Two Schools of Philosophy for Marketing Your Health Care Practice
Posted
There is a lot of information available explaining how to promote your health care practice, and much of it is contradictory.
by Chuck McKay
One guru will patiently explain that your ads will work better the longer you use them, while another will state with conviction that the longer you run an ad the fewer responses you’ll get.
Unfortunately, there’s evidence to support both perspectives.
But, just as the six blind men only “saw” a portion of the elephant, these guru’s experiences appear to be limited to only part of the answer.
It all comes down to which group of people with whom you’re going to gain credibility, and which group you’re going to concede to another practitioner.
You gain credibility by respecting your prospective patient’s mindset.
There are only two:
1.People in a Transactional mindset believe themselves capable of selecting the appropriate treatment. They are primarily interested in prices.
2.But people in a Relational mindset fear making an uninformed decision. They’re seeking an expert they can trust.
About half of all patients are Transactional, and the other half are Relational. The biggest difference between them is their knowledge of the treatment they’re seeking.
Transactional Patients
- Enjoy searching for alternate solutions.
- Are focused on today’s procedure.
- Fear paying too much and will buy from the lowest-priced provider.
- Will deal with a provider they don’t believe to be an expert (remember, they consider themselves well-informed and are focused on the lowest price).
- Show no loyalty.
Relational Patients
- Don’t enjoy searching for solutions (consider time spent comparing as an expense).
- Want you to take responsibility for their long-term health care.
- Are looking for a provider they can trust and fear choosing the wrong provider.
- Are far more likely to be repeat patients.
- Are reluctant to go through the process of changing providers.
No message can appeal to both mindsets.
Did you notice that these people tend to be polar opposites? The right thing to say to one is exactly the wrong thing to say to the other.
To get the attention of Transactional patients, you could offer reduced fees, promotional treatments, or coupons. If you charge too much, you have no credibility with them.
But Relational patients want to know you understand them and offer informed advice. Anything that indicates you are driven by profit, rather than concern for your patients, costs you credibility with Relationals.
Either can be a profitable patient base, so it comes down to the kind of practice you’re comfortable running:
If you enjoy a fast-paced, “treat ‘em and street ‘em” style of operation, you may be able to compete on price to reach Transactional patients. There’s an added benefit to getting the attention of Transactional patients. They contribute to “buzz” about you in the community.
But a more methodical, slower-paced, “get to know the patient” style of practice necessitates appealing to Relationals, who are willing to pay higher fees and are more likely to become long-term patients. They’re also responsible for the more slowly growing word-of-mouth.
Examples:
If you need a quick injection of cash, advertise for Transactional Patients. For long-term growth, Relational Patients will be more profitable.
__________
Search this site for other articles on: marketing tactics, patient interaction, word-of-mouth.
Technorati Tags: marketing tactics, patient interaction, word-of-mouth.
__________
Two Schools of Philosophy for Marketing Your Health Care Practice. copyright © 2008 Chuck McKay and AdvanceMyPractice.com. All rights reserved.
Chuck McKay is a marketing consultant who works with professional practices and owner operated businesses. Questions about marketing to Transactional or to Relational patients may be directed to ChuckMcKay@ChuckMcKayOnLine.com.