Liz Roop
Have you ever walked into a doctor’s office – or any business – and wondered if you were in the right place?
Why did you have to second-guess yourself? Was it a good first impression?
The first 30 seconds that a new patient walks into your clinic defines their first impression. What do they see when they walk through the door? What is their overall experience? Let’s think about an example with ABC Physical Therapy…
Jane, your newest patient, parks out front and approaches the door. She hesitates a bit, not sure if this is the correct entrance to your clinic. Once inside, there is a clean, basic waiting room with ample seating and a front desk at one end. Jane approaches the desk and is told to sign in and wait for her name to be called. She takes and seat and starts checking her phone and scrolling through messages. After a few minutes, she is given a pack of new patient forms to complete. Shortly, her therapist greets her and it’s off to the first appointment. That night, Jane goes online and leaves a Google review with 3.5 stars.
Why didn’t she give you 5 stars? Let’s see what her first impression would be if the practice had some key marketing essentials in place.
Jane, your newest patient, parks out front and approaches the door. The door has your logo on it and a Welcome sign out front, letting her know that this is the right place. Inside, Jane is greeted by a receptionist saying, “Welcome to ABC PT. Please sign in and I will be with you in just a moment.” She takes a seat and notices some bright, eye-catching posters on the walls and a rack of brochures about the services offered. On the table, there are some extra practice newsletters for her to read. When she is called to the front desk, the receptionist hands her a branded folder with all her forms and key practice information. Shortly, her therapist greets her and it’s off to the first appointment. That night, Jane goes online and leaves a Google review with 5 stars.
Throughout her first visit to the clinic, Jane was actively engaging with the practice’s marketing. From the door signage to the new patient packet, the practice made sure to leave a great first impression. That is 5-star office marketing!
Download our free guide for tips on marketing your PT practice and getting more new patients
Easy to practice marketing checklist
Make An Entrance
Ensure that your office is easy to find once your patient is in the parking lot. Put your logo on the main door and include an Entrance sign or Welcome mat.
Some locations, such as those in shopping malls or in office complexes, are hard to find. Consider an A-frame sign to help patients locate your clinic.
Say hello
Train your front desk staff to greet patients. Numerous consumer studies have indicated the benefits of acknowledging customers within their first few minutes in a store.
Entertain the crowds
Whether you have 1 or 20 people in your waiting room, it is important to interest and engage them. Reading materials relating to PT can be multi-purpose: informing new patients about all your services; showing them that you keep in touch through monthly newsletters; and maintaining their focus on their therapy (helping them to remember questions or to seek treatment for other pains). Learn more about brochures and newsletters
Presentation matters
Handing your new patient a well design and organized folder with all their forms and your business information is ideal. They can use the folder to store exercise worksheets and it will keep your contact info close at hand in case their injury flares up later on. Learn more about patient packets
These are some examples of easy ways to successfully market your clinic. Take small steps to build your office’s branded materials and practice marketing—start with training your team on greeting customers and build up to brochures and patient packets.
