by: Erika Trimble

If your goal is to have more clients and more freedom, and to build a truly prosperous business, this simple 5-step guide will show you how. Follow these steps, and watch your client referrals and revenues double.

1. Identify a target audience to which you want to market.

You cannot market to the world, so choose an audience which you know has a need for, and could derive great benefit from, your services. Consider who you truly enjoy working with, and what your special service strengths are. Then, identify your ideal clients: those who need your services, are easy to find, have the means to make the decision to use physical therapy services, and whose problem your services will solve.

2. Research your target audience to understand what they want and need.

In your research, find answers to these questions:

—what keeps your target audience from enjoying life fully

—what is your target audience afraid of

—what are their top three frustrations

—what trends are occurring in their businesses and lives

—what do they desire most

—where do they typically go for help?

When you have answers to these questions, you’ll know how to market to your target audience, what to say to them, where to reach them, and how you can help them. (more…)

By Steven L. Brown, MD., PhD.

Patients today have learned that doctors are just like any other group of people. Some of us are good, some are bad, and some are mediocre. The most discerning patients (and those are the ones we all want) evaluate us the same way we have evaluated each other since our training. How would your patients rate you in these five areas?

1. Thoroughness
When I was an intern, one of my residents told me that there were only two reasons not to do a rectal exam: 1) no finger and 2) no rectum. Do you still demonstrate the same thoroughness you did as an intern? Do you ask about the patient’s entire medical background, or pretend you can get away with only focusing on the presenting problem while ignoring the rest? Patients know that the best doctors want to get the whole story.
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By Chuck McKay

One of the most annoying clichés in marketing is the advice to “get your name out there.” Like most clichéd advice, this one keeps being repeated because there is, at its core, a grain of value.

Until people know to ask for you by name, you’ll be limited by the law of averages as you play “Yellow Pages roulette.”

Are you old enough to remember record stores? Big rooms with belt-high shelves displaying record album after album after album. Close your eyes and remember your favorite store. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

Remember your favorite section. It may have been Rock, or Blues, or Show Tunes. First you’d find the section, then you’d browse through your favorite artists looking for new music. Occasionally you’d pick up something that caught your attention from an artist with whom you weren’t familiar, but it was in your favorite section, and probably worth at least a cursory glance.
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by Joy H. Gendusa

Sometimes the simplest data is the best. Marketing is not complex if you know the basics – that’s true with anything by the way. Here are some tools that are brilliantly simple and with them you really won’t have to sweat the small stuff.

Many marketing efforts go unrewarded, not because they were off target, but simply because they weren’t given enough of an opportunity to work. Showing your TV commercial one time, running an ad in the newspaper once, or doing one mailing of postcards may not be enough to grab and keep your target audience’s attention.
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By Cherisa Chapa

Massage therapists have been taught that successful marketing attempts are primarily word-of-mouth (WOM) advertising. We are influenced to use advertising tools such as business cards, coupons, fliers, and newsletters to help generate customers. To many, these epitomes are the Holy Grail in becoming successful but much to their disappointment, these efforts fail to generate a sufficient number of customers.

Many advertising tools used by massage therapists are used in a manner that results in disappointment. Learning how these advertising tools should be used in a well thought out marketing strategy is paramount to a successful advertising venture.
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by Ed Petty

We once knew of a dentist that was able to see hundreds of patients each week. Just himself.

How?

He had four hands. Actually, he had about 40 hands.

Four-handed dentistry became popular in the 1960’s and is a procedure that utilizes a dental assistant at the chair side of the patient with the dentist.
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By Chuck McKay

This question is basic, and fair. And it always puts you on the spot when you try to answer.

As a doctor of optometry, you can’t simply quote a price. There are too many variables. Yet, the more you attempt to explain, the more it sounds to the prospective patient as if you’re hedging, which never inspires confidence.

Sometimes price is a sensitive issue. Other times it’s much less so. Will you refuse to have your transmission repaired because the mechanic tells you it’s going to cost $900? The average high-speed Internet home connection is roughly $500 per year, and yet each year more people determine high speed to be a necessity. And have you looked at your own cable/satellite television programming bill lately?

People will find a way to pay for what they feel is important.

