Ten Mistakes Dietitians Make in Private Practice and How Not to Make These Mistakes

For those of you who missed the FREE tele-seminar in July, here is a quick summary of what participants learned in the seminar. I draw on business-research along with my own personal experience of designing my former patient practice and consulting business as an asset, selling it and starting three different businesses:

Why businesses that fail that don't stay close to their vision and passion.

In this volatile economy, business owners tend to go into fear mode easily and start branching off into money making opportunities that are not congruent with the vision and mission of their business. These opportunities generally will never pan out in the long run if they are not in line with your business goals. Tumultuous times are a great opportunity to revisit your business plan and review, hone and possibility revise it so it is current in today's times. Instead of branching out into unknown territory, strengthen what you do best in order to achieve maximum results.

Determine your hourly and project fee for all types of consulting work and why having multiple fees for various services work against you.

Work with one hourly fee. What do you want to take home with you at the end of the year after expenses? Add these onto what you would like to make in a year and divide by the revenue generating hours that you plan to work. Make it realistic. Once you determine your hourly fee, you can back it into projects or passive income. Helpful formulas are found in, Private Practice, Getting that Jump Start CPE manual and live/tele-seminars.

Find out why dietitians miss the boat when they refuse to negotiate with insurance companies.

Most insurance companies don't cover nutrition services-even in many states where dietitians are licensed. Don't mislead your clients into telling them that by giving them a paid receipt at the end of your consultation will guarantee reimbursement if they submit on their own. Many insurance companies do not accept bills from the member. If you are able to contract with an insurance company, hold out for the highest reimbursement possible. The company may propose rates to you, but come back with an alternative figure. The process may take longer, but you will come out ahead in the long run. Your cash price should reflect 50 - 100% more of the discount rate from insurance companies in order to justify that this was actually a discount to these companies.

Get comfortable asking for cash and why dietitians often turn patients away when they do not have the right script.

Learn to ask a few targeted questions of your prospective patients. Engage them into your services and then talk price. Focus on the benefits of your services vs. the features. Don't be afraid to ask for what you deserve. However, you need to value your own services first as the energy you put out is the energy you will receive.

Permanently prevent a situation where a client refuses to pay, while getting paid for clients that cancel last minute or do not show.

Your cancellation and no-show policies need to be clearly spelled out for your clients. They should also be posted on your website. Make sure that they sign that they understand and agree with these policies or check a similar box in your shopping cart on line that you receive electronically. Offer credit card payment in advance to hold a scheduled appointment. Your time is valuable. Make this clear to your client from the get- go.

Set policies to avoid giving unnecessary refunds.

As above, post your policies clearly on your website for customers who order products/services online. For face-to-face clients, an extensive written contract that covers all bases needs to be signed by your client, with a copy given to them as well. Several sample client and corporate contracts are found in, Private Practice, Getting that Jump Start forms.

Learn why doing business without an effective, targeted and functional website is not an option.

Not having a website in 2009 is not an option. A professionally designed website gives you credibility; it assists potential customers in finding you and should reflect your business plan. Even if clients are referred to you by another professional or any individual, your website can make or break the deal.

Discover why NOT having a "connector" and relying soley on physician referrals is inefficient marketing.

Physician referrals for a medical/psychiatric-based business is good, but "buzz marketing" in the new millennium is so much more powerful. Unlike our parents' and grandparents' generation, today's consumer makes their own healthcare decisions vs. relying only on their healthcare provider. Today's consumer asks opinions of others, like to be part of a crowd (i.e. "who do you see?") and surfs the Internet constantly! Our CPE manual, Effective, Inexpensive Marketing Ideas that You Can Implement NOW! Is very helpful for learning how to market yourself on a shoe- string budget.

Become skilled at "in person" introductions and hear why this and follow up via snail mail is still the most effective way of honing continuous referrals.

Your potential referral sources want to connect a name with a face. Leaving a message on their voice mail-if you can even get their voice mail-is a no-win deal. Exude your charisma by leaving a lasting impression. Put on your business suit and make some sales calls! You may not get to see the respective healthcare provider on this first call, but you will more than likely be able to schedule a meeting at another time by shaking the right hands up front.

"Full speed ahead!!"

If you are planning on attending Product Market Place at FNCE this year, stop by Booth #20 on Sunday, October 18th to see what Jump Start Consulting, LLC has to offer in terms of live seminars, upcoming tele- seminars series and home-study business courses. All have continuing professional education credits!

Private Pratice, Getting that Jump Start Workshops in Fall 2009
(6 CEUs for full day workshop)

• Nashville, TN - October 9th
• Product Market Place, Booth #20 - October 18th
• Brookville (Long Island), NY - October 23rd
• Natick, MA - November 6th
• Tele-seminar series--November 11, 18, December 2 and 9

For more information or to register click here

Yoga-Based Professional Development Program for Eating Disorder Recovery-- Jamaica, February 2010
40 CEUs!--early bird price ends soon-mid- October

Check out the details and register here

About Beverly Price, RD, MA, RYT

Beverly Price is a Registered Dietitian, author, newspaper columnist and public speaker who made a name for herself with her unique approach to nutrition counseling. After 11 years in private practice, she sold Living Better Sensibly -- one of the largest private nutrition practices in the country - to a private nutrition consulting firm, and started Jump Start Consulting specializing in management and marketing strategies for dietitans and other healthcare professionals, along with distance learning products for continuing professional education. Beverly currently operates a private practice, in Royal Oak, Michigan, where she specializes in eating disorder recovery and yoga therapy.

Jump Start Consulting, LLC is a Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Accredited Provider with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).


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