How to Make a First Impression that Attracts More Patient Leads
Feb 16th
You’re probably investing a lot of time and money into marketing your practice and working hard to keep generating more business. But have you been paying attention to the kind of experience a potential patient has when they pick up the phone and call your practice?
According to Consumer Reports (January 2010), having difficulty reaching a human on the phone when calling about a service is one of the top everyday annoyances by those surveyed. The first impression your patients have about your practice could determine whether they end up booking an appointment or go elsewhere for the services they want.
In reviewing incoming calls for a certain practice, PracticeDock specialists found that out of ten of the most recent calls, three callers were able to make an inquiry about a service, one call was from a solicitor, and six were hang-ups because the call was sent to voicemail. All six of the calls that ended in a hang-up were made during regular business hours. What does this mean for the practice? They just lost six potential appointments or patient leads to add to their database. That’s a significant amount of lost business for any practice; and, it all happened during regular business hours.
So what happened to these potential patients? If the patient had left a voice message, it’s imperative that a staff member follows up with a phone call to find out more. Remember that it’s just as easy for the patient to give up and call the competition where a human being might answer the phone and book an appointment. The sooner your staff can get back in touch with the patient, the easier it will be for you to snag that appointment.
Make sure you’re doing everything possible to attract more patient leads and following up with potential patients. You can’t afford to lose a single one of those incoming calls (except maybe the solicitor). Invest in a phone system that can be answered throughout your office so that patients rarely end up going to voicemail.
Need more help marketing your practice? Talk to a PracticeDock marketing specialist today!
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The Business Side of Aesthetic Medicine
Feb 7th
by Louis Silberman
Many doctors who branch out into cosmetic medicine ask the same question, “How can I get the word out about my aesthetic services?” As part of our CME/CE Medical Professional course at National Laser Institute, we give attendees a seminar focused solely on marketing and business development. This seminar is widely popular among medical professionals because it shows you how to attract new aesthetic clients and, more importantly, generate revenue from sales of aesthetic services to your existing patients. I?d like to share some of these marketing tips with you.
Happy Skin Hour – Host a meet and greet event. It can be held at your office or a local restaurant. Invite current clients and encourage them to bring friends. Provide hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. Once guests settle in, give a presentation about your aesthetic offerings. Be sure to include a live demonstration of a cosmetic injectable or cosmetic laser procedure.
Lobbying for Aesthetics – The waiting area of your practice is an ideal place to advertise your services. Have a video made that includes slides detailing your aesthetic services, along with interesting skin care facts. Also, include real patient testimonials. Allow the video to constantly replay in your lobby to educate and entertain patients while they wait for their appointments.
Read All About It - If your practice doesn’t already send out a monthly e-newsletter, now’s a great time to start! Around 90% of your e-newsletter should be information relating to your primary practice, and at strategic points, highlight your new aesthetic services. Traditionally patients will only think of a doctor’s office if they are sick or have a routine appointment. This helps keep you fresh in their minds.
Louis Silberman is president and founder of National Laser Institute, the country’s largest cosmetic laser and medical aesthetic training center. Silberman is also a medical spa owner, nationally recognized author and business consultant. Contact Silberman at (800) 982-6817 or louis@nlionline.com
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FREE Webinar: Generating Revenue from Online Patient Leads
Feb 6th
Are you wasting your time when it comes to attracting patients to your practice and booking consultations? If your staff isn’t properly trained to handle patient leads and pre-qualify leads received online, you could be losing thousands of dollars in revenue each month! Join us for our FREE webinar, “Generating Revenue from Online Patient Leads” NOW ON DEMAND
Our Director of Sales Development Greg Brewer will be leading a discussion about best practices for communicating with online leads, and offering tips on pre-qualifying leads so that you can book consultations that turn into appointments for a procedure.
Lead generation and nurturing is one of the biggest challenges for doctors and practices today. You don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to book more appointments through online channels!
This presentation will include a discussion about the following key points:
- What exactly is a “quality lead”?
