Healthcare ‘Branding’, Prove You’re Different and You’ll Beat the Recession

Let’s say I’m your ideal prospect, looking for care in your specialty, and I’ve got lots of competitors to choose from in your market.

Why should I choose your practice?
What makes you different from the others?

Here is how to begin setting your practice apart from your competitors…

1) Promote your unique benefits. What brands your practice? (That is, what sets your practice apart from your competitors?) Brand your practice based on your gateways:

a. What you do well
b. There is a need
c. You like to do it

Do you have expertise in a specialized area? A caring staff? (If so, play it up. Believe me, it’s rare.) Which cases do you really enjoy? And which are most profitable? Make sure your marketing tells these specific prospects all the benefits they’ll gain by coming to you. Tell them in your brochures, your posters, on your website, and especially on the phone during inquiry calls. Make sure you and your staff are ready to answer the question, “Why you?” and you will have established your brand – what makes you different from all your competitors.

2) Offer free services that are “bite-size” tastes of your practice. This is a great way to show prospects the high level of care you offer. If you are a dermatologist, you might offer a discount on microderm abrasions, one or two free IPL sessions when the patient purchases an IPL treatment package, or 50% off on Botox or any of the injectables (Sculptra, Radiesse®, Restylane, etc.)

Physical Therapists might offer complimentary pain/sports injury consults, free pregnancy back pain consults, gift certificates toward a massage or a free round of golf (for your patients to enjoy once they’re back on their feet).

There’s a bonus, too: You can target the specific types of cases you really want.

Many of these “freebies” will turn into loyal, paying patients if they like their experience in your practice. And they will tell their family and friends about you. Offering free services can set you apart — and boost your bottom line.

3) Provide more than what people expect.  This is the basic key ingredient to great Word-of-Mouth. It’s what makes people happy and makes them think you’re special, and it’s rare. That’s why it will help set your practice apart from your less-motivated competitors.

Follow these basic guidelines and your practice will be well on the way to standing out even in the most competitive market.

Tags: Branding, Healthcare