7 Proven Techniques for Successful Patient Attraction
Maybe it’s an overused expression, but patient attraction (besides providing superior medical service) is the cornerstone for building a successful practice. Let’s face it, if you can’t make your phone ring, your practice is in trouble.
Additionally, a large part of maintaining a successful clinic involves keeping the wolves away. What does that mean? Every day when you open for business, your competitors are actively and aggressively hunting for your patients.
How are your competitors going after my patients, you ask? They do it through their advertising and marketing campaigns. In fact, your competitors may not even realize the chain of events started with a single ad.
Every promotional piece that goes out has been programmed with a selected target. This is a horrible analogy (but accurate), it’s like a heat-seeking missile. It only has one job, that is to grab the attention of and to compel the reader to pick up the phone and call its maker.
Thus, if you live in an average city (where people will only drive so far to do business with you), whom do you think your competitor is targeting with their ad?
According to David Ogilvy (father of modern advertising), “The only purpose of advertising is to get a new client.“
Again, every time your competitor releases a TV or radio spot, a flyer, or some coupons, they’re targeting your patients. What are you doing to keep them away? What are you doing that your competitors aren’t? Are you upgrading the quality and quantity of your business?
Every business keeps its doors open because they attract a constant stream of new patients! Medical practices are no different; unless you become a patient magnet, you will eventually have to close your doors.
Recently, author Rhonda Abrams wrote an exceptional piece for USA Today titled “Strategies: 10 rules for small business success.” Ms. Abrams is a long time business development consultant and strategist provides great insight with robust data that should pay serious dividends for all medical practice owners.
She states that she has dealt with all different types of small businesses, and she’s learned certain realities always apply. These rules are keys to small business success. Ignore these rules at your peril: “I’ve seen many new entrepreneurs fail because they ignored one or more of these business basics to be a patient magnet.”
Here are 10 of the most important “Rhonda’s Rules” for small business success:
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