Is vision important? Absolutely. With an economic recession looming, however, we can expect price to become a much bigger issue for some people. Some will never find your prices acceptable. Others will, provided that they see the value in your services.
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By Chuck McKay

When a patient already has had a positive experience with your practice, she’s much more likely to refer other people to you, too. And we know that referred patients are six times as likely to accept your treatment recommendations as those brought in by your advertising.

Wouldn’t it seem that the easiest way to increase the number of dental referrals would be to improve the perception of the experience?

Lessons from wine marketing to improve dental patient satisfaction.

A new study at the California Institute of Technology indicates that telling people how good the experience is going to be can improve their perception of the subsequent experience. A so-so experience could be remembered as “good,” or even “excellent,” when the mind is prepared for such a good experience.
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by Chuck McKay

Word-of-mouth works effectively for three reasons, all of which come back to credibility.

1. Friends give recommendations from their personal experience.
2. They do it naturally and sincerely without a sales pitch.
3. They get nothing from the recommendation other than the appreciation of their friends. (In fact, they run the risk of losing credibility with a bad recommendation).

For all three reasons, word-of-mouth has always been a highly credible source of information.

No one will argue that the best way to insure strong, positive word-of-mouth is to provide excellent customer service.

But crtitical information about managing word-of-mouth, and how it affects your practice, has come from a study of placebos conducted at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
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by Dr. Lynella Grant

A Yellow Page directory presents a difficult challenge for advertisers. All the competitors are packed together, within the space of a few pages.

Each ad within the directory category screams “Notice me!” so insistently, they blend into an muffled chorus. It’s not easy for one to stand out with a clear, distinctive voice - like a soloist above the choir. That only happens when the business is clear about expressing its unique “song,” and understands what buyers most want to hear.

Stand Out in Ways that Matter to Directory Users

It isn’t surprising that most Yellow Page ads say pretty much the same thing. They were all prepared by the same directory employees. What do they know about marketing? About copywriting? About what’s unique and desirable about your enterprise?

The people making the ads “grind them out,” using the same templates and guidelines for every ad, in every category. Originality isn’t in their job description. Following the formulas for how an ad “should look” is a formula for being ignored.

These quick fixes cut away the bland sameness afflicting most ads. Disregard for now the related issues like the ad’s size and placement. Such factors just amplify (or diminish) an ad’s impact. A poor ad is still a poor ad, even if it’s very large. Coupled with fine-tuned copy (its own topic), these fixes will improve the impact of any size of ad, for any directory heading.

Try these Quick and Easy Fixes

You don’t have to be a designer or copywriter to make your ad stand out. You just have to understand your customers’ unstated wants, so you supply precisely the information that they’re looking for. And you need to know how you’re different than your competitors. Set yourself apart, so you don’t fade into the background, as most ads do.
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By Chuck McKay

First, remember that all media works better when supported by other media. Some of that support can be as simple as your radio copy instructing to “see our ad in Sunday’s paper for details.” Other times it can be effective to put your web address in your Yellow Pages ad or on your signage.

Why is this? Largely because people equate large scale with success. And for many, the fact that you’re in multiple media gives you additional credibility. (Why do you think “as seen on TV” is included on so much packaging)?

And cross-promoting your message in additional media also contributes to frequency of repetition, which is a critical factor to helping people remember who you are and what you do.

But in this case, we’re not discussing advertising, but rather how to get more “bang” from your interview, and the endorsement it implies. (more…)

by Mary Eule

Today’s small business owners are smarter than ever about strategic and tactical marketing. They are becoming more and more comfortable with its cumbersome terminology and are familiar with concepts such as customer “touches”, or contacts.

Unfortunately, however, many small- to medium-sized business owners are spending way too much time concentrating on the frequency of their messages, rather than developing the right message.

For example, how many ads have you seen from dentists who proclaim to give you a “better smile”? Yes, the actual size, orientation, color, graphics and the like may be different, but the message is the same-old-same-old. Have these dentists, then, differentiated themselves and become memorable? The obvious answer is “no”.

