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Thursday, 11 February 2010
As a student of business strategy and marketing, I see common themes in events that most people don’t even associate. For example, from a business strategy standpoint, what do the recent Toyota recalls, Medicare therapy caps, and physician arrogance all have in common? Two things: They all have a dysfunctional process that shuts the customer out at critical points in the “need and want to know” communication process, and they all come from an era where public relations and marketing have been separate functions.
In the case of Toyota, we are now watching Toyota’s 40 plus year investment in American brand equity evaporate before our eyes. Sure, the brand may survive with aggressive promotions and PR, but the integrity and dominant power of the brand have been reset to 1968 when the American consumer reluctantly started experimenting with cheap Toyota Corollas while they still lusted for more expensive cars like the Ford Mustang or the Oldsmobile Cutlass. Today, it is damage control run by PR, and the customer has been positioned as a part of the problem to manage, and not as part of the solution.
In the case of physicians, many complain that they are losing control over the patient. They describe the increasing frequency of patient probing and questions as a disruptive time-consuming annoyance. On the public relations side, they will tell you that’s not so – the patient’s questions and thirst for second opinions doesn’t really bother them. Their brochures portray friendly smiling patient doctor visits like fireside chats, but usually the reality is quite different – physicians do the talking and patients listen. What patients really want is EDUCATION about diagnosis and treatment OPTIONS, not brochures with smiling faces and a menu board of services. Could it be possible that fixing this patient-physician dynamic could have more impact on our healthcare crisis than anything our government can provide?
In the case of the physical therapy industry and the proposed Medicare cap, we have APTA leading the charge to inform Congress as to why the benefits of physical therapy are being misunderstood and undervalued. Here we go again – a primitive PR campaign born out of desperation because the PT industry has done a poor job of coordinating a strategic campaign to EDUCATE patients and physicians about the benefits of therapy and how to compare and choose good providers. If we can just get busier educating through thoughtful, strategic communications materials, then the rest should take care of itself.
We applaud the APTA effort, but the question becomes how do we learn from this and lay the foundation to make sure it doesn’t happen again?
This will require a return to sound principle-based marketing communications that satisfy the consumer’s fundamental need to know, not drown them with platitudes, gimmicks, and spin. Our brand-builder business culture has trained us to accept tricks and techniques as state-of-the art marketing, so marketers spend too much effort and resources looking for the latest gimmick when they should be following fundamental principles. And PR executives look for ways to spin the delivery of information. In this new era of information and consumer control, that culture is crumbling around us. This is not good news for the PR industry. In this new world, good marketing will make PR irrelevant.
For business owners and healthcare providers that see the strategic implications of this, the opportunity is huge. For those that don’t, pay close attention to how Toyota squirms out of this mess.
Friday, 13 November 2009
Posture is a powerful thing. I’m not talking about physical posture, but business posture. If you have good business posture, you know it; if you don’t, you know that too. For a physical therapist, poor business posture is running around asking others for permission to receive referrals. Good business posture doesn’t ask for permission; prospective referrals come directly to you because they discover your unique value proposition and problem solving ability.
If you are really good at what you do, then getting good posture is a simple matter of strategic communication. Strategic communication helps people understand why you are good without you having to be present each and every time to explain yourself. Strategic communication replicates your passion and expertise so that prospects “get it” and tug on your sleeve for more of your expert information. I don’t mean to suggest that you should never “explain” yourself, because it is probably true that the most effective mode of pusuasive communication is talking with you directly, but good strategic communications can do most of the heavy lifting, enabling you to establish powerful business posture before even opening your mouth. Think of it this way – your strategic communications materials are the air power, and your direct contacts with prospects are the infantry. After all, competing in business is a lot like warfare, so why not fight the battle with a strategic plan with the objective of establishing good business posture.
Many small and medium sized business owners draw the conclusion that effective strategic communications are not affordable. They’ve tried sending letters, direct mail, radio ads, print, and other things that get disappointing results. This isn’t surprising since most marketing agencies skip the strategic process and just grab the money.
Our job is to communicate our unique value proposition and problem solving ability to you. That’s why we offer free resources like our Clinic Owner’s Guide to Marketing, a free live “webinar” workshop, free strategic material reviews (our version of a postural analysis).
We want to show you that affordable Fortune 500 –Style marketing operations are not only a possibility for your business, but ready to go now – and we do it for you.
Thursday, 08 October 2009
After working with one client after another to create physicians letters for the purpose of spurring referrals, we’ve learned some lessons. Not only have we learned from physicians about what makes the difference between an effective letter and a throw away, but we have also learned from clients what it takes to get them results. Simply put, it’s a three-step process.
