Physical therapy marketing to physicians: SECRETS in 2013

Physical therapy marketing to physicians today is very different than it was even 2 years ago.  Long gone are the days where you went door to door to physician offices every six weeks and that was enough.  Long gone are the days where you simply got on insurance panels and that was enough.  Today you must do more.  You have to do it better or you will not survive the new century.

Physicians are NOT responding to visits made unexpectedly and unannounced.  You cannot be viewed as a lowly salesperson or a desperate therapist.  You must gain their respect.  You must send the message that you are an expert at what you do.  What we are really talking about is public relations (PR) but most therapists do not know what that is exactly.  PR in it’s simplest form is about molding the impression others have of you.  It’s the impression that counts, and it’s the impression that will get you more patients or not.

So, how do you send the right message and get physicians to refer?

Physical Therapy Marketing Strategy Via Niche Expertise

1) Choose a niche ailment or body part that you enjoy treating and are good at

I know that it’s hard to choose just one ailment or body part that you enjoy and are good at, but you must.  This strategy is helping therapists across the country develop better relationships and gain more referrals from not only physicians but community members as well.  Ask yourself, “What ailment do I really enjoy treating?  or What body part?  Why do I enjoy it?”  Try and choose one that has a somewhat good incidence in your community.  If your practice is near businesses and industry, you might choose carpal tunnel or repetitive stress strain/sprains.  If you’re near schools and residential homes, you might choose neck and back pain.  There are many to choose from such as lymphedema, post stroke, knee problems, etc. but you must choose if you are to take advantage of this awesome strategy.

2) Write an article on the subject titled “3 Things You Didn’t Know About ___________”

I know most of you don’t like to write but all it takes is a two page article.  Just answer your title “3 Things You Didn’t Know About ______”.  Then talk about why your approach to treating it works.  Add a picture of yourself at the bottom along with your credentials and practice information.  A map doesn’t hurt.  Along with your website and phone number.  It’s that simple!

3) Fax or Mail it to them

You can mail the article to all your physicians (and medical community) or you can fax it to them.  You should send it once every 3 weeks for 12 weeks, or 4 times total.  Of course faxing is easier than mailing so if you choose this route go to Indefax.com to make it easy on yourself.  All you have to do is upload your list of physicians and fax numbers then upload your article in PDF format.  Then push the button and you’re done!  Make physical therapy marketing easy by using tools such as Indefax.com

4) Make a brochure on the ailment

Having a brochure is an important part to this strategy.  Get a professional to design it for you.  It’s a one time fee but you will use this brochure forever.  It’s a great investment and will have a return on your investment guaranteed.  Don’t try and do it yourself on publisher…trust me.  You’ll want to print at least 1000 your first time around.  Print materials can automate your physical therapy marketing, especially in getting physicians to refer but also in getting patients to bring in family and friends.  Contact me for advice on how to design your brochure correctly for maximum effectiveness.

5) Place the brochure in physician lobbies

Once you have a brochure, have someone from your office (not you) go to all physician offices and tell the receptionist that you have a “Community Referral Program” where you will place their info in your office if they put your brochure in their lobby.  Just ask, “Do you want to participate?”  The worse they can say is no…most say yes.  Getting your brochure in their lobby is important.  Many of their patients will read it while waiting for their appointment, and many will ask the physician about it. This is important in developing a relationship with the physician without ever meeting them.

Physical therapy marketing to physicians does not have to be complicated but it must be approached strategically with a plan or you will lose in the new century.  More and more therapists are opening up their own practices today.  If you don’t do it, they will.  There are a lot of physical therapy marketing ideas to physicians and strategies that are proven to work.  This is only one of them.  Niche marketing does work.

The above steps can help you gain respect and help build longer lasting relationships with referral sources in your community.

For more physical therapy marketing to physicians secrets go to these other resources:

Physical therapy marketing overview page

Physical therapy marketing online