Right now you have dozens or even hundred of people willing to promote your business free. They’re called customers/clients/patients. You must educate them – think of it as ‘on-the-job training.’
1. Practice managers all agree that internal marketing by referral is the least expensive and most effective way to get new and more permanent customers.
2. Doctor is Latin for teacher. Think of yourself as a doctorate in your field, having a Ph. D., being the expert. A doctor that doesn’t teach doesn’t live up to the name.
3. Always give your customer something to take home to read.
4. Literature needs to be personalized for maximum effectiveness. Personalize every piece you give out, even if it’s just circling a paragraph you want your customer to read. If you emphasize it, they will read it.
5. Show your customer a holder full of literature and say, “Do you know anyone who would benefit from this information?” Then say nothing. Let your customer think about his/her friends and relatives who need your ‘products/services’. Let them take or ask for brochures on their own. That way they are active, not passive recipients.
6. Tell the customer the condition of their ‘product/service’, the seriousness of their problem, and how long it would take to achieve a solution .
7. Be upfront. Tell a new customer they have to keep all your appointments (when applicable). Tell them, “I just can’t help you if you aren’t here.” Make sure that all lines of communication are kept open.
8. Educate you new customer. Call your class a one hour special consultation or call it ‘Product/Service’ Care Workshop.
9. Tell them, ” I’m going to show you how to get better results and have it stay better longer. Remember your customer wants “POM” – piece-of-mind.
10. Don’t forget “W.I.I.F.T.” – What’s in it for them. After the sale, inspire your customer to the benefits of their new ‘product/service’. Tell them about how to use it effectively/efficiently. Remember, they are proud of their new ‘product/service’. Encourage them for a response (when applicable).
11. Remember to ask your customer about themselves. Listen to them. Listen between the lines. Wait, think about what you’re going to say before you respond. A customer’s biggest complaint about businesses is that they don’t listen.
12. I know it gets frustrating sometimes, and life doesn’t play by your script. Your spoken words are often forgotten, and your message becomes lost in background noise. Be patient.
13. Remember, the secret to education is repetition.
Hot Tip – When you schedule a meeting say, “We’d like your wife/husband to come too so she/he will better understand the solution and how we’re taking care of you.” By educating the spouse, you’ll soon develop a strong family awareness business.