The cosmetic practice of word of mouth

A word of mouth recommendation is the absolute best advertisement you can incorporate into your practice. It is also the cheapest form of advertising you can invest in and requires minimal time and effort.

We all know that the best patient is a referred patient. When a friend tells another friend, family member, or colleague about you, that’s gold. They’re already pre-sold on you, they’re not that price-sensitive, and they’re more likely to stay loyal to you.

Word of mouth referrals will increase your close rates, lower your external marketing costs, and grow your practice.

But don’t leave it to chance. Sure, you will get some referrals from your core group of fans in your practice, every practice has them, but you want them from every happy patient, not just the chosen few.

Make word-of-mouth referrals a priority in your office, set up processes, and incorporate these word-of-mouth strategies:

TALK TO YOUR PATIENTS

Referrals come from connecting with your patients so that they feel cared for as people first, then as patients.

Use your name and make eye contact with your patients. Ask them questions and then let them talk. The point is to personally bond with them first so they know that you care about them.

Spend two minutes on them as a person. Ask them about their family, their occupation, or anything else that you find interesting about their patient presentation.

They will relax, open up to you, and talk more about themselves. You can learn a lot about a person if you show that you are interested in them. And you will be surprised by what you learn.

Perhaps you are a member of the media or are part of a large company that could use your services as an employee benefit. Who knows until you ask.

Think of it this way. Each of us has an average inner circle of about 250 people. That includes friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, etc.

If each of your patients told only one of their inner circles about you, that WOULD DOUBLE the growth of your practice. How does that sound?

Remember, like-minded people hang out with other like-minded people so you want your “preferred patient” to bring you friends.

But don’t take it for granted. Your patients need to know that you want more patients like them, and if they refer friends, family, and colleagues to you, you promise to take good care of them.

USE THE CONTENT TO SPREAD THE WORD

Content is king on the internet, so produce a lot for different media channels so your patients can share it with their friends, family, and followers.

For example, you can videotape a consultation with a prospective patient talking about liposuction (with their permission, of course) and then upload it to YouTube and Vimeo.

Divide it into small pieces and upload them to the Instagram video. Use the video screenshot in your Facebook banner ads that click the entire video with a “Click here to schedule a complimentary consultation.”

And there is more. Transcribe the patient’s query and use it for your blog posts, articles, and press releases. Send an email announcing it to your current patient list and add “Share this with a friend.”

The goal is to move a piece of content to many different media channels to increase your online presence.

SOCIAL MEDIA STAND

Make it fun and easy for your patients to share it with their friends on social media.

Order a custom pop-up background with your logo printed on it. Put it in a corner of your office near the exit.

Your patients can take pictures with you and your staff and record a video testimonial and then upload it to their social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

THANKS TO YOUR PATIENTS

Don’t take references for granted. He wants to thank his patients; however, a boring computer generated form is not enough.

Patients want to be appreciated for their trust and recognized for their support, so show them your appreciation.

– Have your staff call them immediately to thank them

– Send a personal note from you to thank them

– Call them yourself to thank them

– Send a thank you gift

Rewarded behavior is repeated, so put a lot of weight on how much you appreciate their recommendation and there will be more.

Better yet, set up an automatic rewards program that recognizes and thanks your patients for helping you grow your practice.

The goal is to get many more of your patients to share it with their acquaintances. Implement a referral program, but do so with caution so you don’t get in trouble with medical societies and their fee-sharing rules.

Just so you know, medical boards say you can’t pay someone who encourages someone else to undergo a medical procedure. So there can be no tit-for-tat money exchange.

That’s a big reason why I came up with the KiSS Rewards Club. Your patients get KiSSes, not money, when they refer, review, and return, so it keeps you out of trouble as you develop your practice in a fun, organic way.

You can visit http://www.kissbogo.com for more details.

SO TO END THIS, HERE IS THE GOLDEN RULE REMINDER …

To grow a word-of-mouth practice, patients must be truly happy and satisfied with your results, as well as the service they receive from you to show off you to their friends and family.

Make sure every patient has a “WOW” experience every time they are in contact with you, your staff, and your practice and watch your referrals increase by word of mouth.