FRESH IDEAS TO PROMOTE YOUR PRACTICE

Dispensing is more than just carrying products in your office.

Today, physicians are using their skin care business as a platform to enhance their practices. The ultimate reward from introducing more patients to the skin care and surgical services you offer, is an increase in product turnover that translates into increased revenue for your practice.

Effective physician marketing involves a fully integrated and strategic program that combines the entire spectrum of methods with an educational component. It is important to remember that your message should be consistent in every method you choose.

There are five proven effective methods to physician marketing and dispensing:

PATIENT SEMINARS

Events offer an opportunity to network within your community while maintaining your image of dignity and professionalism as a physician. Your marketing strategy should include regularly scheduled in-office events that enhance your patients' experience in your care and attract new skincare and surgery patients.

If at first you get a small turnout for your seminars, don't be discouraged. It may take a little time to build momentum and to learn what works well in your market. Always encourage guests to bring along a friend if they like. Your invitation or announcement should include an RSVP by a specified date so you know in advance how many people to expect. Last minute cancellations and no-shows should be anticipated, and the venue should be rotated frequently to keep the interest level high.

THE BASICS OF SEMINAR PLANNING

  • Select a theme of interest to the greatest number of patients (ie. Photoaging, The Youthful Face, Stamping out Wrinkles).
  • Choose a date and time convenient for attendees (Avoid Mondays, Fridays and Holidays; early evening hours often work well).
  • Design an attractive print ad for your local newspaper.
  • Create invitations or flyers to be mailed or given out at least 4 weeks in advance. Send one to calendar editors at local newspapers.
  • Serve light refreshments ( Coffee, tea, bottled water, soft drinks, fruit, cheese, cookies, etc)
  • Plan and time the program (order of speakers, the role of aestheticians and patient coordinator). Allow time for Q & A.
  • Include a giveaway (Product samples, gift bags with special product, handouts, coupon, drawing for skin care gift)
  • Use a sign-in sheet to add to your database.

 

WEB SITE

Today, having a web site is almost as important as having a business card. There are substantial benefits to having a presence online. A website allows you to be a 24-hour education tool for patients about your experience and training, board certification, your staff and facility, directions to your office, hours of operation, as well as information about procedures, risks, recovery and ancillary services. An online presence can also expand your practice geographically so that you attract patients from your local areas as well as across the region. Some physicians have designed sophisticated multi-faceted websites that include e-commerce carts for product dispensing, hyperlinks that connect prospective patients with their office, and imaging systems for online photo consults. A physician's website gives patients an opportunity to get to know about you and your practice at their own convenience, even before they come for their consultation.

A GUIDE TO BUILDING PATIENT-FRIENDLY WEB SITES

  • Don't do it yourself – hire a web designer.
  • Choose a good site name or upgrade your existing name (you'll need to register your URL)
  • Make it easy to navigate and purchase products.
  • Keep content simple and concise. Include aesthetically appealing graphics.
  • Start small and add more features as you go on.
  • Site image should be consistent with your other practice materials.
  • Update content at least monthly.
  • Get written consents for all pre/post-patient photos you use.
  • Include your site name on everything you print.

 

DIRECT MAIL

Sending out mailings about new products, special promotions, and seasonal services can generate interest in your skincare practice. Direct mail campaigns let you keep in touch with your patients and remind them of other services you offer. Holidays like Mother's Day, Valentines Day, and birthdays are a great opportunity to send a postcard mailing to existing patients.

Consider purchasing a mailing list from a list company that can scan by age, gender, zip code, income and other demographic information to target your mailing to a very specific group. The more targeted your mailing list is, the better response you can expect. Try to maximize every opportunity to add to your database; i.e. sign up sheets at health fairs and open houses, website, and customer lists from other sources like salons and boutiques.

In fact, it has been said that to adequately reach your audience, it takes approximately seven mailings. Remember, REPETITION is a necessary and vital part of a direct mail campaign!