- How to communicate effectively with online leads
- Critical techniques and strategies for qualifying a lead before a consultation
- Step-by-step guide to turning a lead into a consultation, and then a procedure
- Generating re-interest from old patient leads
PracticeDock works with doctors and medical professionals across all specialties; we know exactly what types of leads you are working with and what types of marketing challenges you face. Our webinar will help you gain a better understanding of how to nurture online patient leads and pre-qualify patients so that you aren’t wasting your time and resources. Our sales team has developed a solid, proven plan for managing online leads and we’ll be sharing some essential tips during this FREE presentation.
Need help marketing your plastic surgery practice online? Talk to one of our PracticeDock online marketing specialists today!
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Download Your FREE White Paper — Train Your Staff to Sell and Convert More Patient Leads
Feb 2nd
You probably receive dozens of phone calls from prospective patients who want to learn about different procedures and treatments. How many of those calls actually end up turning into consultation appointments?
If your staff doesn’t know how to nurture these leads, you could miss out on the opportunity to book an appointment for surgery, a treatment, or just a consultation.
Download our FREE white paper: “Train Your Staff to Sell and Convert More Patient Leads” to find out exactly what your staff needs to do to book more appointments each week. We guide you through the booking process and show you how to instill a follow-up plan at your practice. We share the key principles for converting patient leads from your email and phone requests, and outline some tools and strategies you can put in place right away.
This PracticeDock white paper covers the following key topics:
- Phone etiquette tips and best practices
- How to train your staff to improve communications with patients
- Best ways to pre-qualify patients over the phone
- Critical lead response management tips
- Why many doctors miss the chance to work with patients who are ready to book an appointment!
- …and more.
Don’t be one of the practices missing out on thousands of dollars of potential revenue and dozens of appointments each week. Train your staff to convert more of those phone and email leads into appointments with the tips and strategies outlined in this free white paper.
Download your FREE white paper, “Train Your Staff to Sell and Convert More Patient Leads.”
Want more lead management and staff training tips? Talk to one of our Practice Development Specialists today! Contact us at 877-412-4324 or email solutions@practicedock.com
U.S. Tops the List of Most Plastic Surgery Procedures Performed in the World
Jan 31st
When it comes to demand for plastic surgery, the United States takes first place for the highest number of total procedures performed in the world, outranking Brazil, China, and Japan. Plastic surgeons in the United States are enjoying a steady demand for popular procedures including breast augmentation, liposuction, butt lifts, and tummy tucks.
The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (IASPS) recently released the results of the second International Study of Aesthetic/Cosmetic Surgery Procedures to reveal a hierarchy of countries with the most surgical and nonsurgical aesthetic and cosmetic procedures performed by board-certified or equivalent plastic surgeons in 2010. A total of 1,620,855 total surgical procedures were performed in the United States in 2010. Brazil comes in at a close second with a total of 1,592,106 procedures performed; China and Japan ranked with about a third of these totals each.
The top 25 list also included Korea, France, Turkey, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Saudi Arabia. Romania ranked number 25 at the bottom of the list with a total of 52,854 procedures.
Lipoplasty is still one of the most popular and most-performed procedures, accounting for 23% of total surgical procedures followed by breast augmentation which accounted for about 16% of total procedures. The top five procedures, according to the IASPS study results, are: lipoplasty, breast augmentation, blepharoplasty, rhinoplasty, and abdominoplasty (tummy tucks).
Other popular procedures that made the top ten list for 2010 were breast reduction for women, breast lifts, facelifts, otoplasty, and gynecomastia (male breast reduction).
2012 is expected to be a strong year for non-surgical procedures such as Zeltiq CoolSculpting, Botox, and other wrinkle treatments. As the economy continues to recover and more people become comfortable with splurging on luxury purchases and investing in themselves, demand for both surgical and nonsurgical procedures is expected to stay steady or increase over the course of the year.
Need help marketing your plastic surgery practice online? Talk to one of our PracticeDock online marketing specialists today!
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Mobile Devices More Popular than PCs for Web Surfing in 2011
Jan 19th
Doctors and medical professionals across all specialties are looking for new, effective ways to connect with patients. While you might have already invested in a professional website and are busy building your online presence, your patients could be tuning in to their mobile devices — not their personal computers.
