1. Marketing and Physician Communications Shawndra Simpson, RN, MPA, HSA

2. Marketing – Overview What is Marketing? Process of connecting the value of what you do to someone else's needs or desires Informing and influencing people through effective communications

3. Marketing - Overview What can Marketing do? Create an image Boost an image Develop a reputation Build perceptions and attitudes Strengthen bond with customers

4. Marketing – Overview What do you want from Marketing? Get your center noticed. Stand out in front of your competitors. Recruit new physicians. Change your mix of business. Develop strategy for new book of business; new niche. Grow volume and revenue.

5. Marketing - Overview Target and attract certain surgeons and/or specialties Develop a specific niche – Shape a message to target these physicians and their needs. Develop a Center of Excellence – Area of expertise can position your facility as a COE. Develop positive public relations strategy or focused information around a particular procedure. Develop a focused public relations strategy on an individual specialty, featuring specific surgeons.

6. Marketing – Overview So where do you start?

7. Start with a Plan… A Marketing Plan Systematic plan for communication – not a random list of activities. A business document written for the purpose of describing the current market position of a business and its marketing strategy.

8. Marketing Plan What is the purpose of a marketing plan? The purpose of a marketing plan is to clearly show what steps will be undertaken to achieve the center’s goals and objectives.

9. Marketing Plan Main Principles of Marketing Plan 1. Assess proven strategies and lessons learned from the experience of others. 2. Shape marketing strategies into a plan. Branding strategies Internal marketing strategies External marketing strategies 3. Design effective implementation process. A conceptual plan and action plan to implement ideas The right process or systems in place to support and give infrastructure for ongoing consistency Resources internally and externally to help achieve ongoing marketing success 4. Devise effective process to track and evaluate results. Keep winning strategies; dump ineffective strategies

10. Marketing Plan A good marketing plan includes: Smart Goals Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Tangible Budget appropriate to the level and specific type of goals in your plan Marketing strategies and tactics for your goals and within your budget Decisions and actions

11. Marketing Strategy vs Marketing Plan Marketing Strategy Your marketing strategy is an explanation of the goals you need to achieve with your marketing efforts. It is shaped by your business goals. Your business goals and your marketing strategy should go hand in hand. What?

12. Marketing Strategy vs Marketing Plan Marketing Plan Your marketing plan is how you are going to achieve those marketing goals. It is the application of your strategy; a roadmap that will guide you from one point to another. How? ** Define the what and determine the how**

13. Marketing Strategy vs Marketing Plan Strategy is the thinking and planning is the doing. Example: Objective/goal: To expand the current market area Marketing Strategy: Introduce the center to surgeons in new market segments. Marketing Plan: Develop a marketing campaign that reaches out, identifies with and focuses on surgeons in that specific segment.

14. Marketing Strategy vs Marketing Plan Marketing Strategy→Marketing Plan→Implementation = Marketing Strategy→Marketing Plan→Implementation =Success

15. Marketing Strategy → Marketing Plan Main Principles of Marketing Plan 1. Assess proven strategies and lessons learned from the experience of others. 2. Shape marketing strategies into a plan: Branding strategies Internal marketing strategies External marketing strategies 3. Design effective implementation process. A conceptual plan and action plan to implement ideas The right process or systems in place to support and give infrastructure for ongoing consistency Resources internally and externally to help achieve ongoing marketing success 4. Devise effective process to track evaluate results. Keep winning strategies; dump ineffective strategies.

16. Marketing Strategy What is branding? The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.” An effective brand is more than a logo, website, brochure or even advertising. When you communicate what makes your center special or unique, you’re setting expectations and making a promise, either directly or as an implied promise that the physician and/or patient is going to get the benefit of your unique value each and every time they visit your center.

17. Marketing Strategy What is branding? (continued) Your brand is the entire experience your physician and patient has with you and your staff during your entire relationship or their time at your center. It is the genuine personality of your center. The definition of branding, for our purposes, is the process of delivering on your promise – consistently!

18. Marketing Strategy The objectives that a good brand will achieve include: Delivers the message clearly Confirms your credibility Connects your target prospects emotionally Motivates the customer Creates user loyalty

19. Marketing Strategy - Branding Examples of successful brands Starbucks... The core of Starbucks is less about making a great cup of coffee than is it is about making a great coffee experience. Starbucks brand is about a community of people that share a common experience/ expectation. Nordstrom… Distinguishes itself by carrying quality, high-end products. Nordstrom is successful due to its secret of success: democratic luxury leader at a more moderate income level than Neiman Marcus. A greater number of households can afford Nordstrom.

20. Marketing Strategy - Branding Developing your brand Positioning: defining your value-added difference or edge: Your unique value proposition is the core of positioning. Differentiate your center in a way that is valuable to your target physicians. A perception regarding your center will positively differentiate you. Remember, your center is your product. Make it easy to remember.

