Influence and Impact II

A couple of weeks ago I attended several sessions of the virtual Influence and Impact Summit produced by Michael Hyatt of Platform University. It was seriously one of the best online summits I’ve ever participated in. (If it happens again next year make sure you sign-up for the free event!) The speakers were insightful, the topics were impactful, and the take-aways were truly meaningful. In my last blog, I reviewed several quotes by the legendary John Maxwell. (Missed it? Check it out!) As I mentioned in that blog, I actually had two favorite sessions. And because I couldn’t pick a winner, I chose to talk about them in alphabetical order.

Today, I’m happy to share my other “tied-for-first-place” speaker from the Impact and Influence summit: Amy Porterfield. Now, I confess…I LOVE AMY PORTERFIELD! I’ve been following her on social media for some time, I subscribe to her blog, and I’ve purchased several of her products. She’s a gifted entrepreneur who’s changed the lives of countless people. Honestly, I almost didn’t listen to her talk because I thought I was familiar with her message. I’m so glad I changed my mind! In all the time I’ve been tuning in to Amy, this was the first time I saw her “unscripted” in an interview.

She was absolutely magnificent. Her vibrant personality and genuine compassion were evident from word one. Amy was engaging, funny, sincere, and humble while sharing pieces of her story and motivation. What struck me the most from her 30-minute interview was how much I could relate to her on a personal and professional level. We’re in completely different fields, but she has the same fears and worries that I do. (Well…she didn’t come out and say she’s afraid of zombies, but isn’t everyone???)

I was floored to learn that Amy sometimes worries her products might not be good enough…that her success might vanish…that there might not be enough money for future needs… Wow! Does that sound familiar? Do you ever have those same fears or worries? How do you handle them? When faced with these fears, Amy gives herself 10 minutes to worry about it, then she consciously shifts her focus to the next important thing. What a great tip to use in healthcare practices! (The host, Michael Hyatt, said he’s a worrier too. His wife tells him “wait to worry.” Basically, there’ll be time later to worry, right now you need to buckle down and get to work. Invariably, by the time “later” comes, there’s no need to worry!)

Another interesting lesson Amy shares is how, when she left her 9-5 job to begin her entrepreneurial journey, she was scared. So, she took on consulting clients for the first two years. She later realized that while comfortable, this was a distraction holding her back from her true path. Have you ever struggled to make something fit your life or your practice, to no avail? Then, when you stop pushing, you realize you were meant to go in another direction? (Me too!)

One last impactful moment in the interview occurred when Amy shared “What’s ahead of you is where the magic is.” We can get bogged down in the minutiae of today or the regrets of the past and lose sight of the future. We can’t change what happened yesterday…and the actions of this moment may have little impact on today. But…the future is molded by the thoughts and actions of today…it’s completely up to you. You can have a future that looks identical to your present life if you change nothing. However, if you plan carefully…choose your actions with intention…take deliberate steps…your future can be magical!

So how does this relate to healthcare practice marketing? If you change nothing about how you market your practice…if you fail to put a plan in place…then you’ll get the same level of practice success you’ve always had. Or, you can experiment, try new marketing strategies, take intentional marketing steps, and create new levels of practice success.

One last thought about the summit, and then I’ll go back to my normal healthcare marketing blogs…there were so many fantastic speakers. I have to give honorable mention to several more: Dr. Josh Axe, Dave Ramsey, Carrie Green, Donald Miller, Bob Goff, and Andy Andrews were all amazing. If you think about it, there’s no shortage of inspirational leaders. Even if they aren’t in the healthcare field, their messages can translate to your healthcare practice. Block some time out of your schedule to listen to a few of your favorites (via podcast, e-book, interview, etc.) every week. Their messages can raise your energy, motivate you, and help you intentionally create the practice – and life – of your dreams!

What about you? Who are your favorite inspirational leaders? Please share your comment, quote, or story in the comments section!

5 Steps to Create Your Healthcare Marketing Calendar: A Strategic Guide for 2025

by Dr. Kelley Mulhern

Creating a healthcare marketing calendar is a vital step for any successful medical practice. Just as you carefully plan your office layout, design your brochures, and structure patient care protocols, your marketing efforts deserve the same level of thoughtful preparation. A well-crafted marketing calendar—sometimes called a Connections Calendar—helps you map out all the community touchpoints and promotional activities your practice will engage in throughout the year.

