The 5 Biggest Marketing Mistakes Entrepreneurial Physicians Make

Are you surprised when I tell you that most physicians with practices and businesses suck at marketing? Me neither.

Is it because we weren't taught about its importance?

Or that we feel it's tacky and beneath us?

Or that it just plain scares the heck out of us?

It used to be, even when I started out in my family practice, that you just had to treat patients well, spend a minute or two extra with them and (hopefully) provide decent medical care, and that would be enough to guarantee building a steady medical practice.

Those days are gone, unless you're the only game in a small town!

Now, it's vital that you understand what your patients are seeking as they look down their provider list and decide who to select (usually requires an email to a buddy or work colleague!). If you're a specialist deriving most of your business from referrals, you'll need to be the professional your referring doctor knows, likes and trusts. And if you have moved on to build a non-clinical business, you'll need more than ever to figure out where your business is most likely to come from and how to build fruitful relationships.

These are the 5 mistakes I encounter most commonly in my physician business coaching work, with a few hints for how to change:

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