Promoting your practice doesn’t
require a huge budget. Build your practice using the
fundamentals of good business and solid relationships.
A public relations firm can improve your
practice’s image in the community. You can do it
yourself, but the skills of a professional may be well worth
the investment.
Effective marketing starts with practice
fundamentals. Make sure you have them in the bag if you want
your practice to grow.
Electronic communication has its place in
medicine, but when it comes to diagnosis and treatment, there
is no substitute for a face-to-face exchange.
You have to know where you’re going
if you expect to get there. Creating—then
rechecking—goals can keep your practice focused.
Charitable activities can enhance your
visibility in the community and your reputation with patients.
Matriarchs often make health-care
decisions for their families. Reach the woman with your
marketing efforts and you reach everyone in the family.
Quality selling is not convincing someone
to do what you want, but listening to what they need and
letting them know if you can help them. Marketing in this light
can be done with sincerity and integrity.
Great leaders are not always in the
spotlight. They succeed in growing their practices with quiet
confidence and persuasion. Hone your leadership skills to
shepherd your practice to success.
Good manners and etiquette are more
important than most people care to admit, and more dismissed
than they should be. Mind your P’s and Q’s to help
your practice grow.
Although they do have certain expectations
about their physicians’ clinical skills, patients are
most often satisfied with their care if they are treated with
common courtesy. And a satisfied patient is a loyal patient.
Individuals, including your patients, are
using the Internet more and more, particularly for health-care
information. Don’t be left behind by not having a Web
site for your practice or having an outdated one.
Direct mail marketing is a tried and true
method of getting the attention of customers. You can use it to
tastefully attract new patients and get the attention of
existing ones.
Creating a brand is a way to make your
practice stand out from its competitors. It includes making a
promise, keeping it, and letting the public know about it.
What separates physicians who thrive from
those who only survive? According to Confucius—and
authors such as Steven Covey—it may be simply their
habits.
Helping your employees feel needed is key
to their success…and yours. Whether it’s a simple
or a more elaborate plan, motivating your employees to do their
best can make all the difference in the success of your
practice.
The senior members of your patient panel
may be the seeds of a great niche for your practice. Expand on
what you know about their care to stand out as a top physician
for aging patients.
Get people talking about you and your
practice. When potential new patients hear good things about
you from people they trust, they will pay attention.
Developing a strategic plan is the first
step to leading your practice to success. Once you have a plan,
follow it, check your progress, and revise it as necessary.
Good negotiating skills can enhance not
only your marketing efforts, but all aspects of your practice.
To improve your skills, you must first understand the process
Almost everyone could use some extra time.
Managing your minutes can help you save hours.
Waiting will seem less burdensome for your
patients if your waiting area is an interesting, relaxing, and
reassuring place. Take time to create a good design, then
maintain it well.
Share your knowledge and expertise with
other physicians and the public by speaking at a seminar or
conducting one of your own. If you do it well, you will make
yourself more visible as a professional and an expert.
Physicians are often highly valued as
directors for all types of corporations, whether for-profit or
not-for-profit, and the physicians benefit from fresh
perspectives on life and business.
