It's not too late! If you aren't already signed up to have up-to-date marketing information delivered directly to your inbox, do so here:→
You can spend hundreds of dollars having a nice logo created for you, but it won’t help your marketing much. A logo is mainly for mass market brands that can afford to “get their name out there” over and over again.
That doesn’t sound like you or me, does it?
I’ve also seen really cool-looking websites for acupuncture clinics. Amazing flash animations and graphics. A lot of acupuncturists have artistic tendencies. This leads to really sexy-looking brochures. And don’t get me wrong, professionalism IS important. Cheap brochures or business cards and ugly websites will turn people off. But does the message they convey turn people on?
Problem is, the focus on the packaging usually leads to a lack of focus on the message. In my experience, the fancier you get, the more likely your message is all about you instead of about the patient. I’ve covered focusing on the patient already in “So What?”. If your marketing materials are mostly about yourself instead of the patient, you’re going to lose their interest.
You may have noticed on my own site, I don’t talk about myself too much. I have an about page, and that’s it. Even now, as I write this, this is the first time in awhile that I’m really talking about myself, instead of the profession or marketing. Everything I write is about and for you. Even if there’s something I can help you with, like coaching, or my book, it’s still written to be more about you than me.
That’s how it should be. If I made it any other way, you’d get bored and lose interest - which helps neither of us. The same goes for you and your patients.
Also, I purposely don’t get fancy. The fanciest thing on my site are the marketing Quiz and the randomly chosen picture at the top of each page. All of the pictures are from readers who submitted pictures of their clinics. (If you’d like to submit your own picture, it would be much appreciated - just email it to me. Thanks.)
My point? People do appreciate beauty. Get as fancy as you want, as long as it doesn’t distract from what you have to say… or distract you from what you have to say. Because at the end of the day what really counts is … did they get your message? And are they now your patient?
6 responses so far ↓
1 Michael Max // Jul 15, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Burton, you are right on with this!
It is just like doing a treatment. Are we giving our patients what THEY need, or are we giving them the treatment that we like do because it makes us feel good?
In medicine we are focused on the patient and what they need. (or we should be)
Thanks for the reminder we should be doing this with our marketing communications as well!
2 Centennial acupuncture // Jul 15, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I absolutely agree!
I must admit that I initially spent too much time trying to make my business cards graphically attractive. I realized that as long as they look professional and provide information and an incentive for someone to call you, then they’re fine!
It is about letting the patient know that they can confidently come for an acupuncture and/or herbal treatment and get the treatment they need to better their health. I also agree with Michael - I see acupuncturists who give treatments based on what they think is best for the patient (pre-planned before the patient even shows up) because it’ll make the practitioner look and feel good. But if it isn’t what the patient needs, he/she doesn’t return.
Thank you for reminding us to find the right balance between focusing on our art with enough emphasis on proper marketing.
3 jeremy // Jul 15, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Oh yeah so many practitioners of all types of “alternative medicine” get so caught up in them being “healers” and the miracles of what they practice that they somehow think the patient is there to watch the Healer Show. The patient is not there for you, they are there for them only.
4 A.J. // Jul 15, 2008 at 2:45 pm
I would ordinarily agree with Jeremy, but having recently attended a Dr. Richard Tan seminar (”balance method” creator) I can see the value of the “Healer Show.”
In fact, Dr. Tan’s website is actually called http://www.DrTanShow.com, and he stresses the importance of more or less “showing off” with your acupuncture to attract potential patients out in public!
It sounds crazy but I have tried it since the seminar and it works. It sets you up as a real expert who can get immediate results anywhere, just be certain that you can help the patients before you start your “show.”
5 jeremy // Jul 15, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Oh yeah, and flash sites with long intros… Does anyone like this? People don’t want to watch your movie, they want info and they want it quick.
6 jeremy // Jul 15, 2008 at 5:14 pm
That wasn’t the type of show I was talking about. I do ONLY Balance Method so I get what you mean. That wasn’t what I meant. What I meant was practitioners who think the patient is there to watch a show. Dr. Tan doesn’t go on and on about himself to the patients. He spends very little time with the patients.
Furthermore, the Dr.Tan Show and his website is for acupuncturists. He always talks about how he talks to patients in a very basic way.
Leave a Comment