Endorsed Partner: Practice Performance Group • Practice Management Consulting

Practice consultants can be a cost-effective way to get the solution to a problem. They bring specialized knowledge you can "rent" by the hour. But will the advice be worth the cost? Whenever you purchase something expensive, you should ask the same question: What's the return I expect from this investment?

1. Specify Your Need: If you don't clearly define the problem you are tying to solve, you could wind up with the wrong consultant. Said another way, you may be buying the solution to a problem you don't have.

2. Beware of Prepackaged Solutions: You need a consultant with enough experience that you can be sure will provide a customized solution based on a thorough analysis. So, while the reputation of the firm is important, it's not nearly as important as those of the individuals you will be working with.

3. Check References: It's a good idea to ask prospective consultants how many clients they have worked with who are like you. Then ask for all of their names and make a few calls. If possible, call references you know and whose opinion you respect.

4. Don't Shop for a Bargain: The best consultants won't be the cheapest. But, as is often the case with a medical diagnosis, the difference between the best and second best may be the difference between success and failure for your project.

5. Use Your Instincts: You're inviting someone into your practice who will have access to sensitive, private business information. You'll be asked to trust the wisdom of some critical business advice. Go beyond your five senses to evaluate a consultant's "fit" with you and your practice.

6. Get a Written Proposal: Look for simple, jargon-free language; if you can't understand the proposal, there's not much hope for the advice to follow. What exactly is the consultant proposing to do? How much will it cost? What are the expected benefits, outcomes? How long will it take? When does the consultant get paid? What if you aren't satisfied with the results?

7. Look for a Consultant Who Empowers the Client: Management consultants are rarely smarter than their clients, just more experienced and better trained in business. There aren't many problem solutions a physician can't be made to understand.

YOUR ENDORSED PARTNER BENEFIT:

• Endorsed Partner: Practice Performance Group (PPG) (www.PPGConsulting.com) provides high-performance medical practice management services for physicians, including consulting, expert witness, workshops, speaking, and a monthly newsletter.

• Member Benefit: SDCMS members receive discounted management consulting (the greater of 10 percent or $500) on productivity and patient flow, personnel, governance and management, market strategy and tactics, practice acquisitions, sales and mergers, and a free one-year subscription to its newsletter, UnCommon Sense. PPG also conducts free half-day seminars for SDCMS members and their staffs at SDCMS' offices.

• Contact: Jeffrey Denning or Judy Bee at (858) 459-7878 or at Jeff@PPGConsulting.com.

• Potential Value: $1,000-$2,500!