21. Marketing Strategy - Branding Examples “The quicker picker upper”…Bounty “The cavity fighter”…Crest Toothpaste “The Headache Medicine”…Excedrin “Good to the last drop”…Maxwell House Coffee “Melts in your mouth, not in your hands”…M&Ms “Thrive”…Kaiser “Be Heard”…John Muir Medical Center

22. Marketing Strategy - Branding Developing your brand Four aspects of your center to consider when positioning: 1. Clinical Quality 2. Technology 3. Service 4. Value Added

23. Marketing Strategy - Branding Customer Service Value Added TechnologyQuality → Focus of physicians and patients → Focus of healthcare providers

24. Marketing Strategy - Branding Defining your brand: Who are you trying to attract? What is your desired target audience/market?  Specialty group  Single procedure  Geographic area Shaping your brand value to cater to their interests, needs, desires is critical.  What does your target audience want? What is your unique value proposition?  What do you offer? How do you offer it in terms of what makes your center special to a physician, group of physicians or patients?  Extensive experience  Specialized training or expertise  Quality stats  Latest technology  Unique customer service

25. Marketing Strategy - Branding Good fit?  Between what you do extremely well and what your desired audience would value Questions your target audience will want answered  What are you offering?  Why should I care? Or “what is in it for me”?  Why pick your center?  Why now? Alignment  From the inside of the center outward  Believed by the owners and staff as much as you want it embraced by your desired target audience

26. Marketing Strategy - Branding Brand concept: Define it in a way that allows you to communicate it effectively to physicians and/or patients you want to influence. Raise awareness. Brand communication strategy can take many forms. Communicate it verbally, in marketing materials such as brochures, flyers, and other center literature. Communicate through your advertising and public relations.

27. Marketing Strategy What is branding? The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.” An effective brand is more than a logo, website, brochure or even advertising. When you communicate what makes your center special or unique, you’re setting expectations and making a promise, either directly or as an implied promise that the physician and/or patient is going to get the benefit of your unique value each and every time they visit your center.

28. Marketing Strategy What is branding? (continued) Your brand is the entire experience your physician and patient has with you and your staff during your entire relationship or their time at your center. It is the genuine personality of your center. The definition of branding, for our purposes, is the process of delivering on your promise – consistently!

29. Marketing Strategy - Branding Helpful Hint: Go around the room with your leadership and ask them what the center stands for. Settle on one or two brand pillars and build your brand around them.

30. Marketing - Logos Logo – is it a brand? A logo identifies a business or product via the use of a mark, flag, symbol or signature. A logo does not sell or describe a business. Its primary purpose is to tie together all the different forms of marketing and diverse communications and link them with a common visual identity that is recognizable and memorable. When your surgeons and patients see your logo, they identify the same great place, providing the same great care.

31. Marketing Strategy – Internal Marketing The process of walking the talk of your center every day, in every physician and patient encounter, every visitor encounter and every vendor encounter. Everyone you communicate with and interact with is your audience for internal marketing of your brand, your center. Internal marketing is building and maintaining the systems that speak to our internal public.

32. Marketing Strategy – Internal Marketing Areas of focus: Staff and Internal Marketing Internal Marketing and Physician Partners

33. Marketing Strategy –Internal Marketing Staff and internal marketing Customer service is comprised of every encounter with every person who represents your center. Every employee creates an impression that affects or contributes to the customer experience.

34. Marketing Strategy –Internal Marketing Employees in your centers are: The service The organization in the customers’ eyes The brand …AND The marketers

35. Marketing Strategy – Internal Marketing Key to internal marketing: COMMUNICATION Communication in every contact with customers Staff → Physician Staff → Patients Staff → Staff Physician → Staff Physician → Patients Physician → Physician Staff → Vendors Physician → Vendors

36. Marketing Strategy –Internal Marketing Communication skills Phone skills Service recovery Follow-up

37. Marketing Strategy –Internal Marketing Phone skills Set the criteria for successful phone skills and communication every time the phone is used. Make it a high priority and critical on performance evaluations. Develop scripting to ensure your message is always delivered.

38. Marketing Strategy –Internal Marketing Phone Skills Front line staff are initial marketing agents for your center – your public relations force. Ensure staff knows and understands your marketing campaign. Schedulers’ marketing skills with physician office staff can affect your reputation (and volume). Lost opportunities cannot be brought back easily.

39. Marketing Strategy –Internal Marketing Service Recovery Putting a smile on a customer’s face after you’ve made a mistake or upset them in any way Taking responsive action to recover lost or dissatisfied customers, to alter their negative perceptions, convert them into satisfied customers, and ultimately maintain a relationship with them. Apologize, take responsibility for the error or the inconvenience. If appropriate, offer a coffee card for a local coffee shop, or a voucher for the cafeteria. Teach employees to say “I’m sorry.” Send the customer away feeling heard and valued.

40. Marketing Strategy – Internal Marketing Follow-up Post-op calls to patients Complaints from patients Teach staff to advise Administrator to allow follow-up prior to patient discharge Address in post-op call Complaints from physicians Compliments to staff members Physician experience – Daily Evaluation Sheet Scheduling problems Equipment problems Staffing problems

41. Marketing Strategy – Internal Marketing Follow-up with Physicians Verbally as soon as possible E-mail or text Phone call to office or cell phone If equipment issue, have Material Manager send a follow-up e-mail with solution management (copy to Administrator). If issue with case or staffing, follow up with staff and round back to physician.

