Last time, I covered the long-term strategies and now I’ll discuss the short-term strategies that will:
- get your telephone to ring
- your patients to refer
- your prospective patients to finally book
Short-Term Strategies to Grow Your Aesthetic Practice
Start with Your Current Patients.
While you’re waiting for your long-term marketing strategies to take hold, implement some “fast-acting” marketing projects that give you revenues now. Start with your current patient base. They already know and trust you. Therefore, they’re much more apt to respond to your marketing efforts. So use the marketing mix to cross-promote comparable procedures and treatments and encourage patient referrals.
If your patient is interested in photorejuvenation, there’s a good chance she’s also interested in vein therapy, soft tissue augmentation and medical-strength retail products. Be sure to check with your individual society by-laws to learn the dos and don’ts of marketing your services. Depending on the specialty, it can be either products or services.
Send a quarterly newsletter to your database to educate them on the latest news in the cosmetic enhancement world. You also may want to include a special offer.
Work with your vendors to sponsor a comarketed piece that promotes yourself and them. Vendors are usually happy to help you promote their products and services, and they can help you offset your marketing costs.
Have a graphic designer create an html message with a special offer that can be e-mailed to your patient database monthly. Be sure you have permission to send e-mail to your patients, and they must be able to opt out if they want. This is, by far, the cheapest and fastest way to communicate with your patients. It’s well worth the time to collect e-mails at every opportunity. Make the messages short and newsworthy so patients look forward to the next one.
Word-of-mouth Referral Program.
Offer some incentive for your patients to refer friends or family. The best referrals will come from satisfied patients who were treated well and got a great result. Thank them with a personal phone call and/or note each time they send someone to your practice.
Americans love frequent buyer programs. So take care of patients who regularly see you for cosmetic enhancement. They will want, and perhaps even expect, some incentive for being loyal to your practice. Talk with your vendors, since they may be able to help you with a VIP program. For example, the manufacturers of Botox® Cosmetic and Restylane® offer a frequent user VIP card that offers a discount on your next treatment.
Be sure to display eye-catching gift certificates your patients will see. If they’re happy with your services, they’ll buy them for friends, family and colleagues.
Invite your patients and their friends, as well as neighboring spas, salons and retail shop personnel, to your office for an evening of education. Present what’s new in cosmetic enhancement and sell products.
Tracking Results
Make sure your staff asks every new patient how they heard of the physician. They must know how patients are finding their way to your office. The easiest way to track results is a log near the telephones to remind the receptionist to ask. She can then enter that information into a software program. You’ll be able to pull up reports periodically to track trends and marketing results. You also can code your ads, use a special telephone line or have them present a coupon for the special price you mentioned in your ad.
Remember, it takes different messages and different avenues to connect with your preferred target market. If aesthetic patients aren’t ready today for your services, they will be three, six, nine months from now. Be sure you’re there to address their needs.
