Tag Archives: Marketing

Fall Marketing Ideas

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Fall is in the air….. and it’s time to get that fall marketing calendar filled with activities.  To get the ball rolling, we have put together a few topics and suggestions to make your events fun and effective.

For our PMA members, we have more information about each topic, including ready made posters, handouts, and descriptions. For more information, please go to our PM&A Members site here , log in, and go the section called New Stuff on the top navigation bar.  You will find the article called Fall Marketing Ideas.

September:

  • National Backpack Awareness Day – Sept 19
  • Woman’s Health Week – Last week of September
  • Neuropathy (or Headache,etc. ) Awareness Week  (Pick a week to promote a free screeing exam for a specific condition.)
  • Crazee Dayz (For example, Thirsty Thursdays — offer a different type of drink each Thursday. Have patients make suggestions: organ apple juice in Sept, Egg nog in December, etc.)

October:

  • National Spinal Health Month (now called National Chiropractic Month).  Make a banner and use this as a motivation to have patients bring in their family for a free spinal fitness screening.
  • National Chiropractic Month. Use this as a reason to sponsor: Chiropractic Opportunity Week:  The doctor is having a “COW”
  • Hair Dresser/Beauty Salons/Spas – provide massages, screenings, and lectures.
  • Local Health Fairs at businesses.
  • Kid’s Halloween Party

November:

  • Thanksgiving Turkey Drawing Poster
  • Donation Drives
  • Deer Widows Week
  • Girl’s Night Out

December:

  • Holiday Coupons – Gift Certificates
  • Poinsettia Give Away
  • Saturday with Santa
  • Appreciation to External Referral Sources

Facebook Marketing Tips

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Facebook  is one of the fastest growing social networking medias on the internet.  It’s free and it’s fun.

If you dont’ have a Facebook page for your clinic it’s time to get one.  If you do have one, that is great!  Find us and friend us at  Petty, Michel & Associates Facebook Page.

Whether your a veteran or a novice to facebooking you can now use the helpful tips, compiled by Dana, to help spread the word about chiropractic and bring more people to your office.

Read Dana’s Tips at: Facebook Marketing Tips

How to Make Your Chiropractic Marketing More Effective: Give a Reason

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A fundamental component to marketing your chiropractic services is communicating a reason, rationale, or a purpose for why you are marketing.

For example, if a store has a SALE each month with a discount on some of their items, you might think: “So what? Just another sale.”

So the department store thinks up some reason for the sale. It could be “Back-to-School” sale, a “Food Drive” sale, or a St. Patty’s Day party.

All of your marketing should have a topical theme. In our marketing materials, we have many, from Organic Health Care Week (in conjunction with Earth Day), Mother’s Day coupon with flowers, Fibromyalgia Awareness Week, etc.

But behind all of these themes should be a more dominate reason for your marketing. And here is a powerful truth: The better your staff, your patients, and your community understand this reason, the more responsive they will be in to your marketing efforts.

For example, we recommend that you write a letter to your patients explaining to them your real reasons for marketing your services. It could called: “Why We Promote – A Letter to Our Patients.”  To help you get started, we have a questionnaire here and a sample letter.

(For our clients, we have written a sample letter that has become popular which you may access on your Member’s web site under “New Stuff.” (need password.))

Why Do You Market Your Chiropractic Services?

Answer these questions thoughtfully.

Then, compose a few paragraphs for a letter, or for your web site.  You can also use this as a close on your patient lectures.

  • What do you experience when you see the family and friends of your patients get results from your care?
  • Do you ever see patients that have had unnecessary or failed back surgeries?
  • Do you ever see patients that take, or have taken, toxic drugs to alleviate their symptoms that you were able to alleviate naturally?
  • How would have the lives of these people been changed had you been able to adjust and treat them years earlier?
  • Since you are not supported by pharmaceutical companies or hospitals for your community education, how can you get the word out to your community?
  • This is why you have to rely on your staff and patients, and on occasional promotions and special events.

Chiropractic Marketing Tips for The Holidays And The Start of the New Year

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Due to popular demand,  I am posting notes from our October teleclass on marketing over the Holidays.

