively doing programs, because their shorter length means that you will constantly have to seek new customers to replace the ones that finish the program. This makes for a much less secure income stream than a membership-based practice would have. I actually started off doing programs and then transferred to a membership-based model because I found that the longer treatment plans enabled me to help patients more in the long term, in addition to the benefits of a more stable income. The only issue with a membership-based practice is that it’s more of a commitment for the patient. The shorter program is an easier pill to swallow, so they’re more likely to go for it. Once they complete the program, however, you should have a plan in mind for how they could continue treatment with you. 

What Comes After a Program?

I typically begin with patients by having a 90-minute Foundational Assessment, after which I try to convince them to get the membership, but some providers choose to begin with an eight-week program. This isn’t an issue per se, but it does raise the issue of what you should do if the patient finishes the program, sees great results, and wants to continue treatment. What I would recommend is to still conduct a Foundational Assessment after they’ve finished the program. This allows you to see how they’re doing, how the program has helped them so far, and what their goals for the future are. This also allows you to narrow your focus from the more one size fits all programs to a more individualized, personal plan for treatment. I highly recommend that you try to get patients to agree to join a membership after they’ve completed their programs.

Memberships

When designing a membership, you should keep in mind what type of patient your practice is best suited to help, and structure the membership around that. In my membership, we do education on hormone health, gut health, detoxing the environment, and what detoxing looks like. I try to optimize those foundational pieces like detox processes that help the stress response, cortisol, etc. since I try to treat people by helping them change their lifestyles. Your idea for a membership may be different from mine, and that’s fine because each practice has unique strengths and weaknesses that they’re predisposed to. 

The Key Takeaway

The main idea to take home is this: programs aren’t necessarily bad, but they shouldn’t be what your practice is based on. There's definitely a market for it and there's a reason people are attracted to them, but it's important that once you come up with a program that you like and you want to start marketing, you have some sort of long-term plan to bring people through. I recommend to, at the completion of the program, do an individual, one-on-one foundational assessment, and then try to follow up with a 12-month membership. 

Let's Talk

If you're a current member of the Incubator, and that's an approach that you would like to take from a marketing perspective, set up a call with me. We can make sure that when you launch your practice there is a clear process. If you're new to learning about this and you want to find out more, be sure to sign up for a strategy session , and we can discuss your dreams of opening up your practice and see if we are a good fit.