The Marketing Mentor

Have you really ever thought of who your perfect patients are?  Is it a man, woman, child, how old is that person and what might that person do for his/her profession? If you sat down right now with a pen and paper and made a list of some of the traits of your best ten or fifteen patients, you may be able to determine who your ideal patient is.  Believe it or not writing down the characteristics of your ideal patient just might bring them knocking at your door.  If you are wondering what makes a “best patient”, here are some great suggestions to consider:

The best patients comply with care, follow your care plan.
The best patients keep their scheduled appointments.
The best patients bring in their family members.
The best patients refer in their friends and co-workers.
The best patients are excited about chiropractic.
The best patients get you in to speak at their place of business, or an organization that they belong to on a health, wellness or safety topic.
The best patients understand chiropractic and why it is so important to be a lifetime chiropractic patient.
The best patients participate in all of your internal events.
The best patients come to your wellness workshops (health care class) and bring someone.
 
Now after you have done that, consider where you might find those potential patients.  Are you active in your community?  Do you participate in community events?  Do you speak on health, wellness and safety topics at your local schools, businesses and organizations?  Do you have Patient Appreciation Dinners?  Do you belong to any organizations such as BNI (Business Networking International), your local chamber of commerce or a local toastmasters club?  Do you participate in health fairs at corporations or do screenings at fitness clubs or health food stores?  These are definitely proven ways of attracting and getting new patients to your practice.

Here are some suggestions to consider when determining who the people that you wish to attract to you and your practice.  If you are willing to do this exercise in its completion, you may just see your practice grow before you very eyes!

-Wellness – we all want more wellness type patients – people that want to stay

healthy and are open to health and wellness through chiropractic.  They can be found anywhere and everywhere.  That’s why it’s so important to go out into the community and present workshops in schools, businesses and organizations.  This will attract all types of people into your practice.

-Personal Injury – attorney/physician networking – is about finding a common bond between you and the other person, not necessarily about you writing the best reports or being the best doctor.  It’s a numbers game.  The goal of a personal injury patients should be to get them well and convert them into a wellness patient.

-Geriatrics/Seniors – In today’s day and age, seniors want to stay younger and live a more quality life.  They want longevity.  Many senior centers have programs including exercise and guest speakers on staying young and vital. Also churches and synagogues, women’s and men’s groups. 

-Sports Injuries – adults/children injured by participating in a sporting activity. Coaches and nurses at schools and medical doctors as well as speaking to  parenting groups about preventing sports injuries for their children.  A goal of treating sports injury patients is to convert them into becoming wellness patients. 

-Pediatrics – networking with pediatricians, midwives, mother/parenting groups (MOPS, Mothers of Multiples, Mother’s of Twins), easy to speak on ear

Infections, colic bed wetting, add/adhd, anti-biotic use/abuse – peak performance. (age appropriate)

***remember moms are usually the health care decision makers in the family***

-Specific Conditions – Headaches, Fibromyalgia and Carpel Tunnel Syndrome.  Besides networking with physicians, local support groups/hospitals and making sure you have good material on your specific conditions so that people can connect to you and think you’re an expert.  – convert these patients to wellness.

***Discussing with your team who your ideal patients are and having a Community Relations Director (CRD) on your team can help you achieve new found growth!

We have all experienced procrastination at some point in our lives. For some it is a frustrating habit that prevents us from achieving our goals and dreams, for others it comes and goes. Although there are many definitions of procrastination, they all seem to have one characteristic in common, rather a behavior or lack of behavior. Procrastination’s many definitions; to put off intentionally and habitually or the act of delaying or deferring an action to a later time. Procrastination causes frustration and one must overcome it to really make progress in one’s life. The things that hold us back the most are that which will free us the most. Procrastination causes stress, stress causes illness. Procrastination can be controlled…if you are willing to… manage your time, become more organized, get help, be committed and take action.

So, are you a procrastinator? What did you do to market your practice last month? How many external events did you do and what were they? How many new patients did you attract into your practice? What were the internal events that you did and did you solidify relationships with your existing patients? Did you join any new networking groups, meet any new health care professionals in your community or participate in any community events?