A desk with a calendar, computer, and marketing materials. Post-it notes with "healthcare marketing" and a pen. A phone with scheduling app open

Planning your healthcare marketing in advance allows you to maintain consistent patient communication and capitalize on seasonal opportunities. Rather than scrambling to create last-minute campaigns, a marketing calendar gives you the structure to build meaningful relationships with your community while efficiently managing your practice resources.

Key Takeaways

A structured marketing calendar helps healthcare practices maintain consistent patient engagement and community outreach throughout the year.
Planning your healthcare marketing efforts in advance allows for better resource allocation and more strategic promotional activities.
Creating a comprehensive marketing calendar transforms reactive healthcare advertising into proactive patient connection opportunities.

Why You Need a Marketing Calendar for Healthcare Success

A busy healthcare office with a desk covered in colorful sticky notes, a computer open to a marketing calendar, and a team collaborating on ideas

A well-planned marketing calendar serves as the backbone of your healthcare practice’s outreach efforts. It brings structure to your promotional activities and helps your practice grow in several important ways:

Focuses Your Efforts
A marketing calendar helps you prioritize activities that align with your healthcare brand and practice goals. This focused approach prevents scattered efforts and maximizes your marketing impact with potential patients.

Controls Budget Flow
Planning your marketing activities in advance allows for better financial management. You can:

Allocate funds strategically throughout the year
Avoid unexpected expenses
Ensure resources are available for high-priority campaigns

Optimizes Staff Scheduling
Your calendar helps coordinate everyone involved in marketing efforts:

Practice staff
External partners
Volunteers

This coordination prevents burnout while ensuring proper coverage for events and activities targeting your niche market.

Prevents Missed Opportunities
Without a planned calendar, important marketing opportunities can slip through the cracks. Last-minute marketing rarely delivers the same results as well-executed, thoughtfully planned campaigns that connect with patients in your location.

Remember, successful healthcare marketing strategies require planning. Your marketing calendar transforms good intentions into actionable steps that attract patients and build your practice.

Get Ready!

A desk with a computer, calendar, pen, and coffee mug. A person is organizing and planning healthcare marketing activities

Block dedicated planning time on your schedule for creating your marketing calendar. You’ll need 1-2 full days either working alone or with your team during a staff retreat. This focused time ensures thorough planning without interruptions.

Gather essential planning tools before you begin:

Calendar with important dates marked
List of holidays and planned vacations
Schedule of major local events that might affect attendance
Inventory of potential marketing activities
Basic supplies (pens, paper, calculator)
Digital tools if you prefer electronic planning

Brainstorm creative marketing ideas by developing a master list of successful past activities and new concepts you’d like to implement. Consider your practice strengths and market opportunities while being mindful of potential threats and competition.

Personalize your approach to reflect your unique practice identity and values. Your marketing calendar should showcase your strengths and address your weaknesses through strategic planning.

Remember that your marketing calendar is a living document. You can and should update it regularly as you track progress, respond to market changes, or identify new opportunities. Flexibility is key to maintaining an effective marketing strategy that grows with your practice.

5 Steps to Build an Effective Marketing Calendar for Your Healthcare Practice

Creating a well-organized marketing calendar helps your practice stay on track with promotional activities throughout the year. Here’s how to build one that works:

1. Gather Patient Feedback

Ask your patients about their experiences with your previous marketing efforts. Create a brief questionnaire with questions like:

Which events did you enjoy most?
What activities would you like to see in the future?
How do you prefer to receive practice updates?

This feedback provides valuable insights about what resonates with your target audience and helps shape your marketing strategy.

2. Block Out Your Calendar Year

Start with the basics by marking:

Holidays and office closures
Staff vacations and time off
Industry conferences and events

Then plan at least three marketing activities each month:

One internal office event (staff or current patient focused)
One community-focused external event
At least one social media or content marketing activity

Remember: It’s better to plan conservatively than to cancel events due to time constraints.

3. Establish Clear Marketing Goals

Set specific, measurable objectives for each marketing activity. For example:

Increase new patient appointments by 15% this quarter
Generate 25 new reviews on Google by June
Grow email newsletter subscribers by 100 people

Your goals should be realistic, time-bound, and aligned with your overall business goals. Write them down and revisit them regularly.

