The Business of Hearing

As Spandau Ballet rightly put it, GOLD.  What a treat we are in for today, it’s the next instalment of Dr. Nancy Duncan’s ‘Under the Hood’ podcast. Today Nancy is joined by co-owner of Audiology Associates, hosting an impressive 12 locations across Maryland and Washington D.C.  From building a high performance team of 25+ people across the business to building a practice that truly has a world class legacy... there really is so much GOLD in this episode.  (Ive listened to it twice now and I take something different away from it each time i listen!) Starting small? Well this is a must listen if you aspire to build a bigger and better business. I hope you enjoy it. Have a question that you would like to discuss on the podcast? Shoot me an email to oli@businessofhearing.com! I look forward to hearing from you :-)  

I don't mind a bit of competition, but if we're being honest with ourselves, life would be simpler and your business would be a LOT more profitable if you didn't have to compete, Imagine a world where potential patients only knew YOU as THE Hearing Care Professional to go to. Anything is possible! 💪🏼 So...have you ever wondered how you can buy your competitor? 💵 Well, in today's podcast, I'm going to dive into all the details on EXACTLY how you can approach and acquire one of your competitors right now, without having to leverage debt or step into a manufacturer unit agreement. You're probably saying "sounds too good to be true" right? Well, i guess there's only one way for you to find out, hit play and I'll let you in on all the secrets! 😉 Have a question you would like to discuss on the podcast? Shoot me an email to oli@businessofhearing.com. I look forward to hearing from you. Enjoy  

Do you own a pair of AirPods? 🎧 Well, it appears that it was only a matter of time before 🍎 brought forth their long-awaited attack on the hearing healthcare world.  When I say ‘world’ that’s exactly what I mean, this new technology from Apple has the potential to disrupt hearing care internationally.  This podcast is going to share what we know up to now, my predictions, the pros and cons to this move, and how I believe you should approach this to be positioned perfectly for the tech giant’s announcement.  It’s only short, but this podcast is direct, and will ensure that you’re ready to take advantage when the time comes.  Enjoy!

I’ve been VERY hesitant to release this week’s podcast. Because in all honesty, what I'm about to tell you, you might question my sanity, and when my name appears anywhere, the only image you will be able to invisage is me in a straight jacket. Essentially, I thought there may be value (probably not) in sharing three little weird ‘high performance habits’ that I’ve discovered over the past several years. •    One of them involves alcohol and shopping •    One is focused on mindful scheduling •    And the third is something that I’ve never shared with anybody (a little mental game that I play with myself). To have a better business, you need to be a better business owner, and these are three of the things that I believe give me the edge and help me to improve. Please don’t judge me lol! Oli :-)

I don’t “need” a new bathroom... However my wife “want’s” a new bathroom... So...we’re getting a new bathroom! 🚿 Off the back of this fantastic home improvement thought from my wife, I’ve been contacting a variety of different installation companies, arranged visits for their representatives, exchanged a filing cabinet’s worth of pleasantries and discussed in detail options that were available.  Yet, to this date, not a SINGLE company has followed up on our enquiries or meetings.  Ironically, this inconvenience got me thinking, these companies must be sitting on what are effectively ‘Gold Mines’. 👑🤯 If they aren’t following up with my quote... think about how many other people who are in the same position as me, in a position to buy, but we don’t know who to turn to? They’re wasting every bit of time they invested in me; the quote, a house visit, discussions and so much more... for what? All to flush it down the toilet? 🚽 (Ok ill stop.) Enjoy! 

Welcome to another thought-provoking ‘Under the Hood’ interview, and this week, if you'll pardon the pun... we're feeling victorious as Dr. Nancy Duncan is joined by Dr. Jill Davis from Victory Hearing & Balance in Austin, Texas. Since the birth of her ‘Victory Music Program’ Jill has demonstrated to how she’s utilized “cognitive hearing” to create a sharp point of difference in her marketplace. There’s so many lessons in this episode around adding additional services, proving just how important it is to look outside the box. Because as we all know... this industry is not just about selling someone a set of hearing aids. I’m not sure about you, but I learn so much from these conversations where two great practice leaders put their heads together, bounce ideas back and forth and ask the questions that truly matter! Enjoy!

