Ready to build America one hip and knee replacement at a time.
I was 35 years old, a brand new surgeon, walking into my first clinic in practice, ready to crush the day.
Opened the schedule. Three patients. Excellent.
One had back pain. Another came in for trochanteric bursitis. The third had a shoulder injury.
Nobody needed a hip or knee replacement.
You may be the best surgeon in the world. If patients can't find you or don't know about you, it's not going to work. You can't move to a new city, hang a sign, and expect people to walk in for their hip or knee.
So I went to work outside the OR. Met with primary care doctors. Gave presentations. Followed up on every patient. Did good surgery. Being part of Hoag and Newport Orthopaedic Institute helped bring people through the door.
A few years in, the schedule looked different. Many of my new patients were referrals from patients I'd already operated on. They'd sit down and say, Jim, Kathleen, and Kelly all say hi.
One patient sent me 20 people I ended up operating on. I called it his corner. He was the founder of that circle.
When my clinic ran behind, my patients in the waiting room would talk to the new patients in the waiting room. Reassure them. Tell them all about me and their personal experience and recovery. By the time they were called back, they knew all about the surgery and were ready to move forward, already comfortable with me and the process.
Some asked to see my socks. I love a good sock game.
That's word of mouth. It takes a domino effect and time to reach the threshold where it runs on its own. And every domino is a person putting their name on the line: yes, you want this guy. He has great hands.
These days the digital word of mouth is even more important. People search, read, and ask before they ever call the office.
The same holds true everywhere. A fellow applying to a top fellowship. An author seeking a literary agent. A bridge between the parties, someone with established credibility who stands behind you and says yes.
The good thing is, word of mouth is earned. Good or bad. But if nobody knows about it, it can be hard to keep building.
This week, put your name on the line for someone who's earned it. Help them continue to build.
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Good Thing Monday goes out every Monday. One story, one good thing.
Tell me your good thing this week. I read every one.