4. Implement Tracking Systems

Every marketing effort needs a measurement plan:

Marketing Activity	Tracking Method	Success Metric	Person Responsible
Patient referral program	Referral cards	Number of new patients	Front desk staff
Educational webinar	Registration form	Attendance rate	Marketing coordinator
Social media campaign	Platform analytics	Engagement and clicks	Digital marketing team

Proper tracking helps you determine your ROI and informs future marketing tactics.

5. Ensure Team Alignment

Your entire team needs to understand:

The marketing activities planned
Their specific responsibilities
How success will be measured
Why these efforts matter

Hold regular meetings to discuss upcoming events and review past performance. When everyone understands the “why” behind your marketing calendar, they’ll be more invested in its success.

Pro Tip: Create a dedicated folder system (physical or digital) organized by month, with subfolders for each marketing activity. Include all relevant materials, budgets, checklists, and post-event analysis in these folders for easy reference when planning future events.

By following these steps, you’ll create a structured approach to your practice marketing that drives patient engagement, builds brand awareness, and supports practice growth throughout the year.

Common Questions About Healthcare Marketing Calendars

What should you include in your healthcare marketing calendar?

An effective healthcare marketing calendar needs several key elements to work well. You should include:

Important dates such as holidays, industry events, and health awareness months
Marketing campaigns with clear start and finish dates
Content publication schedule for blog posts, emails, and social media
Budget allocation for each marketing activity
Team responsibilities showing who handles each task

Your calendar should also include specific and measurable goals for each marketing activity. This helps you track progress and measure success.

How can you add digital marketing to your healthcare calendar?

Digital marketing should be a core part of your healthcare marketing calendar. Here’s how to integrate it effectively:

Schedule regular social media posts about health topics, services, and patient education
Plan email campaigns for appointment reminders and health tips
Coordinate website updates with your other marketing efforts
Schedule search engine optimization (SEO) reviews quarterly

It’s important to combat misinformation and provide accurate health information in all your digital marketing efforts.

How do you align your marketing calendar with organizational goals?

Your marketing calendar should directly support your healthcare organization’s broader objectives:

Goal Type	Calendar Alignment Strategy
Patient growth	Schedule campaigns targeting new patient acquisition
Service promotion	Time marketing around service launches or slow periods
Brand awareness	Plan consistent messaging across all channels
Community engagement	Include community events and outreach activities

Before creating your calendar, survey and gather insights from stakeholders to ensure alignment with organizational priorities.

When should you start planning your marketing calendar?

You should begin planning your healthcare marketing calendar at least 3-6 months before the start of the new year. This timeline allows for:

Thoughtful strategy development
Budget approval processes
Content creation lead time
Coordination with other departments

Many healthcare organizations create an annual calendar but leave room for adjustments. Start by filling in holidays, vacations, and office closings before adding marketing activities.

How can you measure your marketing calendar’s success?

To track the effectiveness of your healthcare marketing calendar:

Set key performance indicators (KPIs) for each marketing activity
Use analytics tools to monitor website traffic, social engagement, and conversions
Track patient acquisition sources to connect marketing efforts to results
Conduct regular performance reviews against your goals

Your calendar should include tracking mechanisms to measure performance and make data-driven decisions.

How often should you update your marketing calendar?

Your healthcare marketing calendar requires regular reviews and updates:

Weekly: Check for immediate adjustments needed
Monthly: Review performance and make tactical changes
Quarterly: Assess larger trends and strategic alignment
Annually: Complete overall evaluation and planning for next year

A written marketing calendar provides focus and consistency to your strategy, but it must remain flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances and opportunities.

Healthcare Marketing Goals -Set Your Annual Goals!

by Dr. Kelley Mulhern Leave a Comment

“What?” You might be asking.

“It’s time to set my annual healthcare marketing goals already?”

Yes! I know the year isn’t over yet and you’re still making progress on this year’s goals. But having the next year’s goals in place by the beginning of October gives you time to cement those goals in your subconscious.