First, you need to have something good to say.
This may sound obvious, but take a minute and think about what this really means. From a physician’s standpoint, something “good” probably means how you help solve their problems. For example, if your letters talk about how much experience you have, happy patient testimonials, and your convenient location with flexible hours, do you think physicians will draw the conclusion that you solve a problem for them in a way other physical therapists do not? Do you think these letters will do the job you want to help separate you from your competition? We don’t think so, and this is what we mean when we say, first, find something good to say.
So how do you find something good to say? Train yourself to think about what problems you solve from the physician’s standpoint. The stuff of something good to say is all around you. For example, just a few days ago I had a conversation with a physician about a treatment method used by specially trained physical therapists called ASTYM, researched and developed by Performance Dynamics. The physician started telling me about the great results he sees with ASTYM resolving frustrating conditions including degenerative tendinopathies like lateral epicondylosis, plantar fasciopathy, Achilles tendinosis, etc. He also talked about how ASTYM reduces or eliminates scar tissue resulting from surgery or injury, and it is instrumental in full recovery from things such as knee surgery, shoulder surgery, crush injuries, C-sections, mastectomies and other conditions. But did you know that only a select few physical therapists have this unique training? If you are one of those select few, do you think you have something good to say that separates you from your competition in the minds of physicians?
One final word about having something good to say – you don’t need to limit the “good” to treatment issues. Physicians have other problems you can solve related to added value and service that save them time or provide opportunities for added value and service they can pass along to their patients. So having something good to say is about being better than the competition before trying to out-market them.
Second, you need to say it well.
It is one thing to have something good to say, and quite another to say it well. Creating powerful communications that quickly communicate your unique advantages takes special training using a time-tested proven formula. When you apply the formula, you produce professionally managed strategic content. This approach can make the difference between getting zilch from your mailing investment and measurable results that produce positive returns. We use a formula from tested methods to break down each letter and evaluate how to make it work better. We teach this formula during our 60 minute complimentary live webinars. If you are wondering how your current materials stack up, upload them for a complimentary review and critique here.
Third, you need to say it often.
Once you have something good to say, and a strategic message to systematically say it well, you simply need to say it often. Your prospects will be at different points in their decision process when they receive each communication, and this means that frequency not only helps them absorb your special value proposition, but see at the right time when they are ready to take action. To learn how to automate your system to make sure you "say it often" click here to watch a short preview video.
That’s it. Have something good to say, say it well, and say it often.
You can see powerful strategic planning tools and systems just for physical therapy demonstrated on one of our 60-minute webinars - an entire hour crammed with the most effective strategies now being employed in the physical therapy industry by senior-level strategists with a results-driven track record with absolutely no cost or obligation. Sign up for one today.
Sincerely,
David C. Steinberg & Trent Wehrhahn
The PT Referral Machine.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Why Many Physical Therapists Never Get Traction With Key Physician Referral Sources And How To Fix That By Applying Basic Principles Of Strategic Planning
The most common frustration we hear about from physical therapists is physician resistance; they won’t refer, they won’t prescribe, they won’t choose me… Sound familiar?
Drug companies have had the same frustration. That’s why for the past thirty years they have invested in strategic campaigns that inform the consuming public about drug therapies. Physicians will tell you (as I’m sure they have), that it works.
This trend in consumer healthcare marketing continues to influence physician referral patterns. This means that your strategic plan should include effective consumer marketing that works well together with your physician marketing. Without a good strategic plan, independent practices will become more dependent on the momentum of the market for enough “trickle down” business to keep the doors open. The “trickle-down” strategy may not be the best recipe for business success, especially when you can take more control by implementing a good strategic plan.
For the smaller less-established practices who may think good strategic planning is unaffordable or out of reach, the good news is:
a) even most larger competitors execute weak strategic plans, and
b) an affordable strategic solution like The PT Referral Machine is just a mouse-click away.
Professionally managed strategy for your practice can be implemented following three basic principles:
First, define a clear and desirable value proposition,
Second, implement the internal systems needed to deliver that value, and
Third, effectively and consistently communicate the value proposition to the outside world (your target audience).
You can see powerful strategic planning tools and systems just for physical therapy demonstrated on one of our 60-minute webinars - an entire hour crammed with the most effective strategies now being employed in the physical therapy industry by senior-level strategists with a results-driven track record with absolutely no cost or obligation. Sign up for one today.
