Organizing Your Marketing

by Shawn Clark


Does marketing give you a headache? Stress you out? Make you hide under the covers? Use this process to help it all flow more naturally.

I like to take advantage of the slower holiday season to prepare for the new year by refocusing my strategies. I hope you will find this process as helpful as I have.

One

Make a list of specific problems, conditions and circumstances that you can help alleviate. The best way to represent yourself is as a problem solver. It helps if you have a very clear idea what those problems
are.

Two

Next to each problem, write down who needs help with that problem. Be very specific. If you said 'Carpal Tunnel', put down 'office workers, computer programmers, musicians, factory people, thumb
wrestlers...'

Three

Answer these questions: Where are these people right now? If you were to go outside and find one of these people, where would they be? Are they in some kind of organization, shopping at a certain store or reading a certain magazine? Do they know anyone that you already know?

Four

Brainstorm a variety of ways that you can get your message in front of these people. (Write an article, give a lecture, send a report, network, run an ad, etc.)

Five

Develop a clear sense of the syntax of enrollment. What should the first step be? The second, and so on.

For example:

-First, they read an ad
-Next they call for a free report that gives them more details
-Next, they set up a free consultation, where they are given suggestions and a recommendation is made for further treatment.
-Next, they receive an informative welcome kit that builds their level of commitment
-Next, they receive great care
-They are invited to talks and to bring a friend with them.
-The friend is given a free report and an invitation for a free consultation

This creates a consistent flow from initial contact through commitment, making it easier to determine which activities are right for you, and which ones will just confuse your potential clients, and waste your money.

Six

Make a list of the specific ways you will contact each group. Be sure you have a consistent theme, message, style and feel to all your materials. It's a good idea to have 5 to 10 pro-active marketing efforts going on at any given time. This is in addition to the subtle marketing you do in your office that is focused on great service.

Seven

Lay out a 52 week calendar for the upcoming year and write down when you want each strategy to be applied.

Eight

Backtrack from the completion date and write the date that each preparation step needs to happen.

For example:

Jan 5 - Mail newsletter
Dec 30 - Print newsletter
Dec 20 - Edit newsletter
Dec 15 - Write newsletter
Dec 10 - Draft newsletter
Gather ideas today!

By laying out each step we can avoid making hasty decisions and costly mistakes.

Nine

Track the responses each strategy creates. It is crucial that you know exactly what it costs to generate responses, how many responses come in for appointments, and how many of those appointments continue with treatment.

Once you know these numbers you can decide how many new clients you want and then initiate the appropriate amount of marketing to bring them in.

Ten

Do all you can to make your clients fall in love with you. Give them great care, but don't stop there. Provide additional information that can help them in other areas. Develop informational talks on a variety of topics in your office; be willing to bring in guest speakers as well. Create a newsletter that shares lots of great ideas. Cultivate an atmosphere in your office that makes it a pleasant place to be, so people will look forward to being there.

Marketing can be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding parts of your practice, especially when its organized, cohesive and effective.

Shawn Clark
Wholistic Marketing Coach

CoachShawn@earthlink.net

There are other materials like this at our Chiropractic Assistant (CA) Page

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