5 Simple Tactics for Medical Practice Marketing

Please don't cringe when I mention the words "medical practice marketing." Please stop for a moment and read my words below.

I hope to pleasantly surprise you with the realization that what I am about to describe is not used-car salesman tricks. Far from it! No, I'm asking you to be yourself, show up how you hope anyone you were buying from would show up, and do those things exceptionally well!

Marketing isn't selling. You are not going to push any creams or vitamins or extra procedures on any unsuspecting patient.

Medical practice marketing is, to paraphrase Wikipedia:

“…the process by which your practice create value for your customers (patients, referrers) and builds strong relationships, in order to capture value from customers in return.

Marketing is used to identify, satisfy and keep the customer. With the customer as the focus of its activities, the marketing concept holds that achieving your practice's goals depends on knowing the needs and wants of your target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions. It proposes that in order to satisfy its objectives, a practice should anticipate the needs and wants of consumers and satisfy these more effectively than competitors.”

The only things you need to pay attention to in that definition are my highlighted words.

It's all about patient's desires and the desires of other "customers," such as your referring doctors.

With this in mind, here are my five no-brainer strategies to get you started:

Do you want to have a generic practice just like all the others around you, where chaos reigns, the waiting room is full of irritated patients and the staff grumbles its way through the day because "it's a job"?

1. Decide what your practice's promise is that you intend to deliver on

Or do you intend to plan to create intentionally and consistently a positive experience for your patients and your staff? Your practice's promise is part of its brand —

what it becomes known for.

This action alone is a winning strategy —

it shows respect for the value of your patients' time, and makes for a much less stressful day for you and your staff. To get there, you may have to fiddle with your scheduling until you find the right mix of slots for walk-ins, add-ons, urgent referrals and scheduled appointments.

2. Be on time!

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