Teleclass Outline with Ed Petty  — Notes

All marketing is broken down to:

1.    Procedures. These are either special, one time events, or standard recurring. Some have the purpose of immediate results (direct marketing), some more long term (indirect marketing).

2.    Motivation. Desire. Wanting to implement these procedures. (Discipline.)

3.    Marketing management.  Review, Planning, Implementation.

Motivation: You are listening (or reading this) so you are motivated.  But you have to get others motivated as well. You have to get and stay inspired.  It is Ok to be a cheerleader.  What’s wrong with a little cheer? And the more you cheer.. the more you find to cheer about!

The  Marketing Manager System:

  • Meeting weekly: Review/make plans/Implement (assign steps/dates)
  • Who is responsible and responsible for what
  • Calendar Special Promotions/Events
  • Checklist of Recurring Procedures/Events

 

Procedures: Special events/promotions

NOVEMBER

  • Holiday Turkeys (Care to Share) (Ham for Christmas)
  • Donation Programs: Shelters, Toys for Tots, Coats for Kids, Food for Families
  • Scheduling Patients over the Holidays. (Plan ahead so they keep up with their care.)

DECEMBER

  • GNO (Girls Night Out/ Shop Before You Drop)
  • Gift coupons
  • Saturday with Santa
  • Poinsettias (with gift coupons)
  • Planning, training – sharpen the saw.
  • Do scheduling for new year: “Flexibility Screenings” with gyms,  lunch and Learns with businesses
  • Gifts for Allies  and those who referred: Box of nuts, organic flowers, cups, pens, caps, t-shirts. Cards.

JANUARY

  • Lending Library: Supersize Me, Fast Food Nation, King Corn, Sugar Blues, Food Inc. End of Overeating
  • Workshop on Nutrition and Fitness
  • Annual Reactivation Program
  • External Workshops, Screenings, and networking

FEB

  • Doctor’s With A Heart Donation Program
  • Have a Heart – Oklahaven Children’s Chiropractic Center – link
  • Valentine’s Gift Coupons

MARCH

  • Leprechaun Appreciation Day (Kid’s Day) link

Procedures: Recurring

Community Education: Talks or Awareness Weeks

  • Nov: Flu
  • Jan  Feb Food, Supplements/ Fast food Series —  With  a Dietitian and a trainer. February: Heart Heath- blood pressure
  • March: Headache Awareness Week

Communication Channels

  • Newsletter
  • Email Newsletters – NEW SERVICE FOR 2010 – We will do this for all clients on Standard Management Programs or higher.
  • Press Releases
  • Ads on other special newsletters: Chamber of Commerce, YMCA, Church Bulletins
  • Web site/Face Book – Fan /LinkedIn

Internal Recurring:

  • Morning case management meetings – (include a joke.)
  • Staff meetings
  • Patient Success Stories, Upbeat Atmosphere:  Take a “vibe check”:  too seriousness or pleasant can welcoming atmosphere. Where’s the party?
  • Spinal Care Class
  • Whiteboard
  • Brochures
  • Staff education
  • WOC (Whip out card)
  • Mission

“Do Your Part” Patriotic Chiropractic Promotion

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This is a promotion that can be used any time in the U.S., particularly in July in conjunction with Independence Day, Labor Day, or Memorial Day.

Its purpose is to educate patients, and non patients, to understand that by getting healthier, the country and economy will benefit.  Someone who is healthy is more productive and less of a burden on our disease care medical system.  A healthier person contributes more to our national, and local, economy.

The theme of this promotion is that getting healthier — and getting others healthier — is somewhat of a patriotic duty, particularly in these hard economic times.

How To Do the Promotion
You can set aside a day or a week to hold a special promotion for your patients to encourage them to schedule their family and friends to come in to your clinic for an introductory service.

