STOP SABOTAGING SUCCESSFUL MARKETINGAND HELP PROSPECTS CONVERT TO PATIENTS

HERE ARE 6 WAYS PHYSICIANS CAN

Be a pretend patient

Listen in as someone calls your office to make an appointmentDo you get to the right person

right away or are you bounced around?

Are you put on hold a lot?Does the person on the phone ask

about you first or your insurance?

1

Hire people who care—or have the skills to pretend

If I call and excitedly say, “I’m pregnant, I’d like to know about your OB services.”

2

The 1st thing your staff should say:

They should NOT say:

Congratulations!What type of insurance do you have?

Wow, this is exciting!

Sigh. Please hold…

Yay!Call back later when Erin’s back from lunch.

Google yourself—and your healthcare practice

Are your office phone number and location accurate on search results?If not, set up a Google+ account. Even if you don’t post to it daily, Google+ can help the search engines properly index the most basic information.

3

Check your Yelp reviews.

You’re probably on Yelp, whether you want to be or not.And prospective patients check Yelp, whether you want them to or not. If don’t own your Yelp presence, your unhappiest patients will own it for you.

4

Check your Yelp reviews.

Here’s what happened when I did my own Yelp recon on a physician referral:

4

OMG I give this doctor negative stars

…I feel it’s my duty to warn the general public…

I would give zero stars if I could.

I have to agree with Tonya that she is like an old, grumpy woman

Check your Yelp reviews.

Ask patients who had a good experience to say something nice about you on Yelp.Yes, just flat out ask them. And check your reviews often to address issues with disgruntled patients. Respond genuinely and as quickly as you can.

4

Know your (Millennial) market

Millennials are this tricky group of people between age 18 and 32.Most people well into their 40s fall into this category when it comes to technology. The big thing you need to know about us: We don’t fax. We email.

5

Respect people’s time

Yes, as a rockstar physician, you’re busy.I get it. But the million other things I could be doing don’t stop because you’re busy.

6

I’m complaining on Twitter

I’m venting on Yelp

This might be my last

visit