I am often asked, "What's the one thing I can do to grow my business?" I always give the same answer: If there was one magic answer for every company, I would be able to work a lot fewer hours!
The rest of the answer is a more complicated one. Working with P&O firms for more than 24 years, we've had the opportunity to work with small, owner-operated firms as well as companies with 10 or more patient care centers. One of the most effective marketing practices has been direct marketing to referral sources, particularly via a newsletter.
Newsletters are one way to tell stories about your patients, your company, the community, and more. A newsletter is perceived as more newsy and less promotional, almost as if coming from a third party. There is enough room to include a variety of story topics, such as:
- patient success stories
- new product or technology stories - manufacturers will often help with text and photos
- highlight a new certification or seminar taken by a staffer, attendance at a national meeting
- profile employees and their specialties
- disseminate important insurance information to your readers
- highlight a seasonal sport and local disability group
- feature the importance of ABC certification
- include a brief editorial from the CEO or a practitioner on things happening at the practice or upcoming events or industry news
A newsletter can be produced with the assistance of an outside supplier or internally with available software. The key is to make the information newsworthy, well-written, and error-free. If you self-produce, assign stories to employees to research and write. Take pictures - before and after photos are always good. If you have a table top at a local breast cancer awareness event or physical therapy fair, take a photo to include in your next newsletter.
A key part of the process is making sure your newsletter is mailed to the correct audience, that your mailing list includes all the appropriate referral sources for your business. Here are some suggested categories for your mailing list:
- Vascular surgeons
- Orthopedists
- Orthopedic surgeons
- General surgeons
- Neurosurgeons
- Internal medicine physicians
- Cardiologists
- Physiatrists
- Physical medicine and rehabilitation physicians
- Physical therapists
- Occupational therapists
- Rehab centers
- Nursing homes
- Day care / interim health care
- Director of nursing – hospitals
- Discharge planners / social workers – hospitals
- Case managers
- Third party payers
- Insurance companies
- Private rehab and therapy companies
- Pediatricians
- Director, Physical Therapy Department (Hospitals)
- Chief of Staff (Hospitals)
- Medicare representatives
- Workers' Comp. Representatives
- O&P schools
- Congressmen
- Banker
- Lawyers
- O&P national office
Many printing companies offer mailing services. Have your newsletter sent on a timely basis at least three times a year. A newsletter is one of the best direct marketing tools in the P&O field, although there are others. We will discuss those in upcoming blogs. Also, make sure you post your newsletters on your Website in a newsletter category. Some businesses have resorted to emailing their newsletters to save money, but it's hard to get the email addresses of many of the most important professional targets, and the chances are much slimmer of getting your newsletter read if it is received via email. You want your newsletter to be in the hands of the professionals for reading and for future referencing.