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
When Just Surviving Is A Struggle, It’s Time To Assess Your Marketing Strategy
Traditional physical therapy and healthcare marketing depends on one-on-one relationship building, or sales techniques. 20 - 30 years ago this worked fine. In fact, one-on-one meetings were the primary vehicle professionals used to learn about the other service providers in the area. Not only was this true for professionals, but it was also true for those seeking care; for the healthcare consumer, the family doctor or internist was the information gatekeeper directing access to care. Today, however, the system has changed on almost every level; physicians have markedly less control over their own time, and an overwhelming amount of easily accessible information reduces the need for personal meetings. Consumers frequently consult search engines and websites before accessing care. This trend will accelerate.
The introduction of your practice can be reduced to a 1-2 minute website visit, so why would a potential referral source or patient invest 30-60 minutes with you (or anybody else) when they can kick the tires online first? Sure, some will, but most will not – until they are ready. This means that your communication effort should be marketing based, not sales based. You need to drive people to your website strategically, capture contact information, and provide compelling decision facilitating follow up information (not sales information) systematically. The first qualified provider to do this well in your market space has the power to dominate. 99% of practitioners don’t aspire to dominate (for them, surviving is just fine), but the other 1% who do will enjoy control over practice growth and long-term prosperity that makes a real difference professionally, as well as personally.
Monday, 27 July 2009
Overcome The 3 Most Common Letter Writing Mistakes And Get Outstanding Results
By David Steinberg & Trent Wehrhahn, PT Referral Machine Senior Consultants
Most practice managers have tried sending marketing letters to physicians at some point. Whether it’s a simple announcement about a change in your practice or a more direct appeal to promote your services, well-planned strategic letter campaigns can be one of the most cost effective ways to influence referral patterns.
To make this work for you, a good place to start is to learn how to avoid common mistakes that lead to disappointing (and sometimes counterproductive) results.
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Speak to 250 physicians each month for $250 or buy lunch for one physician’s office…
Which do you think would produce a better return on investment?
Before you answer, see what a professionally managed $250/month letter campaign can do for your business on a live Webinar. |
Mistake #1: Lack of good, strategic content, bad copy, and unprofessional layout.
In addition to creating and testing our own letters, we also see samples of letters from physical therapists to physicians all the time (we’ll share some examples with you on our live webinar). A typical letter goes something like this: ‘We are ABC PT, we have been in business for 15 years, patients and physicians say we are great, here’s a list of the services we provide, and, finally, we look forward to hearing from you.’
Sound familiar? It’s a pretty typical executive letter. From a strategic standpoint, it lacks power to evoke interest. We call that strategy the “hey-you-please-send-me-referrals-because-I-think-I-deserve-them” strategy. If you’ve used this strategy, and it hasn’t produced any results, you may have drawn the conclusion that sending letters to physicians won’t work. But we can tell you that just by changing what you say and how you say it, you can expect predictable and quantifiable results. We know well managed strategic letter campaigns work because we use them with a variety of clients with consistent results. You can see a series of these letters on our live demonstration webinar.
Mistake #2: Unrealistic expectations.
Another common mistake is expecting a single letter to do the job. You need to think of your letters as a steady stream of consistent communications that build confidence with the readers. You are a professional, and you can’t expect other professionals to respond with referrals until they bring you onto the stage with the other providers they trust. Achieving this status with letters may sound impossible, but once you drill deeper into the “buying process” you can appreciate how powerful strategic campaigns can work to influence referral patterns. We invite you to dig into this in more detail on our live webinar.
Mistake #3: Not understanding the numbers.
Before you decide to mail, get a handle on the numbers. The beauty of marketing with executive letters to physicians is that your list of targets can be very manageable. Running a monthly campaign to 250 well qualified physicians in your market can be done for about $250 a month. So would you be willing to budget $250 for six months if you knew it would set you up to close at least 5 new referral sources that averaged $30,000 in annual billings EACH? Not only is that possible, it’s absolutely likely with the right strategy.
Thursday, 18 June 2009
If You Knew How To Use Email Marketing To Increase Compliance, Generate Referrals, And Grow Your Physical Therapy Business For Less Than The Cost Of Your Daily Latte, Would You Get Started Or Would You Pass?
Before You Answer, Take 3 Minutes And Consider These 726 Words…
Effective email marketing can produce off-the-charts return on investment (ROI). As a physical therapy business, you can use email marketing to:
1. Increase compliance
2. Increase repeat business
3. Increase referrals
4. Offer additional “follow up” services
5. Increase customer satisfaction
To get the results you deserve, you need to avoid the five most common email marketing mistakes.
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Common Mistake
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Best Practice
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Irrelevant Content
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Educate and problem solve on topics of importance to the reader. A good example of irrelevant content is the typical “news letter” that features the company picnic, golf outing, or other announcement that is not newsworthy. A good indication your content is not relevant is a poor “open” rate. Your email marketing services provider can provide more information on how you evaluate this.
