If you own or run a healthcare practice, you’ve probably got quite a bit of competition. For example, according to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), there are over 200,000 licensed physical therapists in the United States alone. Depending on where your business is located, you might even have numerous clinics in the same community, all of which are vying for the same patients and profits. Even if your practice is already doing well, it could likely do even better with the right promotion. To make your mark and get more clients into your office, you simply have to have an effective marketing strategy. However, without the proper training and key information, promoting your practice is much easier said than done.
At Measurable Solutions, we understand the challenges practice owners face firsthand—one of our co-founders, Shaun Kirk, saved his physical therapy practice by devising the wise, workable techniques we now teach. We’ve delivered our popular New Patient Course to nearly 3,000 practice owners, many of whom have grown their operations exponentially as a result. Better promotion could make a world of difference for your business. Are you unsure about your marketing methods? Do you suspect your company could do better? Take our quiz to find out if your practice is promoting properly (and if not, find out how we can help!).
How much time do you spend on marketing each week?
Let’s be honest: many practice owners talk a big talk about promotion without actually putting in the necessary time or effort to execute their plans. According to our research, the typical practice owner spends approximately 30 minutes each week on marketing. How can you expect to get the word out about your business if you’re only willing to dedicate two hours every month to promotion? In addition, we’ve found that the average practice owner goes to see fewer than three doctors per week to garner referrals—and to make matters worse, most visit the same practitioners every time. If you want to promote properly, you’ll need to invest more time, energy, thought, and effort into it. Committing yourself to marketing now could provide long-term benefits for your business.
Are you getting referrals from doctors and other practitioners?
In the healthcare industry, cultivating great relationships with other practitioners can help you tap into a wealth of leads. Most doctors need to send patients to physical therapists or other types of practices on a regular basis. If they know your name, trust your results, and like you, they’ll send clients your way. This situation is a win-win for everyone involved: the doctor can send patients out for the therapy they need, patients can feel confident in their recommended care, and you can grow your business.
However, if you know numerous doctors and you aren’t getting referrals, you need to figure out what’s wrong. It could be that the physician wants to see more results from you or has a more established partnership with one of your competitors. Perhaps he or she simply doesn’t like you. If you aren’t getting referrals, it’s time to troubleshoot, change tactics, and ensure that doctors begin sending patients your way. We can help you do just that with our New Patient Course.
What do past and current clients say about your practice?
Word-of-mouth referrals are almost as valuable for practice owners as doctor recommendations. In his Strive Labs blog, “9 Word-of-Mouth Stats That Will Make You Rethink Your Physical Therapy Marketing Strategy,” Ryan Klepps cites the following statistics:
- “Word-of-mouth marketing is the primary factor behind 20-50 percent of all purchasing decisions”
- “49 percent of U.S. consumers say friends and family are their top sources of brand awareness, up from 43 percent in 2009.”
- “A recommendation from a close friend or family member is up to 50x more likely to trigger a purchase than lower-impact marketing techniques.”
Satisfied clients are likely to spread the word about your practice. You should know what your past and current clients are saying about your services. Sending your patients surveys or discussing their experiences with them can help you get an idea of your word-of-mouth referral potential, connect better with your clients, and correct any issues with your care they bring up.
Do you have promotional materials to pass out?
Even if your patients are extremely happy with your care, they might need a little encouragement to pass your information along to friends and family members. Having fliers, coupons, brochures, or other materials your patients can share can help you tap into the full potential of your referral base. In addition, you need not limit your promotional materials to print—you can suggest that satisfied patients leave positive online reviews or “like” your pages on social media to get greater visibility for your practice.
Do you know your numbers?
This is a deceptively simple but important question. If you don’t know your practice’s statistics in terms of marketing expenses, referral leads, patients seen, etc., you can’t really tell if your practice is promoting properly or not. For more on this, check out our previous post, “Why Statistics Are The Best Way to Track Your Growth as a Practice.”
Do you work to enhance your skills and learn more about marketing?
You know that being a good practitioner requires constantly updating and refining your skills. The same holds true for your marketing prowess. We can help you learn innovative, easily implemented tips to promote your practice through our seminars, online courses, consulting services, and more.
Do You Want to Promote Better?
If your practice isn’t promoting properly, or if you simply want to see how much better your business could do, we can help. Contact Measurable Solutions today to find out more.
