{"id":1057,"date":"2007-03-22T12:59:58","date_gmt":"2007-03-22T17:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pmaworks.com\/observations\/?p=1057"},"modified":"2011-01-19T13:07:03","modified_gmt":"2011-01-19T19:07:03","slug":"are-you-trying-to-run-marketing-programs-without-an-operating-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pmaworks.com\/observations\/are-you-trying-to-run-marketing-programs-without-an-operating-system\/","title":{"rendered":"Are You Trying To Run Marketing Programs Without An Operating System?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: small;\">With advice from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gmarketing.com\/authors\/jlevinson.html\">Levinson,<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.godaddy.com\/gdshop\/about_bob.asp?se=%2B\">Parsons<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.palmer.edu\/history2.aspx?id=1144\">Palmer<\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Are you having difficulties with your marketing?<\/strong> Do you not have the number of new patients you want?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Let me tell you why.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>If you are like most doctors, you are trying to execute marketing ideas or plans with something missing<\/strong>.  For an example, it would like trying to drive away in a new car without  any tires, or trying to run a computer program without Windows (on a  PC).<\/p>\n<p><strong>There is a basic foundation, or interface, that usually gets overlooked in marketing<\/strong>.\u00a0 And I do mean usually. This is why you work so hard  at your marketing yet you do not get the results you want. Or, by now,  you haven\u2019t gotten the results you hoped for and have secretly given up.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In other words, you almost have effective marketing. <\/strong>You  almost have the number of new patients you need, like almost having a  good car when it only has its tires missing. Yet, the tires are  fundamental.<\/p>\n<p><strong>There is a fundamental ingredient that ensures your marketing will eventually work; yet it just isn\u2019t promoted<\/strong>.\u00a0 In most cases, it is overlooked. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">It is not a secret, but it may as well be<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>And, it is nothing new. <\/strong> It is common sense, yet it is consistently shoved aside. I am going to  tell you briefly what it is here. If you read this and do it, your  marketing efforts will be GREATLY improved.<\/p>\n<p>Are you thinking: \u201cHuh?\u201d\u00a0 Well, you will have to read this short article to understand. Here we go:<\/p>\n<div>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>What is the most essential component to effective marketing?<\/strong> Let\u2019s take a look at three.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Marketing Procedures<\/span><\/strong>.\u00a0 Obviously, you need these. These are the \u201cHow To\u2019s.\u201d\u00a0 These are what are usually promoted to chiropractors.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>What gets promoted? <\/strong> \u201cHow to Get More New Patients Without Doing Anything And Get Rich While  On Vacation.\u201d\u00a0 \u201c14 Secret Different Surefire Ways To Get New Patients  That Insurance Companies Don\u2019t Want You To Know About.\u201d \u201cWho Else Wants A  Waiting List Type Of Practice and Only Work 2 Days Per Week?\u201d On and on  and on!<\/li>\n<li><strong>The truth:<\/strong> These are just examples of attention getting packaging. Most of these  and other procedures have been around since before Jimmy Parker began  his programs back in the early 50\u2019s. (I had chance to talk with him years  ago, but that is another story!) It was B.J. Palmer that used \u201cprinters  ink\u201d and his radio station, W.O.C., to promote Chiropractic back in the  Day (1924) . (By the way, did you know that W.O.C (1420 am, Iowa) is  believed to be the FIRST commercial radio station west of the  Mississippi River, stood for \u201c<a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/B._J._Palmer\">Wonders of Chiropractic<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/B._J._Palmer\">\u201d<\/a>, and is where Ronnie Reagan, future U.S. President, got his start broadcasting.)\n<p>A  doctor decides to create a relationship with auto body shops in town,  and makes video about it. Another likes public speaking and makes a  seminar company around it.\u00a0 Nothing wrong with any of this \u2013 you can  always pick up tips. More importantly, it shows you what is being done  by others and can help motivate you to do your own brand of marketing  procedures. This leads us to\u2026 motivation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Motivation.<\/strong> Absolutely  essential, you need this more than anything. It doesn\u2019t matter how many  books, tapes, binders, lectures, videos, and other stuff you have. It  will all just sit there unless you have the \u201cgiddyup\u201d to apply the  procedures.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>What gets promoted?<\/strong> Seminars to get you \u201cpumped up\u201d, \u201cfired up\u201d, and \u201cpurposes rekindled.\u201d\u00a0  Seminars and workshops on \u201cphilosophy\u201d, scientific validation, rope  courses training, etc.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The truth<\/strong>. This  is the truth. You do need to have energy to put into motion the actions  needed to promote your services and from which you generate new  patients.\u00a0 This energy, purpose, drive, desire, and demand will get the  marketing projects done.\u00a0 Seminars, lectures, rope courses, church,  anything that helps give you more energy is good. We recommend them.\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Except for one thing<\/span>:  Motivation remedies are basically symptom oriented. (Jim Beam works  pretty well too, for a few hours.)\u00a0 You go to the seminar, get the  \u201cpassion\u201d going again, and sometimes buy a new table or piece of  equipment with high hopes. You come back to the office, change things,  and for a few weeks, all is exciting.\u00a0 Three months later, you find that  things are mostly the same as they were before, except that now your  motivation is to pay for the plane fare, hotel, and equipment you bought  at the last seminar.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Marketing Management.<\/strong> <\/span>So,  what is the fundamental key to marketing?\u00a0 Well, actually, it is  something maybe a little boring and therefore overlooked by most  doctors. It is not sexy, or even slightly charming.