Marketing for Healthcare Professionals

The Major Obstacle to Successful Marketing

2009-12-07T11:05:00.000-08:00

We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems. I don't know who wrote this, but it rings so true. Life is loaded with problems that either bogs us down with no apparent solutions or creates the opportunities to find meaningful solutions that enriches us in so many different ways. But what is the major obstacle that prevents a marketing plan from being successful?

As a dentist going through many national economic downturns, I had to deal with many difficult challenges to keep my practice moving in a positive direction. I felt the financial pressure of my family's needs, my dental team's needs, and my patient's concerns; all put a burden on my shoulders. Talking with some of my colleagues at those times did not always lead me with the solutions I was seeking. The average advice was that they would wait it out because it will eventually get better. When you take money out of your savings like I know some have done and I did once, that is not waiting it out. You just have become part of the downturn. Challenging obstacles or opportunistic solutions - the decisions reached will provide your future path. Your approach to marketing for new patient growth offers challenges today as well. But, just what is the major obstacle to a successful end result?

This weekend I went kayaking with my wife on the Turner River in the Big Cypress National Preserve located in South Florida next to the Everglades. What a beautiful river winding its way through different ecological settings and ending up in the Florida Bay. Amazing wading birds, watchful eyes of alligators, they all added to a trip of what Florida was like prior to condos and cool hotels. To negotiate the river you have to pass through many mangrove tunnels. These are literally tunnels in a massive mangrove forest that were both narrow to navigate and even narrower. Paddles were useless; we had to reach out for mangrove limbs and pull our way through these portions of the trip.

We went with a ranger guide from the National Preserve. As a group we numbered 7 canoes and kayaks. Our guide explained the difficulty we were going to encounter through the tunnels. Not only were we unable to paddle, we could encounter (although not likely) spiders, crabs and snakes that could be on the limbs we needed to use to maneuver. That's quite an obstacle for some, and one couple decided not to enter the first tunnel and turned back. The opportunity missed was simply the journey of unique sites that will draw me back there again. The decision my wife and I reached altered our path of wonderment that never would have been realized by turning around. The couple who turned back did not see the opportunity of what could be - only the challenge that had no solution.

Practices today are being challenged by the economics of today maybe more than I can ever recall. Is waiting things out the answer? It's not for me to decide. This and more are the decisions you have to make. Many are counting on you for your decision. Winston Churchill said, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." You are the proverbial glass half full or empty type of person. And as long as you are happy with your decisions, then that should be good for anyone.

I can only hope you will take steps preparing for the opportunities 2010 may provide. If your steps are a wait and see attitude, you can still work on your existing patient relationships. Make sure they know how much you appreciate the trust they have placed with you. How? Just tell them when you see them. And it can be in the office or even outside in the community. Imagine how a patient would feel if you see them at a restaurant with friends and or family, and you take the time to say hello and let them know how much you enjoy taking care of them. Always look for ways to enhance your relationship. Just saying something kind can mean so much more than 2 tickets to the movies. It's personal, and it's marketing; it speaks volumes of making an opportunity over an economic challenge. You may not want to spend any money right now, but you can still build relationships.

If your plan has a marketing budget, use your money wisely. Again, it's your decision. My perception is building relationships for long-lasting benefits will gain you the most for the years to come. Think about ways you can do things to benefit your community. Let your team know what you want to do and ask them for ideas. The power of many creates more than the power of one. Of course you can use the services of a marketing company; just make sure it's a good fit for you. Relationships are built on so many levels.

There are so many examples of how obstacles provide opportunities. But, remember the major obstacle is simply yourself and your willingness or unwillingness to respond to the obstacle. Even without paddles my journey through the mangrove forest provided a world full of beauty. Even with an economy that has challenged so many, your continued journey of your practice success with relevant marketing can be created by taking the time now to make your solutions the best you can. Once you can see yourself as the main obstacle you can then have a better opportunity to face any challenge and find the best solution.

A First Look at Relationship Marketing

2009-12-02T11:41:00.000-08:00

As a team we met every morning to go over our day, we met once a week for 1 hour to make sure our practice systems were functioning well, and we had a several hour monthly meeting to discuss in detail a variety of subjects. We all shared good and bad things that may have happened. As a team we tried to work on at least one bad thing and solve that problem. It might have been business or personal related. I was the team leader, but I didn't want to come off as the boss. I think of a boss as a person who makes decisions and his employees listen. I think a leader is someone who listens to his team and then makes decisions.