 

IN-OFFICE MERCHANDISING

Merchandising your home use skin care products is essential for office-dispensing success. Attractive displays come in all varieties, and sometimes the best kind of cases and stands are very simple so they don’t upstage your merchandise. Try experimenting with different shapes, cylinders, platforms, and boxes to build height and make it visually appealing. Displays should be changed often by featuring different products, and keeping stock available (under lock and key). The most important tips are to design your displays to be functional, avoid clutter, and always look clean. Remember, good displays can be a magnet to attract patients to your skin care and makeup area!

Some questions to ask yourself before purchasing a display would be:

How much space do I have?What "image" am I looking to portray?Who will maintain my display and keep it attractive, as well as, updated?
A variety of display cases exist to help you achieve your desired look. Issues of space, image and maintenance are greatly reduced by selecting the right display unit -- from floor standing, self-lit glass cabinets that can stock virtually an entire inventory, to a single-shelf table-top acrylic cube. Properly chosen units will enhance the office, rather than detract.

Reminder: Self Lit containers get hot inside. Take care that any products displayed inside are not too close so as to interfere with their chemical formulations.

Do not display widely available and low value products. They can detract from the desired professional look and image you are seeking to achieve. Displays stocked with high quality products (such as NeoStrata®, RoC® and Exuviance®) which are readily recommended by the physician, serve to endorse his or her pre- and post-treatment regimens.

GUIDLINES FOR PURCHASING DISPLAY UNITS

  • Units should be selected for their overall visual appeal and scale.
  • Units should not obstruct traffic flow, floor, desk or counter.
  • Units should be safely accessible for patient's viewing and staff's handling


Along with product, displays should include printed materials and there should be someone available to encourage testing and handle patient’s questions. Inexpensive lucite frames or displays for slip-sheets can be purchased at office supply stores. Paper tents and brochure templates are readily available that can be printed on inkjet printers in-house to serve a multitude of merchandising purposes.

Placing a sticker on products or patient brochures that has the practice address and phone number will enable patients and their friends to know where these products are available and also make it easy to call in for a re-order of products.

WHERE TO PLACE DISPLAYS

  • At the Reception Desk
  • Around the waiting room
  • In Patient restrooms
  • In the Nurse's office
  • In each treatment room
  • In patient coordinator's office
  • At the checkout area

NEWSLETTERS

Producing a professional looking newsletter can be a daunting task. The first issue is always the hardest, but once you have chosen a layout, you will find it easier to create future editions. If your staff doesn't have the time or technical expertise to do a newsletter in-house, consider hiring outside help to do it for you.

Ideally, a practice newsletter program should be designed to be quarterly. With less than four issues per year some of the impact will be lost, and more than four may be too time-intensive. If your newsletter has your name or logo on it, it should represent you and be consistent with the image of your practice. Some graphics should be included ranging from black and white images to four-color stock photos or patient photography (get written consent for all patient photos you use), depending on your budget.

Newsletters can be used in many different ways to promote your practice; handed out at seminars and community events, sent to referral sources, mailed to existing and former patients, displayed in your waiting room, and offering a free newsletter to visitors to your website.

 

SUGGESTED FEATURES FOR YOUR NEWSLETTER

  • Upcoming events, open houses, health fairs
  • Additions to your staff
  • Change in office location
  • Mentions of you or your office in the news
  • Additional services like microdermabrasion, hair removal, permanent makeup
  • Special product offers
  • New technologies, like lasers and implants
  • Seasonal procedures and skin care tips

 

OTHER IDEAS FOR IN-OFFICE MERCHANDISING

WAITING ROOM LOOPED VIDEO

Some offices choose to run a looped video for patient’s to watch while waiting for their appointment. These videos tend to insure that all patients and visitors through the waiting area hear about the products and/or services available at the office.

GIFT CERTIFICATES

Gift certificates are a great way to grow your practice. Existing patients will be encouraged to purchase gift certificates for friends and family members who may not be current patients of the office.

 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
     
     
     

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