How to Sell Physical Therapy Like a Boss
Alright, no more Mrs. Nice Guy—well, not really, but hang with me. If you’re struggling to sell your physical therapy business without feeling pushy or icky, or if new patients come in for one or two sessions and then ghost you, this is for you.
It’s not that your potential customer doesn't need help—it’s that the way the initial conversation is going isn’t setting them up for success. Today, I’m going to take you through some mindset shifts that have completely changed how I do sales and have helped our DPT to CEO students see serious results. Once you implement these changes, you’ll feel way more confident selling your services without feeling salesy.
Want to take your sales skills to the next level? Check out this blog post for a deeper dive!
The Problem with Soft Selling
Most cash based PT practice owners, especially when they first start selling their physical therapy services, fall into what I call “soft talk.” We’re compassionate people—we love taking care of others, and for some reason, we associate selling with something bad. Because of that, we end up making our pitch really soft, and what happens? People don’t stick around, they don’t complete their plan of care, and they don’t get the results they need. If your goal as a practice owner is high quality patient care, this method is not fulfilling that mission.
Let me give you an example of what soft selling sounds like.
Option 1: Soft Selling (The Old Way)
Let’s say you just evaluated a patient. Here’s what a lot of physical therapists sound like when they try to close the sale:
“Okay, Sam [made up client], based on what we talked about today, I know you’ve been having shoulder pain for a while. From our testing, it seems like it’s happening because of X, Y, and Z. I’ve helped people with this before, and I think I can probably help you. We’d likely need to work together for a few sessions. I have different session packages available, or you can pay per session—it’s totally up to you. What do you think?”
I used to sound just like this when I first started. And guess what? It didn’t work. Sales is a skill, and unless someone walks you through learning how to sell, it’s easy to fumble the close.
Find out how strong your sales skills really are by checking out this blog post.
Let’s compare this soft sell example to how I sell now. Here’s how to get more sales:
Option 2: Leading the Conversation (The Right Way)
Instead of being soft, we want to take a leadership role and clearly guide the patient through what needs to happen. Here’s what I say now:
“Alright, Sam, based on our eval today, you’ve been dealing with shoulder pain that’s stopping you from doing bar muscle-ups and handstand push-ups. It’s bothering you in the gym, but also outside of it. Since you’re a roofer and use your upper body a lot at work, this pain is not only messing with your workouts but also putting your job at risk. And that’s stressing you out. Is that fair to say?”
(Sam nods—because I’m stating the truth of what he just told me.)
“Okay, so based on today’s tests, we’re looking at a rotator cuff tendinopathy. I see a lot of athletes with similar issues, and through our work together, we’re going to build an individualized plan to get you out of pain and make sure you stay that way. Actually, I just worked with another client, Taylor, who had the same issue. We started in December, and by February, she was snatching her one-rep max pain-free. That’s exactly what we’re going to do for you.
So here’s what our plan looks like: We’ll meet once a week for the next six to eight weeks. Each session, we’ll reassess and adjust based on how you’re progressing. In between, you’ll have specific exercises to do on your own. I’m confident that in this timeframe, we’ll see major progress.
I offer a package for six sessions, which fits perfectly with our plan and gives you a discount. If you’d like to move forward, we can take payment now and book out your sessions to make sure they fit into your schedule. Does that sound good?”
Why This Works
See the difference? Instead of saying, “Here are some options, what do you think?” I’m leading the conversation. I’m positioning myself as the expert, touching on pain points, prescribing the treatment plan, and giving them a clear next step.
Your patients are coming to you because they don’t know what to do to get better. If you don’t confidently tell them what needs to happen, they’ll either put it off or drop out early because they don’t understand the process. It’s our job as providers to lead them through that process.
Selling Isn’t About You—It’s About Helping Your Patients
One of the biggest mistakes I see PTs make is thinking their sales strategies are about them—being afraid of rejection, worried about seeming pushy. But selling is not about you. It’s about building a relationship with the person sitting in front of you and your patient getting the care they need. If you’re scared to make the offer, you’re stopping them from getting better. Think about it: if you don’t guide them through a treatment plan, they might never get the help they need. Are you okay with that?
I had this conversation with a pelvic health PT who was struggling to sell her services. I told her, “If you don’t put yourself out there and offer help, you are preventing women from getting the care they desperately need.” That hit hard. Because it’s true. People need what we do. They don’t always know how much they need it until we show them the path forward.
Should You Sell Packages?
Another question that comes up a lot: “What if I sell a package, and they get better in fewer sessions?”
Here’s the thing—rehab exists on a spectrum from recovery to performance. If someone is fully out of pain in four sessions but still has goals, we shift to performance training. Maybe they need to build shoulder stability, refine their lifting technique, or improve endurance. There’s always more we can do to help them be better, stronger, and more resilient.
People who commit to a package not only reap cost effective benefits, they often get better results. They stick to the plan, stay consistent, and actually see progress. If they’re paying per session, they’re more likely to flake. Selling a structured plan ensures they stay engaged and get the outcome they want.
Debating whether to list your service prices on your website? Check out this blog post for the pros and cons.
The Bottom Line: Lead with Confidence
At the end of the day, it’s our responsibility to lead our clients toward the best outcome. Here’s the secret sauce on how to get more clients:
Confidently prescribing a treatment plan. Don’t soft sell—be direct and tell them what they need.
Making it about them, not you. Sales isn’t about how you feel—it’s about getting them results.
Selling a plan, not just a session. People want a roadmap. Give them one.
When you make these shifts, you’ll not only close more sales, but you’ll also build more trust, get better patient outcomes, and grow your business like a boss.
If this post resonated with you, let me know in the comments! And if you’re a cash based practice owner struggling with the sales side of your practice, I’d love to help. My team and I have a few spots open in our DPT to CEO program, where we coach cash based practice owners on exactly this and so much more. If you’re interested, apply at the link here to get started!
Listen to this episode on my podcast!
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