I don’t typically recommend a specific way to create your goals…different ways work best for different people. You could produce S.M.A.R.T. goals as discussed by Tony Robbins. You could build D.U.M.B. goals as discussed by Brendon Burchard. (Seriously, check this out!) The important thing is that you find a goal-setting method that works for you and stick with it. I have a few tips to help you along the way:

Written. Your healthcare marketing goals must be in writing and kept in a convenient location you can refer to every day. To hold yourself accountable, purchase my $10 Workbook here-> Companion Workbook – a place to plan out your daily, weekly, monthly, and annual goals.

Concise. Be as specific as possible about what you want to achieve in the coming year.

Measurable. Your goals must be measurable in order for you to know when you’ve achieved them. You shouldn’t have to guess when a goal is accomplished. You should know with certainty…and celebrate!

Manageable. Don’t develop so many goals that it becomes overwhelming… If you have that many goals they are probably action steps, not goals.

Grounded. Your goals should be based on your values and purpose, and aligned with your mission, and vision. If a goal isn’t congruent with this foundation, rework it or ditch it altogether.

Regardless of the process you use to flesh out your goals, it can be helpful to break them out into major categories. (If you decide to have lots of subcategories, only list 1-2 goals for each one. Keep in mind you only want 10-15 goals for the entire year!) The ones I use are:

Professional – Includes any goals focused on your career. You may further break this down into categories such as financial, practice numbers, marketing, education, etc.

Personal – Non-work-related goals fall into this category, which can be further sub-divided if necessary. (i.e.: Mental, physical, emotional, creative, etc.)

Financial – Any goals you have regarding money, savings, investments, etc.

Adventure – Goals for fun and recreational activities are a must! Otherwise you run the risk of only focusing on work and getting burned out.

Connections – Who do you want to meet, work with, interview, mentor, etc. in the upcoming year?

Have you set your written healthcare marketing goals for this year? What works for you? Please share your thoughts and tips in the comments section to help others who may be struggling.

For more information on building community connections, I encourage you to read my new book Community Connections! Relationship Marketing for Healthcare Professionals. If you want more valuable information about how to Connect with YOUR Community, you can find FREE healthcare practice marketing content, PowerPoint Presentation Jumpstart Kits, workbooks, blog articles, and my FREE “Practice Marketing Planner” Now!

Membership Medicine

by Dr. Kelley Mulhern Leave a Comment

Practicing as an in-network provider can be the path of least resistance in terms of new patient acquisition. But if you want your dream practice, a membership medicine practice is worth the effort.

In-Network

It’s understandable that some practitioners choose to be in-network with insurance companies when they first open their practices. A new doctor hasn’t yet established a patient base, and when you’re in-network, you don’t have to work as hard to bring new patients indoor doors. The insurance company sends people to you by listing you as an in-network provider. open-966315_1280

All you have to do is hang out your shingle, and the patients (and insurance checks) start rolling in. It seems too good to be true and eventually, you start to understand why it is.

Less Money, More Hassle

There’s a lot of overhead involved when you’re an in-network provider. You have to hire someone to do your billing and to chase down missing payments. And let’s not forget the copious paperwork; sending corrected claims, sending requested progress notes, and filling out paperwork for pre-authorization. Doing all of this costs time and money. If you run a busy practice, the details can start to fall through the cracks. By the time you figure out why the insurance companies aren’t paying up, you’re drowning in overdue business-19156_1280 paperwork.

When the checks finally do start coming in, you might wonder if there are some missing zeros somewhere. There aren’t. As we’re all aware, insurance companies reimburse for “customary and reasonable” expenses. But that number is reasonable to them, not necessarily to you.

In addition, almost every doctor I’ve ever spoken with is fed up with insurance company “paper-pushers” interfering with the clinical care of their patients. Often, the insurance company employees responsible for approving or denying claims have little to no clinical training. To keep it in perspective, let’s not forget that most insurance businesses are publicly traded companies trying to make a profit. While you’re trying to look after your patients, they’re trying to look after their bottom line.

Membership Medicine

If the above paragraph sounds too familiar, there’s a solution; membership medicine. This practice structure cuts out much of the insurance company hassles and puts care decisions back into the hands of practitioners and their patients. You charge a fee; it can be yearly, monthly, quarterly, whatever works best for you and your patients, and that fee covers a variety of treatments, services, and procedures. Patients are encouraged to keep a catastrophic policy with a high deductible, but most of their routine care is covered by the membership fee.

