1. Plan Your Vacations
Yep, this is now at the top of my list. It was not always. I used to think that I could not afford to take a few days off due to my extreme Midwestern work ethic; however, it is essential for your well-being to build in down time and take a mini-retreat at least every quarter.
This past year, I have seen too many of my clients pay the price for not doing this. Sooner or later, your body will force you into taking down time…if you don’t’ do it yourself. Okay, call me Debbie Downer, I don’t care… but someone has to say it. It could be cancer, gallbladder disease, or even an aneurism. Those of us who have chosen to play a big game also need to give ourselves the time to let our body catch up to the lightning speed at which we are moving. We are only human after all (duh), but sometimes we forget…We tell our patients to take time off, eat right, and exercise.
Hey Captain Obvious…it’s good advice for us, too!
2. Plan your Marketing!
Look at the calendar. Plan your events and your promotions for the year NOW. I know it’s a chore, but you will be glad you did when you look at the month ahead and realize all your events are already planned out.
Take a second look at the calendar to see what “piggy-back” marketing you can do. “Piggy-back” marketing means that you take any event that is already in the news or receiving national attention and use that exposure to give more credibility to your promotion. This can increase your chances of gaining some free press along the way. That is how you can capitalize on what is going on in the news to get some free marketing for your programs in the form of the National Awareness Days. There are many websites that list those days but here is one that seems to have a pretty comprehensive list: Awareness Depot
- Plan to have an event or party to raise awareness for the monthly topic. Consider charging a fee for admission, soliciting donations from local businesses, and selling raffle tickets to raise money for an associated charity. This creates a win-win situation (since you are donating money to a worthy cause) and people feel good about participating in an event that will help others. You may also be able to secure items at a discount since you are raising money for a charity.
- Create a lecture on a topic that fits with the theme, is appealing to you, and fits with your practice or specialty. Send out press releases to the local news media to get some publicity, and to perhaps even secure an interview with your local news station.
- Send your info to HARO (stands for Help a Reporter Out). This site matches up reporters looking for experts to feature on topics they are covering. They will send you announcements by email when they have a reporter looking for your expertise! Many of my clients have had great success with this tactic.Here is the link to sign up.
3. Plan To Stay in Touch!
Brainstorm Your Communication
One of the biggest obstacles my clients face is writing regular articles to stay in touch with their patients. (Okay…I admit it. I face this obstacle, too!)
The biggest challenge is sitting down to write my articles and e-zine topics every month.
Here are some guidelines to help you make your newsletter a no-brainer:
- Send out your e-zine twice a month.
- Have planning sessions four times a year to create topics for your e-zine content. Brainstorm on all the possible topics of interest to your patients, think of the topics you are asked about most often, and put these on your list. (Don’t forget topics that are frequently in the news).
- Every quarter, come up with 8 topics you feel excited about. Then, map out your bullet points on each topic. Once you have the topics, you can even hire a ghostwriter if you cannot possibly see yourself making the time to write the articles yourself.
- Another way to create content is to send out a survey to your list using a free service such as Survey Monkey. Find out what your list wants to know about, and create your content around topics that will be well received.
- Create regular sections for your e-zine- Possible topics include: Recipe of the month, Easy Exercise Ideas, Client Success Story of the Month/Week, Where’s Dr. X? (Feature your latest vacation, seminar, or lecture in the community). Think of sections that will interest your patient base or demographic.
- Feature articles from professionals in other specialties: nutritionists, exercise experts, chefs, etc. There are endless possibilities and many willing contributors. Ask your colleagues to contribute an article, or look for articles you like and get permission to use them.
These simple tactics will keep you in front of your clients all year, and position you as not only a health and wellness expert, but as a trusted adviser. People buy from people they know, like, and trust. Remember – do not be discouraged if they do not flood your office right away; it takes an average of 7-14 contacts these days before the average prospect feels comfortable enough to buy your services.
So, remember to… plan your vacation, plan your marketing, and plan to stay in touch in 2014!
