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Marketing 'systems' such as "ideal practice"

Discussion in 'Practice Management' started by Moose, Mar 30, 2010.

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  1. Moose

    Moose Active Member


    Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.
    Has anyone employed a company like this and how did it all turn out?
     
  2. Graham

    Graham RIP

    Nope...and it turned out great!:drinks
     
  3. PowerPodiatry

    PowerPodiatry Active Member

    Moose,

    it seems most Podiatrists are very wary of the Whole Marketing subject.

    Some even place it in the same category as the Black Arts. Marketing should be studied by all allied health professionals whether they are in business for themselves or not. If you are honest you must be a successful Marketer of yourself and your services or your efforts to help your patient will be in vane.

    I'm off to the USA in a few weeks to attend a Marketing conference and I doubt I will see a single Podiatrist there.

    Remember Marketing is all about supplying the greatest value to your patients. If the marketing product that you are reviewing does not address this point then walk away and find another product.:deadhorse:
     
  4. mcvine

    mcvine Member

    Moose, I own a practice in Hertfordshire, and I use several different approaches to marketing.
    Marketing is about selling yourself, people don't buy services they buy people. My advice to you is get your self on to a free marketing course if possible, if you are in England Business Link or your local business enterprise org will have free courses available. They are invaluable.
     
  5. PowerPodiatry

    PowerPodiatry Active Member

    Interesting thought that people don't buy services, they buy people.

    Sadly I agree that most Podiatrists set their businesses up this way. Then the people want to go on holiday or heaven forbid actually sell them.

    Do you want to be the commodity???

    I'm searching for a different answer after being a commodity for 20+ yrs.

    I think I may have found it through investing in various courses and continuing education. Free can be a starting point but rarely is the path to total satisfaction.:butcher:
     
  6. mcvine

    mcvine Member

    Ok Power Podiatry, I agree with you that it shouldn't be this way, and I have tried
    over the years to research and think of ways to sell my services rather than myself. However it is a sad fact that what we as Podiatrists provide is a personal service and not a product.

    If you have any better ways or ideas to share with us which could help to re-educate our clients or market ourselves in a way that is more about the service than us as a commodity, then I am listening with open ears.
     
  7. PowerPodiatry

    PowerPodiatry Active Member

    First thing:
    If we are a commodity then we will be viewed as such.

    "How much for the Apple" and "I only like red Apples"

    Now we are in the commodity price arena.

    If we position ourselves as the "Value" place to go. Everybody and everything provides value to the patient at the "Value Place". Now you can promote the "Clinic".

    How?

    Ease of making appointments - 24/7
    Convenient location
    Service that addresses my needs
    Clinic Newsletter
    ETC ETC ETC

    OK you are going to say how does this all help but I am going to say if you create a systematized approach to your clinic and devote a large chunk of time and effort in to developing a MARKETING PLAN then you will be in the drivers seat rather than your patient.

    First you must decide the WHO. Who are you going to target as your patients.

    What life do you wish to live and make sure everything you do brings you one step closer.

    Realize that you can TRAIN your patients if you don't then they will train you.

    I'm working on systematizing the whole approach to living a successful life as a Podiatrist for my own benefits and it looks like you would benefit from it as much as I so I will post further once I return from my 7 wk Holiday to the States .
     
  8. podcare

    podcare Active Member

    Interesting discussion and one which undoubtedly effects all of us.

    If you hate marketing or selling then bad luck! In life you cannot avoid it.

    Firstly, all business or practice owners are selling a product or a service. All employees are doing the same plus they must also learn to sell themselves in order to gain employment. So if you want employment or if you want your own business/practice - you must sell something.

    Secondly, no one likes to be sold to. Marketing can be done in a number of ways. The two most common ways are professionally and unprofessionally. When marketing your practice/business and yourself as a Podiatrist, I believe it is always best to remain as professional as you can. Everything we do in our practice from a marketing point of view focuses on one thing... "Always helping the client to buy what they need or want."

