October 2002

Susan Hoy’sTEAM TIPS
Show and Tell: How to Effectively Market Products in Your Practice

Whenever you make recommendations for ancillary products such as nutritional products, pillows, orthotics, etc., you should do so in writing. Along with your verbal recommendations, give your patients pamphlets or some type of written endorsement by you.

For example, if you are recommending nutritional supplements, indicate why it is important to make sure the product is produced by a reliable source, in the proper quantities and formulas, and that the ingredients are pure and reliable. Tell your patients why it is important to be very particular about the supplements they are taking. Let them know that you have chosen only the best companies with the best products.

Not only will you be educating your patients, but you will be giving them something in writing so they can share it with their friends and family. Backing your recommendations up with written information will go a long way toward presenting a professional image.

Make sure the pamphlets and information sheets are presented well. In many cases you can get pamphlets from your suppliers. Additionally, there are patient education companies within the profession that offer educational pamphlets on various products.

One of the biggest mistakes made by offices that offer ancillary products to their patients is that they keep it a secret. In other words, they don’t show their patients what they offer. If your products are displayed professionally, your patients will not only respect you, but will thank you for making it easy for them to obtain quality products.

In many cases, your suppliers will give you a display to present their products professionally. Your patients must be able to view these products on a regular basis. If these products are strewn around your office in a disorganized fashion you will present an unprofessional image; so make sure you display your products with care.

If you are promoting lumbar cushions, you may want to put different kinds of lumbar cushions on the chairs throughout the office. This will enable your patients not only to view the products you offer, but also to try them out! You will be amazed at how many lumber cushions you will sell when you do this. Patients will buy the pillows for their cars, their chairs at work, at home, and for their friends and family.

You can do the same with cervical pillows. Display your cervical pillows and have a couple of samples for patients to try. Make sure patients know there are pillows for children and travel pillows to take on trips. I recently read an article that indicated a large percentage of travelers take their pillows on trips with them in order to get a good night’s sleep. So why not offer a smaller version of a cervical pillow for the many patients who travel on a regular basis.

Begin an organized campaign to display your products where patients can see and sample them. In many cases, your product representatives can come to your office and help you. After all, it benefits them, too.

Ms. Hoy speaks to chiropractic team members throughout the country and is an award-winning team trainer and consultant. She is the author of several books and a team-training manual and has just released a set of team-training cassette tapes. Ms. Hoy served as an office manager at a chiropractic practice in Philadelphia for 11 years. She can be reached at 215-674-0130; suzzhoy@aol.com; or sign on to her website at www.beefitup.net