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How to Convert Prospective Patients into Raving Fans

August 22, 2012 by Amy Wong

Converting prospective patients into paying patients should be a breeze if you have a system in place.  To help you with creating effective systems we created The Patient Attraction System TM.  This system is essentially a blueprint that allows anyone to run your medical practice without you being there to direct the show.  And more importantly, patient care is delivered in the exact same way, whether you are directing or someone else is directing.

There are essentially six systems that are integral to developing a brand and providing superior medical services.  There are of course many components to any system, but for illustration purposes let’s discuss one piece that serves as the cornerstone of the Patient Attraction System TM.

Step 1:  Prospective Patients

You have worked hard to engage with your community both on and off line, now those efforts are finally paying off.  Prospective patients are calling to schedule appointments with you.  The method that your staff engages with these calls can very well determine whether the prospective patient will actually follow through and trust you with their care.  So if you haven’t already, now is the time to have systems in place that will assure that all of your online efforts are not thwarted by the reception they receive when they first call your office.

Let’s start with how you handle incoming calls to your office.  What is your system?

Patient Attraction System TM:  The Initial Phone Call

How is the phone answered at your medical practice?   This seems like a pretty basic question, but after you have spent hours building your brand on and offline this is often an overlooked part of what can be a defining moment for a prospective patient.  Consider the following exchange and compare it to the intake system you have in place at your medical practice.

The First Step:  The Call

“Hello, welcome to the Randall Wong Retina Eye Center, this is Amy, how may I assist you.”  Keep in mind the tone is warm, inviting and definitely with a smile.

What have we told our prospective patient?

The caller was greeted, she knows she dialed the correct number, she knows who she is talking to and she knows that “Amy” is not in a hurry and more importantly, that “Amy” wants to assist her.

Note:  Your receptionist/intake specialist, I prefer to use the term patient care representative,  should know how integral they are to the patient attraction process and should never be expected to rush through a phone call.  Think of it this way…are you running a factory or a patient centered medical practice.

The Second Step:  Intake Information

Now, the next step will hopefully lead to the caller scheduling an appointment.  At this point “Amy” will lead the caller through a questionnaire that was designed to put the caller at ease and gather essential information for the appointment.

The Third Step:  The Welcome Package

Once “Amy” has finished with her scripted intake questionnaire she will thank the patient and let the patient know that they should be receiving a welcome package within the next several days.

The Welcome package will have an assortment of materials, but the most important piece will be the business card with Amy’s information.  Amy will serve as the patient’s point of contact because a personal connection has already been established.  The patient will have a familiarity with “Amy” and will hopefully not hesitate to call should she have additional questions prior to her appointment.

Note:  How many receptionists, patient care representatives, or other staff members at your office are given business cards.  If you are like most offices, the answer is likely very few.  This is something I have never understood….give all of your staff members their own business cards.  Not only does this increase your exposure with each card that is handed out, but think of it from the employee’s perspective; i.e., the business card shows they are valued and have an important role in your medical practice.

The Fourth Step:  Confirm the Appointment by Postcard

Yes, there is a small cost associated with sending a postcard and a welcome package; however, the patient will surely remember the extra special measures that were taken to ensure a seamless first appointment.

Side note:  Many practices like to use their website for directions and contact information.  We believe using on-line and off-line measures to ensure your patient makes it to the office is worth the small expenditure.  Do the math yourself…is the office visit worth the two bucks you spent, and even less after factoring in the relative tax implications.

The Fifth Step:  Confirm the Appointment by Calling the Patient

This is very important; “Amy” will call the patient the day before to confirm the appointment and answer any last minute questions the patient may have.

So… What’s the System?

The system is the process that is used to assure that each patient has the same experience.  In the example that was used above, if you were to implement the five step intake process you would need to have a system in place that would track the completion of each step and automatically send reminders to the patient care representative to remind them of the next task needing to be completed.  This may sound like a lot of work, but once your system is in place you will have created a system that can be employed by anybody.

 

Filed Under: Do it Yourself, Marketing Systems Tagged With: Patient Attraction System

How do You Value Your Medical Practice?

August 21, 2012 by Amy Wong

How to Value Your Medical Practice

What math are you using to figure out the relative value of your medical practice?  If you are like most physicians you are probably using traditional methods to determine the value; i.e., revenue, profit and market conditions.  If this is the type of math you are using it is fairly safe to assume that you are focusing on the number of patient encounters you have each month.  This is fine if you are content with traditional valuing methods.  After all, this method is consistent with the traditional sales approach.  Generally speaking, the greater the number of sales, the greater your return on investment for that particular month, quarter or year.

But What if You Want More?

If you want more, then you will need to learn a new math.  Focusing on brand development will make traditional valuation methods worthless.  If you have created an online brand then you have likely carved out a niche within your particular practice area.  Therefore, your total net value is worth far more than the number of patient encounters you have on any given day.

