The Power to Prescribe

Your doctor has the power to prescribe. If your doctor reviews your labs and sees that your cholesterol is high, then he/she will likely prescribe a statin like Crestor to reduce your cholesterol. You don’t question this. Your doctor is an expert. Your doctor is your trusted advisor.

Your dentist has the power to prescribe. If you have been going to the dentist every 12 months, and at your annual check-up, your dentist notices your gums are inflamed, then your dentist might recommend you floss more often and come see him/her every 6 months instead of every 12 months. You don’t question this. Your dentist is an expert. Your dentist is your trusted advisor.

Everyone, regardless of their level of affluence, wants to be led. But we want to be led by someone that we perceive as the expert and our trusted advisor.

Do you have the power to prescribe? You can see how powerful it can be in the couple of examples above. It is the #1 way to ethically influence your target and existing clients while keeping their best interests as the top priority.

In our industry, when you have the power to prescribe, you can create reminders of when your clients should clean their comforters, bedding, drapes, area rugs, formal wear, patio cushions, and so many other items.

To have this power to prescribe, you must first:
   1 – be the face of your business, positioned as the expert in all things dry cleaning and laundry, and be perceived as the trusted advisor to your clients
   2 – educate your team and your clients to prove to them that you are the expert and trusted advisor.

And this is why it is critical that you are on the top of your website's home page (see my example at inthebagcleaners.com) and you are constantly offering helpful education to your clients. If you’re buried on the “About Us’ page of your website, then you are not visible enough to be seen as an expert.

Education is one of the many reasons I write this column for DLI. I want to educate, open your eyes and mind to strategies and tactics you might not have thought about before, and be seen as a trusted business advisor that can help you grow your business faster and better than if you just depended on yourself for growth.

Have a great week!
-Dave