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Create a remarkable marketing campaign

2007; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 60; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/01.hj.0000324492.65153.f4

2333-6218

By Gyl A. Kasewurm,

Mark Twain once said that everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. In this way, marketing is something like the weather. People love to talk about it, but relatively few are actually willing to do it. Perhaps they find marketing intimidating because they don't understand it. Professionals, in particular, tend to believe that marketing is only about the advertising and/or direct selling of goods and services. But, in reality, marketing is everything that goes into promoting one's business, practice, or organization. Advertising and selling are only two of the many activities that fit into the category of marketing. Defined broadly, marketing is identifying the particular wants and needs of a target market and then convincing people in that subset of the population that your business or organization can satisfy their wants and needs better than any other. Whether you work in a hospital, a clinic, or a private practice, to succeed in convincing people in your target audience that you are the one they should go to, you need a marketing strategy. And to make the strategy work and your practice grow, you must develop a practical plan for implementing the strategy, and you must use that plan consistently and track the results. It doesn't take a creative genius to develop an effective marketing plan. In our field, the essence of marketing is to understand the patients' needs and then design a plan that addresses those needs. If your overall goal is to grow your practice, the laws of business tell you there are basically three ways to do so: Attract more patients/customers. Persuade existing patients to purchase more products or use your services more frequently. Persuade your existing clientele to buy more expensive products (also called “upselling”) or products on which your profit margin is larger. Regardless of which of these strategies you choose, you need to develop a plan that offers a solid foundation for pursuing all types of promotional efforts. Implementing activities such as print advertising, direct mail, educational seminars, or even networking without having an overall marketing plan is like buying curtains for a house you're building before you have an architectural blueprint. How do you know how many curtains to buy or what size they need to be? THE “PURPLE COW” APPROACH One of my favorite marketing gurus is Seth Godin. In his book, Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Becoming Remarkable,1 Godin recalls that while traveling on a vacation in France, his family became enchanted by the sight of cows grazing in the picturesque pastures. Yet, within a few minutes, his family started ignoring the cows because, he explained, “The new ones were no different from the old ones. But a purple cow,” said Godin, “that would be something to remember.” Consumers may have a similar reaction to the advertising that we in the hearing care field use to promote our services. The ads may look so similar to patients that they just don't notice them anymore. Have you come up with any fresh, new ideas for marketing the services and products that you offer? Perhaps we should start looking for “a purple cow.” In his writing, Godin repeatedly points out that marketing can be remarkable or it can be invisible. Remarkable isn't necessarily about being the biggest and best. It's about passion. It's about being irresistible to some group of people. It's about being special. What makes you special can be the way you answer the phone or the unique personal touch you bring to every patient encounter. Getting in the habit of taking risks whenever you have the opportunity is the best way to become remarkable. So, how do you become irresistible to that group of consumers or referral sources that you want to reach? First of all, do some research on the people you want to attract. Here's how: SEVEN STEPS TO IRRESISTIBILITY Define your product or service. What is it that your patients are really looking for? You may be offering balance testing, hearing assessments, and 50 types of amplification. But what your patients want from you are better relationships, improved communication, increased productivity, enhanced self-esteem, and a less stressful life. Therefore, your marketing efforts should promote the benefits of better hearing. It's not about who you are; it's about who the patient wants to become when he or she can hear better. Identify your target market. Anyone or everyone might be a potential patient. However, you probably don't have the time or money to market to anyone and everyone. So, who is your ideal patient? Whom should you be spending your time and money promoting your service to? You might define your ideal patient in terms of household income, age, sex, or geographic area. For example, an audiologist who is a balance specialist may decide the target market is men over the age of 70 who live within 10 miles of the office. Hit your target. When it comes to patients, keep in mind the importance of targeted marketing. While we constantly hear that there is a huge potential market for our services and products, we know that only a small proportion of that market is likely to visit our offices and actually purchase products or services. By taking time to direct your sales and marketing efforts to the correct niche market you will be more productive and not waste your efforts or time. Know your competition. Even if there are no direct competitors for your service, there is always competition of some kind. Someone besides you is competing for potential patients' money. Why should potential patients spend their money with you? What is your competitive advantage or unique selling proposition? Find a niche and figure out how to fill it. Is there a market segment that is not currently being served or is