According to Meraki’s recent Wi-Fi usage statistics, mobile device usage overtook computer usage for connecting to Wi-Fi networks in 2011.
Mobile devices like the Apple iPhone and Android smartphones now account or just about 58 percent of Wi-Fi devices. PCs account for about 36 percent, which means more consumers (and patients) are using their mobile devices when searching for information on the Web, connecting to social networks like Facebook and Twitter, and for reading reviews and testimonials about different businesses.
If you don’t have a mobile version of your website, it might not even show up on mobile devices like tablets and smartphones.
This means other doctors are able to snap up patients who are using mobile devices to search for doctors or treatments in their area. Only a handful of doctors have already joined the mobile bandwagon to offer a mobile version of their website that appears on tablets and smartphones. These sites are “downsized” versions of the original site, allowing the site visitor to navigate only the main pages and get the key information they need.
Still, full websites are still accessible on tablets and smartphones, but they are not always as user-friendly as on a personal computer. Having a professional-looking website is still essential for attracting patients and creating a strong online presence. As more patients spend online time on smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices, it’s becoming increasingly important for doctors to have a strong online presence — and even a mobile version of their website available.
Need help building an online presence? Talk to a PracticeDock online marketing specialist about website and mobile packages designed specifically for doctors, dentists, and medical professionals.
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Generation X Outdoes Baby Boomer Generation for Plastic Surgery
Dec 30th
Even in the midst of a sluggish economy, many Americans were still going under the knife to improve their appearance. The latest statistics from the American Society for 
Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) show that Generation X — not the baby boomer generation — accounted for about 43 percent of all procedures performed in 2010. Baby boomers made up about 28 percent of all procedures performed in 2010, almost half the amount of Generation X candidates. The trend may be attributed to the “glamorizing” of plastic surgery procedures and the increase of ads and media images that portray cosmetic surgery as a socially acceptable choice.
Generation X patients were primarily focused on personal improvement and maintenance procedures. Treatments like Botox, VelaShape body contouring, non-invasive fat reduction procedures, and laser treatments were at the top of the list for many Generation X patients. Experts say that both Generation X patients and baby boomers were also very interested in anti-aging therapies and treatments. Wrinkle fillers, skin resurfacing treatments, and skin tightening treatments are just some of the popular treatments that can make subtle changes to the appearance.
Nonsurgical and non-invasive procedures continue to be among the most-coveted procedures for patients on a budget and are expected to remain so through 2012. As more people become comfortable with getting Botox and wrinkle fillers, undergoing liposuction, or trying out new procedures like Zeltiq, doctors around the country might see an influx of new, even younger, patients. Patients with high disposable incomes may be good candidates for packages of procedures which can be much easier to market and promote online and offline.
According to Denise Mann, editorial director of the Consumer Guide to Plastic Surgery, All About Facial Rejuvenation and Breast Implants 4 You, the prediction for 2012 is that more plastic surgeons will be focusing on correcting minor flaws and targeted “trouble” areas. Zeltiq CoolSculpting, a non-invasive fat reduction procedure, is expected to be among the most popular procedures in 2012.
Need help putting together a marketing plan for 2012? Talk to one of our PracticeDock online marketing specialists today!
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How Doctors Are Using Social Media to Connect with Patients
Dec 22nd
When you think of Facebook pages and Twitter accounts for business, most people think of retailers, restaurants, and local businesses posting updates and connecting with their customers.
However, many doctors and medical professionals are now joining the social media bandwagon and with some very positive results.
Both Facebook and Twitter make it easier for patients to communicate with a practice outside of their regular appointment schedule. Clinics, hospitals, plastic surgery centers, and other medical facilities are finding that building an online presence is becoming increasingly important for marketing. In a few years, you might even be able to find your family doctor or physician right on Twitter.
U.S. News recently covered a story about the rising trend of hospitals and physicians using social networking tools to promote their practice. The author of the article points out that more than 1,300 doctors have already registered on a site called TwitterDoctors.net, a database of physicians who tweet.