There are many ways to structure a membership medicine practice, and they go by a few different names, but what they all have in common is eliminating the headache, expense, and interference from insurance companies. However, a membership medicine practice has its own challenges.

Education, Promotion, Connection

Dr Kelley Mulhern increasing costs Building a membership medicine practice takes work. Once you extricate yourself from the insurance companies, they’ll no longer send patients your way. And there are a lot of people who won’t even consider seeing an out-of-network practitioner. Who can blame them? Consumers pay an exorbitant amount of money for health insurance and they want to use it! People think medical care is expensive, and they’re right. When a third-party (insurance company) is involved, prices are artificially inflated to handle the costs associated with dealing with them.

When you eliminate insurance companies from the equation, it’s entirely possible to provide a high level of care. Often you can provide a higher level of care than you could when you were in-network. You aren’t under pressure to see more patients in less time in order to make a living. And the insurance companies no longer get a say in what’s best for your patients.

Some patients don’t understand this. All they hear is “out-of-network” and they simply find someone who’s in-network. It’s up to you to educate your patients on what membership medicine is; the benefits and the costs.

Transitioning from a traditional practice to a membership practice is less scary than starting day one as a membership practice because some of your existing patients will stay with you through the transition, particularly if you’ve properly educated them on the advantages.

But you’ll lose some patients and the insurance companies won’t be sending you new ones, so you have to promote your practice yourself. Start by setting some marketing goals. Understand who your patients are and how your practice can give them solutions to problems. For example, a common patient complaint is the lack of time a practitioner spends with them. In a membership medicine practice, patients get the time and attention they want and need, neutralizing this issue. stop-watch-1135771_640

If you go out-of-network, you’ll have to connect with your community in a way you didn’t before. Put yourself out there, go to health fairs, give workshops and lectures at schools, churches, and community centers. These are the places where you can introduce yourself and your type of practice to potential patients.

Is It Worth It?

This may sound like a lot of work compared to letting insurance companies send patients to you. So is it worth it? That depends. If you like freedom and flexibility, a membership medicine practice is absolutely worth it. Under this model, you can make more money in less time, eliminate interference in clinical decision-making, and eliminate a lot of paperwork and overhead.

If that sounds better than what you’re dealing with now, perhaps you should explore membership medicine further.

Small Hinges Swing Big Doors

by Dr. Kelley Mulhern Leave a Comment

A hinge is a small piece of metal that uses leverage and physics to move something much bigger than itself…a door. No, this blog isn’t about home or office repairs. This blog is about the huge impact minor changes can make in your practice.

Here’s a specific example: Years ago I worked in a high-end wellness-oriented chiropractic practice. Our ideal patients were those who were healthy and wanted to be healthier. We couldn’t understand why, given the office environment and energy, patients often returned to the pain conversation. Then we removed one phrase from our vocabulary. That phrase was “How’re you feeling today?”

The focus of our care was on restoring proper function to the body…not on chasing symptoms. However, by asking that one question, it reinforced for people that how their bodies felt was more important than how they functioned. (This directly contradicted one of the office’s main messages!) Of course, if someone had a serious issue or needed to talk about their discomfort we would…we just chose not to start the conversation that way.

Instead, we substituted the question “How’s your day today?” As a result, that one simple change helped remove patients from the headspace of “being sick” or somehow broken to that of a person working on restoring proper function and health. It took them from the role of the victim and propelled them into their rightful place as a partner in their own health.

While this story shows the positive power a small change can have, remember that it can go the other way too. Seemingly minor changes can lead to disaster. For example, conversion issue with one small number resulted in levy walls that weren’t deep enough. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005 the levees couldn’t hold and caused more damage than the hurricane itself.

What little changes have you made that yielded huge results in your practice? Or, what changes could you make? Please share your stories and comments at Dr-Kelley.com as we build our community of successful healthcare professionals!

Thanks, Gratitude, and Appreciation…and Healthcare Marketing

by Dr. Kelley Mulhern Leave a Comment

With Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season fast-approaching, I wanted to take this opportunity to discuss thanks, gratitude, and appreciation as they apply to your healthcare marketing strategy. (If these are not currently part of your marketing strategy, make sure to keep reading!)