not being served well? A niche strategy allows you to focus your marketing efforts and dominate your market. For instance, you may want to specialize in dispensing custom ear products, selling assistive devices, helping people manage tinnitus, or in providing vestibular or auditory rehabilitation. Develop public awareness. Potential patients won't seek out the services and products you offer if they don't even know you and your organization exist. Marketing consultants generally say that potential patients have to be exposed to your practice 5 to 15 times before they are likely to think of you when the need arises. Needs often arise unexpectedly, so you must stay in front of your patients consistently if they are going to remember you when that need arises. ? Build credibility. Prospective patients must not only be aware of you or your organization, they also need to have a positive attitude toward you. They must trust that you will deliver what you say you will. Often, especially with expensive purchases such as hearing aids, you need to give patients the opportunity to “sample,” “touch,” or “taste” the benefits associated with the product. While some professionals reject this type of “try before you buy” offer, it's been proven that patients have often heard negative comments about hearing aids and they are hesitant to try what they feel will be a negative experience. It's helpful to demonstrate technology to patients in realistic environments, and in today's world of technology, this certainly can be done in our facilities. Be consistent in everything you do. This includes the look of your promotional materials, the message you deliver, the level of service you provide, and the quality of the products you dispense. Some experts suggest that being consistent is more important than offering the best products and services. This is part of the reason for the success of chains. Whether you're going to Little Rock or New York City, if you reserve a room at a Courtyard Marriott you know exactly what you're going to get. HAVE A BUDGET After you have decided whom you want to attract and how you are going to get their attention, you have to determine how much you can spend. In other words, you need a budget. Most hearing healthcare professionals, like small business owners in general, have a limited marketing budget. A rule of thumb is to spend 6%-10% of gross revenue on marketing. The most important point to understand is that money must be allocated each year for the purpose of marketing. Many business owners spend money on marketing only when they have to because business is slow. But you need to market when you are busy as well as when you are slow. Marketing must be consistent and repeated to be successful. The most effective approach to marketing is to design a well-rounded program that combines sales activities with creative marketing tactics. Targeted sales activities such as open houses or product promotions can reduce out-of-pocket expenses and they will create more opportunities to interact with current and prospective patients. A limited marketing budget doesn't have to limit potential results, but it may mean you have to think creatively. Consider the following: To stay within your marketing budget, work with your leading suppliers. Most manufacturers are interested in co-op advertising. This doesn't have to be a salesy promotion of products. Ask them to work with you in developing a unique and classy campaign to promote the uniqueness of your business or organization. Manufacturers will usually be interested. Contact other types of professionals and do network marketing to a combined list of patients. Send existing patients incentives for referring others to your practice. Most patients don't refer because we don't ask them to. Introduce yourself and your profession to the media. There have been many national articles on hearing loss recently and many local media outlets are happy to piggyback on national stories. Give a national story a local twist. Free publicity has the potential to boost your business and establish your position as an expert. Invite people into your place of business by piggybacking onto an event. Is there a concert coming to town and are you willing to sell tickets? Think about donating a portion of every sale to a local charity. It could mean free publicity. Offer educational presentations at your facility and encourage satisfied patients to invite friends who may need your help. Even if you have access to marketing dollars, it still pays to be creative. Instead of using a “canned” ad provided by a manufacturer, try to create an original message that will look like a “purple cow” in your market. Many of us (including myself) need a quick fix and instant gratification, so we use the same old ads to get patients in the door for a sale or an open house. Sure, it may work, but is it wise for this to be the only type of message that you send? The next time you plan a marketing event, try something different. Have some fun. Take time to explore what makes you or your business unique. What unusual qualities or approaches do you employ that separate you from the competition? Dig deep. Unearth that special something that makes you you. Cultivate it, fertilize it, and watch your business grow! Godin notes that a small grocery store in his community took the strawberries out of the little boxes and let people pick their own. His sales doubled. Once you've identified your uniqueness, develop a marketing campaign that focuses on those special qualities. The campaign should cater to the patients you would choose as your ideal patients. Godin also points out that you don't have to be remarkable all the time. It only takes one fresh, new idea. Once you have found it, milk that cow as long as you can. But beware. If you are remarkable, it's likely someone won't like you or your idea. Criticism comes to those who stand out. But don't let that stop you. Take a chance and be the “purple cow” in your market! The worst that can happen is that someone will notice you.