Usually when the word strategy is accompanied by the word growth and when it comes up in conversation by practice management consultants and/or your peers, the focus is usually on advertising and attracting new patients through marketing and advertising, right?
Last Updated, Jan 2023; First Published/Written APRIL 28, 2013
By Editor-in-Chief, Concierge Medicine Today/Sister Publication, The DPC Journal —
One thing almost all concierge, direct care and boutique medical practice owners around the U.S. routinely say they need more of is … new patients.
Word of mouth, patient referrals. The Holy Grail and lifeblood of any medical practice, right?
Have you ever wondered how proper business planning can help you find new patients for your new practice model? The key for any physician/business owner is to take a step back from your daily routine and reconsider your strategy.
Strategy?
That word is not a Doctor-word.
I agree. I don’t like the sound of it very much either.
But, it’s important to our conversation today.
Most Physicians we meet both inside and outside of concierge medicine and its familial, cash-only offering, Direct Primary Care … typically define strategy as a term that means ‘We need new patients, we want to keep current patients and we want them right now.’
Let’s pause here for a moment.
‘We need new patients and we want to keep current patients.’
Usually when the word strategy is accompanied by the word growth and when it comes up in conversation by practice management consultants and/or your peers, the focus is usually on advertising and attracting new patients through marketing and advertising, right?
Brand new patients?!
Yup.
If you’re a student of marketing like I am, then you know that the cost to acquire a new customer/new patient specifically in the membership medicine economy is well over $150-200+ to acquire and market and attract one new patient.
What if there was a better, easier way to attract new patients and keep current patients that wasn’t quite so daunting or expensive?
What if you had a sales force for free bragging about how wonderful their Doctor is in your local community?
While you were busy serving patients, charting, managing your staff and building your practice, your local patient population is always busy talking about you to their friends and family.
So let’s take a beat here.
What are they actually saying about you?
I’m a strong believer that ‘… the Doctor’s office (eg. Doctor) of the future, will be more consumed with become a fan of his/her patients than conversely trying to convince, sell and persuade us through marketing that we should become a fan of their practice.’
Hat tip to our mentor and friend, Jeff Henderson for that sentiment.
It’s all about what the Physician does right every day that will foster and encourage word of mouth marketing and attract and retain patients.
First, are you on time?
Second, are you smiling and friendly when you enter the exam room?
Third, are you available when they leave the practice and actually need you? Or, are you deferring this responsibility to your staff?
Finally, ask yourself the question ‘What story are my patients telling about me when they leave my practice?’
If you think the story has threads of long wait times, unfriendly staff, etc., it might be time to try to re-frame the narrative current patients are telling to potentially new patients.
Patients should have something to remark about their last visit to their Doctor that their friends and family find remarkable.
Patients are not enjoying any healthcare experience these days and the data to support that is evident.
As we say around here a lot, “It’s no longer about being the best Doctor in the world anymore. It’s about being the best Doctor FOR the world.”
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