  1. Team Talk. Talk to the staff and go over the promotion with them.  Take their suggestions and consider including them.
  2. Plan and Schedule. Set a date and plan out the particulars.
  3. The Reason. Go over the reason or “greater purpose” behind the promotion and how the promotion can help fulfill this goal.
  4. Delegate a staff member to be the Do Your Part Coordinator to help implement this program, and to be its cheerleader.
  5. Posters. Place posters in the office.
  6. Coupons. Hand out coupons to patients individually. Sign each one, with a date issued. You can even write the patient’s guest name on the coupon.
  7. Word of Mouth. Talk it up with all of your patients.
  8. Newsletter.  Write a notice in your office newsletter.
  9. External. You can also promote this is a small town newspaper, insert, and or on your web site. Adjust the text of the poster slightly and place at local coffee shops, hair salons, etc.

And, you can Do Your Part by helping your patients and community do theirs.

Sample Poster
Sample Coupon

No Recess Here

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Busy-busy-busy. Promotions, staff training, hiring, new procedures, patient finances, and patients, patients, patients.

There may be a recession, but with the doctors with whom we work, there sure hasn’t been a recess!

They are working harder than ever (and so are we!)  And, their practice “scorecards” show it. Some offices report a slight decline but many in fact have been going up.

And that is, in the final analysis, our best solution: In a recess-ion – don’t take a recess.  At least not a mental one. Now and then, it is good to get out, but that is just so you can come back with more energy than ever.

Quit Whining
Arnold Schwarzenegger recently told a group of Europe’s top trade officials:

160533-arnold_thumb_original

“It doesn’t make any sense for people to sit back and whine and to complain about the economy slowing down because we have to look forward rather than back.” He went on to say: “We have to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”

So, what is the solution?

When the Going Gets Tough
Over the years, we have seen so many chiropractic offices get by with poor procedures, hit and miss marketing, bad management, and sloppy clinical. The thing is, chiropractic works SO WELL that a poorly run office could limp along and survive. But not any more.

When the going gets tough, the tough get to work improving their business, or to paraphrase Stephen Covey, they get to work “Sharpening their Saw.”

You have to improve all aspects of your business. If you don’t, people will go to a doctor’s office that is.

First thing you should do?
But when numbers start to slip, what is the first thing you should do to improve your business? OK, let’s start out this way: what is the first thing you should NOT do?

Read the results of these 2 studies and see if you can guess the answer:

In a study of U.S. recessions, McGraw-Hill Research analyzed 600 companies from 1980-1985. The results showed that business-to-business firms which maintained or increased their advertising expenditures during the 1981-1982 recession averaged significantly higher sales growth, both during the recession and for the following three years, than those that eliminated or decreased advertising. By 1985, sales of companies that were aggressive recession advertisers had risen 256% over those that didn’t keep up their advertising.

Or how about this study by Roland Vaile:

“Advertising executive Roland S. Vaile tracked 200 companies through the recession of 1923. In the April 1927 issue of Harvard Business Review, he reported that the biggest sales increases throughout the period were rung up by companies that advertised the most.”

You guessed it: don’t stop marketing.  Marketing costs money and takes time, and this is one of the first things business owners want to “cut back on” when frightened by a recession.

Hmm, is that defensive or offensive? And the best defense is a what? That’s right, a continuous outreach program.  Talks, screenings, special promotions, networking, do it all and more. Now is not the time to cut back or economize. The time to do that is when you are making the money.  If you try to save now, you will have less and less to save with. Most people spend money when they make it and try to save it when they don’t. In fact, the exact opposite should be done as a business strategy. More on that for a later post.

But marketing isn’t all external. The truth is, it is mostly internal to your office. This means you should work each week  on improving your internal marketing procedures. These include patient education and  extra-ordinary service procedures, and literally everything you do and that goes on in your office that each patient experiences.

What the patient experiences is a critical part of marketing.  If the patient has a satisfying and rewarding experience, he or she will come back and maybe bring a family or friend.  If she doesn’t, she will go somewhere else.

So, don’t go blaming the economy if your patients aren’t coming back or referring, or if your practice is not growing.  Improve your patient’s experience in your clinic and get to work on improving your marketing outreach and all aspects of your business.

Even with the challenges that the economy sends your way, this still could be your finest year.

———–

Come to our Boot Camps and get trained. We are going to train train train, and have fun doing so.

