When I first graduated, we had learned in school that 50% overhead was the norm. In my first decade of practice, I found that I got comfortable with this reality. The problem was not so much the cost of running my clinic, but the lack of efficiency that seems to bundle along with those expenses.
And then there was this thing called the internet. And everything changed. Flash forward to today and you will find that many old timers like me are still living in that high overhead box.
The problem is that conventional marketing has stopped working and new client acquisition is becoming an elusive art.
Social media is a huge part of marketing ourselves but it’s complicated counterintuitive and often out of reach for the older generations.
All of this adds up to a steady decline in our bottom line.
Think outside the box
Now more than ever, I contend that the best way for your business to soar is also the cheapest. Word of mouth is exactly where your focus should be. Making it easy for patients to refer and building your online reputation is easy when you have the right tools.
The kicker is, you can make that go viral with the proper tools.
Social media is a huge part of marketing ourselves but it’s complicated counter-intuitive and often out of reach for the older generations.
Customer relation management is another vital part of today’s success parameters.
The best way to increase your business is to embed your referral marketing program within the communications you normally have with a client. This way, you never miss an opportunity to get a referral or increase your reputation and ranking online.
1. Mailchimp integration and marketing automation
You can easily configure your mailchimp free account to sync with OpusTime’s Online booking system.
Once you have done that, it is a matter of composing an automated email that will be sent each time a new client schedules an appointment with your business. All of this sounds harder than it is and is probably the number one way to keep your audience and grow it.
2. Don’t miss an opportunity to share your Online Booking Site
Let’s face it, people are using facebook all day long. So I always make sure that every automated communication via email or SMS also contains my Book Now button. Every chance I get. I try to teach them to use my online services because they are never more than a few clicks away from their facebook friends.
3. If you instruct them to share, they will most likely do it.
Even though social media is very popular, most people do not have the reflex of promoting other businesses. If you tell them what you expect, then they most likely will be in a position to comply and even develop a habit of using social media to refer you to their friends. SO make sure you always include an easy way to share on your message templates communications and even on invoices.
4. Add your google maps listing and facebook page to the communications templates.
Every time someone tells me they are feeling better thanks to the care they received in my office, I always sent them a quick SMS template with an easy access to the review feature. I find that people are often way more generous in writing than they are verbally. Hardly any other professionals collect reviews. If you manage to have a few dozens, you will automatically attract traffic to your services. That is the cheapest available way to get free referrals!
5. Follow Up or Schedule.
Usually, when clients check out, I either book their next appointment or schedule a followup for when I think they should come back in. I let them know I will and on that particular day, they receive an SMS with a Booking Link. I can do all my followups in less than a minute per day, and it is the best way I know to keep my business soaring.
6. Be grateful and show it!
Never miss an opportunity to send a thank you message to referring contacts or clients. You can use template and mass SMS to do so in a few seconds per day.
These messages are always well received and people feel appreciated when you say thank you. Make sure you include a link to your social media profile to provide them with yet another opportunity to refer.
7. Birthday wishes are always a good way to keep in touch.
Make sure you never miss a birthday and always send warm wishes to your clients on their birthday. You would be surprised to see them refer a friend on that same day or even schedule their own family member.