However, is any impact better than none at all? Marketing experts and business owners alike often debate this issue. On one hand, even a so-so ad can generate name recognition… an important objective. Alternatively, others argue that poorly-designed marketing communications is at best, weak and at worst, damaging AND memorable.
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by Rodger D. Johnson

If you’re a new physician, then you’ve probably heard of social networks, such as, Myspace and Facebook. You may have an account with one of these services. Now you can have a online social network for your patients. Take Facebook for example, its company data speaks for itself:

• More than 61 million active users.
• An average of 250,000 new registrations per day since Jan. 2007.
• An average of 3% weekly growth since Jan. 2007.
• Active users doubling every 6 months.

While a social network for your practice will never have 61 million subscribers, the shear number of people using social networks is staggering, demonstrating that people are connecting, communicating and building community in an otherwise fragmented, hectic world. “A new report by Strategy Analytics claims that roughly one out of every 6 people on the face of the earth will be using social media in 5 years,” writes Marc Meyer on his blog, Emerson Direct Marketing Observations. So what is a social network anyway?
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by Chuck McKay

Odd as it may seem, studying the “personals” can illustrate some highly effective advertising techniques. Shall we look at five rules from the personals that can be used to boost your practice?

1.You don’t want an ad to try to reach everyone.

Personals ads immediately eliminate non-prospects.

If you’re a single woman posting in the personals you don’t want responses from everyone. Its not likely that you’re interested in other women or married men. When your objective is dating, it’s pointless to attempt to reach people that aren’t potential dates.

Trying to reach everyone is a fool’s strategy for your practice, too. You probably don’t have any interest in people who can’t afford your services. You also aren’t likely to want to reach the idly curious. To advance your practice, you need to reach people who are likely to become patients.

Make your ads speak directly to those people.

2. Your Headline Is Critical.

Get your prospect’s attention. Get it immediately. If you don’t, she won’t even notice the rest of your ad.

“Relationship wanted” will never get as much attention as “North Texas filly looking for stable mate”

To draw the parallel for your practice, your headline shouldn’t say “Family Dentistry.” Instead, consider “Don’t be self-conscious about your teeth. You deserve a beautiful smile.”
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by Christopher Barr

The success of your practice depends on factors ranging from your pricing to reputation, but it’s ultimately your marketing (or lack of marketing) that determines your profitability or failure. If you know how to sell your services and you have a great product, the sky is the limit.

You may not be able to sell a ketchup popsicle to a lady dressed in white during the summer, but by following a few simple and time-tested advertising techniques your practice can flourish.

Excellent media to promote your practice include television, radio, Internet banner ads, door hangers, local sponsorships and newspaper insert advertising.

Of these, inserts can produce immediate and cost-effective results for your practice.

First - Take a Look at the Facts:

According to a recent study conducted by the Newspaper Association of America

46% of adults use newspaper inserts for planning their shopping each week

64% of adults had used a newspaper insert for shopping within the past 30 days

The U.S. has over 1,600 daily papers with a circulation of nearly 58 million

The U.S. has over 7,000 weekly papers with a circulation of over 50 million

Newspaper inserts, also known as flyers, preprints, free standing inserts (FSIs), and circulars, are an inexpensive way to generate revenue and find new clients. Newspapers remain one of the only advertising vehicles invited into homes on a regular basis.
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by Chuck McKay

One guru will patiently explain that your ads will work better the longer you use them, while another will state with conviction that the longer you run an ad the fewer responses you’ll get.

Unfortunately, there’s evidence to support both perspectives.

But, just as the six blind men only “saw” a portion of the elephant, these guru’s experiences appear to be limited to only part of the answer.

It all comes down to which group of people with whom you’re going to gain credibility, and which group you’re going to concede to another practitioner.

You gain credibility by respecting your prospective patient’s mindset.

There are only two:

1.People in a Transactional mindset believe themselves capable of selecting the appropriate treatment. They are primarily interested in prices.

2.But people in a Relational mindset fear making an uninformed decision. They’re seeking an expert they can trust.

About half of all patients are Transactional, and the other half are Relational. The biggest difference between them is their knowledge of the treatment they’re seeking.
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By Chuck McKay

You spent years in school, more years honing your technique, and keeping up with the latest developments through continuing education. Its only natural to expect your patients to hold you in esteem for your skills as a health care provider.

Unfortunately, your patients don’t have your background. They can only judge you by your performance in areas they can evaluate – your décor, the attentiveness of your staff, the cleanliness of your restrooms, and your own visibility.

