February 2007

Marketing guru

by Dr. Ogi Ressel

Okay. I need you all to get that your patients don't sign up with you because you marketed them to death. They don't suddenly decide to see you because they saw your wonderful ad in the yellow pages, or your amazing flyer at Wal‑Mart, or your phenomenal chiropractic exam special ‑‑ the one with 50% off regular price for a complete check up, including but not limited to x‑rays, and blood work, and acupressure of one area.

Think about this.

How did you find your dentist, or optometrist, or veterinarian, or hairdresser? Was it from the amazing and fun mall screening they were doing? Were they trolling the streets looking for you? No? There's a shock.

You found these people by word of mouth. Yes...referral. What a concept!

Listen, would you subject your children to the care of someone you picked out of the yellow pages? No? Good, you're being honest with yourself. You definitely would not.

There's no sane parent out there who'd subject his or her kids to your care by picking you out of the phone book from your glitzy full‑page ad. You know the one. The ad with the eight danger warning signs, along with the fact that you offer vitamins, neutriceuticals, rehab, traction, and yoga classes, too!

Parents would only subject their children to your ministrations if they felt that you were trustworthy and that you came highly recommended (mom or dad heard you were the best) ‑‑ and you'd do the same. You probably hate to admit it but you know I'm right.

In order to be ultra‑successful in practice, you don't need to become a marketing guru! You don't need to be a marketing wizard to capture that elusive new patient. What you do need is to be the best doctor your community has ever seen!

You need to have people in your community talking about you behind your back.

"Bob, have you seen that wonderful ad by Dr. Jones, the chiropractor down the street? You know the one...the one with the multiple choices a patient can have to recover. I can pick from acupressure and Shiatsu, and massage, and hot mud packs, and even have my tires rotated while I wait! I think I'll call him right now... and I'll bring my kids!"

Would this be what they'd say?

Somewhere, in the quest for the survival buck, we forgot what we're here for. With the onslaught of a myriad of programs that teach how to market for that elusive new patient, we abandoned the idea that we are actually here to serve people. We're here to save as many as we can ‑‑ especially children!

I know this is what the people in your community are looking for. How? Because I've had the top pediatric and family practice in North America. It was to the point that people would fly in to see me from all over the country and from overseas. And I did it with very little marketing, absolutely no BS, and no hype.

The very valuable lesson I learned is that people are willing to splurge in order to receive the best. When it comes to their health, their happiness, and their pleasure, people will go to extraordinary lengths to get what they desire. Money doesn't become an issue ‑‑ they'll be happy and thrilled to pay for your care...and they'll refer their children and family to you.

Some of you are likely to be saying, "But you don't understand my situation, all my patients want to use their insurance and when it runs out, so do they." Or, "In my town, no one has money for chiropractic." Or, "I give 'em a huge 70% discount if they sign up for 10 visits, and they still don't."

I'm sure you can come up with you own version of some other entertaining ploy, but here's the bottom line. People will only come to see you if they perceive you to be the very best. Not second best, not ok, not average, not just good. No. Only the best. Isn't that what you want, too? Don't you want the best mechanic, the best haircut, the best restaurant, the best car...? The list goes on.

In the cases I've mentioned above, patients simply don't see these doctors as the best, so money is now an issue, insurance is an issue, location is an issue, time is an issue. Your patients have no time, their kids have no time to see you because there are the piano lessons, and soccer practice, and then of course there's Kumon math, etc. Everything's an issue ‑‑ and an excuse!

But, when you're the best, you write your own ticket. When you're the best, your fees are no longer a problem. The fact that you don't accept insurance isn't a problem. The fact that your office is on the 10th floor above Mario's Bakery and there's no elevator, is not a problem.

There's no more haggling, there's no more "let's make a deal",

no more lame sales pitches. You don't need to scare people to have them as patients. People will actually ask if you could possibly, sometime, as soon as possible, please, find the time to check their family, and their friends, etc.

All of a sudden you practice from the perspective that people need you and not the other way around. You actually start being the doctor you've always envisioned being. Not an amazing marketer. Not a wonderful salesperson. Not a wizard of tech and gimmicks. An amazing doctor.

You can learn to become the doctor you've always dreamed of being or, you can become a marketing guru.

The choice is clear.

(Dr. Ogi Ressel, author, researcher, and an x‑ray and pediatric specialist, teaches The Practice Evolution Program, the "fastest‑growing coaching program on the planet." Visit online at www.practiceevolution.com  and take the Practice Health Mini‑Checkup. Dr. Ressel may be contacted by e‑mail at drogi@practiceevolution.com  or by calling 800‑353‑3082. Interested in receiving his weekly THOTS "on seeing tons of children and families in your practice?" Send him an e‑mail and asked to be added to the list.)