Photos, Photos, Everywhere.

Have you ever looked through a magazine, seen a picture, and suddenly, you find that you've gotta have it? Maybe you've been walking by a billboard with models and thought, "I wish I looked like that".

That is exactly the experience and response that we want to create with your patients! Pictures are excellent triggers to remind people of what they want out of life, and using them in your practice is a great way to get patients excited about their treatment.

I've been in a physical therapy program for several months recovering from an ACL reconstruction. (I tore it during a bad slip in a dodge ball game, but thankfully, am now back to normalcy and running everyday.) In my physical therapy center, each wall is lined with giant, glossy photos of former patients doing their favorite activities. There are cyclists, ballerinas, lacrosse players, you name it. Each of them is signed by the patient with a nice thank you note to the physical therapists at the center.

When I was first diagnosed, looking at these pictures made me feel pretty grumpy. I was still very injured and had just learned it would be 6 months before I could think about participating in my normal activities. I didn't want to think about the active life I was putting on hold.

A week after my surgery, I was back to looking at the photos and a thought popped into my head - "soon that will be me." I looked at the photos nearly everyday for 6 months, and each time, I felt that I was getting stronger and mirroring the healthy people in the pictures. When I felt bummed about my crutches, I'd think about the picture of the recovered skier ripping it up on the slopes. When my friends went to play basketball and I stayed at home, I'd think of the image of the soccer player racing past an opponent. What I've come to realize is that those pictures gave me the inspiration to work hard everyday at my own recovery. Those strangers on the wall motivated me to follow through with my treatment.

How can you harness the power of photos for your own practice to get your patients excited about working with you?

Pictures of your happy patients should line your walls, your reception area, and clinical operatories. Depending on your practice, before and after photos can be a great way to showcase your best work. In venous disease treatment for example, when people see the difference between a leg covered in varicose veins, and a leg that is smooth and beautiful, they will be much more receptive to treatment options. A nice comparison album makes a great addition to any reception area and makes it much easier to sell your services.

I like to include captions with the photos. In dentistry, you could show a porcelain veneer case with the caption, "Porcelain veneers - done in 2 visits." That would impress almost anyone.

My team can help you create an excellent before and after book that works very well. Call 206-419-5407 and we can get started today!