| Be where your prospective patients are- Build rapport | | | | Tip on patients and staff: |
| and trust with every patient-use the patient's name | | | | How your staff feels is eventually how your patients |
| when speaking to them in person or over the | | | | will feel. No matter how much you try, the bottom |
| telephone. Stay in contact with your patients | | | | line is your patient will have more contact with your |
| throughout the year by sending them a practice | | | | staff than with you. How your employees feel about |
| enewsletter, birthday cards, and thank you notes | | | | their situation at work will ultimately be translated to |
| when they refer a patient to you. Refine your | | | | how your patients perceive your practice. Fill your |
| patient relations processes-have your staff introduce | | | | practice with happy, positive and motivated people |
| themselves by name to new patients and then walk | | | | and you will increase the opportunities for your |
| all new patients from the reception area to the exam | | | | patients to have a positive experience. |
| rooms. | | | | |
| For those physicians who take branding seriously, the | | | | Educational Medical Content |
| payoff could be huge. The difference between a | | | | Offering relevant and educational medical content is a |
| good practice and a great practice is in the details. | | | | new strategy being employed by large pharma and |
| Pay attention to every aspect of you, your staff | | | | medical device companies. This strategy makes their |
| and your practice to ensure it is consistent with your | | | | website ‘stickier' as well as it helps to brand |
| personality and the image you are trying to portray. | | | | them as a reliable resource for high quality |
| How do you get patients to talk about your | | | | information – further elevating their brand in the |
| practice? | | | | mind of consumers. |
| For some plastic surgery and dermatology practices, | | | | Examples include: |
| referrals are 60% of new patient business. But how | | | | Mentor Corporation |
| can you increase referrals from your existing | | | | Restylane |
| patients? Here's a few tips you might find helpful: | | | | It is no secret that consumers use the Internet to |
| Innovate: Design new services or procedures that | | | | research elective based procedures. Why not |
| stand out in the market place. Such "signature" | | | | become a resource for helping their educational |
| procedures are often the bridge to increased media | | | | process? |
| coverage. | | | | Tip: Provide more information on your website than |
| Differentiate: You have to be different to make an | | | | just about the practice. Give your visitors information |
| impression. However, you don't have to go to major | | | | about their condition and help them to become more |
| steps to People talk about small things. | | | | educated. They will pay you back with loyalty and |
| Focus: Make a commitment to deliver a positive | | | | business. |
| patient experience for all your patients. Focus on five | | | | Site Feedback: |
| promises you know your patients want and you can | | | | Providing your website users the ability to offer site |
| deliver. Share your list of promises with your staff | | | | feedback is a simple and inexpensive way to get high |
| and focus on delivering on those expectations. | | | | quality information about what is working on your |
| When the Hybrid Cars hit the market, people quickly | | | | website and what isn't. Users often are willing to |
| started talking about it. However, people didn't focus | | | | provide their opinions about what they feel is missing |
| on the hybrid concept. Almost exclusively, they told | | | | from the site (or what isn't working). Make it easy |
| stories about the little things such as the | | | | for them to offer feedback by having a small form |
| Keyless-entry and the futuristic dashboard. Patients | | | | on the top or bottom of each page. This way they |
| are less able to distinguish between a good | | | | can quickly provide their feedback and keep surfing. |
| and average doctor, but they sure know how to | | | | Tip: Give website users a simple way to offer |
| evaluate their waiting rooms. Your office decor is the | | | | feedback and you'd be surprised to see what they |
| direct extention of you. | | | | say. |
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