    I never sell the client what they need or want - I provide professional advice and my opinion on what I feel and know would be best for them. I then provide any information the client needs to make an informed decision and then the client makes the decision to either purchase or not to purchase my services. One of our golden rules is to... never ever sell to a client, however, always help them to buy what they want or need. This, I believe, is much more professional.

    Thirdly, a colleague and good friend of mine put it very nicely some years ago while having a similar discussion. He said... "Some Podiatrists build a career only, other Podiatrists build a business". Occassionally some do a little of both but most Podiatrists I've encountered (me included) build a career first and perhaps a business second. The problem occurs when you want to take holidays or a well earned break. The difficulty arises when your clients only want to see you. So you work like crazy before you leave and then you do the same when you return from your holiday. Eventually, you get to the point where you either employ associates or do it all yourself. Employment of associates has worked reasonably well for me over the years and enabled a good work life balance and time with my children. It is not without its challenges and "Systems and Procedures are essential" for it to work over the longer term. These "Systems and Procedures" include marketing systems, payroll systems, recall systems, debt collection procedures, pricing policies, standard procedures for specific treatments and consultations, etc, etc.

    If everything works you can soon take a step back and enjoy your holiday without your business stopping or falling apart while your gone. Some businesses/practices continue to remain profitable even when an owner is absent. It is not easy but it is possible with the right systems and procedures. An essential part of these systems are your marketing systems.

    I have waffled on long enough but this is a topic I love to discuss. I look forward to hearing other view points from practice owners.
     
  9. PowerPodiatry

    PowerPodiatry Active Member

    Great Post

    My favourite thing in business is the Marketing. It can become addictive but you must be careful you do not create "the success that you did not want".

    Marketing must be measurable. Most people throw their marketing money out into the world with no way of measuring the return on investment.

    I bet not many Podiatrists have worked out CPC (cost per sale) in their business budget.

    Also I have found that many so called Professional Clinics are not selling evidenced based Podiatry. So a definition of Professional Marketing would be interesting to debate.
     
  10. podcare

    podcare Active Member

    Totally agree!

    There's a saying which goes something like... "What you cannot measure, you cannot manage." It's important to measure the effect of all your marketing and advertising activities. We make it a point to ask each and every new patient how they found us. If the marketing activity works - do more of it. If it doesn't work - forget it!
     
  11. Moose

    Moose Active Member

    Good Evening Power Pod, Can we assume that by the majesty of efficient marketing, you no longer need to work in your business? Can you manage it online from the Spanish Riviera in two hours per week by tweaking the 'net marketing and providing small amounts of steering to the new grad in your place? Or is your marketing so efficient that patients just send money with no need for a physical interaction? Have you succeeded in making your junior podiatrist an apple of indeterminate colour? That is my aim _ I reckon 5 years. Roll on Feb 2014! (Yep, I started a year ago)
     
  12. podcare

    podcare Active Member

    Interesting thought, and something I use to believe. The truth is people don't buy services, products or people. They buy the feelings they get from the services or products. Our patients want to eliminate pain or improve their lives. They don't really care who provides the service - they just want to feel better.
     
  13. Moose

    Moose Active Member

    Hi Gavin. Thanks for the comment - I apologize to Powerpod for coming across a little feisty in my message last night. I think you are both right in ways. I went to a marketing presentation by an allied health provider some time ago who said something along the lines of perception is reality. It doesn't matter if you are good as long as people think you are and bring you money. Once you find out what pushes your customer's 'buy button' you cookie cutter your staff to do exactly that and nothing else by creating these rigid systems. In doing so do you deny your customers a person treating them ? Do you then treat everybody yourself by virtue of the cloning process? Are your professional staff really willing to subjugate themselves by just doing your system and not being self-determining? Ultimately though, if your patients feel dissatisfied by their progress they won't stay. If they do they will. It is all kinda confusing - but to refer back to my original question that started this post - I don't think hiring a system-ification person sits well with my style of practice.
     