“Thank you” is a verbal expression of gratitude or appreciation. It’s one of the most powerful phrases in the English language when used with intention. Most of us were taught from an early age to say “please” and “thank you.” For some, it has become a habit…the words slipping out seemingly of their own accord. Unfortunately, this rote delivery may render the words virtually meaningless. When was the last time you actually stopped, reflected, and gave sincere thanks for the opportunities, experiences, and people you have in your life? When was the last time you noticed and commented on the “little things” others do for you? When was the last time you genuinely thanked your patients?

Dictionary.com defines “gratitude” as: “the quality or feeling of being thankful.” Thus, it’s largely an internal state of being. Living in the proverbial “attitude of gratitude” can raise your spirits and the spirits of those around you. It fills you up emotionally, and that can impact your actions, behaviors, and responses. Check out this video by gratitude-guru, Marie Forleo. Be grateful for each marketing opportunity – and allow that feeling to show – to truly connect with your community.

Finally, Dictionary.com defines “appreciation” in multiple ways, one of which is: “the act of estimating the qualities of things and giving them their proper value.” Therefore, appreciation is a more dynamic concept whose focus is to take action on the internal state of gratitude. Show authenitic appreciation for your patients, for those who coordinate or assist with marketing events, for your employees, and for your family. Dr. Paul White states: “Each person has their own preferred ‘language of appreciation.’ And within each language, there are specific actions that are most valued by that individual…But the key is to be able to use the right action with the right person, at the right time, and with a genuine spirit of appreciation.” For more information on this topic, consider reading The Five Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Gary Chapman and Paul White.

Not sure how to incorporate thanks, gratitude, and appreciation into your healthcare marketing strategy? Here are a few tips:

Remember to say genuine “thank you’s” when appropriate.
Block 10-15 minutes out of your daily schedule…use this time to write a few thank you notes or emails to patients, employees, friends, family, vendors, and community leaders. It will leave behind a positive impression and show others how much you care. Struggling with time management? Download my FREE 2018 Practice Marketing Planner and take control of your schedule.

If your handwriting is terrible, or you’re looking for a way to help streamline your appreciation, consider a company like com. Choose your membership category and let the fun begin. Simply select the desired card, campaign, gift card, or gift – personalize it – pay for it – and it gets sent out in the mail.
Some more great options for delivering gifts of appreciation include: Gift Tree (for hundreds of options for every budget), Edible Arrangements (for beautiful fruit bouquets), and simpletruths.com (for motivational and inspirational gifts).
After any marketing activity or event, ask yourself who helped make it possible. Then show your appreciation in a way that’s meaningful to them. (This should be included in your marketing budget and schedule!)

I hope you’ve enjoyed our “conversation” and have gotten some useful insights. To wrap things up, I’d like to extend a sincere Thank You to you for sharing your valuable time with me today. I’m humbled, honored, and grateful to be on this path of service to other healthcare professionals. I’m deeply indebted to my mentors, teachers, professional organizations, friends, family, colleagues, and patients for guiding me along this fantastic journey. I appreciate each and every one of you in a million different ways!

How about you? What are some of your favorite ways to express thanks, gratitude, and appreciation? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section!

The Mystery of the Disappearing Healthcare Patient

by Dr. Kelley Mulhern Leave a Comment

Think back to that disappearing healthcare patient who’s been tickling the back of your brain. You know the one – we all have them. The patient who you thought was doing well…getting better…seemed happy…and then one day, just disappeared from your private healthcare practice. Perhaps they were a relatively new patient, or maybe they’d been part of your practice for years. Why did they leave? Did they move away? Were you so successful in your treatment they didn’t need you anymore? Maybe they got laid off and now can’t afford your services.

There are dozens of reasons why a patient may leave your healthcare practice that have nothing to do with you or the quality of your services. But what if they’re not happy with you? Prior to an unsatisfied patient leaving your practice, they may stick around for a while…waiting to see if the issue corrects on its own. When you have a patient who doesn’t complain, do you assume they’re completely happy with the care and services you’ve provided? How do you know for sure?

When a patient disappears from your healthcare practice, how do you respond? Do you just continue on your merry way or do you reach out and try to determine why they left your practice? Obviously you don’t want to pester people…or spend all of your time following up on previous patients. But having a simple and efficient process in place to find out why patients have left your healthcare practice can be invaluable.

