June 2009

Are you handicapping yourself in your marketing?

by John D. Lewis

When one of my sons recently expressed an interest in wrestling, I got excited. After all, I was a wrestler in high school myself. So, taking him to practice and standing on the rubber mats and smelling all that sweat brought back many memories for me.

I was surprised at how quickly his first tournament came. He was nervous, excited and wanting to do well. He's a natural athlete with quickness and strength I only wish I'd had in my wrestling years.

But even with superior quickness and strength, it didn't take long for me to realize the advantage the other wrestlers had in his weight class. Most of these other kids had been wrestling for three to six years! My son had only had about four practices under his belt. In fact, he didn't even know most of the rules yet, let alone the wrestling moves.

While he ended up winning about three or four matches out of sheer determination, strength and ability, had he known more than just three moves, he would have easily taken the crown!

How about you? When it comes to marketing, do you have plenty of "moves" in your repertoire? Or, are you handicapping yourself by relying on just one or two?

I've found that most chiropractors rely on just a couple of methods of attracting new prospects and patients, significantly handicapping themselves in the process.

It's like going fishing. You can put one line in the water and hope for a fish. Or, you can put multiple lines in the water to increase your odds tremendously.

In marketing terms, anything that causes a prospect to become aware of you and your practice and, ultimately, come in for treatment is called a "lead source." It's the equivalent of putting another fishing line in the water.

Nearly anything can become an effective lead source -- even your business card! Assume you were to hand out 100 business cards in a month, and that led to just one new patient, would it be worth your time? If the lifetime value of a patient is just $3,000-5,000 for you (after factoring in their referrals) you bet it would!

So, how many lead sources should you have? As many as you can! Imagine having 45 or 55 or even 100 different lead sources you can count on to bring you at least one new patient per month. How would that change your practice?

If you think it isn't possible, think again. There are hundreds of ways to bring in new patients. And, once they're set up, most of them don't require any of your time on an ongoing basis.

Yellow page ad listings, websites, screenings, seminars and referrals are among the most common lead sources. But don't be fooled. There are many other types of lead sources you can implement, including blogs, paid searches, search engine optimization, banner exchanges, article submissions, direct mail, newspaper ads, magazine ads, radio ads, television ads, referral partners, networking groups, speaking engagements, press releases, social networking, ezines, newsletters, etc.

So, stop handicapping yourself and start implementing as many different lead sources as you possibly can. The more you implement, the more patients you'll have! It's that simple.

(Formerly a CPA specializing in designing, implementing, and automating accounting and operating systems, My Custom Video, Inc. Founder and President John Lewis has combined that experience and expertise with his true passion for direct response marketing. He's written and developed marketing products, videos, websites, software programs, and sales materials, which have generated millions of dollars of revenue for clients spanning a variety of industries. Mr. Lewis now teaches professionals how to enhance their lifestyle by learning to attract a steady stream of prospects and referrals through automated marketing techniques. Most recently, he developed a completely automated, done-for-you marketing system for the chiropractic profession that is offered through The Chiropractic Peak Performance Alliance. For a solution that was built specifically for DCs, go to www.ChiroMarketingAccelerator.com/leads to watch a video and get more information. Or call 800-564-5699. This program is restricted to qualified applicants and limited to a select few members.)