I went to the doctor in Canada the other day after having lived in the United States for over 20 years. It's the first time I'd used the Canadian medical system in just as many years.

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For starters, I called to ask how to make an appointment and the gal on the phone said, "Oh, just in now, dear. Anytime before 8 pm." Then she let me know where the clinic was and a few hours later, I was there.

Now don't worry, I'm not sick. Well, not sick as long as I take my medication... or so I thought.

Parking was free. They asked the required COVID questions, and a nice lady ensured my medical records were up to date. After getting all my vitals and such, I was in chatting with a real live doctor in less than 15 minutes from when I arrived.

He asked me some questions and then was quite surprised when I told him the results of some testing I had done in the USA which kicked off the prescription I was taking for the last 18 months.

Then he said this, and it stuck with me.

"In other jurisdictions, there may be a tendency of some physicians to prescribe medicines when not completely necessary because of this," and then he rubbed his thumb and fingers together in the international sign for making some payola.

I asked him if he knew of the medical provider I had used in the USA and he said, "only to avoid using them when I'm abroad," he replied.

That was both a little funny and a little not-so-funny.

To make sure I don't need the medications, I am getting re-tested here and if my results are the same as they were in the States (as people in Canada call it) then I will no longer need to take them or buy them.

And now, I feel a bit cheated. Because I didn't want to take them in the first place. I have always thought that the fewer medications, the better. Let your body heal itself if you can. Healthy eating, a little exercise, clean air and such... but this is not medical advice, just my opinion.

But it got me thinking...

What is the perception of your business?

Do people think you are there to help them or just to squeeze them for every dime you can take? Because no one likes a shake-down.

Make sure that your business is showing your intentions. People are already wary of most expenses. Will they get what they need? Will the money be wasted? Will the service provider or product maker put their money where their mouth is? Do they really care, or are they just pretending to be your friend like a snake-oil salesman... all promises and no results?

3 Ways To Communicate Your Values

1. Be active in your community. Network. Join a chamber or be on a charity board. Give back. Volunteer your time, your experience, or your dollars.
2. Help other in ways that provide value to them with no expectation of payment in return. No one ever went broke helping others achieve their dreams.
3. Make sure you are delivering real value and try to find ways to communicate that value to your clients. Often we do so many things for our clients that they don't know about, they leave... and leave you wondering, why did they leave me what I do all these important things for them?

Now get out there and be profitable.

~Matt

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