"Private Medical practice marketing strategies
that are the most profitable and beneficial."
All marketing principles are applicable to any business... even medical practice. Most physicians understand that. It's exactly why you're reading this now. Usually physicians in private medical practice are involved in one kind of promotion marketing or another on their own even though they have received no education about serious medical practice marketing. The impetus comes from what they pick up from the media, other physicians, or their own intuition--primarily when practice
income is dropping.
Intermittent attempts at expanding your medical practice management when you have time is futile. It has to be planned, persistent, and for the duration of your practice years. Let me suggest to you several marketing strategies that are matched to medical practice business planning because they have been proven to be the most manageable for physicians and their offices, the most reliable and productive, and fit quite easily into private medical practice especially.
Most importantly, these marketing strategies can be profitably advantageous to physician's offices because the process of using them can be easily performed by those who have not had a formal education in commercial business marketing. Currently, there are other means of communication with patients by SMS, email, and smart phone.
Below, you will discover why those other means of communication with patients just mentioned lack the essential personal interaction necessary to impress new patients to join your practice. Emails are not read and deleted. Phone calls are missed or are interrupted. SMS's arrive in huge numbers and are often skipped. What they lack, that is so important, are the personal touches that
create relationships.
The doctor who takes a few seconds to scratch a personal note in the mail to them that creates the thoughtfulness every patient feels in a split second. It's like a breath away from speaking face to face. The high end of this task often is music to your ears. What do you think your patient says to her friends in conversation about you? "My doctor sends me a birthday and thanksgiving
card every year." The nature of people is to forget physician visits, when, why, and with who.
Do you think her friends might be impressed at the quality and over-the-top activity of such a physician? Do you think it may be something her friend's physicians never do? And when it comes to changing to a different doctor, who will they go to first?
Classic Rule of Marketing: Do what other physicians are not doing!
1. Direct mail marketing...
Direct mail marketing includes the use of postcards, announcements, educational marketing materials, and even asking your patients to refer other patients to your practice. Whoa! Would you be revealing something bad about your medical practice business to ask patients for referrals--like you are struggling to get by?... Absolutely not.
You are building your private medical practice, to earn more income, to increase your medical knowledge and skills, to be a far better physician, and to treat your patients with
cutting-edge expertise.
You would be pleasantly surprised at how much practice marketing your patients can do for your medical practice business. First, it's an honor for a patient to be able to help their doctor, as many have been already doing without your knowledge. They have very few chances to do that.
It's a marketing tactic called the Law of Reciprocity. Kevin Hogan, a guru of persuasion, says in his book "The Science of Influence," reciprocity creates a debt in a very subtle way. Give away something of perceived value to someone, and others will feel compelled to do likewise.
2. Media Marketing For Medical Practice...
Radio interviews, filmed TV infomercials, podcasting, and press releases are a few of the methods used in increasing amounts today. Email marketing is particularly fitted to medical practice businesses. Physicians have the names and addresses (marketing lists) of all their patients. Of course, you are required by law to get their permission to send them an email...shouldn't be too hard to do. Otherwise, our communications would be spammed off the Internet.
What physicians do you know have a dedicated phone line that patients can call in and listen to a recording about medical or health information? One step further would be to create a cell phone video which you can attach to your emails. TV commercials by doctors is another profound method to become known and respected among the larger population of potential patients, if you
can afford it.
The perception is that if you are that great to have been selected to be on TV, you must be an expert on the topic being discussed and probably much more about the same topic.
Podcasting is an easy inexpensive way to communicate with patients. Record your message, upload it to the Internet, and tell your patients the link or address they can "click on" using their computer to hear it whenever they choose.
3. Social Marketing For Medical Practice...
Some physicians take time to give informative medical lectures to local clubs, churches, businesses, societies, and medical assistant groups. It's a pleasant way to gain respect, confidence, trust, and popularity in your community. Not only are you doing a great community service for free, but also your prestige moves up 3 levels above doctors who can't find time to do it.
Appearing at charity events as a sponsor or contributor places you out in front. Participating in community events of any kind exposes you to potential new patients. Showing your personal caring and your human side, is incredibly powerful.
4. Information Marketing For Medical Practice...
Any physician who writes a book is considered or perceived to be an expert--at least on that book topic. Writing articles for the local newspaper or other print media spreads your name and knowledge to those who are looking for top physicians.
If you don't feel you have the ability to write well, go to http://www.elance.com/ and ask one of their members to write them for you and with your name on it as well--like a 3 page article on a medical topic that your patients are forever asking you questions about, for 10 to 20 dollars.
5. Wag The Dog Marketing...
Grab the tail of any practice marketing ideas you believe might build your practice and increase your income and go for it. Any second... a new idea can pop up in front of you. Don't waste your time trying to invent new ideas, use the ones that continue to be popular in the media... and then modify them to fit your purposes.
Some ideas might be...
***free medical informational handouts answering patient questions
that you are asked by your patients so often.
***free pens with your name on them at the front checkout counter
***hold a patient appreciation day, picnic, party--once a year--near a holiday time
***survey your patients to find out what their medical needs and wants are
***advise your patients about what you learned at the medical meetings that are new
***announce to patients, changes in your practice functions and focus of your care
***send a personal note to every patient you discharge from the hospital that week
***ask busy physicians to send you their overflow of patients
***send a gift to the office staff of physicians who refer patients to you...
for every patient you see from them
***remember to thank any nurse in the hospital that refers patients to you
***present a new congenial kind of attitude towards everyone... be humble
6. Yes, there are many more marketing strategies and tactics...
Marketing Implementation Styles/strategies (For example)
1. Barrage---use every marketing strategy at once
2. Coupling---use two or more groups at a time
3. Testing---use one strategy at a time and see how it works
4. Intermittent---switching strategies off and on.
Marketing Assignment Choices (For example)
1. Personal responsibility
2. Office Manager responsibility
3. Marketing Professional responsibility
4. Mixed responsibilities
"The trick is to make sure you don't die waiting
for prosperity to come." ---Lee Iacocca
"Nobody cares how much you know, until they
know how much you care." ---Teddy Roosevelt
----Professional Probe----
"Just remember how many choices
you have for nourishing your
medical practice business income"
Articles © 2013-2022/CGG INVESTMENTS LLC. All rights reserved. #82, 3-16-22