Presumably, at some point, you will want to sell your medical practice.  The time to start planning for that day is now.

Have you Created a Brand for Your Medical Office?

Creating a brand requires a marketing strategy; however, once implemented you will find that your efforts have made your medical practice a valuable asset, one that cannot be measured by traditional valuation methods.

To determine whether you have successfully created a brand consider the following four questions:

  1. What does the market, your market, think about your medical practice?
  2. How, when and where is the market talking about you or your medical office?
  3. What is the experience the market has with your medical office?
  4. Is your brand dependent on you?

Keep in mind the fourth question is paramount.  If your brand is dependent on you then you haven’t created residual value.  Why?   Because the value cannot be replicated by a new owner.  So how do you create a brand in a medical practice that is not dependent on you, the physician?  After all, you are the one who ultimately renders the services.  The key is to develop systems.

An Online Marketing Strategy is Key to Increasing the Value of Your Medical Practice

If you are building your practice much the same way you would read a book or watch a movie, then you haven’t created systems; i.e.,  you have no idea of how the story will unfold.   Meaning if you have no idea of how or when you will sell your practice then you are passively engaging in the practice of medicine without a real plan.  You need to start creating your exit strategy now and it doesn’t matter whether you plan on retiring in 1 year, 5 years or 10 years.  The key is to start developing your marketing strategy now.

If you create a brand that allows any physician or group to simply take over where you left off then you will have created a valuable asset.  If you have incorporated online branding and reputation management then you will need to go beyond traditional accounting to recognize the full value of your medical practice.

Have you created systems to brand yourself? Have you created systems to measure your online efforts?   If so, please share in the comments so our community can gain through your experiences.

~Amy

Filed Under: Branding

Does Your Practice have a Story? Are Your Employees Proud to be Part of That Story?

May 8, 2011 by Amy Wong

Medical Practice Branding, Telling Your Story to Brand Your Practice

A story can help you create a brand.  Your story can engage your patients.  Tell a story and make your employees part of it.  Does your medical practice have a story?

Approximately twenty years ago I (about Amy Wong) took a summer job working for, Katzen Eye Group, one of the largest ophthalmology practices in the state of Maryland.  This summer job lasted eight years and I only left because I decided it was time to go to law school.  So what kept me at a summer job that was only supposed to last until I found a job in the field for which I was trained.  The answer is I became part of the Katzen Eye Group (KEG) story because I knew that together we really did make a difference in our patient’s lives.

***As you are reading this consider whether any of your employees, twelve years from now, would refer their friends, family members and colleagues to your practice.  If you’re not sure, then now is the time to create a story that you and your employees are proud to not only be a part of, but one they enjoy sharing.

The Story Background

When I first started working at Katzen Eye Group I was hired as a receptionist; however, within a month, at my request, I was being trained by the lead technician to learn the duties of an ophthalmic assistant.  Shortly thereafter, I was shadowing the owner and director, Dr. Leeds Katzen; or to those lucky enough to be in his inner circle, Jack Katzen.  Note:  You’ll have to ask him yourself how, as young boy, he got this nickname and why it has stuck with him his whole life.

What makes Dr. Katzen different from his Colleagues?

Dr. Katzen has an innate ability to make everyone (his staff and patients) feel at ease.  He is non-assuming and contrary to most of his counterparts spends more time listening than treating.  His patients, all of them, even the PIA’s are valued.  This sometimes may have meant taking 30 minutes with a patient that was supposed to be a 10 minute follow-up exam.  Now in most practices this would likely have caused disgruntled patients and disgruntled staff members for the remainder of the day…not for us.  We rarely got complaints and when we did they rarely left the office unhappy.    Keep in mind our normal schedule without add-ons usually started with approximately 50 patients.  By the end of the day we had likely seen closer to 60.  So how did he do it?  He did it with his story and by developing that story with his team who supported him throughout the day.  His story, my story, our story evolved each day we were together and, if asked, continues to be retold to this day.

His Story

As a young boy, Dr. Katzen, liked to play ball in Patterson Park and when the sun would finally set he would return to his small row house in Baltimore City, Maryland.  His sleeping quarters were small and for the most part, there were no material luxuries in his life.  His parents were not working professionals so he didn’t have the connections that are usually associated with getting into medical school. In short, nothing was easy for him and he had to work hard to attain everything he achieved, but he had a vision and worked tirelessly to achieve his vision.

His Success Lies in the Fact that he Never Forgot his Story

Dr. Katzen never forgot where he came from and never failed to show his appreciation to those who helped him continue his vision each day.  To this day, he is passionate about his practice, patients, and staff members.

