Overview

This episode takes a different angle. Instead of hearing from another clinic owner, Michael talks to someone who sees the business from the other side of the desk.

Michael sits down with Anne-Kathrin Heuer, a practice manager who has worked in private physiotherapy clinics since 2020. They discuss what really happens behind the scenes, what patients say when the clinicians aren't listening, and why so many clinic owners struggle to let their managers actually manage.

They start with pricing. Anne explains why her first clinic spent years debating a move away from charging more for initial assessments, and how her current clinic made the switch to a flat rate within months of her joining, with no pushback from patients. Michael sets out the numbers behind that decision and explains why pricing against your competitors keeps you stuck in the middle.

The bigger theme running through the episode is trust. Anne and Michael look at why clinic owners delegate responsibility without handing over the authority to go with it, why a good practice manager needs to be able to say no, and why keeping your manager away from the financials limits what they can do for the business. They also cover hiring for personality over clinical ability, the part the reception team plays in patient experience, and the phone call that most clinics get wrong.

Show Notes

• Anne's route into practice management
• Moving to flat-rate pricing
• Why pricing against competitors is a mistake
• The biggest mistake clinic owners make with their managers
• Delegating responsibility without delegating authority
• Why a practice manager needs to be able to say no
• The practice manager's role in recruitment
• Hiring for personality over clinical ability
• What patients say when the clinicians aren't listening
• Patient experience and what makes a good reception team
• The "how much is an appointment?" phone test
• When a clinic should hire a practice manager
• Practice managers, revenue and business development
• Giving practice managers access to financial data

What You'll Learn

• Why moving to flat-rate pricing rarely costs clinics the patients they fear losing
• How much revenue the gap between initial and follow-up prices can be costing you
• Why your practice manager can't do their job if you won't let go
• How to introduce a practice manager to your team so they actually become the first point of contact
• Why a manager who says no is more valuable than one who agrees with everything
• How a practice manager can add value to recruitment, even without clinical knowledge
• Why personality often matters more than the best CV
• The small details that shape how patients feel about your clinic
• What separates a good receptionist from a great one
• How to answer the pricing question on the phone without losing the booking
• The questions to ask before hiring a practice manager
• Why a practice manager should be commercial, not just operational
• Why sharing financial data with your manager builds trust and better decisions

Who This Episode Is For

• Clinic owners thinking about hiring a practice manager
• Clinic owners who already have a manager but struggle to delegate
• Practice managers looking to grow their role
• MSK clinic owners reviewing their pricing structure
• Clinics looking to improve patient experience and front-desk performance
• Anyone interested in how clinics really run day to day

Guest Details

Anne-Kathrin Heuer, Practice Manager

Anne-Kathrin Heuer has worked as a practice manager in private physiotherapy clinics since the start of 2020.

Before moving into the MSK sector, Anne trained as a teacher in Germany, studied applied linguistics in the UK, and worked in training coordination and operations management at a business school and in hospitality management.

She spent six years at a large, established clinic with around 17 to 18 therapists. There she managed a reception team of five, was closely involved in recruitment, and worked alongside the directors on the running of the business. She joined her current, smaller clinic in spring this year.

Visit https://hmdg.co.uk for further information.

Follow Michael on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjschumacher100