By: Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA | kbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com

Are you looking ahead, perhaps with visions of candy canes, warm weather, or maybe a new year that meets more expectations. Anticipation is good, but it rarely comes with permission to stop doing today’s work. Adapting the December visit routine can manage the end of year tasks and still allow for the right attention to what’s next.

There’s a temptation to say that practices are not interested in December visits or that December visits are for delivering fruit cake, but today, many organizations desperately need you to continue the growth plan. Here are four considerations to keep you in the moment.

  1. Review your target lists

Simply looking at all the doctors on the list can spur your weekly call plan. It may be the 10% on the list that are mediocre priorities that you have not seen in months. Set a visit plan and see if your holiday spirit – and theirs, can get a conversation going. Likewise, if there are some specialists that receive referrals from the PCP’s, add them to the list. Maybe there are some that will be going through changes the first of the year… add them too!

  1. Fine-tune a skill

In the spirit of “me-time” identify a field skill that you want to enhance. Whether it’s better questions, enhanced listening or leveraging the pre-call plan, use December to work on a specific area of your field capabilities. Set a plan in place and define how you will hold yourself to the goal, then implement.

  1. Do a value-add visit

Take a minute to reflect on the practices where you’ve been successful.  Customize a way to communicate your appreciation to them in a thoughtful and professional way. It may be a personal note, sharing positive patient satisfaction, going to the recipient of their referral and capturing a quote. Each week in December, dedicate a day to just adding value for those who have helped you to have a successful and/or meaningful year.

  1. Leverage their December thoughts

Physicians are at a place of reflection too. Why not use their thinking to better understand needs, to learn something that will help you with your approach for working with a practice? It’s the “looking back- looking forward” conversation starter and it works really well in practices where you have an existing relationship. Make it easy for them by designing questions that are easy to understand and to answer. No need for heady or profound, it can be as simple as, “When you think about all the patients you saw this year, is there a case that stands out?”

Here’s hoping these four got you thinking about ways to keep the visits moving in December.  If you’d like a few more, 12 to be exact, join me for the complimentary webinar on December 3rd at 10 am Central Time. Registration is limited. Sign up here: B/Mc December Webinar.

It likely goes without saying, take notes on what worked well for you. I suspect it will come in handy in about 11 months.