O&P Boost wants to help its clients make subtle edits and enhancements to their story, and also help them become a better story teller.
For the past 35 years, my work has continuously involved marketing, communications, business development and physician relations. I didn’t always write the story, but I was responsible for packaging and telling the story. Through my responsibilities as CEO at Townsend, I was able to work with executives, manager and employees to add new chapters to our book. While we grew and continuously made revisions and additions to our story, we never lost sight of what differentiated the business from its competitors.
Part of my ability to help clients improve their story and story telling comes from my professional evolution. I was a journalist who became a marketer, who then expanded into business development, and then into sales management. I eventually inherited all of the responsibilities associated with being at the top of the org chart. When I come into a client’s business, and start to discover their story, I know the questions to ask. Big picture questions. And questions about the nuts and bolts of the business.
What we couldn’t achieve organically at Townsend, we did through four strategic acquisitions. So I have learned a lot about selling and buying a business. I can help a company prepare for the selling process, and help create a compelling and well organized story that is appealing to a prospective purchaser.
I am a firm believer in the value of communication. It is a critical cornerstone. Effective communication has a profound and lasting impact on the perceptions, impressions and experiences of the people who make or break your business. There are many companies that struggle to find time to formally and informally communicate with the various audiences (stakeholders) who contribute to the success of their business. I want to help my clients build a communication strategy, as part of a business growth strategy, with effective tools for sending targeted messages to internal and external stakeholders that will strengthen relationships with these audiences.
It may seem like apples and oranges, but I can compare an O&P clinic to an ice cream shop. There is a diversity of customers with different needs and expectations. The business has to offer a customized experience. For the ice cream shop, the product is the ice cream. But customer impressions and opinions aren’t solely based on the taste of the product. The experience is also influenced by the look and cleanliness of the facility; the genuine friendliness, attentiveness and efficiency of the staff; and the toppings.
Sometimes it is the toppings that matter the most.