After listening to medbridge discussing the future of cash-based PT, I noticed a striking similarity to another industry “redeveloping” itself: BEER, specifically craft beer and microbreweries. As a homebrewer myself for three years now I have noticed a huge growth and development in the ‘craft beer revolution’. In fact, “craft beer sales jumped 20 percent last year and now make up nearly 8 percent of all beer sales in America.” 
So what has lead to the craft beer becoming so popular? Why are people willing to spend more money for a “similar product”? What can we learn from their huge growth that can impact own professional growth of the PT cash-based brand?
Here are five lessons (I know there's more) that I have learned:
1. Value
2. Taste, or the WOW factor
3. Authenticity
4. Convenience
5. Branding
Lets go over the first, and likely the most important today: Perceived Value
The masses flock to a brewpub because, even if they know it costs more, they are getting a far superior brew in their opinion. It has a higher perceived value to the customer. There's several factors that influence their value (taste, authenticity/uniqueness, convenience, and good marketing to name a few), but the fact is people are willing to spend more for the belief that the product is superior in some way.
We know, as cash-based PTs, that we are providing a better value due to our increased 1-on-1 time and usually an enhanced clinical skill set and improved differential diagnosis skills. We know with direct access we can see them earlier resulting in less visits overall. We know we can make good musculoskeletal diagnoses.
However, are we showing our value and allowing this to influence the population? I don't think we are. I don't think customers our aware that there’s an ‘alternative’ to insurance or an alternative to being referred by their PCP or ortho? People, generally, do not have the correct perceived value of PT.
There’s several solutions to this but one of ours is: providing free and informative seminars. Seminars that actually change the way they feel about Physical Therapy. Seminars that actually make them feel and move better. Something that gives people a taste of your value.
When you go to a microbrewery, you will get to try samples. This small taste gives new beer drinkers a a-ha moment of “wow this tastes much better than whatever I usually drink”. We provide movement and performance seminars that provide that a-ha moment. Something they can see value in and that hopefully turns into a referral down the road. Regardless you have changed their perceived value of you.
Just as a new brewery where everyone is going to tell their friends about the new beer they tried and how all their friends should go taste it. A seminar should influence them to have a discussion about how they move and feel better now and share it with others. I love when people say, “I'm feeling better, I know my husband really needs this too...”.
We can't rely on anyone other than ourselves to improve our perceived value. Using seminars is just one of many options that can do that.