Finally, recent research reveals that for every complaint expressed by a customer, there can be up to 25 additional unregistered complaints¹. In terms of your independent healthcare practice, this means that for every patient who tells you they’re unsatisfied with your care or services, there are up to 25 more who say nothing. That’s right…they just walk out your door and never come back. And while they may say nothing to your face, what are they saying about you to their friends, relatives, and acquaintances?

Do you have a process in place to touch base with patients who’ve disappeared from your practice? If so, share it with us in the comments section. Together we can help each other solve the mystery of the disappearing patient!

¹Wysocki, AF, Kepner, KW, Glasser, MW. Customer Complaints and Types of Customers. University of Florida IFAS Extension. 2012; http://edis.ifas.efl.edu/hr005. Accessed September 2, 2014.

The BEST Healthcare Practice Building Advice I Can Give

by Dr. Kelley Mulhern Leave a Comment

Meet Dr. Kelley

I’m going to break a cardinal rule of online content marketing today. What rule is that, you ask? I’m going to share – in my very first blog – the single best piece of small business marketing advice I could give to a healthcare professional. I’m not going to make you pay for it. I’m not even going to make you wait for it. Are you ready? Here it is: The absolute best piece of relationship marketing advice I can give to a healthcare professional looking to grow their practice is to connect with your community. Sound simple enough? Let me explain. Best Practice Blue

Chances are, if you’ve found your way to my website, you’re a healthcare professional who’s looking to build their practice. Perhaps you’re about to graduate or are new in practice. Maybe you’ve been in practice for years but continue to struggle. Or, perhaps you’ve had a successful practice but you’re getting bored with your same old marketing events. No matter which category describes you, connecting with your community can help to ramp up and reinvigorate your practice. But what does connecting with your community mean?

The best way to build a successful private healthcare practice is to become involved in the local community, build genuine relationships, and leverage those relationships to the benefit of all involved. In other words, connect with your community, and allow those community connections to help you build the practice and life of your dreams.

Community building is a key component of success. The health and well-being of your community should be in the forefront every day, which means that you need to connect with them on all levels: physically (through office hours), emotionally (by caring for their needs) and intellectually as they are not just patients but friends too. Connecting with those who support my healthcare practice has been one invaluable resource I’ve used to grow my business!

Dr. Kelley 5k Community Event

When I was new in practice, I had lots of time on my hands. I decided to give back to my community by hosting free health workshops for the local Fire Department. I donated thousands of hours to participate in ride-alongs, to create and deliver the workshops, and to create and sponsor 5 K runs to benefit specific Fire Fighters. The 9 workshops became part of a “curriculum” which all First Responders had to go through and covered physical health, nutrition, and stress management. I created a lasting relationship with this Fire Department focused on their needs. But guess what? Over time, as they got to know and trust me, when they required the services of a chiropractor, many of them turned to me.

Dr. Kelley Pendleton Connecting with her Community

Dr. Kelley Mulhern Connecting with her Community

Connecting with your community doesn’t need to take a lot of time, nor does it need to cost you a lot of money. Find a cause or a population you’re passionate about and figure out a way you can make a meaningful difference for them. Remember – it’s not about you…it’s about your community. But if you take care of them, they’ll take care of you! How can you connect with your community?

You’re Being Watched!

by Dr. Kelley Mulhern Leave a Comment

Before we go off on a conspiracy tangent, let me clarify! While we certainly could have an interesting and compelling discussion about surveillance technology, drones, and Internet monitoring, that’s not the point of this blog. Instead, I wanted to remind you that our actions speak much louder than our words, and people are watching. (If you’re a parent, you probably have a few stories from your child-rearing days where this was embarrassingly obvious.)

How does this apply to a healthcare practice? It’s simple. Every action or inaction on your part is observed and judged by someone. Just as children watch their parent’s actions and learn…patients also watch YOUR actions and learn! Perhaps it’s the server at the local restaurant who notices the cardiologist ordered the fried fish platter. Maybe it’s the cashier at your grocery store who sees the processed junk food in your cart and remembers when you came in to talk to his class about nutrition. Could be the gym owner who realizes you never come in to work out anymore… Or maybe it’s the patient you’ve lectured about living a healthy lifestyle who sees the soft drink or fast food on your desk.