\u00a0 It is &#8211; the  management of marketing.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>How is it promoted?<\/strong> This really isn\u2019t promoted in the industry. Oh, you see something now  and then about a marketing plan, or branding &#8211; some fluffy stuff written  by someone who doesn\u2019t have to pay their staff every two weeks from new  patients.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>The Truth.<\/strong> Who wants to manage? You went to school to treat\/adjust patients. Most  doctors just want something tangible for quick fix.\u00a0 But the truth is  that your marketing procedures need to be placed on an organizational  foundation. If that organization is not there, it will be like placing a  vase of roses on a two legged stool: your projects will eventually  crash.\u00a0 And, according to Bob Parsons,<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pmaworks.com\/main\/16_Rules_For_Success_in_2007.shtml\"><br \/>\n<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">\u201cAnything that is not managed will deteriorate.\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pmaworks.com\/main\/16_Rules_For_Success_in_2007.shtml\">(Link)<\/a><\/p>\n<p>A good marketing management system solves many practice problems. To name just a few, it<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Decreases the \u201cPractice Roller Coaster.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Increases total new patients and active patients.<\/li>\n<li>Helps select what marketing procedure to use and when.<\/li>\n<li>Sustains your motivation over the long term.<\/li>\n<li>Decreases  overhead. Money spent on seminars, marketing materials, marketing in  general is better targeted so you get more return on your investment  (ROI).<\/li>\n<li>Motivates your staff, which makes for a more pleasant, less stressful work environment for everyone.<\/li>\n<li>Increases profit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Do these 5 fast steps to help you with managing your marketing:<\/strong><\/p>\n<div><strong>1.\u00a0\u00a0 Scheduling marketing activities<\/strong>.\u00a0  Select what you want to do and schedule them. Use a calendar for all  those that you do just now and then (e.g. Patient Appreciation Day), and  a list for those that are recurring (Welcome Letter to all new  patients).<\/p>\n<p><strong>2.\u00a0\u00a0 Get someone to be the marketing coordinator. <\/strong>As Jay Levinson, author of <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Guerrilla Marketing<\/span> says:<span style=\"font-size: x-small;\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><span style=\"font-size: x-small;\"> \u201cMarketing will succeed only if time and energy are regularly devoted to it by you or a person you designate.&#8221;<\/span><span style=\"font-size: xx-small;\"><br \/>\n<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">(Guerrilla Marketing Excellence)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>This could be the doctor, spouse, therapy C.A., massage therapist, associate doctor, or anyone who is up to the job.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3.\u00a0\u00a0 Internal Monitoring and Accountability<\/strong>.  All marketing activities should be tracked and monitored. Statistics  should be kept.\u00a0\u00a0 Mr.\u00a0 Parsons also gives the following advice, which  can be applied to marketing:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\u201cMeasure everything of significance. I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched improves.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<strong>4.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Regular review and planning.<\/strong> You have to regularly review your past activities and then select what  activities you will being doing in the future and who will do them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0External Accountability and Support.<\/strong> Seek and use outside support. We all can use help staying on a course,  or on the \u201cstraight and narrow.\u201d\u00a0 This is where seminars can be useful,  as can consultants, advisers, spouses, friends, colleagues and others.\u00a0  Sometimes called a \u2018brain trust\u201d, it has often been noted that  successful people are successfully supported by others.<\/div>\n<p><strong>Marketing  management provides the operating system upon which all your marketing  activities, projects, and programs will eventually succeed, or fail.<\/strong> Like  computer software such as Windows, or DOS, to use a computer analogy,  it is the link between the owner and the staff, between the plan and the  application.\u00a0 It forms a bridge between what you want done and what  gets done.<\/p>\n<p>It is the tires to your new shiny car, and it is where the rubber \u2013 meets the road.<\/p>\n<p>Even with the briefest amount of management as outlined above, your marketing will improve and your practice will grow.<\/p>\n<p>Ed Petty<\/p>\n<p>To read more about how to manage your marketing, and the Marketing Manager System(sm) , <a href=\"http:\/\/pmaworks.com\/chiropractic\/chiropractic-practice-management-tools\/marketing-manager-system\" target=\"_blank\">go here.<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With advice from Levinson, Parsons, and Palmer. Are you having difficulties with your marketing? Do you not have the number of new patients you want? Let me tell you why. If you are like most doctors, you are trying to &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/pmaworks.com\/observations\/are-you-trying-to-run-marketing-programs-without-an-operating-system\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chiropractic-marketing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pmaworks.com\/observations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pmaworks.com\/observations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pmaworks.com\/observations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pmaworks.com\/observations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pmaworks.com\/observations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1057"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pmaworks.com\/observations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1057\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1058,"href":"https:\/\/pmaworks.com\/observations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1057\/revisions\/1058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pmaworks.com\/observations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pmaworks.com\/observations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pmaworks.com\/observations\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}