This past week I got a few questions about marketing and how to really make an impact on someone’s business with marketing. Last week’s blog we talked about marketing online and s few simple things you can do right now to start that. If you missed that blog post check it out HERE.
In today’s post I want to share with y’all the power of marketing the field, or what I like to think about it as, getting to know other practitioners and become friends with them. Marketing in the field can feel and sound scary, and so if we think about how to build up these relationships it tends to be way more easy and less scary.
Who to Market to
When I first started out I made a lot of mistakes in marketing. I thought I needed to spend too much money on brochures and drive all over town dropping them off at different offices. Man, I was so wrong. Spending tons of money and having nothing to show for it was heartbreaking. Let’s not make the same mistake I did, deal!
After this life lesson that a piece of paper left at an office is not how to get clients, I started to think about what makes me actually refer and send a client to therapist or doctor. What makes me give the name of one over another, and so on? For me, it was because I knew how that particular doctor/therpsit/ PT worked professionally and I might know them a bit on the personal level too. When I say personal, I mean we might have met in person at an event or spent time on the phone together and I knew something a bit more about them. The key is to get to know the professionals in your area on a deeper level. We tend to send people to other that we know, like and trust.
Meet my 80/20 rule. You want to spend 80% of your marketing efforts on those practitioners that know and send you to work already and then spend 20% of the other time with new acquisitions. What worked best for me is I went through all my current client’s charts and found a release of information sheet signed and reached out to all their providers. I would call (never spoke to the docotor, only left a message) letting them know that I was the dieitian working with our mutual cleint (left date of birth and name) and that I would be sending over my notes after each session. And how I continue to see clients that are in need of a new doctor/therpsit/etc. and wanting to know if they are accepting new client. The majority would then definatly get back to me and say they are accpeting new clients and would ASLWAYS ask if I was too! BINGO!!!!
After awhile, these practitioners would get used to hearing from me on a regular basis and seeing my companies info come through that when they did need to send a client to someone they knew the quality of my work and communication.
Coffee Chats
Another great way to get to know a practitioner to build up that report is over coffee. I did and continue to meet up with doctors/therapist/ etc for coffee. This gives me a chance to hear about their practice, what type of clients they love to work with, and what is their personality style.
It might feel super intimidating to ask another practitioner to coffee, and my best advice is to try one! Once you get one scary one out of the way I promise it gets so much easier! This week I would love for you to reach out to at least one practitioner in your area that you might have worked with in the past, or currently and see if they have time to grab coffee next week. When asking for coffee chats, give 2-3 dates and times, that helps with scheduling things faster.
How to stay Organized with Marketing
The last key to truly becoming efficient in field marketer is to stay organized. Once you meet with someone, contact them or stop by their office, make a plan of when you will do that again and schedule it. For instance, if I went to coffee with someone today, I would schedule in my calendar that 3 months from now I want to reach back out to them and see how things are going and follow up on something we might have talked about at coffee. I can’t tell you how powerful that has been on building up stronger connections with local practitioners!
What kind of struggles have you had in marketing your practice? If there is something that still feels a bit confusing leave a comment below so we can all learn and grow together!
Adrien Paczosa is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian practicing in Austin, Texas and the surrounding counties.
She is the owner and founder of I Live Well Nutrition her Dietitian practice which started in 2007 and serves clients in the Austin, Texas area in two locations. Fearless Practitioners, the division of her business that offers training to dietitians and wellness professionals.