I had just come back (many years ago) from a Crown Council event. At that time the Crown Council (a wonderful dental organization)was in its infancy, and the group made a commitment to do something special with the community to help raise funds for children cancer research at St. Jude Hospital. The project was called "Smiles For Life" and is still ongoing after many years. The goal was offering the community a reduced fee for home whitening while donating all dollars to the charity. The whitening products were made available at no cost to the office. I initiated the idea to my team, and then I sat back while they helped make the decision to proceed and how to implement it successfully. In our first year we donated over $25,000.00. The word of mouth generated in my community was amazing. There was no social media from the internet available and no support from local media. This was a team focused on success. The response from our patients getting the word out created a buzz in our community. It also opened the door for many new patients. Imagine the effect today via social media.

An age old principle, "the more you do for others will bring so much more in return", was applied. We were doing the right thing for the right reason, and it was a win/win for everybody. This is one component of relationship marketing that is built around establishing great relationships with existing and potential patients. This was so successful because it started with a team that cared, engaging our patients for their support, and the response from our community. I had a close relationship with my team, we enhanced our relationship with our patients, and we gained high recognition with our community. None of this was done to promote ourselves; we let others endorse us. It not only created important recognition; it also enhanced our reputation. This may be more important today than ever before.

Consider the many things you can do for your community that build a solid connection. It might be a toy drive for children who might not have any for Christmas or Hanukkah; it could be a food drive at Thanksgiving for a grateful family; you could have the Bloodmobile at your office and help save a life. I bet you can think of so many more worthwhile projects that feel good and do good for the citizens in your area. Others who are givers take notice of like-minded people and are drawn to them. They make wonderful new patients in any practice. There are so many in your community that will take notice of your effort.

A key factor in really solidifying that relationship is getting your local media presenting the stories of the good you are doing. A media good-will story is a huge endorsement of your commitment to your community. The media looks for stories like this, and, properly done, they will let your community know of your deeds. All of this leads to others bragging about you. This creates trust before someone even walks in your door. And don't forget the effect it has on your existing patients.

That is what relationship marketing is all about. And I am just getting started.

What is Marketing All about Anyway?

2009-11-26T03:50:00.000-08:00

What is marketing and why is it so important to dental practices? I mean I have my little ad in the Yellow Pages. I tell everybody they should send their friends and family to me. I have a very cool business card. I have a 1/4 page ad in my local charity's big event brochure. And so on... Is this what marketing means to you?

In its simplicity, marketing is everything you do to get your practice known to potential patients. Think about it. It includes, public relations, the pricing of your services, the first impression a new patient has when walking in your door, advertising, selling yourself, our team and your services. In other words it's everything in total to bring new patients to your practice.

S.H. Simmons, author and humorist, relates this anecdote. "If a young man tells his date she's intelligent, looks lovely, and is a great conversationalist, he's saying the right things to the right person and that's marketing. If the young man tells his date how handsome, smart and successful he is -- that's advertising. If someone else tell the young woman how handsome, smart and successful her date is -- that's public relations." That's a great analogy.

Promoting yourself is advertising. Having others promote you is public relations. And marketing is having the right people to reach with a message that brings them in the door. Pretty simple -- right?

Actually, everything from the first paragraph is, in essence, marketing if it reaches potential new patients successfully. If that is working for you, then that's great. If it isn't, something has to added or changed. That makes sense, doesn't it? If your marketing strategy is not earning you the profit you desire or achieving your dreams and goals, then are you spending your money well enough to attract those potential people? Please realize that if you need assistance with your management systems, that's a whole other discussion.

Some may say the only way to market is through advertising, and some may say it's all about public relations. Also, some will say it's a combination of both, and some may say just concentrate on internal systems and forget all the above. Does anybody really know best? After over 35 years in practice, I found out one thing -- you can certainly spend a lot of money trying all kinds of things.

However, in a continuation of this blog's theme, I am going to give you my 35+ year perception of spending your money wisely and give you insight on achieving your dreams. My passion has never changed. I will always strive to make a positive difference for others. And who better to do this with than my peers.

Henry Ford said, "Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success." Blogger.com allow all 3 to happen. How cool is that?