Minneapolis, MN – Thursday, April 2. 8:30 to 5
Milwaukee, WI – Thursday, June 4. 8:30 to 5
Learn about them here.

Listen to Dr. Peter Kevorkian on our next Teleclass on March 23 at 12:30 Central Time.  Special talk on “Creating Lifetime Patients”
To learn more or register, go here.

—————-

link to above mentioned studies: Studies

What Do You Think About When the Phone Rings?

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You are sitting there, trying to finish your notes. You hear your phone ring. You are a bit behind. Maybe slightly irritated by an arbitrary denial of an insurance company and you haven’t yet planned out tonight’s evening with the family, spouse, or friend.The phone rings again.

What are your thoughts? What are your feelings?

Do you kinda wish it wouldn’t ring? Is it a bit of an interruption? Do-you-just-want-to-answer-the –dang-phone-to-stop-the-ringing-so-you-can-get-back-to-your-work?

Essentially, your thought is “Stop.”   It is: “Don’t call me.”  “Phone, don’t ring, don’t interrupt me!”   I am sure this has happened to you – even if ever so slightly or subconsciously.

Now, imagine if your front desk has these thoughts when the phone rings?

To some degree, even the most devoted and hard working staff can reactively feel put upon by phone calls. Or, in fact, by walk-ins. Or, in fact, by any patient encounter. I have seen this happen on the front desk when the doctor was busy with patients.  But remember, this can happen with even the most ethical team member, including you!  I have seen doctors do this too. (Extreme examples: “Oh, only two people for the spinal care class – cancel it.” “Oh, just Jim is coming in, reschedule him. I am going to leave early. It is MY office and I can do what I want.”)

Our thoughts can and do determine our behavior and affect how we treat others. Our environment actually mirrors our thoughts.

You may have heard or read about this scientist in Japan. Fascinating experiments. The fellow’s name is Dr. Masaru Emoto and was also in the movie, “What the Bleep Do We Know?”

According to the movie, Dr. Masaru Emoto claims that crystals formed in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward them. He says that he found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colorful snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to negative thoughts, forms incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colors.

You can check out Dr. Emotu’s new book, The Hidden Messages in Water.

So, if our thoughts can affect the formation of water crystals, they probably can have significant effect on our office.

Going back to your front desk, realize that the staff on the front desk have tremendous control over the office, nearly as much as the doctor does. The front desk can be a magnet for your patients, and attract, or repel them.

When the phone rings, you want your front desk, and all staff thinking “YES.”  “Call me. Phone –  ring now.”  “I can hardly wait to talk to this person and see how they are. I am interested in them and how they are doing. I want to help get them come in for care — and their family too.” “They must be really really cool and nice if they are calling us.” “I WANT to know more about them.” “I am grateful for their call and appreciate the effort they made in calling us.”

These are good thoughts.  These are positive thoughts that can help bring in more patients.

You can practice this with your staff at a team meeting.

ACTION STEP. As an example, someone acts as the prospective patient calling. The person acting as the front desk assistant should answer the phone with the attitude of really not wanting to talk to the person. Act it up. This can be funny. Try it a few times.

Then, do the same rehearsal with the front desk assistant positively anticipating the phone call, wanting the phone to ring, and then eagerly answering and talking to the prospective patient.

Keep it the role playing brief. You can and should do it again. It should be fun and act as a reminder to one and all that we should want to meet new people, talk to existing patients, and look forward to phone calls. We can always dismiss the occasional telemarketer or wrong number.

This can also be rehearsed in other types of patient encounters, from taking the new patient back to the exam room, sitting down to do a financial consultation, or checking a patient out and collecting their payments.

(Note to PM&A clients & members: Your PM&A Coach is experienced in these types of trainings. Have one of us facilitate one of these trainings next time we visit your office.)

ACTION STEP. And speaking of how our environment does mirror us, here is a little trick you can use.  Get a real mirror, about 4 inches by 4 inches, and put it at the front desk counter so that the team member can see it. You can write something on it like: “Are My Teeth Showing?” “Am I Smiling?” And staff, you can also put one of these in your doctor’s office on any day that he is feeling grumpy. It applies to us all.

