
Marketing is the engine that fuels your chiropractic and healthcare business.
Use these 4 elements in your practice marketing.
Leadership IS marketing
Marketing fails due to poor management.
Marketing numbers are needed for good management.
Monthly marketing plans.
Leadership is marketing. What is leadership? My current favorite definition comes from Jim Collins and his book Beyond Entrepreneurship 2.0 (highly recommended.)
The function of leadership—the number one responsibility of a leader—is to catalyze a clear and shared vision for the company and to secure commitment to and vigorous pursuit of that vision.
This definition could also be a definition for a marketing director.
The abbreviation “C.E.O.” has also been used to refer to “Chief Evangelizing Officer.” When he worked for Apple Computers in the 1980s, Guy Kawasaki popularized the term and called himself the “Chief Evangelist.” One definition of evangelizing means to “promote enthusiastically.”
2. Marketing management. The most common barrier to marketing is management. Most marketing is sporadic, hit and miss, now and then.
Marketing operates best with standardized procedures like your front desk or billing department. These procedures should be assigned to someone to oversee as a project manager. This is usually your practice manager. Everyone in the office has marketing responsibilities, but the manager helps make sure they all get done.
3. Marketing numbers. You manage your marketing best by tracking and reviewing the numbers. These include new patients and their sources: patient referrals, advertising, insurance, and external referrals from businesses or professionals. They include returning patients, and patient retention (visits/new patients) should be tracked.
The cost per new patient is an especially important number that is not often tracked. Back in the day, when we owned and directly managed over 20 chiropractic clinics here in Wisconsin, we’d try to keep the cost of external new patients to $50. This was from all forms of advertising: newspaper, external talks, screenings, radio, and other approaches. We figured that each external new patient should then generate more patient referrals, and we would see the total cost of new patients at about $20. (You can see a chart of our new patients above.)
These are two valuable stats for you to keep. Just track them monthly.
Cost per external new patient.
Cost per total new patients.
You can also track the percentage of collections spent on marketing. Is too much going to marketing – or not enough?
4. Monthly Marketing Plan. Every month, you should plan your marketing for the next 1-3 months based on what your numbers tell you from past results.
a. Service and outcomes. How can you create more patient “wow!”
b. Patient education and communication. Through patient education opportunities and communication, improve your relationship with your patients. For example, a talk on how to get the most out of your care. (Bring a guest!) Monthly personal newsletter to keep the conversation going, and a patient event such as a Patient Appreciation Day or open house.
c. Patient referral generators. For example, Valentine’s Day Coupons or hosting a referral type of event, such as a “Woman’s Night Out” or “Bring a Buddy Day.”
d. External referral source. Create or invigorate your relationship with a local gym, YMCA, dentist, or orthopedist.
e. Advertising. This can work, but watch it closely. Direct marketing should work fast.
Everything rises and falls because of leadership. This includes the promotion of the vision and goals of the practice. But nothing will happen unless the marketing is well managed by using numbers for planning.
We cover all this, and more, in great practical detail in our upcoming Practice MBA program. Get on the Wait List if interested. See below.
Marketing is leadership!
Seize the Future,
Ed
From one of our graduates on the Practice MBA
This course has helped me become a more confident office manager, it has helped the entire office flow to be efficient and streamlined, it has helped our clinic director focus on what she does best, and it has helped our patients receive the best care possible. It is exactly what all independently owned chiropractic offices need to get to the next level. I highly recommend this course to other clinics and office managers because it not only gives you the tools you need to change from “personality” driven to “goal driven,” it gives you a platform to meet other individuals in the same position you are. Laura
========================
If your practice-building efforts aren’t taking you to your goals, there are reasons -- many of which are hidden from you.
Find out what they are and how to sail to your next level by getting and implementing my book, The Goal Driven Business.

Comments