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November, 2016 Make Your Holiday Promotions CountBy Kelley Mulhern, DC The song says, "It's the most wonderful time of the year..." But it's also a very stressful time of year for most people. Holiday parties, family gatherings, expectations, holiday spending, heavier traffic, winter weather, and flu season combine to take their toll on patients and staff alike. How can you help your patients get the care they need without adding to the stress and chaos of the holiday season? Here's how. Tip #1: Plan Ahead The worst time to decide how to handle the holiday season is during the holiday season. Determine in advance your hours and marketing activities, and communicate them clearly to your patients. Some practices use the holiday season as a time to take vacation themselves, and that's certainly an option, especially if your patient volume is down. Some offices take advantage of the fact that other offices are limiting their hours. Increasing your hours or marketing efforts while your colleagues are decreasing theirs can help your marketing dollars spread further. In addition, expanding your hours during the holiday season can make it easier for your patients to fit appointments into their busy schedules. Tip #2: Don't Be Afraid to Ask Simply asking your patients how you can best help them during the holiday season may provide surprising results. One harried mother suggested having a Santa (or other holiday-appropriate entertainment) available so her kids could get their pictures taken and get an adjustment. It saved her a trip to the mall and the long lines that were sure to await. Tip #3: Ramp Up the Reminders During hectic times of the year, it's understandable that people will forget schedules, appointments, requests and so on. If your office doesn't typically provide reminder calls or texts, consider doing so during the holiday season. And if your office accepts insurance, reminding patients to use their benefits before the end of the year can be helpful. Tip #4: Host Holiday Events Many providers are hesitant to host events during the holiday season because they're afraid no one will show up. However, if you organize the right activities (ones that resonate), people will make the effort to attend. Charitable events and events that save people time are two types that can generate a decent turnout. Help remind your patients to be grateful for all they have by hosting a charitable event. What causes are near and dear to your heart or to the heart of your community? Is there a local family recently touched by tragedy that the community could rally around? Can your office adopt a family (or families) through a local church or shelter? Combining a food drive with a referral event can easily grow your practice. Be a drop-off location for Toys for Tots; sponsor a Habitat for Humanity site; or create an Angel Tree. There's no end to the ways you can combine a charitable event with an office promotion. Be creative and discover what works best for your practice and your area. Tip #5: Two Birds, One Stone Find ways to help your patients do their holiday shopping while they're in your office. Gift certificates and discounts on retail products are a good place to start. If you're ready to get a little more involved, create an annual holiday event whereby you invite other local businesses into your office to showcase their products. The first year you do this event, it takes a little work, but after you've done it once, it almost runs itself in the future. Here are some quick tips to get you started:
The holiday season can be a slow, stressful time of year for an office without a plan. Be proactive with your approach to the season: Plan ahead, ask your patients how you can help, send reminders, and plan appropriate marketing events to help your practice thrive during the holidays. Dr. Kelley Mulhern (formerly Kelley Pendleton) is a chiropractor, healthcare marketing consultant, professional speaker, and the author of Community Connections! Relationship Marketing for Healthcare Professionals. For more information or to download free materials, please visit www.dr-kelley.com.
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Chiropractic Events
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