I’m not sure if you should listen to this podcast...  Last week I told you that if you only listened to one of my podcasts, to make sure it was that one.   Well... in stark contrast to that, for the vast majority of listeners, this week’s podcast probably isn’t something that you’ll ever even consider.   Granted, not everyone is driven to build out practices on a franchise-like scale, but for some (you know who you are...), BIGGER can only ever be BETTER.  Are you looking for OBNOXIOUS growth? Want to know where the BIGGEST opportunities are?  From buying out your competitors through unique deal structures to the low-hanging fruit, effectively "buying" extra revenue, it's all in this episode. So click play, and listen away.   Enjoy.  Oli 😊  

It's BIG, it's Juicy... and If you only ever listen to ONE of my podcasts, make it this episode. Times are clearly changing and if you're trying to market yourself in the same way you did in years gone by, you might have noticed that it's not quite working the same way as it once did. If you understand what I’m sharing with you in this episode, you’ll be head and shoulders above the rest of the industry... and you'll be able to benefit from a big opportunity in the next 6 years. What I'm about to share with you is the combination of studying months worth of data, trends and generations, to ultimately share the most in-depth details explaining EXACTLY what you need to do right NOW to attract the next generation of patients to your practice. I've always lived by the "5 P's"... Planning & Preparation Prevents Poor Performance, and I can personally guarantee you that this episode will give you foresight into what's changing not just in the Hearing Healthcare Industry, but for marketing all over the world in the next 6 years and how you can benefit from this monumental swing we're about to witness.

Have you ever wondered how BIG private practices do it? How they operate and how they manage such large teams? Well today, you're in luck, as this podcast interview will be very insightful. As part of the ‘Under the Hood’ series, Dr. Nancy Duncan interviews Robbie Davidson, the owner of Davidson Hearing Centres. With 10 locations, and a whopping 48 members of staff, he has created a reputation as the oldest independently owned private practice in Canada ... what he has achieved (and continues to achieve) is pretty impressive!. In this interview, Nancy dives deep into how he does it, how he manages such a large team and the secrets behind their success. Enjoy Oli :-)

A red flag is used to indicate danger or as a sign that you should stop ✋🏻🛑 Well in marketing terms when you see a red flag, you shouldn't just stop, you should run in the opposite direction 🏃🏽‍♂️💨 Dusty Potter is a renound figure in the Hearing Care world, he's the Owner, Developer, and Founder of amplifyOMS! With previous experience at Hearing Aid Express as a president and CEO, his expertise around providing office management solutions, digital marketing and automation is vast, so you can be sure that he has far more experience than most when it comes to explaining the do's and don'ts of marketing for your practice. Today we're going to be diving into the pros and cons of the various options available to you in terms of marketing for your practice. Some are just clear NOPES, but some sound great because they're free! Nothing is free in this world so what's the catch? Lots of details to uncover... Enjoy. 🚩    

Yes, I like to overshar the details... And this podcast is no different... Today I'm going to share with you a very awkward interaction I encountered during the Formula 1 weekend in Dubai at a massage parlour, and rather interestingly, how my bad/awkward experience has provided me with some big lessons that you could take from this and apply to your practice. I'm foreseeing plenty of opportunities for you to acquire patients from competitors that may have also had a bad/awkward experience (or been rubbed up the wrong way – get it?!) – there is some quick lessons you can take from this episode to attract more opportunities, and help them to put their bad memories behind them. Oh, and if you’re easily offended or would prefer not to hear about the time I got awkwardly stripped naked by a Thai massage therapist – then this is not for you. Enjoy! :-)

In this episode, I share the six big areas where most practices are losing money and/or leaving cash on the table, and how addressing these areas can result in significant growth (without having to attract more patients). Whereas many clinic are always focused on driving more phone calls, more appointments and more patients, unless you have these six areas optimally performing, you’re putting water into a leaky bucket.

