Download worksheets here IMPORTANT:  Under Construction.  Many links may be broken.     Table of Contents Where do I start? Your Marketing Plan Internal Marketing Tools External Marketing Tools Needed Tracking Tools Contact Schedule Key to success! Important reminder! Resource Links             Where do I start? A good place to begin is understanding that "marketing" doesn't equate to "sales".   Most physical therapists are not good at selling and so therefore think they cannot market.  This is a misconception.  Marketing is merely making contact with those who have a need for your service.   It's important to internalize this definition because then you begin to realize that anyone with musculoskeletal pain or problem can be someone worthy of making contact with or anyone in the community who is sought out by others for advice on topics ranging from car repair to doctors can be a good source of referrals and not only MD's.   It's good to understand that MD's are good sources of referrals and worthy of making contact with not only because they have traditionally controlled the referrals but because they too need our services.  MD's need our services just as much as we need their referrals.  Physical therapy is a viable but sometimes the only alternative for many patients who can't be helped with medicinal or surgical options.       Your Marketing Plan Do not think of busy work when thinking about your marketing plan. Merely put together the tools and most importantly the message you want to share.  Most physical therapists I have spoken with that hate marketing usually do not have much to say about their practice in the first place. If you don't have much to say, you too will hate marketing. An effective marketing plan will identify who you want to speak to and communicate that you have a solution to their problem or pain.  Most people who never come to your business will be because they didn't know about you!  So making contact with them and simply letting them know will get you business immediately.  We will answer the questions: "How do I become known by the people who need my services?" "And how do I stay on top of those peoples minds?"  If you have a niche/specialty then becomes much easier to do.  So make sure you have completed the steps in the beginning of this course.  The mistake many practice owners make is they start off with a good marketing and advertising effort but then slowly let it die by the wayside.  Do not make this mistake!  Your marketing plan should be designed to hold you accountable for continued and regular contact with the community and referral sources.           Internal Marketing Tools Business cards Friends & Family Vouchers Postcards for Thank You's to MD Newsletter Caps, T-shirts, promo material Website Patient Testimonies (from surveys) MD testimonials (See section 3a for more information on these tools)   Back to top             External Marketing Tools Newsletter Referral Pad Yellow Page Ad(s) Referral Program Sheet for Competitors Local Newspaper Article Local Newspaper Ad Local Merchant Piece Direct Mailers to Community    Postcards for product specials    Postcards for service specials Website Staff Profile and Introduction Sheet Your facility programs and services sheet Specialized Equipment Sheet "Hear What Patients are Saying..." (See section 3a for more information on these tools)   Back to top               Needed Tracking Tools Referral Source Plan Daily/Weekly Encounter Log Postcard & Survey Tracking Log First contact & verification form   Back to top               Contact Schedule Daily Internal marketing promotions Check to make sure newsletters are available in the lobby Patient should be completing postcards to MD's daily Database of contacts (add to it daily) Monthly Merchant Flyers, etc. should be checked and replenished monthly Referral Pads should be replenished to referring MD's monthly Quarterly Newspaper ads updated Direct mailer for service specials to the community "Hear What Patients are Saying.." Referral Program to Competitors should be assessed Semi-Annually News articles should be mailed Direct mailer for product specials Staff Profile sheets Facility programs and services sheets Specialized equipment sheets Annually Yellow Page Ad should be updated Collect recommendation letters from your best referring physicians and use them in your marketing portfolio, both internally and externally. Your staff should be collecting and sending the Thank-You postcards to your referring physicians daily. Schedule your product postcards during key times in the year like christmas time; your newsletters should go out at least twice a year; and your free consultation postcards can go out every 2-3 months. Back to top           Key to Success (1) Quality marketing is better than quantity marketing.  Quality patients are better than quantity patients. (2) Develop Habits for Success Develop a database of contacts and add to it daily Automate your mailing programs:  Add to one of your staff member's job description the role of collecting and mailing your marketing mailers. Regularly refer to your competitors:  You have to give to receive...but make sure your competitors know the referrals are coming from you by completing a referral slip and fax/email it to them.   Back to top         Important Reminder The more focused your practice in the beginning, the better.  You can always expand later.   Back to top             Resource Links If you have any trouble with this section consult with James Ko at 1.800.801.4511 ext. 701 or jamesko@indefree.com Back to top