For practices or centers that wish to market directly to consumers, Mr. St. Louis provided the following recommendations:
1. Position the center. Find a way to be different than your competitors. “The only way to attract patients is to offer a unique and beneficial service,” he said.
2. Generate patient leads. Mr. St. Louis recommends four different channels to market to patients:
- Internet marketing, such as paid online ads, search engine optimization, website development and the testing of messaging and placement of internet ads.
- Offline marketing, such as effectively placed print materials with branded information.
- Seminars, which provide educational information to patients as well as information on your center and services.
- Outside sales. Here, practices market with more traditional, business-to-business sales, where services are marketed to other physicians.
3. Convert leads to patients. Mr. St. Louis recommends having a dedicated patient coordinator, which Advanced Healthcare Providers refers to as patient concierges, to answer any and all questions a patient has. During this step, centers also screen the patient to ensure he or she is a fit for the services offered by the physicians.
4. Deliver on promises. Once the lead is converted to a patient, the practice must ensure it delivers first-class care in excellent facilities. Additionally, introduce processes that will “wow” patients. This includes the medical component of treatment as well as outstanding customer service. Outstanding customer service will help keep patients and attract new ones. “Make sure you deliver a Ritz-Carlton type of environment,” said Mr. St. Louis.