The world of Private Practice is full of challenges, not only inside the practice but also outside it too. So what makes a great private practice 'great'? This episode of ‘Under the hood’ features Dr. Erica Person, she services both adults and pediatrics, while operating in an unbundled service delivery model. Erica has achieved so much in her creation of Flex Audiology. Creating the perfect private practice is a difficult task, but as you will hear, Erica thinks is far easier run a business than to run her household.. Tune in to this episode to hear all the amazing insights into how Dr Person has created so much success in her practice. Grab yourself a hot drink, because there's plenty of tea in this episode.. Enjoy!

Most clinics follow in the footsteps of others, and the select few break new ground.   In the final part of this 4-part series, I'm going to share the next installment of the smartest and most original ideas that were implemented by private practice hearing care clinics in 2023.   In this series of 4 episodes, you'll learn all the details behind all 23 of these strategies, broken down.   These include:  A clinic that has launched a premium monthly subscription program that includes community perks, benefits and annual upgrades (yes, ANNUAL upgrades) ... yet earns them industry-high margins!   How one clinic has bought themselves 6+ hours back on the schedule each week by implementing a series of helpful patient videos (that is also winning them patients from competitors)   How two clinics have built industry-first programs to attract existing hearing aid wearers that are either unsatisfied with their existing provider, or new to the area (and turn this into a profit-center for their business).   How one clinic has used a cheeky (and uncommon) approach to recruitment to hire several new providers in a rural part of the country which sees them prepared to significantly grow in 2024   Plus, 18 other case-studies from some of the world's most entrepreneurial private practices 👀 Cant wait? You can find all of them at www.23of23.com   == If you want to learn more about the Inner Circle to discover how 60+ clinics are setting benchmarks of excellence in private practice, benefiting from a mastermind of North America’s most successful practice owners, and having an industry-leading marketing team driving gold-standard implementation, then visit www.orange-gray.com.

Most clinics follow in the footsteps of others, and the select few break new ground.   In part 3 of this 4 part series, I'm going to share the next installment of the smartest and most original ideas that were implemented by private practice hearing care clinics in 2023.   In this series of 4 episodes, you'll learn all the details behind all 23 of these strategies, broken down.   These include:  A clinic that has launched a premium monthly subscription program that includes community perks, benefits and annual upgrades (yes, ANNUAL upgrades) ... yet earns them industry-high margins!   How one clinic has bought themselves 6+ hours back on the schedule each week by implementing a series of helpful patient videos (that is also winning them patients from competitors)   How two clinics have built industry-first programs to attract existing hearing aid wearers that are either unsatisfied with their existing provider, or new to the area (and turn this into a profit-center for their business).   How one clinic has used a cheeky (and uncommon) approach to recruitment to hire several new providers in a rural part of the country which sees them prepared to significantly grow in 2024   Plus, 18 other case-studies from some of the world's most entrepreneurial private practices 👀 Cant wait? You can find all of them at www.23of23.com   == If you want to learn more about the Inner Circle to discover how 60+ clinics are setting benchmarks of excellence in private practice, benefiting from a mastermind of North America’s most successful practice owners, and having an industry-leading marketing team driving gold-standard implementation, then visit www.orange-gray.com.