While leadership and making community connections can help provide a solid foundation and growth for your practice, it comes at a price. And that price is that when you’re part of a community…the community is watching. Although people won’t call the exercise or nutrition police on you, they DO take notice when your actions aren’t congruent. The good news is that the community also notices when you sponsor a 5K run, participate in the local PTA, or host an awareness event for a health issue plaguing your community.

Your community is trusting you with their health. Make sure you’re worthy. Lead by example. Strive to make your actions congruent with the messages you send out. No one’s perfect, but we all have areas where we can improve. Do you have an experience to share where someone called you out because your actions didn’t match your words? (Or maybe you called someone else out!) How did you turn it around?

Please share your comments, suggestions, and stories at dr-kelley.com and help me create a larger community of successful healthcare professionals!

Continuing Care

by Dr. Kelley Mulhern Leave a Comment

One of the best areas to focus your marketing and patient education on is continuing care, especially if you are running or hoping to transition to a concierge practice.

Marketing Strategies for Massage Therapists Part 1

Cheaper to Keep ‘Em

Just as it’s less expensive to keep good employees than to continually hire new ones, it’s also cheaper to keep existing patients coming back than to always be marketing to find new ones. Happy patients also do a lot of the marketing work for you. They refer their family and friends to you. That kind of marketing costs you nothing and is the best endorsement you can receive.

Keep ‘Em Coming Back

If you’re practicing in a concierge model, you obviously need to sell continuing care. People aren’t going to join a membership practice if they only need to see you once a year or can stop coming in after the initial complaint is (or feels) resolved.

You have to show them the value of continued care, that it’s good value for the money they spend and for their health too.

Continuing Care Requires Continuing Education

If you want patients to keep coming back to your practice, you have to educate them on how they can benefit from continuing care. You aren’t just selling your specialty; you’re selling overall health and wellness. It’s common sense to us as practitioners that what we do impacts more than the initial issues that brought a patient into our office.

But not all people have been educated on matters of holistic wellness. When we do A, B through Z can be impacted, negatively or positively. I once worked with a chiropractor who told all his patients, “Always run it by your chiropractor.” What he meant was, no matter what health problem you’re having, even if you think it’s unrelated to what he does, let him know about it. Chiropractic does a lot more than heal a sore back or neck. pain

Even if their complaint is something you can’t help with, you can help guide them to the proper resources. That helps build trust between you and your patient, and helps to keep you involved in their overall health.

Structured Education

You shouldn’t take a haphazard approach to patient education. You want to have a structured program in place and apply it to everyone who comes into your practice. The first step is to educate potential patients on the structure of your practice. As soon as some people see “concierge practice,” they think it’ll be too expensive.

We know that isn’t true, especially for patients with high-deductible plans. But we have to show them it’s an affordable model.

Once you get past the money hurdle, you have to educate them on the value of continuing care. You can frame it like a subscription service. Rather than getting a package of makeup or snacks every month for a monthly fee, they get robust health!

You should devote part of your education plan to the benefits of continuing visits after the initial problem they sought help for has been resolved. This is the most important part of educating your patients. You want to build a relationship with your patients that lasts for many years, not just see them when they’re suffering and in pain.

Always Teaching

You want to have steady contact with your patients, but you want there to be value in every e-mail, newsletter, or mailing. If there isn’t that value, people start to think of stuff from your office as spam or junk mail, and they’ll treat it accordingly. spam

Everything you send to patients should have a component of education in it; when you alert them to your holiday hours, you can include information on how regular chiropractic visits can help to improve immune function. If you’re sending out information on chiropractic and kids, let them know you’re holding a clinic on the proper use of backpacks (this is a great one to get people back in the office if they’ve been putting it off during the summer).

It’s the education they’re receiving that creates value in their minds.

Make Your Job Easier

Educating your patients on the importance of continuing care makes your job easier. Patients are more compliant, they’ll trust you more, and they’ll keep coming back!

For more information on building community connections, I encourage you to read my new book Community Connections! Relationship Marketing for Healthcare Professionals. If you want more valuable information about how to Connect with YOUR Community, you can find FREE healthcare practice marketing content, PowerPoint Presentation Jumpstart Kits, workbooks, blog articles, and my FREE “Practice Marketing Planner” Now!