It is true that many physicians, for instance in much of the Northeastern United States and near certain Academic Medical Centers, consider marketing to be undignified.
However, the fact is that every physician practice markets its services, whether the physicians in that practice have made a conscious decision to market or not. ”Marketing” is a broad term. It includes the entire patient’s experience, from the time they schedule an appointment with you until they receive their final bill. Therefore, almost every aspect of your healthcare practice fits under the umbrella of marketing: your office, the service your office staff provides, your interview technique, the way you follow up to thank referral sources, your visibility in the community, and even the final bill that the patient receives from you
Healthcare professionals have a choice: They can be self-righteous and let their credentials speak for themselves; or they can be proactive and ensure that their patients have a planned, consistent, and favorable experience. In this sense, marketing and practice management overlap.
At the same time, even traditional marketing doesn’t have to be tacky. At our Institute, we teach what we call ”education-based marketing”. With this type of marketing, you tastefully educate your marketplace about who you are and how your services can help. You are providing information to establish your credibility and help your community learn about how they can improve your health. You are not making tacky sales pitches.
