A discussion about sales, sales tips and advice, and about those who land the deal

This topic came to me yesterday, during a two hour visit to my wife's gynecologist (I was there with my wife who is pregnant...I don't usually go to see her gynocologist on my own...just wanted to clarify that).

It struck me during our two hour visit (one hour and fifty minutes of waiting around, ten minutes of actually seeing the doctor) that doctor's offices all look the same.  They all feel the same.  They all act the same.  From a business standpoint, is that good?  I don't think so.

Here's what my doctor's office would look like:

• Big, comfortable chairs.
• A little coffee and refreshment bar.  Sell the stuff cheap.
• Four flat screen TV's in the middle of the room, facing different directions, each one tuned to a different channel or playing a different DVD.
• Three computers with free Internet access.
• Someone who acts like a restaurant "server", checks on patients waiting to see the doctor, seeing if they need anything, updating them on how much longer the wait will be.
• Schedule visits so that waiting for a doctor takes no longer than 10 or 15 minutes.  My dentist manages to do this...when I walk in, the hygenist is standing in the waiting room anticipating my arrival, and we walk right back to The Chair.
• If its a large office, have one doctor and nurse make housecalls all day.  If a last minute call comes in, don't tell the patient they can come in two weeks from now.  Tell them you'll be there in 20 minutes.

As you envision this magical place, let me ask you: Wouldn't you tell everyone you knew about your doctor's office?  Wouldn't you pay a little more to be a patient in this office? 

So, why do all doctor's offices still look the same?  Outdated magazines...small TV's with bad reception...uncomfortable chairs in a weird U-shaped design, so you are forced to look into each other's (watering, oozing) eyes.

Why is there no originality in the way doctors sell their practice to their customers?