How do I check how a dietitian practice gets its new clients?
Ask for a breakdown of new clients by source: physician referrals, online search, word of mouth, workplace programs and so on. Then check how each source is documented and who holds the relationship. A practice with several steady sources is steadier than one that rests on a single referrer or the owner’s name.
Request intake records, without client names, for a recent run of periods, with the source noted for each new client. If the practice does not track this, that is itself useful to know. Compare the pattern over time. Has one source grown, and has another faded? Ask what the owner did to cause those changes.
Next, test the claims. If many clients come from physician referrals, ask which physicians and whether they know a sale is possible. If many come from online search, look at the website and listings, and ask who controls them. If most come by word of mouth, find out whether it is the owner’s name that clients are asking for.
Finally, speak to the staff who handle bookings. They often know why people choose the practice. Ask what happens to enquiries when the owner is away. Your accountant can help you connect the sources to revenue. A practice that can explain where clients come from, and show it, gives you something solid to plan with. Remember that one strong source is not a problem by itself if it is well documented and stable. The concern is when nobody can explain it, or when it could disappear with the owner.
Key takeaways
- Ask for new clients grouped by source across a recent run of periods.
- Find out who owns each referral relationship, website and listing.
- Test whether clients ask for the practice or for the owner by name.
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
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