Well, did you?

It’s NEVER too late to take action!

October is the tenth month of the year and associated with the season Autumn. If your marketing has been lacking, there is still time before the year is over to end on a high note. Put on your creative hats and imagine, dream and PLAN!

October is…

• Chiropractic Month
• Talk About Prescriptions Month
• National Chili Month
• Magazine Month
• Energy Awareness Month
• Disability Employment Month
• Halloween Safety Month
• Pasta Month
• Physical Therapy Month
• Computer Learning Month
• Pizza Month
• Fire Prevention Month
• Vegetarian Month
• Healthy Lung Month
• Dessert Month

October 1 is…World Vegetarian Day
October 6 is…National Child Safety Day
October 10 is…World Egg Day
October 15 is…National Grouch Day
October 16 is…World Food Day & National Boss’s Day
October 22 is…World Nut Day
October 25 is…Make a Difference Day
October 31 is…Halloween

In honor of National Chili Month, host a Chili Cook-off at your office.
Ask patients and friends to join in the fun on a Saturday, after office hours and ask people to make their favorite chili recipee and bring it to the office for all to taste! Choose several patients/and or staff to be the judges and give out 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes for the best chefs! You won’t believe the bonding that will take place with your patients, the energy that you will feel and the fun that will be had by all!

During the month of October in honor of National Prescription Month, why not educate patients on the harmful side effects of prescription medications by distributing a weekly news bulletin about these different medications. In the same bulletin talk about how proper diet, nutrition, exercise, sleep and a positive mental attitude can make a huge difference in each and every one of our lives.

Chiropractic marketing is about two factors; recruitment of new patients and retention of all patients. Chiropractic marketing is really about relationship building; building relationships with new people and solidifying relationships with existing patients. Good marketing is about the planning of internal and external events, the consistency of marketing the practice and producing results. These are the basics and if the practice has a good leader that sets by example (the doctor) and excellent team players then a marketing plan can be executed and maintained.

September is Classical Music Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, National Good Manners Month, Self Improvement Month, Fall Hat Month, Better Breakfast Month, Chicken Month, National Courtesy Month, Little League Month, National Piano Month, Healthy Aging Month, Sports Safety Month, Cholesterol Education Month, National Flower Week and National Dog Week.

September 4th is…National Newspaper Carrier Day & Fight Procrastination Day

September 6th is…Read a Book Day & Coffee Ice Cream Day

September 7th is…Grandparent’s Day & Neither Rain nor Snow Day

September 9th is…Teddy Bear Day & Hot Dog Day

September 11th is…Make Your Bed Day & World Trade Center Attack Day

September 13th is…National Peanut Day, Chocolate Day, Positive Thinking Day & Fortune Cookie Day

September 15th is…Make a Hat Day

September 21st is…International Peace Month, Miniature Golf Day & Women’s Friendship Day
September 27th is…Family Health & Fitness Day

September 28th is… Good Neighbor Day, World Heart Day & Strawberry Cream Pie Day

During the month of September in honor of Sports Safety Month host a workshop for all of the coaches at the local schools to educate coaches on the importance of sports safety as well as the prevention of sports injuries. Have a staff member make calls to the schools and get the names of the coaches, send a personalized letter inviting the coaches to a lunch and learn at your office or a local restaurant. Make sure to follow up with a phone call and make sure the scripting is correct.

In honor of Grandparents Day, invite all grandparents of patients to a workshop at your office on “Finding the Fountain of Youth”. During this workshop discuss how seniors can stay young and vital through proper nutrition, exercise, positive mental attitude and sleep. Place a press release in the local newspaper and invite seniors from within the community as a way to reach out and educate others.

Now is the time to plan for the fall, there is no better time to plan out your next three months of internal and external marketing. With all of these great suggestions, why not have a contest with your team and see who comes up with the best ideas for an event. Give that person a prize or a surprise. Remember rewarding the behavior that we want is a great way to set examples for both our teammates and our patients. It works, try it!

Be sure to check back for marketing tips for October…