  14. PowerPodiatry

    PowerPodiatry Active Member

    Moose you have to take the "EGO" out of the equation it will be less painful in the end. When you use words like "My style" it shows that you don't really understand the reason for being in business.

    Sorry if it sounds harsh ...

    Anyway this is going to be my last post until I get more free time...

    Been a good experience mostly.

    Regards to the Arena.
     
  15. Moose

    Moose Active Member

    Hmm. I don't understand what you are trying to say in suggesting one can run a business without a 'style'. I run a business - I have to run it in some format - it can't be a nebulous cluster of ideas resulting in an absence of style, substance and output. What would that even mean? Although looking back on your other posts in this thread, I don't understand them either. If you only 'sell' evidenced based podiatry, what do you actually do? Has anyone ever actually 'proven' that nails that are cut are shorter than they were before - or are we just assuming this to be so based on our highly subjective observations? As for the apples, if people only like red apples then surely the tenets of marketing suggest that you give them red apples and charge a premium for them. Again - I don't know what you are trying to say. As for taking the ego out of business, I see that you finish each post by noting that you have a Masters degree - I have one too if anyone cares to ask - and noting that you are off for a 7 week holiday overseas. You also want to have the last word on the debate by declaring that you won't be back to comment. ' Round my way we call this the 'dump and run'. I do appreciate constructive input into my thread as I am sincerely looking for ways to make myself a much less important cog in my machine. Comments on theme appreciated.
     
  16. podcare

    podcare Active Member

    This is somewhat true for most people. People don't really care how much you know - they want to know how much you care. Patients just want to feel better or eliminate their pain. They don't care if you're a Professor of Podiatry or a new graduate. If you eliminate their pain, you'll look good regardless of your qualifications or experience.

    Once you determine what your client really wants... give it to them. Give your staff the freedom to be individuals but make sure all your staff abide by your practice and service standards. You want your staff to follow systems, procedures and standards. This protects your clients by ensuring they receive the best possible standard of care and still enables your staff to be themselves. It also helps in the prevention of negligence. A staff member that fails to implement your standard procedures must be accountable if this causes any adverse results for clients. The problem arises when different Podiatrists or Podiatry Assistants disagree as to how a client is best served. When these disagreements arise - systems and procedures need to be clarified. Time consuming - yes. Easy - no. I've discovered so far that the fun never ends.

    If you employ staff - systems and procedures are essential. If you don't employ staff - you are the system. The problem occurs as your practice grows. We've all heard about common sense not being all that common. Eventually, if your practice expands, systems will be vital to ensure your business is run the way you want it to run.

    The challenge never ends! Good luck in your practice.
     
  17. Moose

    Moose Active Member

    Thanks Gavin. I hope luck won't have much to do with it but will take it anyway. Are you in practice with the pod surgeon Hermann for Tea Trees medical Centre or similar?
     
  18. podcare

    podcare Active Member

    No. Rob Hermann was practising just a few kilometers away until he sold his practice a few years ago and moved interstate. I believe he has now returned to Prospect, South Australia. He's an excellent pod. surgeon who has served many of our clients well over the years.
     
  19. Ideology

    Ideology Active Member

    Marketing is an intriguing subject. I am always asked how much money should be spent on Marketing and there is no easy answer except to say it doesn't matter how much you spend...its matters what you spend money on. If you get that right anything you spend will give a return greater than the spend.
    Most health practices are about relationships. Patients are in a condition of risk when they buy your services and products. Anything we can do to build, maintain and develop the relationship, and reduce the risk will be very valuable. DIrect marketing is the way to go in most circumstances. Particularly what to do is a difficult question without knowing the practice, its environment and the people in the practice.
     