When customers see you paying attention to small details of your presentation, they will also conclude you do the bigger things equally well. Not everyone will notice, but those who do will assume your attention to detail extends to every part of your business.

Australian dentist Paddi Lund coined the term Critical Non-Essentials to describe the parts of your practice that can be easily observed and judged. Like it or not, the way your receptionist answers the phone will affect patients’ opinions of your ability as a practitioner.

And, for good or bad, these impressions will shape the bulk of the word-of-mouth about your practice. Lund goes so far as to stock his restrooms with expensive soaps and perfumes. A sign says “Dear guest, please feel free to use the toiletries. They are for you.”

You’ll sometimes hear this called “Experiential Marketing” - focusing on the experience, and communicating that experience to potential patients. And make no mistake, creating strong word-of-mouth is definitely a marketing strategy.
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By Chuck McKay

Some days newspaper, television, and radio reporters are deluged with exciting stories to report to the public. Other days they have very little to choose from. On those slow news days, your press release may suddenly become a great story idea.

First, think like a reporter.

What will make a story the reporter’s audience might be interested in? That your practice has moved to a new location? Uh, sorry, no. If it reads like an ad, its not news. Think of something that people who don’t even know you will be curious to find out. What if you personally conduct cooking classes for your patients who are dieting? That could possibly work.

Nothing happening at your practice? Discuss the way a development in your specialty will affect your patients. Translate the procedure into terms that everyone will understand. The more specific, the better.

Second, visual appeal helps.

Including a photo of people actually doing something will add human interest, and give the newspaper editor another design element to add interest to the sameness gray of a text page. Use a black & white photo of not less than 5 x 7 inches. Do not write on the back of your photo with a ball point pen, it will deform the photo paper and make your writing visible on the front. Instead, write on a self-sticking label with a felt-tipped marker, and attach the label to the back of the photo.

Third, expand your shelf life.

Your story will be usable longer if it can be considered “evergreen,” that is, always in season. If you only conduct that cooking class once each year, and that time is in three days, you’re gambling that no one shoots the Pope, that a major storm doesn’t shut down all of the airports in the Northwest, or that a new strain of bird flu doesn’t break out.

A story will be considered evergreen if it doesn’t have a direct tie-in to today’s news, or if its about something that regularly effects people.
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By Michael Merrick Crooks

I walked into the office of my Chiropractor/Acupuncturist and signed in. There on the desk were three pens. One looked like a syringe, another was a crooked pen and the third looked like a bone.

“What are these,” I asked, knowing full well they were pens.

“They’re pens,” the doctor replied. “I’m trying to decide which one to promote my practice with. What do you think?”

It took me a minute to respond. I was dismayed that someone was trying to sell him such cliché’ ideas. Who ever this someone was, had little understanding of the good doctor or his practice. I was also a little irritated that he hadn’t called me in the first place.

“Let me guess,” I said, holding up the syringe pen. “Our patients love it when we needle them.”

“Yeah,” he blurted out in amazement.

I held up the crooked pen and said, “We’ll get you back on the straight and narrow.”

“Well, yeah,” he exclaimed.

I picked up the bone-shaped pen and said, “The imprint involves the phrase, no bones about it.”

The doctor came to the sudden realization that the ideas he thought were so clever only moments before, were neither clever or original.
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For a single, brief instant I was your patient.

I’m new in the community and needed to have my diabetic prescriptions renewed.

I didn’t mind that I had to wait five weeks for the first appointment. I like that your practice is that busy. It implies that you’re in demand.

I appreciated the reminder phone call yesterday, confirming the appointment and suggesting that I arrive 15 minutes early to handle any necessary paperwork.

Perhaps you remember that my appointment was for 10am. Since I didn’t know what the traffic would be like, or how difficult your office would be to find, I left for your office at 9am, and arrived at 9:30. After checking in and completing your new patient forms I sat patiently waiting to be called.

I wasn’t upset when 10am passed and no one had called my name.

I wasn’t really upset at 10:15.

By 10:30 I was becoming annoyed. I asked your receptionist if it was going to be much longer. Without even looking up she told me she didn’t know, but they’d call me as soon as they were ready for me.

By 10:45 I should have walked out, but I needed my prescriptions. I didn’t have five weeks left to start this process with another doctor.
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