Be on the Lookout for This Patient ...

I've been hearing in the news how this past Easter weekend was one of the best in recent memory for retailers. There have also been reports from the Census Bureau that consumer spending has been on the rise in the last several months.

I wouldn't say you can read a lot into this necessarily. There are a number of other factors that contribute to a healthy economy after all, and besides I always maintain that your focus should be on the economy you can actually do something about – your practice economy – rather than stress about the ups and down of the national figures. Nevertheless, it's worth being aware of what may be a shift in mindsets of spending. People invest when they are feeling optimistic and it is encouraging to see signs that more people are feeling optimistic. That's when they are more open to consider investing in themselves too.

I also think these things go in cycles, and we're in a time of year in most parts of the country where people are emerging from their winter "blahs" and feeling that sense of renewal that comes with spring. It's a time when many people are just more open to the idea of doing something rejuvenating that makes them feel good about themselves.

So now even more than usual, don't let your presentations be limited by what the patient has said no to in the past. And be on the lookout for patients who are feeling newly optimistic or ready for a change.