The Marketing Mentor

Say Goodbye to 2008 and Make 2009 EXTREMELY Divine!

It is hard to believe that another year is coming to an end…this is a perfect time to look back on your year and review your successes, challenges and plan your strategies for the new year that is just around the corner. In order to ensure that the coming year is filled with an abundance of successes it is necessary to plan your action steps now.

Firstly, consider all of the wonderful marketing efforts that worked during 2008.  Evaluate month by month both your internal, external events and promotions by looking back on your tracking system to see where you got most of your new patients and what was it that your existing patients most participated in.  This will give you a good start in planning ahead for 2009.  Remember it is most important to make sure that you have an excellent team, ready, willing and able to take on 2009!

Do you have a purpose statement for your practice?  Ask yourself two questions: 1) Who or what do you want to be and 2) What do you want to do?  Write down your thoughts and start to form phrases about who you are and what you want to accomplish within your practice.

Do you know your capacity?  How much water does an eight ounce glass hold?  Can you get nine ounces into an eight ounce glass?  The answer is “no” because eight ounces is all the eight ounce glass can hold!  Think of this in terms of growing your practice.  In order to exceed in your practice, you first must determine a way to increase your capacity, this will allow room for your practice to grow.

I have talked about this often in my articles and on my blog…do you yet know who your ideal patient is?  Discuss with your staff who your best patients are and why they are your best patients.  This will help identify your ideal patient and also help you to target market your ideal patients.

What are you participating in within your community?  How do you market yourself?  Are you consistently doing both internal and external marketing projects?  Are you consistently building your network of health care professionals?  Are you consistently gaining visibility in your community?  Have you considered hiring a part time Community Relations Director?

And lastly, are you a good communicator?  Do you own what you say about chiropractic?  Are you authentic, sincere and engaging?  Do your patients and others in the community consider you an expert at what you do?  And most of all do you have fun in your practice and in your life?  Believe it or not people can tell!

I will add to this blog some fun internal and external events that you and your team can add to your new 2009 calendar in the coming weeks. I will even add some step by step lessons so that implementing them can be simple.

It is a great idea to comment on this blog as to what you might like to see in the coming months so that I can give you what you want or need!  I encourage you to participate.  If you are not willing to participate how will you make 2009 extremely divine?