We’d been expecting news of the birth of these little ones and I wasted no time scrutinizing the tiny face I could see.  Did I recognize that nose?

That got me thinking.  These little girls have been born into a world that is so different than the one that welcomed me 43 years ago.  Their parents sent an email out to friends and family, announcing the new arrivals.  To do that, they didn’t have to spend hours on the phone.  They didn’t have to write any letters.  They didn’t even have to leave the hospital room.

They could stay and enjoy their new daughters or catch up on lost sleep and still include us (their loved ones).

A lot of people see the intrusion of technology in our lives, the busy-ness that it seems to create.  But I see how it helps us create more connections with the people, if we care to use it for that purpose.

I haven’t gotten to meet these little girls, yet.  But I’m already getting to know them.  And, yes, I think I recognize that nose!

Don’t get me wrong – as a consultant, who has intensely studied marketing, I recognize the pattern of their pitch – the blend of fear and urgency, the catchy creative.  I recognize it, but I don’t have to like it.

I just happened to have spent this morning doing the math.  I’ve reviewed the CBO reports that detail the state of the U.S. economy and the economic impact of increased Federal health care spending on our future prosperity.  And I’m not OK with it.  I don’t even have kids, but I think it’s crazy to mortgage the future of young people in this country to save the system we have.

We already spend more than $1 out of every $7 in total national value creation on healthcare.  And that might be OK with me if (1) we had an awesome system that actually consistently delivered health and (2) there was an end in sight to the increases in the percentage of our national resources that the “healthcare” system was consuming.  But such is far from the case.

Thanks, PT-PAC, but I think I’ll just go ahead and invest my $1000 attracting more clients who see the value of what I can do for them (and are willing to pay for it themselves) instead of paying for the current circus in Washington.

The best thing I can do for Physical Therapy right now is create and follow a blueprint that profitably improves the results actual patients get without contributing to the bureaucratic mess.  We have no business supporting the status quo.  The means is just as important as the end.

Physical therapy marketing is another passion of mine. In a world where corporate physical therapy and POP clinics are driving quality minded physical therapy practices out of business, it seems to me that marketing our practices is the one core skill that will make the difference between clinics that thrive in the coming years and those that disappear.

Despite this, we’re being bombarded with a bunch of marketing tactics packaged up to make us scared or buy someone else’s “solution” without really understanding how the alternatives fit together for our practice.

And there’s precious little actual information out there, but here’s a link to an article that actually gives some substantive information about the internet and physical therapy marketing.

Check it out and let me know what you think. Does this kind of information matter? Does it help you market your physical therapy practice more effectively?

I showed her the phone book (that had been serupticiously delivered earlier in the day) and asked her if she knew what it was.

Her completely sincere response: “It has car ad’s in it, right?”

How does she find phone numbers, when they’re not already saved on her Droid?  She searches the internet.

From the mouth of babes…

Here’s an article with a whole bunch of info on physical therapy marketing online.

Lucas (our farmer), greeted us enthusiastically, showing us the new branded Fledging Crow crates that we (now members) would be using each week.  I peeked into ours expecting, what, I don’t know – a mid summer harvest?  And was surprised to discover that our share consisted of a bunch of rapini (broccoli raab), a bunch of spring onions (blossom included), pea shoots (yum – my favorites) and a bag of last year’s carrots.

For a moment I was disappointed, then incredibly touched.  This spring has been incredibly cold, wet and rainy here in upstate New York.  I knew from a visit to the farm a couple of months ago that Lucas and Ian (our other farmer) were working hard, but were concerned about the late arrival of spring.

Still, my first share of the season included not just the early spring harvest, but a cache of carrots, ferreted away over the winter, filling out my share crate (saying “we care”) and a newsletter sharing news of baby plants, growing, but not yet ready for harvest.

Great marketing isn’t about fancy pictures, great offers, or targeted marketing messages.  It’s about coming from a point of service, then telling people about it.  It’s about doing the right thing (at the right time) for the right reason.

P.S. – To learn more about “the Crow’s”  and community supported agriculture, check out Fledging Grow Vegetables.

A couple of days later as I was out running I discovered a huge raspberry patch.  The bushes were completely loaded with bright plump berries, just waiting to be picked.

I was struck by the idea that leads are like raspberries.  If you think they are precious and scarce, that’s your experience.  If you know that they are abundant, you just stumble on them in the course of taking your usual actions.

Of course, you still have to roll your sleaves up and pick them. (These were delicious and completely worth the effort.)

What do you think?

Instead of waiting for the book to be published traditionally once it’s done, Robert is posting it chapter by chapter on his web site and you can read it for free.  He’s also asking for feedback as he goes.

I’ve cruised through the forum and even made a comment or two.  It looks like the beginning of a dynamic and useful conversation about how we got here economically. We’ll see if it delivers solutions we can personally use to thrive in the coming years.

I found Robert’s ideas about how and why our educational system has failed us and our children to be particularly provocative. Did you know that our education system was based on the Prussian System? Or that that system was designed to create obedient employees and soldiers? (People who would follow orders, not ask too many questions and show up on time.) Not exactly the thoughtful, educated citizens our national mythology would suggest education yields.

I look forward to reading future chapters as they are released. You can find more information about Conspiracy of the Rich as well as read the book at http://www.conspiracyoftherich.com

Melissa Gerdes

P.S. Do you think Robert’s on to something or is this just more conspiracy drivel? Post your comments below.