So, the next time the phone rings, smile. Be interested and curious in who is taking the time to call.  Make your thoughts happy so they help create an office that is brilliant, colorful, and full of happy patients.

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[Petty, Michel & Associates offers special practice development programs designed to help you achieve your goals. Give us a call for more info: 414- three three two -4511]

WHAT RECESSION?

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You know by now that the American economy is just a little bit shaky. On Tuesday, January 22, the stock market dropped 465 points, only to recover to a loss of 128 points due to a fast save by the Fed to cut interest rates a 3/4 of a point. Reports from oversees indicate that foreign exchanges are bracing for a recession in Europe and Asia, caused in part by America’s financial markets and our threatening recession.

But it doesn’t take an economist to add up the facts. The lending market, the housing market, the falling value of the U.S. dollar, the international trade imbalance, and, of course, the huge expense of the Iraq war all add up to big challenges. And, I don’t have to tell you about the condition of “health” insurance.

The reports and financial stats are out there for you to draw your own logical conclusions.

Most of us have seen recessions before, though factors appear to be stacking up to make this recession an especially big one. But who knows for certain? It may be forestalled till after the election, or other factors may come forth and send the economy in a different direction altogether.

It is good to pay attention to current events, but you don’t want to get distracted by the fact that prosperity starts at home – in your office. The best guarantee to surviving a recession, or worse, is to ensure that your practice and business are as strong as possible. In a down economy, there may good investments to be made, but the best investment is in yourself and your business.

The demand for health care, wellness care, has never been stronger. Chiropractors are continually becoming more accepted as the leader in the wellness movement. Your big challenge is simply not to participate in any recession but to move into the leadership role you have as a health doctor, a Doctor of Chiropractic.

There is no recession in the demand for health care and wellness care, nor will there be. Making yourself well known and popular, being accessible, and providing consistently excellent service with quality outcomes will insure your future prosperity.

If you work to continually improve all functions of your businesses, you will always be able to ask: “What Recession?”

Best regards,

Ed

P.S. By the way, our old friend, Dr. Jim Sigafoose wrote about this same concept, with the same title, back in 1991. Here is his article on another web site: LINK

PSS Also, here is what Siggy says about us: LINK

Fall Chiropractic Marketing

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Here are some quick ideas for you to consider for your fall marketing of your chiropractic services.

There are different approaches to these themes and projects. Please give us a call anytime for advice on how to implement them. You can also find them on your MMS computer program. For those of you on the MMS Coaching program, you can also find information on your Member’s site, which is updated often.

Internal/External

  • September – Kid’s Day
    i.    Spinal Care Class (New patients and their guests friends.)
    ii.   Care To Share Program (Referral drawing)
  • October – “Pinched Nerve Awareness Week” (October is national Spinal Health Month.)
    i.    Reactivation Program
  • November – “Headache Awareness Week”
  • December – Donation Drive
  • January – Weight loss and Fitness Programs

Community Services
Now is an excellent time to work on setting up your external community events. Schedule workshops and screenings in business, clubs, and organizations over the next 5 months – through January.

An important key to setting up these events is knowing what it is you are going to provide. For example: a workshop on headaches, or fitness, or a screening, or something else entirely.

We have found that there is a direct ratio between having a clear idea of what service you are going to provide and the success in scheduling the event. Here are some ideas, but again, there are many more on your MMS computer program and please call if you have any questions.

  1. “8 Healthy Home Remedies for Relieving Headaches”
  2. “How to Stay Fit When You Sit”
  3.   Company Health Fair
  4.   Employee Appreciation Luncheon

Lastly, and as always, keep yourself inspired.  One way to do this is to keep learning and working on improving your procedures.   Fall is not just a time when children get to learn. We always have the opportunity to improve if we just study.  We can analyze our new patient intake procedures, our patient education programs, our clinical protocols for different cases, etc.

If you are feeling like your practice is getting boring, just study it. Learn how it could be improved.  A professional is constantly improving.

Till next time,

Ed