Most clinics follow in the footsteps of others, and the select few break new ground.   In this second episode, I'm going to share the next installment of the smartest and most original ideas that were implemented by private practice hearing care clinics in 2023.   In this series of 4 episodes, you'll learn all the details behind all 23 of these strategies, broken down.   These include:  A clinic that has launched a premium monthly subscription program that includes community perks, benefits and annual upgrades (yes, ANNUAL upgrades) ... yet earns them industry-high margins!   How one clinic has bought themselves 6+ hours back on the schedule each week by implementing a series of helpful patient videos (that is also winning them patients from competitors)   How two clinics have built industry-first programs to attract existing hearing aid wearers that are either unsatisfied with their existing provider, or new to the area (and turn this into a profit-center for their business).   How one clinic has used a cheeky (and uncommon) approach to recruitment to hire several new providers in a rural part of the country which sees them prepared to significantly grow in 2024   Plus, 18 other case-studies from some of the world's most entrepreneurial private practices 👀 Cant wait? You can find all of them at www.23of23.com   == If you want to learn more about the Inner Circle to discover how 60+ clinics are setting benchmarks of excellence in private practice, benefiting from a mastermind of North America’s most successful practice owners, and having an industry-leading marketing team driving gold-standard implementation, then visit www.orange-gray.com    

Most clinics follow in the footsteps of others, and the select few break new ground.   In this first episode of 24, I'm going to share 23 of the smartest and most original ideas that were implemented by private practice hearing care clinics in 2023.   In this series of 4 episodes, you'll learn all the details behind all 23 of these strategies, broken down.   These include:  A clinic that has launched a premium monthly subscription program that includes community perks, benefits and annual upgrades (yes, ANNUAL upgrades) ... yet earns them industry-high margins!   How one clinic has bought themselves 6+ hours back on the schedule each week by implementing a series of helpful patient videos (that is also winning them patients from competitors)   How two clinics have built industry-first programs to attract existing hearing aid wearers that are either unsatisfied with their existing provider, or new to the area (and turn this into a profit-center for their business).   How one clinic has used a cheeky (and uncommon) approach to recruitment to hire several new providers in a rural part of the country which sees them prepared to significantly grow in 2024   Plus, 18 other case-studies from some of the world's most entrepreneurial private practices 👀 You can find all of them at www.23of23.com   == If you want to learn more about the Inner Circle to discover how 60+ clinics are setting benchmarks of excellence in private practice, benefiting from a mastermind of North America’s most successful practice owners, and having an industry-leading marketing team driving gold-standard implementation, then visit www.orange-gray.com    

Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing KellinaPowell, better known as the ‘Deaf Queen Boss’. If you’re not familiar, she’s gained quite the following since launching her best-selling book ‘Everyday I Am Just Deaf’ and supporting/coaching other individuals on a similar path to overcome their fears to conquer anxiety and depression. ​ What was so interesting about this interview? She shared why she’s stuck with her same audiologist for nearly two decades. She shared where she thinks the hearing care industry can “step up” to better support patients And she explained what her dream audiologist would look like and the main frustrations that her (and her coaching clients) have with most hearing care professionals It’s an interesting and open discussion, and applies a very unique lens. Enjoy, and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas/holidays. P.S – I’m planning a little down-time over the holidays, so there will be no episode released next week, but I have some MEGA stuff to share with you in January. Have a good’en!

I want to share a marketing formula with you that will save you thousands of dollars on wasted advertising budgets, and help you to formalize how you can make better advertising decisions in the future, it’s called the Three M’s. Market Message Media To explain how each of those M's work and how you can apply these specifically to your clinic in terms of marketing and advertising decisions, I've recorded this podcast. It's all food for thought. Enjoy :-)  

We’re approaching the end of year ...  ... and I’m not sure about you, but there’s a few BIG things that stand out as I reflect on the big lessons that I’ll take from what has been a very interesting year in the would of hearing care, and as a business owner. It has been challenging, there's no doubt about it. We've had to combat some very interesting situations including: •    The many staffing and recruitment headaches we’ve all experienced (including a bold and somewhat scary story) •    The power of AI for building efficiencies in clinics (including how GPT’s can be trained/used)  •    And how the industries target market is changing (as we go through a ‘Changing of the Guards’ – one of the biggest transitions we’ve seen as an industry in decades. I wasn't a big fan of school, but its time to dive into the BIG Lessons of 2023. Enjoy.