According to Kevin Pho of Nashua, N.H., a medical blogger interviewed for the article and someone who does communicate with patients via Facebook and Twitter, “These are powerful, tremendously influential tools. Doctors should be taking advantage of the opportunity.”
Many of your own patients could be active on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, so it makes sense to join their conversation and take advantage of branding and marketing opportunities. You can share blog posts, link to news about your site, and share links to interesting articles or videos in your specialty.
One of the most important things to remember when venturing into the social media world is that you need to engage your audience. Patients don’t just want to be marketed to, they want to learn something and may be open to your insights and thoughts on a subject. Be prepared to create a solid social media strategy so that you are connecting with patients in the right way.
Need help with a social media marketing plan? Talk to one of our PracticeDock online marketing specialists today!
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American Medical Association Pushes to End Photoshopped Body Images in Ads
Dec 15th
Some advertisers Photoshop images to enhance the appearance of a model’s body, and many people believe that these images have a negative impact on young teens and impressionable children. These images also set an impossible standard for society’s “ideal” body.
Even so, some designers and advertising agencies insist on using doctored images to run their ad campaigns. The American Medical Association (AMA) is working to end Photoshopping of images for ads and has issued a new policy that encourages ad associations to work with public and private health groups to develop guidelines to deter ads that have been altered with computer software programs.
At an annual meeting, The American Medical Association noted, “a large body of literature links exposure to media-propagated images of unrealistic body image to eating disorders and other child and adolescent health problems.” The organization wants to develop stricter guidelines for advertisements, especially teen-oriented publications that would discourage companies from using any type of Photoshopped images.
Most recently, H&M was “caught” using ads with Photoshopped models for their campaigns. The fashion company has been using virtual computer-generated images of the body and attaching pictures of real models’ heads to each one to make the figure look more natural.
A national advertising watchdog denounced the company for “creating unrealistic physical ideals”, and H&M did acknowledge that they had participated in such practices. Still, they said that the models were well aware of how the company is using their pictures (or body parts) to show off their items. In some ways, this approach saves the company money because they only need a model’s head shot and can cut down on booking time. The model’s face can be used on dozens of different bodies in different poses, with no need for another photo shoot.
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Top 6 Ways to Grow Your Practice Blog
Dec 13th
Maintaining a blog for your practice doesn’t have to take up too much of your admin time, but you do need a strategy to get the most out of your blogging efforts. Being consistent by updating your blog regularly is crucial for getting any type of response from potential patients.
There are also some best practices you can adhere to throughout your blogging and social media campaign.
Here are six ways to grow your practice blog:
- Choose topics you’re experienced in and passionate about. Write summaries of responses to a recent change in the industry, talk about your experience with a certain procedure or service, and touch upon topics that describe how your practice is different from the rest. Use your blog to differentiate yourself from other doctors and medical professionals in your area, and be very selective with the types of topics you choose.
- Answer common questions. If you receive a lot of queries via email or phone, consider responding to them on the blog. It’s likely that more than just a handful of patients have similar questions, and blogging about the topic can be a great way to attract these patients while establishing yourself as an expert.
- Offer something of real value. Don’t just rehash recent news events or copy an article written by somebody else in your industry. Offer your unique perspective and offer something of real value to the reader. This will encourage more engagement and also position you as an authority in your niche.
- Define your goals and stick with them. Know exactly what you want to do with your blog, and why you want to connect with prospective patients through a blog in the first place. Do you want them to contact you with further questions after reading a post? Promote discounts on services and products? Or, just to provide your audience with industry news? Be specific about what you hope to accomplish with this venture and stick with the plan.
- Push content out to social media channels. Make sure you link your posts to Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites so all of your social media channels update instantly when you publish a new post. If your blog isn’t set up with social media functionality, make a point about updating each site manually.
- Include contact information at every opportunity. If you’re on Facebook and Twitter, make sure it’s obvious somewhere on your blog. If you want people to call you or send you an email, highlight your phone number and email address at the bottom of each post. Calls to action can be very effective — even when you’re not trying to sell something.
Need a blog for your website? Contact our team of marketing consultants and we’ll get you started!
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