The question before the promotional marketing discussion group was what promotional item under a dollar would be a great giveaway for an Orthodontist to give to patients. My answer: NOTHING!
Think about it for a minute. Do people need a constant reminder, in the form of a cheap promotional item, that they are spending a fortune with the Orthodontist? Imagine a patient writing another in a series of $500 checks to the Orthodontist. They hand over the check and the receptionist hands them a stadium cup. Seriously, the Orthodontist would be better off giving them nothing.
Remember, effective marketing involves growing the business while maintaining the integrity of the business. Handing someone a cheap do-dad as thanks for spending several thousand dollars is poor marketing at best … bad taste at worst.
So how does a medical Specialist effectively market and promote? Well, first you must realize that the true client of the specialist … is NOT the patient in the chair. The TRUE client of the Specialist - is the General Practitioner.
Most medical Specialists get the majority of their business from General Practitioners whether they be dentists or general-practice internal medicine physicians (the Generals). The Generals refer patients to the Specialist. So it makes sense that the primary marketing focus of a Specialist - would be the Generals.
Every time a General refers a patient to a Specialist, the General's reputation is on the line. If the Specialist screws up, upsets the patient or is disagreeable … not only will the Specialist suffer, but the General may very well lose a patient too.
With that in mind, there is a way to effectively impact both the General and the patient, without resorting to cheap, gimmicky promotional products. While promotional products do have their place in medical marketing, this article will focus on the value of the Feedback Survey Card.
The Feedback Survey Card allows the Specialist to show the General what a great job the Specialist is doing. It also reinforces in the mind of the General that referring to that particular Specialist is good decision. In addition, the card impacts the patients in a professional, appropriate and positive manner. It's like a little double-edged marketing marvel.
Here's my recommended protocol:
• Create a postcard-sized Client Satisfaction Survey. This postcard asks for patient name and a couple non-invasive questions with check mark boxes indicating their level of satisfaction with service, comfort levels and friendliness of staff. About three blank lines are left for patient to add comments/suggestions.
• Specialist sends the Client Satisfaction Survey to the patient in a #10 envelope along with a stamped #9 return envelope along with a short cover note asking for their comments/suggestions.
This alone will indicate to the patient that there's something special about this specialist. Why? When's the last time a specialist asked your opinion of them, their staff or their treatment?
• Patient fills out the survey and returns it to Specialist in the stamped, addressed #9.
• Specialist photocopies the card for the patient record.
• Specialist then addresses the postcard to the referring general's office and mails it. Or, if the Specialist is afraid of a HiPPA violation, they put the card in an envelope and mail it to the General. Fact of the matter is, if a Specialist is utilizing this program, then they should be getting a number of these cards back every week. That warrants saving them and bulk mailing them to the Specialists in a large envelope at the end of each week or every couple of weeks.
• Referring General gets the postcard (s) showing that the patient is happy with the Specialist. This reinforces in the General's mind that they made the right decision in referring to that particular Specialist.
Every once in a while, a representative from the Specialist's office can hand-deliver the postcards with a box of donuts, cookies or other snack-treat for the staff of the General to enjoy.
Again, a Feedback Survey Card kills two birds with one stone. It creates an impression in the mind of the Patient that the Specialist cares and it reinforces in the mind of the General that they made a good decision.
Michael Merrick Crooks, is founder of Crooks Advertising Alliance a creative strike-force specializing in creative problem-solving. An internationally known author and speaker, Crooks writes a monthly marketing column for Brilliant Results magazine and recently published, "ReThinking Trade Show Giveaways."
A Battle Creek, MI native, Crooks is a Boy Scout leader and Little League Baseball coach.
Read Chapter One of his new eBook, "ReThinking Trade Show Giveaways: Stop Simply Giving Stuff Away" FREE at http://www.PromoReThink.com
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
tweet this!
