Why Yesterday’s Marketing Methods Don’t Work,
And What You Can Do About It

Have you been disappointed by the results of your marketing efforts? You may wonder, “Is it just me, or does anyone else have the same problem?” The good news is that you are not alone; the bad news is that many healthcare professionals have the same problem.

Why Is This So?

There are four main reasons why marketing methods don’t deliver the results you expect:

(1) Conventional Sales and Marketing Methods are Out of Date

Marketing is not just a business function, it is a process, and a very dynamic one at that. There is a beginning, and a middle, but there is never an end. The techniques you read and learn about are from the past, and no longer work as well as they used to. Your marketing method is an evolving process that has to respond to economic and social changes in order to deliver the results you expect. You must be creative and constantly change your marketing approach.

(2) “Location, Location, Location” is no longer a Solution, Solution, Solution!

Yesterday’s marketing was based on the maxim “Location, Location, Location.” The promise was that all you had to do was choose the right location, and your business would thrive. That promise is no longer true.

Why? Well in the past, the location was the community. The physical location gave you visibility and brought patients to you. But society is changing; influential communication now happens through the Internet and people are using new technologies to connect.

The maxim for today’s marketer is “Community, Community, Community” because communication and visibility now happen in virtual communities.

(3) You Can’t Sell Health

Selling a product is different from marketing a Naturopathic Clinic. We have been so inundated with selling techniques, that when we start to promote our practice, we often fall into the trap of trying to “sell health” as if wellness is like a box of soap.

Even those of us who are good at selling a product often fail miserably when they try to sell their own professional service. The bottom line is that when you try to sell health, the results are disappointing, and you lose credibility in the eyes of patients.

(4) Selling Yourself is Demotivating

Successful business owners keep themselves motivated. Unfortunately, selling yourself is demotivating, and you lose enthusiasm for promoting your practice. If you are using selling methods that are unsuitable and don’t deliver what they promise, no wonder you feel unmotivated. And, if you are not motivated to promote your profession and your practice, how can you expect to be successful?

What You Can Do About It

There must be a better way of promoting your practice in these times of rapid change. As a healing arts professional living in a 21st century society, you need a better way of marketing. You can:

The Opportunity – Collaborative Marketing:
Stop Trying To Sell Yourself, Start Helping Others To Market You

Collaborative Marketing is a way of marketing to communities, and getting word of mouth marketing working for you in new ways. It is a way of motivating others to market your profession, your practice and you.

Learn how to understand patient buying patterns and develop marketing skills that you can use in your daily activities. The Collaborative Marketing method will help you to stop selling yourself, start others marketing you, and begin enjoying your life.

Influence + Integrity: Mastering The Keys To Success

As a Naturopathic Physician you want to harness the power of visibility and credibility to generate business in a way that enhances your integrity. The solution is to build a system that helps others to market you by:

• Having a personal, small-scale client-friendly approach.
• Enhancing your integrity (and your self-esteem).
• Avoiding spending time selling yourself.
• Maximizing your time spent earning income.
• Being referral-based (You don’t call them, they call you).
• Having low costs (use inexpensive word-of-mouth marketing programs).

The Customer’s Buying Process:
Be Remarkable, Be Reliable and Be Referable

Stop forcing yourself to sell; start helping prospective patients to buy your products, services and programs. This is the VIABLE Marketing system.

• Visibility based – make sure others see you.
• Integrity is enhanced – marketing activities raise your self-esteem and your credibility.
• Acknowledged need is served – patients call you when they need you.
• Built by you and marketed by others – your referral marketing network.
• Low cost – leverages your time and resources.
• Enjoyable to do (and perhaps challenging to implement!)

Understand how people, and more specifically, your prospects, go about making their decision to become your patient. After you learn how to build relationships that dovetail your needs with those of your patients, they will collaborate with you and help you to grow your practice.

At each stage of the customer’s buying process, the patient or prospect experiences different emotional states and different needs. You are responsible for being aware of their situation, and facilitating their process. You are managing the development of a relationship. By communicating with integrity, you are influencing their buying decision.

There are three phases of the Customer’s Buying Process:

PHASE 1 – BE REMARKABLE: This is how you get prospective patients to notice you and ask about your services. Your challenge is to be remarkable – being visible in a way that is professional and functional. You are helping your prospects to buy, to choose your services and so you should be unique: be different, with dignity and integrity. Invest your time and money in activities designed to draw new patients to you. Learn how to enjoy being remarkable, stand out from the crowd and get noticed.

PHASE 2 – BE RELIABLE: This is how you retain patients. When you do have patients, they want to trust you, so be reliable – focus on helping the patient to feel better in a way that is safe and secure. Now your patients are paying you to help them improve their condition. Your goal is to provide good service and be reliable. You are more efficient (most new patients become repeat patients) and effective (your time and effort have a significant impact). You enjoy these activities. They are what make you unique and valuable, and are energizing and motivating.

PHASE 3 – BE REFERABLE: Convert your patients and your professional colleagues into advocates who help you to grow your practice by sending you referrals. They help you to be more efficient and effective by reducing the amount of energy you spend in prospecting. And they help you feel good about yourself. When you receive referrals, it brings a feeling of being appreciated, recognized, and valued for your contribution.

Develop relationships that help you gain patients and grow your practice. Draw on your existing talents, and abilities to grow your business in a way that enhances your dignity and integrity. Don’t forget the importance of marketing to other professionals. In one study 38% of new patients seen came from medical referrals. In another study, physician referrals were responsible for one in every six new patients.

Marketing Begins With You

Keep yourself motivated, and your enthusiasm will speak for you. Like any other form of marketing, your success will be the result of the clarity and consistency of your message. In other words, your message of quality care and, and the amount of time you’re willing to devote to getting that message communicated, will determine the results.

In Summary: Collaborative Marketing – “Helping Others To Market You”

_____________________________________

Doctor I. Johnson

“Your Business Health Is My Business Mission”

Ian teaches Practice Management at the Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine and the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition. He is an author, speaker, business coach and marketing consultant. His clients include naturopathic physicians, lawyers, dentists, chiropractors, massage therapists, nutritional consultants, acupuncturists, family business owners, and other self-employed professionals. His textbook, Marketing Solutions: How To Grow Your Professional Practice, is used by hundreds of students across Canada.

For information about his services call (604) 889-2566.

Enjoy Your Adventure!

Doctor I. Johnson
Author, Speaker, Consultant