Running a medical clinic, you wear a lot of hats and take on a lot of responsibilities you weren’t necessarily trained to handle. Like marketing. Here are some of the issues we hear about most frequently from our clients:
- “I basically know what I would like to do with our marketing. But it would help to just talk through our options.”
- “Some of our past marketing efforts seemed like a good idea at the time. But they didn’t deliver. We’re still trying to figure out why.”
- “I would love to test some of our ideas before putting them out there.”
- “We were successful at building the clinic to this point. But somehow, it’s gotten more challenging to take it to the next level.”
- “There are a lot of new marketing things to try out, on top of all the old options that still exist. We’re not sure how many of them we should be using. We’re also not sure which ones would work best for us.”
- “All the marketing we’re seeing for medical clinics seems to look the same. How can we differentiate ourselves?”
“…As I worked with Sandra, what had seemed very difficult suddenly became straightforward as she patiently guided me through the process of developing my story. The marketing pieces that have resulted not only convey my credentials and experience, they also reflect my values, beliefs and personality. They come across as being distinctive from the brochures, etc. that my colleagues use…” Summit Natural Health Centre, Dr. Janet McKenzie, BSN, MBA, ND
The value of a marketing plan to medical clinics:
If your clinic is experiencing any of these scenarios, it may be time for some planning.
Aside from the obvious benefits – a strategic approach to pursue your practice development goals and a solid business case to justify your budget – a marketing plan can also have other positive, unintended consequences critical to a medical clinic’s success. It can be the first and most decisive step towards developing a meaningful mission and vision for the firm. As well, a marketing plan that accounts for the individual interests and talents of participants can tap into the motivation that’s critical for implementation.
Despite the value of a marketing plan, it’s equally important to stay nimble and responsive, to reassess and adjust on a regular basis. The right balance between formal planning and entrepreneurial spirit is key to minimizing risk and maximizing opportunity.
Marketing and management for medical clinics:
To discuss how we can work together to build and enhance your naturopathic, chiropractic, chiropody, dental or medical clinics, contact us for an initial consultation, in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) or via web conference anywhere in Canada.
Please visit the marketing, management and training sections of our website, for a complete listing of our services.
