Dana Fox, Client Strategist, and Bree Daily, Managing Editor
7 Minute Read:
This is the last entry in our 5-part Marketing and Practice Growth series.
But don’t worry! There will be much more to come now that inflation and politics have settled down to a fevered roar, and we can get back to your most important question, “ What about my practice? ” and ours, “ How can we help you? ”
Getting seen and heard when there is so much media noise takes some maneuvering and fancy footwork. Fortunately, we have statistics to prove what it takes.
Changing Approaches for Changing Times
Whether you are 25 or 75, you have been bombarded with media noise recently, and this will only increase now that we are heading into the holidays.
The truth is, your patients are all fully aware of what is happening economically. They see it every day at the gas pump or when buying clothing or a new car. Even the costs of going out for dinner have soared.
The system of inflation has caused the prices of everyday items to skyrocket, making it difficult for people to afford basic necessities like groceries, fuel, and utilities, as well as more luxuries like vacations, new technology, pumps, clothing, and cars, and even a night out for dinner, all of which have become increasingly expensive.
Getting a haircut and color went from $150 to $300 almost overnight. But guess what? You still can’t get an appointment for six weeks, and most restaurants are still packed with people. And, trust me, if I want a breast lift in time for New Year’s Eve or a facelift for Christmas, I will figure out a way to get it.
People are spending money everywhere. So, I ask you, is the cost of goods truly relevant?
The answer is, I’m not sure anyone knows what we are in: an inflation, a recession, or some bizarre combination of the two depending on the day. The only guarantee is that everything is a little upside down.
What Does This Uncertainty Mean for Your Practice and Your Website?
As the Director of Client Strategies, I never take these conversations lightly. After all, we are talking about your livelihood.
As practice owners, it is essential that we take these conversations seriously, as they are integral to our success and the success of our clients; the Director of Client Strategies understands this and always approaches these conversations with the utmost respect and care.
At the same time, and I say this with all due respect, clients who look at their website agency’s services as tools that are done for them rather than as a collaborative team effort will never be happy with any agency they employ.
I see many plastic surgeons in our space continuously hunting for the magic SEO bullet, and whenever they see a new flavor of website design, off they go.
Some plastic surgeons have switched companies so many times that they have circled back to where they started. Not only is this very costly, but they lose ground every time they do this.
Many factors contribute to the amount of traffic driven, and a lot of these issues are outside of your agency’s control.
In order to address these issues, it is important to engage in consultation with other stakeholders, such as the local government, businesses, and other organizations, to ensure that all parties are working together to contribute to the amount of traffic driven, and to identify any potential solutions that could be implemented through collaboration and mutual understanding.
One such issue is staff turnover. Another is how well your staff is trained to handle inquiries once they arrive at your door. Our team is often in touch with your office. We hear firsthand what your patients hear. This means we also notice how long we are on hold, if you are closed for lunch, and if your staff is friendly and inviting.
It might surprise you that our team’s average length of employment is between 13 and 15 years. It would be hard to imagine that our sales consulting team has not earned their doctorates in web and internet marketing based on this level of experience.
But how much of your success should they be responsible for? Well, that is the gist of this blog.
Most of you contract us to build you a new website and handle your monthly internet marketing. Occasionally, you may ask us to manage your PPC campaigns. Our main purpose is to increase your visibility on search engines (primarily Google) and drive inquiries to your practice.
By increasing your visibility on search engines and driving inquiries to your practice, you can gain an edge over your competition and stand out from the crowd.
Something that you should know about us is that before we even start working with you, we analyze where you are at that moment in time. We know how your site is performing and what your traffic looks like. We also know if there is anything we can do to make improvements.
As we embark on this journey together, we will use our expertise to analyze your website, understand your customer’s behavior, and gain insights into what your traffic looks like so that we can identify any areas of improvement and help you reach your desired goals.
Here are a few things we need to explain about Google:
- Google does not care about you!
- Google does not care what agency you use. None of us have an edge over any other agency. What does matter is your relationship with your agency and whether you can rely on them to tell you the truth.
- Google only cares that your website meets its criteria for providing quality information to those searching for the terms you have identified to represent what you sell.
- Google does not care how good of a surgeon you are, nor can they tell the difference between a bad before and after photo and a good one.
- Once the written content on your website meets the informational quality that Google requires, our team performs their magic, monitoring and adjusting the content based on what is needed.
The partnership we have with you — and vice versa — truly determines your success.
What Does the Partnership With Your Marketing Agency Mean?
All successful partnerships must start with a common goal, open communication, and the right contract. We need to be totally honest with you about what we see in the analysis and what — if anything — needs to change.
There are times when I have heard my colleagues at PSS say to a potential client after looking at their analytics, “Your traffic is really very good. What is it that you are unhappy about with XYZ Agency?” More often than not, their dissatisfaction stems from poor communication with their agency.
At PSS, we think the quality of our relationship with you is everything. It’s not uncommon for us to know everyone in the practice at some level: when birthdays are celebrated, when your daughter or son is getting married, when your Medical Assistant gets her RN, or when you are trying to figure out what to name your new medspa.
It’s this relationship that motivates us to make sure you are successful. With us, it’s not just business; it really is personal.
I’d like to end this blog with my two most important recommendations:
1. Be honest about the quality of your frontline staff’s sales abilities.
Please don’t misunderstand me; this is not about their value as humans. If they were not good people, you wouldn’t have hired them or already released them to the workforce.
This is about their ability to communicate, their ability to convince your potential patient that you are the best practice for their desired procedure, and whether or not they can get the patient to schedule.
This sounds simple, I know, but it’s not. The person who can make a positive first impression and guide a patient through the decision-making process that ends with a yes at your practice is worth their weight in gold.
If a person has the right motivation and charisma, they can be trained to be a superstar, but physicians must first learn what those needed skills are to evaluate the success of their team.
Training is always a good investment as this increases your team’s value. And yes, we have training opportunities available for you at PSS. Ask your account manager about how to schedule a staff evaluation and phone and patient coordinator training with Dana Fox.
2. Be open to building a collaborative relationship with your account manager.
Talk with your account manager and marketing team about what is happening in your practice and work with them on brainstorming about community opportunities that might be considered outside of SEO or pay-per-click services .
Collaborate with your account manager on strategic planning throughout the year. Remember, no company experiences a 100% increase all year without fluctuations. This is why having monthly phone calls and looking at trends is so important.
At PSS, we have our finger on the pulse of the market, and we often know when the game needs to be amped up or reevaluated. This is when looking for new or different marketing opportunities need to be discussed, such as a loyalty program or upping your game on outbound marketing with eblasts or hosting an event. These are all services now available at PSS.
About two years ago, we increased our marketing and advertising services to include strategic consulting, branding and marketing strategies , practice development, and all forms of advertising except radio and TV. We have strategists available to help with improving your brand as well as your customer service.
With just 40 days left in the year, this is the perfect time to spend an hour with your account manager to discuss next year’s calendar and build a strategic plan for how, together with you, we will carve out the future.
Build a Successful Partnership With PSS
To learn more about how Plastic Surgery Studios can help you, contact us today by calling our office at (888) 525-6360 or filling out the contact form below. Our team members are standing by to help guide you through this uncertain time and explain what practices can help provide promising results .
Revisit Parts 1 through 4 of our Marketing and Practice Growth series .
