Acupuncturist A has been in practice for six years and has struggled since day one. She spends as much time and money on marketing as she can, but since her practice is slow, her budget isn't that big.
Does this sound familiar? Maybe this scenario describes you or someone you know. Oftentimes, those in this situation reach out to their colleagues to find marketing activities that'll work. This can be helpful to stimulate ideas and creativity, but it can also lead to frustration and confusion if the activities don't produce the same results. How does the same event produce different results in different practices?
We could spend the rest of this article discussing the ramifications of implementation, budget size, number of staff, marketing ability, event promotion, and so on. But it's pretty clear how those elements play into the success of marketing events. Instead of looking at those obvious factors, let's turn the attention of this article to internal characteristics. What is it about you that can make any marketing activity you choose be successful or unsuccessful?
Consistency
People learn to trust those they can depend upon. Regardless of your marketing strategy, be consistent with your efforts and be 100% reliable. If you say you're going to provide a brief talk about the benefits of acupuncture at 6 p.m Tuesday and only one person shows up, it can be tempting to reschedule the talk. Besides, it's awkward to give a lecture to just one person, right? By delivering the talk as promised, it sends the message that you're a person of your word. Furthermore, perhaps the information in that talk was exactly what this one person needed to change their life or refer dozens of people to your practice.
Practical Tip: Create a written marketing calendar and schedule one internal and one external marketing event each month. (An internal event is held in your clinic and an external event is held out in the community.) In addition to providing accountability, a marketing calendar helps you thoughtfully plan out your marketing so you aren't tempted to use "spaghetti marketing." Spaghetti marketing occurs when you jump from activity to activity, throwing things at the proverbial wall to see what sticks. This leads to exhaustion and burnout, and is rarely successful because no activity is given time to succeed.
Authenticity
Live-inspired.com recently posted an article that stated a person's odds of "being born into their particular time, place, and circumstance is about 1 in 400,000,000,000." There has never been another you. Yet we spend so much time trying to be like others...we wear the same style clothes, buy the same cars, and use the same expressions in an attempt to "fit in" instead of celebrating our uniqueness. The same is true of marketing. People look to see what marketing events have worked for others and try to implement them in their own practice, even if the event doesn't fit their personality.
Let's take a look at this example. Acupuncturist A is quiet and reserved by nature. Acupuncturist B is athletic and boisterous. Acupuncturist B built an explosive practice by providing high-energy talks. Acupuncturist A tried the same approach, but didn't experience the same results. Why not? Because Acupuncturist A was uncomfortable with the audience, uncomfortable with the pace, and uncomfortable with the method of delivery. In short, Acupuncturist A was trying to be someone they were not.
Practical Tip: Take some time to review a multitude of marketing activities. Which events appeal to you? Which activities have you tried in the past with success? Which ones haven't worked for you? For those events that didn't work out for you, reflect on why. Was it due to poor planning, lack of resources, or simply because the event didn't suit you? When you have a list of marketing activities that reflect your personality and your practice, start scheduling them into your written marketing calendar.
Generosity
A common marketing mistake practitioners make is focusing too much on their own wants and needs. If this sounds familiar, flip it around. Spend more time asking your community how you can help them instead of expecting them to help you. Are there certain health topics your community is interested in learning more about? Is there a close-to-home charity for which you can provide support or expertise?
Practical Tip: A great way to incorporate generosity into your marketing strategy is to host a charitable services day once or twice a year. For example, hold a food or toy drive for a local food bank or shelter. Each patient that brings in a bag of groceries or new toy will receive a free service. (If they forget their donation items, you could charge them $20 which would then be donated to the selected charity.) Another option: Have one or two days out of the year where current patients can refer a friend or family member for free. This means that the new patient would receive their initial treatment at no cost.
While generosity is an important characteristic, don't sacrifice yourself for others. You have valuable skills and deserve to make a good living. To help ensure a big heart doesn't get in the way of running a business, limit pro bono cases to a certain number per year.
Passion
When you're passionate about something, that positive energy is infused through everything you do. It's undeniable, and draws people to you. Find ways to incorporate your passions into your practice.
Practical Tip: Love to run? Create an annual 5K run to get involved in the community and promote your practice. Love to golf? Develop a presentation to help other golfers improve their game by taking care of their bodies. Passionate about nutrition? Host cooking classes to teach others how to prepare healthy meals. Love technology? Create a podcast, blog, or radio show to market your practice. You get the idea!
Your practice – and it's marketing – is a reflection of you. If the marketing activities you're doing aren't a good fit for you or your practice, they won't be as successful as they could be. Carefully use consistent marketing events to share your authentic, generous, and passionate self!
Dr. Kelley Mulhern (formerly Kelley Pendleton) is a chiropractor, healthcare marketing consultant, professional speaker, and the author of Community Connections! Relationship Marketing for Healthcare Professionals. For more information or to download free materials, please visit www.dr-kelley.com.