How to Use Product or Service Add-ons to Grow Your Practice

I’m going to just say it: fast-food chains got it right. Yep, they sure did. But before you think I’ve gone off the deep end, hear me out. 

Fast-food chains definitely get a LOT of things wrong, but there’s one thing they do extremely well. They know how to upsell their customers. You know what I’m talking about…

• “Would you like fries with that?”
• “How about adding on a fried apple pie for only $0.99?”
• “Care to upgrade that to a large for $2 extra?”

The extra buck or two doesn’t seem like much to the customer standing in front of the counter. But for the business, the dollars add up quickly. 

So, how can we take a page from the fast-food business rule book and use it to grow your practice? The answer is surprisingly easy.

Why Are Service Add-Ons Important for Your Practice?

The answer for offering add-ons might seem obvious – to make more money! And while this is certainly true, having several different add-ons can provide waaaaay more benefit than just that. Add-ons can…

• Build trust with your patients by showing you go above and beyond.
• Helps them achieve their goals faster and easier. 
• Educate about other services you offer.
• Establish you as their go-to trusted practitioner.

Alright, so what can these product or service add-ons look like in your practice? Keep reading to find out!

5 Product and Service Add-Ons to Grow Your Practice

Offering an additional product or service, also known as upselling, is based on the principle that you’ll never get what you don’t ask for. So, how can you start offering these extra services right away? The answer is easier than you think. Here are five ideas to get your wheels turning:

1. Start With What You’ve Got

The easiest place to look for easy add-ons is by looking at what you already have. Here’s how that can look.

• Recommend dry needling along with a chiropractic adjustment.
• Suggest a cupping session along with their acupuncture treatment.
• Offer a gua sha facial to go along with a massage therapy appointment.

Here’s how to get started: Think about what service you’d recommend if a patient brought up a certain symptom. For example, if you’re a chiropractor and a patient shares they’re having muscle spasms or headaches, be ready to refer them to your in-house massage therapist. 

2. Offer Product Add-Ons to Existing Services

Another way to upsell is through product add-ons. Try pairing them with your existing services, such as:

• Recommending a supplement bundle for patients with anxiety or joint pain 
• Suggesting specific essential oils to improve the results of your acupuncture or massage therapy sessions
• Offering a skin cream for patients with acne

Here’s how to get started: Look at the products you offer and determine how they might complement your existing services. Make it a point to suggest those either before or during the patient appointment.

3. Offer to Check Their Pillow

Chances are, your patient’s pillow may be making their neck pain worse. Offer to check the quality of their pillow by asking them to bring it in for their next appointment. 

Look at the quality or structure of the pillow, and make some recommendations on sleep posture. This is especially applicable if you’re a chiropractor. Even better if you offer a better-quality pillow that will help your patient sleep better and earn you a little commission.

4. Ask to Check Their Supplements

Not all supplements are created equal, and some can be pretty nasty (I know I’m preaching to the choir…)

One of the best ways to help your patients is to take a look at their grocery store supplements. Ask your patients to bring in their current (or sitting on the shelf collecting dust) supplements at their next appointment. The goal here is for you to make sure they are taking the highest quality supplements as possible. And if they aren’t, offer them better alternatives.

5. Offer to Review Their Blood Labs

Offer to take a look at your patient’s blood labs and explain the results to them. Most patients have no idea what to look at beyond whether or not the value is within normal range. And their primary practitioner may not have the time to sit down with them and explain. 

This is where you come in. Offer to review the results and help educate them on what their results mean. This will give you more insights into what they’re going through, and it may help you catch something that was previously overlooked and needs to be treated.

The Best Way to Sell Add-Ons to Your Patients

As a healthcare practitioner, the best way to sell an add-on is when you come from a place of service. You listen for a problem your patient is experiencing. Then, you offer them the solution. Here are a couple of examples to show you how easy and natural it can be:

If you’re a chiropractor: A patient comes in with neck pain. You start doing your routine checks. You notice their neck muscles are really tight and C3 is out of alignment. 

So, while you’re preparing for the adjustment, you also recommend a session of dry needling. You explain how it’s a surprisingly powerful way to release muscle tension. 

Or you offer to check their pillow to make sure they’re getting the proper amount of support while sleeping to decrease that muscle tension in the future.

Let’s say you’re an acupuncturist: Your 2:00 pm patient walks in, and you can see that something is weighing on them. The two of you start chatting, and your client shares about some personal issues that are causing a significant amount of stress.

Before your session begins, you ask if they might like to try a little Kava or Ashwagandha to take the edge off and help them relax. They let out a sigh of relief and say, “Yes, please! That sounds so nice.”

By the end of the session, your client is ready to purchase 10 bottles of whatever supplement you gave them because they feel so much better!

Final note: Make sure you let your patient know the price for any add-on upfront. That will prevent any awkward conversations when they’re ready to pay. Also, consider wording your add-on suggestion in such a way that your patient feels comfortable if they decide it’s not right for them.

Start Suggesting Product Add-ons or Service Upsells to Grow Your Practice

Sometimes, it’s easy for clinicians to assume that patients know everything that might be available to them. But they don’t – not unless they’re told. Even then, they most likely need a few helpful reminders.

At the heart of upselling is keeping their needs in mind and trying to improve their experience and their results. I know it might feel scary or awkward to upsell at first. You don’t want to come across as salesy, off-putting, or offensive. And yes, there’s a chance you’ll be told no – at least for now. Some people just need to think about it for a bit.

But when you come from a place of service, it will feel anything but salesy. All you’re doing is letting your patient know about other ways you can help them feel better and get healthier.

Just like a fast-food chain, you’ll never get what you don’t ask for. So, make it a point to suggest at least one product or service add-on to every patient you see. Do this for an entire week and watch what happens. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.