It’s a fact: without a staff and team that’s excited and motivated to help the business succeed, nothing else matters. Having great services and excellent care mean nothing if the staff is not excited to perform, sell, and market them, or if a client spots an unhappy staff and unfriendly faces the second they walk in the door.

So, how can you motivate your team towards success in the practice?

LEAD FROM THE TOP

If you want a team who smiles when a client walks in the door, then you better be doing that very same thing yourself. We once had a client who would breeze right past their own staff members in the morning without a smile or a handshake or even asking how their morning was going – just an angry glare. You know what? The staff picks up on that and thinks that behavior is appropriate towards each other and the clients. If you want something in particular, whether it be a task or a behavior, show, don’t just tell, your team how it is done.

INCENTIVIZE STAFF FINANCIALLY

If you’re pushing for staff to upsell clients on additional procedures and skin care, give them manageable goals and rewards for meeting them. Each staff member, including providers, patient care coordinators, and the person checking clients in and out, should be part of a group or individual goal. However, be sure to check with your state laws about the legality of financially rewarding clients and avoid fee splitting violations.

WORK WITH YOUR VENDORS

Most vendors are happy to offer staff rewards in terms of training products when it comes to incentives. After all, the more of their product the staff sells, the bigger your sales representative’s order and commission check. Let one hand wash the other so the incentive doesn’t always come out of your pocket. We do recommend, however, that all complementary products that come into the office go through the owner or manager first. This allows for fair distribution to the rest of the team.

MARKET YOUR STAFF

Give each staff member their own business cards and list their photos, titles, and biographies on your website. This serves two purposes: not only does it make your staff members feel important, but the cards arm them with the tools needed to get out into the community and promote the office. Listing their information on your website allows clients to feel like they know your team before stepping foot in the door. These are incentives that act as a marketing tool, as well.

Pay competitively and offer benefits whenever possible. We always use the saying, “When you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.” Do you want a talented group of people working in your office – a staff that has your back, is proud of where they work, and is always eager to refer their friends, family, and strangers? Pay them what they are worth! In addition, we recommend offering, whenever possible, healthcare benefits (or a stipend, if a group plan is not an option due to size), as well as paid time off. Consider offering your team a retirement savings accounts, an employee of the month program, and staff birthday, holiday, and appreciation parties, as well as covering the cost for additional industry related education.

We have one client who has two offices a considerable distance apart from each other. So that employees who live close to one location did not have to make a 1.5-hour (each way) drive to their annual holiday party, he sent for a limo to pick them up and take them home. This was certainly not a huge expense and it showed his team that the night was about them being able to enjoy themselves.

With summer in the air and your employees gaining some extra pep in their step, now is the perfect time to revamp some of these policies.

Mara Shorr, BS, CAC II-XIV serves as a partner, as well as the vice president of marketing and business development for Shorr Solutions, assisting medical practices with the operational, financial, and administrative health of their business. She is a level II - XIV certified aesthetic consultant and program advisor, utilizing knowledge and experience to help clients achieve their potential. A national speaker and writer, she can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Jay A. Shorr BA, MBM-C, CAC I-XIV is the founder and managing partner of Shorr Solutions. He is also a professional motivational speaker, an advisor to the certified aesthetic consultant program, and a certified medical business manager from Florida Atlantic University. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. More information on the awarding practice management consulting company Shorr Solutions can be found at shorrsolutions.com.