Your Value Message: Why is your profession valuable? Why does the world need Audiologists?
Your value message answers the question: Why is the world a better place because of what you do?
People have a lot of choices when it comes to spending their time and money.
If they are going to spend money on hearing health care they must believe that not will they get more perceived value from what they buy from an Audiologist than they will get from buying something else. They also must believe spending their money on hearing health care is a better use of the money than saving it for a future need.
Is it better to have a hearing evaluation or to buy a new golf club?
Is it better to have new hearing aids or to have new tires for the car?
These are the questions your patients are considering.
If the guy selling travel plans is better at explaining why a trip is more important than hearing then the money will be spent on travel, and not hearing aids.
Therefore it is important that Audiologists know why the world needs Audiologists.
Government Spending makes a difference:
This will become more important as the government becomes more aggressive in setting health care priorities for us.
When a committee of individuals is trying to figure out how to allocate limited health care funds they will be deciding if hearing aids for a few dozen people are more important than a liver transplant on a 97 year old alcoholic.
This is something that AAA and ADA will help you pay attention to, but you do it a little every day. Is there anything posted in your office that reminds people? Or do they read last month's gossip magazines? Is there a hint of value message in your promotional materials? Or is it Audiology services are free.
The message you send to those in your sphere of influence does make a difference.
Rick
