Inter-Physician Marketing- Tips and Techniques

If you are a Primary Care physician, then  Inter-Physician Marketing can boost the growth of your medical practice. If you are a specialist, inter-physician marketing is a must for you. Whether you are employed physician or you own your medical practice, inter-physician marketing is something you will always need to do.

As discussed before in the last article, inter-physician marketing is the subtle marketing that goes on between physicians to promote themselves and get more referrals. You can be the best doctor in the world, but if no one knows you, no one sends any patients to you, then what good it is to be the best.

Here at CareerMedicine.com,  I will list everything that I have observed and learnt over the years about inter-physician marketing. You can use the following tips and techniques, in any order or sequence and see it work wonders.

BASIC INTER-PHYSICIAN  MARKETING TECHNIQUES:

These are something you should always remember to do. Its simple, its subtle and it works !

1) SMILE and say Hello to each other: All physicians are very busy. They are overworked and under pressure. What a refreshment it is to see a smiling physician colleague once in a while. Life is short, it will end soon, whether you run down the hallway looking at the floor or you run down the hallway smiling. There is nothing wrong in saying hello to your competition either. After all they are colleagues too. If they discontinue an insurance plan, they will be more than happy to send those patients your way.

2) Hang out in the Doctor’s Lounge: At least once or twice a week go to the lunch at the doctors lounge. OR breakfast, if you prefer. You will meet a lot of colleagues and everyone is informal while eating.

3) Keep your business cards handy: Pass your business card whenever you meet someone new. Especially if you have complicated name Keep some always in the pocket.

4) Be courteous to the staff: You have no idea how many patients ask the hospital or clinic staff for recommendations regarding a doctor. If the staff likes you, they will recommend you.

5) Be available: Whenever you get consulted, give prompt service. It may mean you have to get up in the night and see a patient. But that is something you should be doing anyways.

6) Communicate: Call the referring physician or send a letter once you have seen his or her patient.  Always sound cheerful to see the patient.

ADVANCED INTER-PHYSICIAN MARKETING TECHNIQUES

These tips include the ones in which the physicians have to put themselves out in the field. If you are shy in nature then start with those strategies which you feel more comfortable with. Then once you are in it – take it to the next level

1) SEND OUT A LETTER OF INTRODUCTION: Whenever you arrive in a new town, as an employed physician or starting your own medical practice, send a letter of introduction out. DO NOT make it long. No one reads a long letter. (There is a reason all posts in CareerMedicine are short.) Short and sweet introduction will suffice. Send it to every physician in the town.

2) GO OUT and MEET OTHER PHYSICIANS: Have your staff make appointments and then you can go and personally introduce yourself to other physicians. A face to a name solidifies branding. Suddenly you are not a figment of imagination, you are a person. When you meet them, explain to them that you are new in town, to start practicing medicine. And tell them your strengths. Most physicians will be happy to see you.

3) GET ON THE ER UNASSIGNED LIST: Always make sure you are on the ER unassigned list. That is a sure way of generating patients.

4) MEET THE ER DOCTORS: Do introduce yourself to ER physicians and let them know you are interested in providing prompt care to the patients. ER Physicians like prompt medical care for their patients. It helps them clear the ER faster.

So try these tips and see what happens.