Good content teaches them more about key issues of interest, like what you know about comparing treatment options for back pain.
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Wrong Frequency
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If you send too many emails, you burden your recipient and TRAIN them to hit the delete key without even looking at the content. If you send too few, your audience may not understand how you can help them at the most critical times in their decision process. Depending on the purpose of the email, you can determine the appropriate frequency by testing. For example, with new patients, you may design your program to:
a) provide a new patient info pack via email,
b) spur compliance,
c) get feedback during the course of treatment, and
d) follow up with options for “what’s next” after discharge.
You test for good frequency by monitoring open rates, click-throughs, and asking recipients what they think.
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Inneffective Offers
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Email marketing carries an implied social contract. In exchange for the permission given to use their email, your recipients expect you to provide things of value to THEM. Make sure you hold up your end of the bargain; in addition to the basic requirement of relevant content (your minimum obligation), in order to have long-term success, you need to provide easy access to additional resources and value added offers. Don’t just ask for business – that is of value to YOU, not your recipients.
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Failure to capture email addresses on a permission basis and providing an easy way to opt out.
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The data shows that the majority of your patients use email, even the older demographics. In 2009, 56% of 65-69 year olds and 45% of 70-74 year olds use the internet.* You can “capture” email addresses in a variety of ways:
1) Ask for the email when they book their first appointment (isn’t that a novel idea?)
2) Provide informational packets in exchange for contact information through your website and phone receptionist (most locations are not set up to do this in an effective way).
3) Collect emails from those attending your presentations or at health fairs.
4) When asking for referrals, always provide for email information when getting the referral's contact information.
All of these methods have a certain level of permission associated with it. Obviously, the best permission comes from their direct request to be included on your list. To achieve the best level of permission, you need to do all you can to explain how you will use the email. With a new patient, for example, when you tell them that you need their email to send appointment reminders, and then you start sending sales promotions, the recipient may not welcome that. It’s best to explain more fully that you will be including other news and special offers, and always provide an easy way to opt out with ONE CLICK.
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Inneffective subject lines
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Your subject line is the ad for the email – make it as compelling as possible. We all scan the subject lines before deciding to open and read on, right?
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*PEW Internet & American Life Project Research
When you build your email marketing based on these principles, it is impossible not to see positive results.
To help you get started, we are providing a series of free physical therapy email templates you can use along with training, and a free marketing dashboard. Sign up for an upcoming webinar to get yours.
Wednesday, 03 June 2009
Finally, The Most Common Goof Of Old-School Healthcare and Physical Therapy Marketers Explained
By Trent Wehrhahn & David C Steinberg, Senior Consultants, The PT Referral Machine
For years, healthcare marketing consultants have been recommending a variety of techniques for garnering referrals. Typically, the recommendations focus on relationship building. In fact, just yesterday I got an email from a client saying they just received a "How To" report from a consultant encouraging him to consider hiring a "practice representative". The rep would make visits on his behalf so that he could spend his time in the clinic. Our client wanted to know if I thought it was a good idea.
What do you think - good advice?
If your initial reaction is yes, you may want to reconsider. Here is why.
(If you are a practice representative, we mean no disrespect, but it is our job to call ?em like we see'em).
Problems with practice representatives (and links to solutions):
1. The days of traditional selling in healthcare are over. Relying on a representative to communicate on your behalf is like driving with the brakes on. That is why many practice managers give up on this after turning over a few reps. In the words of the esteemed late Peter Drucker, modern marketing techniques make selling superfluous.
2. When relied on as the engine for developing and maintaining your referral relationships, even good representatives may be an inefficient use of your budget. With the right communications (marketing) system, you will get much more for your money - reaching more people, more frequently, with a well-planned message.
3. A bad representative can set you back rather than move you forward. What they say and how they say it is a reflection on you, and you have very little control over how many people they see and what they say on your behalf. Nothing is more frustrating than listening to excuses as to why the rep was unable to make an appointment. Problems may not be obvious until it is too late.
4. Unless you have an iron-tight non-compete agreement that you are willing to enforce, you always run the risk of having your investment train and prepare the rep to move on to greener pastures with your competitors.
We're not saying there isn't an important role for practice reps, but if you are going to use one, then you should put this luxury at the end of your sales and marketing process. A better approach is to set up your business so that the sales are driven by marketing, and not the other way around. When you succeed at this, you'll enjoy more control and a bigger bang for your buck. Think about it - a good rep will cost moderate to high five figures just for base pay with no incentive, and, to be effective, they need an expense account, a laptop, cell phone, and other benefits. Your marketing system can (and should) be the engine that drives referral patterns.
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