While working with him I enjoyed listening to him reminisce with his patients about what it was like to grow up in Baltimore City, as well as the lessons he learned while in his first years of practice.   It is only now, some twenty years later, I realize this was his way of breaking the perceived doctor/patient barrier.  His stories put everyone at ease and facilitated the entire exam process.

Lessons Learned

To create a memorable story that is worth retelling you will need to engage with your patients as people first and patients second and more importantly, as Dr. Katzen so astutely realized, engage your staff as people first, and employees second.

Filed Under: Branding, Social Media Tagged With: branding, social media, story

How to Create Your “About Me” Page

April 18, 2011 by Amy Wong

Start branding your medical practice and don’t wait to develop your “About Me” page.  The “About Me” is often one of the highest ranking pages on a website. So why then do most physicians/medical practices put so little thought into the development of their “About” section?

Engage Your Patients

Think of the “About Me” as your opportunity to engage with your patients in a personal and unique way that will allow you to set yourself apart from your competition. It really should be the first page that is developed and it should set the tone for your entire website.

When you meet with an SEO guru see if and when they discuss the “About Me.”  True gurus understand just how important this section is and will spend a great deal of time exploring the many facets that are involved in branding your practice through your “About Me” page. If they skip it or rush it….run for the door.

Starting the “About Me”

First , you will want to visualize that you are having a conversation with a new patient and that they have asked you these four questions:

  1. Why do you do…what you do?
  2. How can you solve my problem?
  3. Why should I trust you?
  4. When you aren’t working, what do  you enjoy doing?

This will hopefully get you thinking about the many reasons that you love your chosen profession and how you enjoy your free time. The point is to give your readers a glimpse of who you really are, and that, of course means, going beyond the accolades listed in your resume. Give them a reason to want to connect to you.

Optimize Your “About” Page

You will also want to optimize your SEO for “About Me.”  So, just as with every other page on you website, choose a few keywords and work them into your content.

How to Organize Your “About Me”

Readers often remember what have last read. Consider designing your page in the following order:

  • Name
  • Profession
  • Specialty
  • Education
  • Qualifications
  • Hobbies
  • Personal Message

Always Include Your Contact Information

Even if you have separate section devoted to ways to contact you, be sure to include the same information on your “About Me” page. The easier you make it for your readers to reach out to you, the more likely they will actually do it.

Last, but Certainly not Least…Thank Your Readers!

The bottom line is that the development of your “About Me” is to either begin or continue a conversation with your reader/patient/referring physician. Be sure when you do this, you are authentic to yourself and your readers. No matter what, you will always want to increase your personal and professional brand with integrity.

SEO Tip for Your Medical Website

Presumably, you have taken a great deal of time to develop your “About Me” page so be sure to optimize it. Consider the following:

Is your website within the first ten results on Google TM for a chosen keyword?

If the answer is yes, then optimize your “About Me” with the same keyword.

Then link your “About Me” with your main page by using anchor text.

Then go to your main page and create anchor text to link your main page back to your “About Me.”

Filed Under: Marketing, Website Tagged With: About, About Me, Transparency

Does Your Medical Practice Have a Story?

March 24, 2011 by Amy Wong

Medical SEO, Telling a Story About Your Practice

 

Fresh out of law school I began my legal career with the Department of Defense. At the time I had thought DoD’s primary job was to ensure the production of tanks, planes, ammunition, and other war fighting paraphernalia. While those items are necessary and certainly a part of DoD’s story, the truth is that it is the people who fly the planes, shoot the guns and protect our nation that make-up DoD’s story.

Surprisingly, this information was not part of my initial orientation. It was not until I actually listened to the stories of the soldiers and civilian workers who had deployed that I realized they were my true employers, not DoD. This realization changed my perspective and gave me purpose.

So How Does this Relate to Your Medical Practice?

When you hire a new receptionist, technician, or office manager what do you include in your orientation? Do you start with all of the legal paperwork or do you start with your story, your purpose?

Who is the true hero in your story? For some practices the hero may be the patient, for some it may be collective heroism, meaning the staff as a whole and for some it may be the physician. Practice managers who develop their practice’s story and then market that story to both internal and external stakeholders will create purpose for their staff members and patients.

To give you a sense of reference, think of your story as collective pool of water. Each patient or staff member who comes into contact with the pool adds a drop of water. This pool of water is dynamic and is constantly adding to the collective vision. And this vision is continuously reflected out to your internal and external communities.

Why Storytelling?

By creating and retelling your story you give a purpose to your call of action. For employees, you inspire them to add to and continue the collective “pool.” For patients, you give them a sense of belonging and ownership in the practice.

Filed Under: Marketing Tagged With: Medical Marketing, Mission Statement

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_____________________________________

Randall Wong, M.D., Allergan, Allergan Access, Ophthalmology, Social Media and Medicine

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