  20. Lab Guy

    Lab Guy Well-Known Member

    Very good post Podcare, I agree. Marketing for professionals starts by believing and trusting yourself and your abilities. Study hard, work on your weaknesses and know what you do not know before launching on your marketing program. Always continue to learn so you can be the best you can.

    The product is You, you are simply selling yourself and your ability to help your fellow human being with their foot problem. To get yourself known, you should make yourself an expert and to do so you will have to sacrifice your personal time but in the long run it will be worth it and rewarding.

    Publish articles, give talks/lectures, meet and engage yourself with the medical community and teach them what you have to offer their patients. Always send out a letter to the Patient's medical doctor even if it was not a referral as you are getting your name out there.

    25 Medical docs sent you patients as they trusted you, you would be plenty busy.

    Service is key. Give A plus service to your patients and always listen to them. Gain the talent of being attuned to what your patient is really saying. When patients know you understand their needs and work towards helping them, they will more apt to be loyal to you. When you enter the treatment room, leave all your personal issues/problems at the door. Walk in smiling and have eye contact with your patient. First impression is key. Be well dressed and have the office always clean. The receptionist to the billing person should always be friendly as possible. Make that connection to your patient. Patients change doctors as they never made a true connection. You can connect to them while still maintaining that professional boundary.

    If you do surgery on your patients or even something minor, call them in the early evening to see how they are doing. That is very appreciated.

    Once you earn the reputation of a competent, caring and service oriented Podiatrist, your practice will continue to grow. As It grows, hire other like minded Podiatrists to join your growing practice and introduce your patients and referring physicians to them. Now, you can take more time off that you have earned.

    There are many ideas but those are the fundamentals. The other way toward marketing is doing TV advertising, big ads in phone book, newspapers, radio, advertising the latest gimmicks (laser toenail fungus surgery), and the like.

    Best of luck

    Steven
     
  21. PaulWright

    PaulWright Member

    Hi All,

    I have followed your forum for some time and really enjoy the content - so well done to all contributors.

    The comments on marketing your health businesses again make me realise that all health professionals have the same struggle - ie balancing marketing/sales - with the provision of high quality and ethical health care.

    That being said - I have been lecturing to health professionals (including Podiatrists) for many years in the area of business skills - and from the many thousands of health professionals I have lectured and presented to - Podriatrists (as a general group) seem more conservative in their marketing and sales roles than the majority of allied health professionals - sorry to say that on a Podiatry forum - but this has been my observation.

    As a Physiotherapy clinic owner ( at one stage I had 6 clinics ) I feel that all health professionals need to actively embrace training in sales, marketing, business management and basic accounting - failure to do so is leading you to a life of " billing for time" and effectively chaining you to your health business forever.

    I learnt this saving in my early years - " formal training will get you a job but self education will make you a fortune " - get your hands on as many business books as you can handle, attend sales and marketing seminars at every opportunity, listen to professional speakers in your car on the way to work and learn from fields outside your technical training area.

    If you are interested in the struggle that other health business owners face you can get a copy of my e-book " Why Health Professionals Operate Poor Businesses and What to Do About It" at www.healthbusinessprofits.com - this quick read may strike a note with many of you struggling to balance sales and ethics in your health businesses.

    I look forward to your comments and feedback - again great work on the forum.

    Note- Regarding Ideal Practice - I have been referring my seminar attendees to Anthony and Tristan for a number of years and was even a client myself for over 12 months - I feel they have a lot to offer many health business owners - they do offer a free practice audit - and some other free materials - again nothing to lose to see if you like what they do - but I have only heard good reports - otherwise I would not recommend them.

    Paul Wright - Owner of Get Active Physiotherapy

    www.healthbusinessprofits.com
     
  22. I'm deeply jealous of colin! "colin Power, Master of podiatry!" it's very 80s cartoon! "By the power of greyskull, I am Master of podiatry!!" style of thing!

    Very cool. Isaacs is such a boring surname.
     
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