During my college days nearly thirty years ago now, I had two marketing professors who injected some serious wisdom into my career! These guys were adjuncts—not full-time faculty, just awesome people sharing their real-world wisdom to a few night class students. Their present moment experiences were likely the secret ingredient that made their classes incredibly enjoyable!

By Editor, Concierge Medicine Today

My first marketing professor at a university in East Tennessee always started his class by sharing updates about his wife, who was fighting cancer. He would show us her medical images using an overhead projector, and I remember him becoming emotional numerous times throughout the semester at the thought of losing her, as the cancer had spread extensively.

Occasionally, he would also kick off evening classes by diving straight into the day’s marketing headlines perhaps to avoid displaying further emotions on a particularly difficult day—and whether it was a company facing trouble and making headlines due to a poor business decision, or a notable figure on Wall Street, whom he had known previously, closing a new deal.

With a hint of both joy and sadness in his eyes, he would often remind us, “No matter who you are, we all have one thing in common: we all use toilet paper, we will all face death one day, and we all put our pants on one leg at a time!”

Those words serve to equalize our experiences.

Ultimately, he lost his wife after her fight with cancer. As I continue to expand my network and connect with more physicians each year, his message about our mortality resonates with me on a deeper level. If you’re reading this book, you probably identify with these present realities. At our core, we are all just individuals and equal.

The second story I want to share comes from the COO of a busy 351-bed hospital, also in East Tennessee. His experiences from the ER resembled horror stories, likely causing half the class to flee in fear for their public relations (PR) career. But the brave souls, like me, remained for the rest of the semester to endure his tales. He often remarked, “PR may sound appealing, but it’s essentially just marketing jargon for what we refer to as ‘reputation management.’”

Still, every practice faces the urgent question: “How can I draw in more patients?”

These two stories were genuine lightbulb moments for me! They’ve completely transformed my approach to marketing. Even now, I frequently reflect on those insights. They provide a cyclical framework for my understanding of how marketing, branding, advertising and public relations should operate in harmony to manage the reputation of any organization, rather than treat each verb as an isolated activity.

As the semester progressed, the hospital’s COO reflected on the challenging experience of managing the institution’s reputation. And, regardless of one’s viewpoint on hospital administration or previous negative experiences, local news media often pursued answers vigorously in various scenarios. It’s evident that someone needs to take on this responsibility, equipped in communication to address difficult questions from persistent reporters while protecting the reputations of the hospital and its care teams.

“Today’s iteration of concierge and membership-driven personal care model Doctors routinely visit their Patient(s) and talk with family members in the Hospital when admitted or an emergency has occurred. It’s not something they can predict, but they’ve recognized it is an important and personal gesture worth more than any amount of money or even life itself. Contemporary concierge and membership-driven personal care model have recognized that their mere presence is important. They know that this uncommon, random act of kindness comes with a price tag which they [the Doctor] cannot put a price tag on. That is, this random act of kindness often creates a bond between the Patient-Physician for LIFE!” ~EDITOR, CONCIERGE MEDICINE TODAY

Not everyone feels at ease with a microphone pointed at them, and it’s unfortunate that, in today’s world, reputation management has become crucial in these healthcare situations.

Nevertheless, public relations [in healthcare] is indeed now more than ever, a necessity.

I’m sharing all of this with you today for an important reason: it’s vital to keep your marketing and practice growth expectations realistic!

Sure, medical school may shout, “Care for everyone!” but let’s be honest—your patients won’t all be as excited as your mom is because you’ve opened your practice in your hometown or earned that prestigious specialty degree!

Today’s patients demand, “We want your time and attention, and we want it NOW!”—and they’re ready to pay for it!

Take my wife, for instance—after visiting a pediatrician a couple of summers ago, her first words were, “Hey, it’s bad out there!” She hit the nail on the head!

In the branding conundrum of subscription and membership-driven marketing, you’re likely to attract and potentially enroll perhaps 6-11% of patients who know, like, and trust you within a 20-mile radius when transitioning your existing patient panel to a subscription model. And that’s only if you’re genuinely likable! If you don’t possess that charm—you might find yourself in a tough spot.