Most Of Our healthcare marketing is product based, how can we change it to service based?
It is obvious from many conversations I have had that many of us are unhappy with current marketing strategies. Many feel that our healthcare marketing leverages product and actually hurts us as healthcare professionals. In fact the structure of our business actually drives this home, the bundling versus unbundling argument.
So how are we to change our marketing practices in order to reverse this situation? We currently tend to market products, offers on products, open days around products. We will need to reverse this process, so what do we market in that case. More importantly what will you have to do in order for it to make sense as part of your healthcare marketing strategy?
If we dismiss product we are left with, the audiological testing process, aftercare and ongoing service and Patient outcomes. So of those what can you leverage and indeed how can you leverage them? In order to use the audiological testing process in your healthcare marketing strategy you will have to consider unbundling to give you a structure to leverage. Are you ready to do that?
If you are not, give over whining about product defining us and we are professionals etc. If you are, then you need to start considering the terms of reference you will use. Full audiological work up, efficient and in-depth audiological testing, thorough and comprehensive audiological work ups from fully trained and qualified healthcare professionals!
I am afraid they are all a bit tame for me, I want to hear and believe them as a prospective Patient. But is it enough for me to bite? I don’t think so. So maybe we use that as a leader, what can we introduce as a closer, as a real call to action? Okay aftercare and ongoing service, unless your unbundling they really don’t have a defined value. They are also something that most Patients expect off the bat, so no not a closer, but certainly a strong filler.
So we are left with outcomes, how are we to market outcomes. How can we market them with real power, real pull, leverage them as a major part of your healthcare marketing? The answer has got to be proven outcomes, because people trust proven outcomes. Proven outcomes can only be ones that are proven by testimonials. Testimonials, if done properly are very powerful things. They have the ring of truth, they are real people giving you their seal of approval.
Testimonials are a closer, a good in-depth testimonial would make me bite. Consider it for yourself, how do you make purchase decisions? I would say I research quite deeply, I would respect reviews and testimonials from people I trust. If none of my network have an opinion I will search out the opinions of users. I take it that you would do something similar, in fact I believe most people would.
In fact if you look at the forums that our prospective Patients are using, you will find they are doing just that. So testimonials can indeed be a powerful closer, but, there is always a but, only if leveraged and deployed properly as part of your healthcare marketing strategy. Are you leveraging testimonials, if not will you leverage them?Do you want to move away from product? Because even if you don’t, testimonials still have massive value in your marketing activities.
Regards
Geoff