11

Whether you like it or not, the practice of medicine has become a competitive industry. With so many physicians to choose from, patients can now be picky about which doctor they would like to visit. And it is usually the ones with the most innovative marketing techniques who have the upper hand. Here are some examples of creative marketing techniques that have been successful:

One physician did away with the usual stoic medical décor and created a theme for his practice. This physician, who was a huge fan of the movies, decorates his office with movie posters, autographed photos, life-size film promo displays and some authentic movie memorabilia. And in keeping with the movie theme, the doctor and staff give all of their patients the star treatment. For patients who make a new patient referral, the doctor thanks them by giving them movie theater tickets. So far, his referrals have increased by over thirty percent. The patients love the creative décor, which often distracts them if the doctor is running late in his appointments. And because the physician buys the movie tickets in bulk from the local theaters, the theaters, in return, contribute the movie posters to his practice.

A physician organizes “health help for charity fairs.” What does this mean? The physician contacts the human resources department of a large corporation in the area and offers to host a free “employee health-enhancing event” with other practitioners from a variety of medical practice disciplines in the area. The physician informs the HR person that the fair will be held in the name of the company’s favorite charity. Once the company agrees to the idea, the charity’s staff and the employer’s public relations department are responsible for publicizing the event. At these fairs, employees get valuable health information and free tests from local practitioners. As a result, the employer has given morale a boost by showing employees that they care about their health and well-being and the charity gets a donation from the corporation and the participating medical practices. Employees have the option of making a donation as well. The practice regularly organizes these fairs and the contacts they make at them have generated a dramatic increase in new patients.

One gynecologist was asked to speak at a church-sponsored retreat for 100 married men. The subject—strengthening the bonds of a long-standing marriage. The doctor was asked to explain the physical and emotional changes that women go through during menopause. The doctor brought along business cards and practice brochures to hand out to those who were interested in learning more. He also asked for all attendees to enter their names, addresses and phone numbers into a ledger and explained that this information would permit him to send their wives a helpful gift at no charge. The doctor’s participation in the retreat provided his practice with access to more than sixty new patient prospects. Even better, the doctor did not have to pick up the tab for any part of the retreat since he was an invited guest whose sole job was to speak to the attendees.

Another physician posts fliers on bulletin boards in small businesses to market his practice. The fliers are designed on an oversize sheet of paper that contains dozens of small, identical offer coupons in a tear-off size. Employees are encouraged to cut off one coupon for either themselves or a family member. The coupons can be for a discounted visit or a free consultation. The doctor labels the flier as a Small Business Special. The doctor keeps a list of the small businesses in his target area with each company’s phone number and contact. The list gets updated two or three times a year. Each company has a contact person who gets a letter of explanation, which asks that the flier be posted on the employee bulletin board, and a program flier. The doctor’s staff conducts follow-up phone calls to make sure that the company has received the materials and to ask if the company will participate in the program. The staff also checks to see if additional fliers are needed. Responses to the program are carefully tracked. So far, the chiropractor has gotten an 18:1 return on investment for his practice.

These are only a few examples of innovative ways doctors have marketed their practices. What these doctors have shown is that with a little creativity—and with very minimal money—your practice can gain an edge over the competition.