The truth is, if you stay quite no one notices you. But if you systematically promote, you get noticed. I know this seems much too simple and obvious to be useful, but this is the difference between medical practitioners (and business owners) that are making it and those that aren’t.
I've heard many practice owners say that “business is slow” or the “economy was effecting the new patient flow.” While this may be the case for their practice, there were practice owners I spoke to that aren’t feeling the “slow” in business and that have plenty of new and returning patients coming in.
So, what is the difference between the practice that can't get new patients and the practice that can? Those that were doing well were using any possible means to systematically promote.
They were calling past patients and getting them back in, they were asking currently patients to refer their family and friends. They had ads where their “public” would see them; on the web, in the paper, etc. They had there names in different types of directories and handed out their cards to whoever they met, they had existing clients referring their family and friends, etc.
They were “making” the business. Driving it in on their practice.
Those that were not getting new patients or were getting less patients were not promoting (or at least not promoting enough).
In today’s economic scene you need to create new patients through promoting yourself and your practice through any means possible.
Some of the best methods I've found for external marketing were:
- Handing out cards to people you and your practice employees meet.
- Prospecting outside the practice for new patients.
- Handing out cards to and information brochures to other professionals, creating a potential referral network.
- Advertising in the local paper, direct mail, Groupon and internet advertising.
- Promoting your services through social media, such as Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.
- Promotion through online social review sites, such as Yelp, Angie's List, etc.
- Putting on lectures and events for the community and other professionals that promote your practices services.
- Promoting specials.
- Posting a blog that provides useful information and directs people to come into the practice.
And some of the best methods I’ve found for internal marketing were:
- Implementing referrals from existing patients. As part of this creating a monetary award to your patients (and staff) that get new patients referred to your practice.
- Thank you notes to patients that refer their family or friends into the practice.
- Calling past patients and reactivating them to come back into the practice.
- Writing to past clients (postal and e-mail letters) to reactivate and get them back into the practice for care.
- A good website that promotes your practice, stands out in searches and direct potential patients into the pracitce.
- A brochure and welcome letter to send to all new patients.
- A helpful and entertaining newsletter to send to all current and past clients.
- Putting on open houses and patient appreciation events.
Times have changed.
You have to create new patients and get past patients to return by getting your practice out there, promoting, making your practice and services known.