42. Marketing Strategy – Internal Marketing Physician Partners Get to know your Physician Partners Do your homework! Remember to walk the talk every day; market your brand with every encounter! Meet with your partners regularly. At your center Outside of the facility

43. Marketing Strategy – Internal Marketing Know your partner base Relationship building – know their spouses’ and kids’ names, hobbies, education. Get to know their staff – office manager, scheduler, nurse. Get to know the practice – where are their referrals coming from? Where else are they working? Current utilization trends at your facility Cost profile, implant/equipment preferences

44. Marketing Strategy – Internal Marketing Partner discussions Tremendous source of knowledge – existing users, competitors, peers, specialty, opportunities, risks, etc. Ask them for 10–20 minutes of their time. Occasionally meet with them at their offices. Take them to breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Update them on overall performance – cases, financial care of your patient. Do we have the supplies/equipment you need? How can we improve? Any issues from your staff – scheduling, growth etc.?

45. Marketing Strategy – Internal Marketing Partner discussions (continued) How can we earn additional volume from you? Who else would you recommend we talk to within the market who might be a good fit for “our” facility? Would you be willing to make an introductory call or would they be interested in joining a dinner? What are you hearing about competitors, etc.? This is the impact of additional cases per month. We want you involved in the growth of “your” facility!!

46. Marketing Strategy – Internal Marketing Summary Internal marketing is the process of walking the talk of your center every day in every physician, patient, visitor, and vendor encounter. Everyone you communicate with and interact with is your audience for internal marketing of your brand, your center. Physicians and patients expect good quality; it’s the relationships and experiences at your center that they remember.

47. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Getting your message out Getting your brand recognized and remembered Reach your targeted audience with your value proposition

48. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing External marketing encompasses two general areas: Advertising – comes in many forms Public relations or publicity Key to external marketing: People evaluate what they cannot see based on what they can see.

49. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Who is your target audience? New surgeon New partner PCP Surgeons with a specific procedure Group of surgeons Demographic area (surgeons in) Office managers Schedulers

50. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing What are you offering? What is your unique value proposition that they need? What is in it for them?

51. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Getting the message out through advertising Physicians Brochures Facility information - branding Tag sheets Facility announcement Specific specialty New service being offered Newsletter Birthday card Holiday card with picture of staff Remember your brand message Holiday gift for partners Remember your brand and/or logo

52. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Getting the message out through advertising Primary Care Physicians Directory of your surgeons by specialty Newsletter Tag sheets – pertinent to their specialty

53. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Getting the message out through advertising Office staff – Gatekeepers Get your center’s name in front of staff daily Mouse pads - with scheduler’s direct line Candy jars – return to fill frequently Post-it notes – with center name and number Calendars – with center name and number; pictures of staff and your center Flowers – return to fill vase Travel coffee mugs

54. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Patients and potential patients – get the word out. Belongings bags Eyeglass cases Post-op eye bags Magazine ads – cosmetic cases, new procedures Media announcements Billboards BART Shopping centers Remember your branding and logos with any form of advertisement.

55. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Offer something Open house with food or prizes Seminar with physician partner speaking on a current topic Specialty open house with potential new surgeon Schedulers and office staff luncheon

56. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Other promotional tactics Direct mailers Set specific targets Control the message Mailing lists Primary target area: Look at your geography and determine your catchment area. Usually 6-7 zip codes comprise 75 – 85% of your physician base. Target surgeons in area. Target surgeons by specialty. Target primary care physicians, internists, pediatricians.

57. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Key in External Marketing Remember your branding – represent it on every piece of marketing material. Know your target audience and what is the unique value proposition you have for them. Educate your staff on your marketing campaign and all materials going out. Finally – Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat.

58. Marketing Strategy –External Marketing External Physician Recruitment always ongoing …always ongoing

59. Benefits of External Knowledge Enhanced partner communication First-hand knowledge of market Creates a better strategic planning process More likely to see the opportunity to capture new business (physician or service line) Marketing Strategy – External Marketing

60. Physician Marketing Meet them in their environment. Prepare – know what their patterns are ahead of time. Provide information about the facility, specific to their needs. Listen to their comments – are they obstacles or opportunities? Be interested in them as people – build a relationship.

61. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Physician Marketing (continued) Show satisfaction results. Talk about survey results. Know what is unique about your facility compared to the competition. ASK them to try the facility. Invite them for a personal tour. Have a partner call them. Meet their staff – office manager, nurses. Identify future partner opportunity Follow up, follow up and follow up.

62. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing When they say “No” Always be professional. Let them know you would like to follow up periodically to see if things have changed – Make sure you do it. Keep your name in front of them – Provide facility updates. When the competitor alienates the doctor, they will remember you asked for their business. Ask your physician partners for help in accessing the targeted physician.

63. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Internet Marketing Also known as online marketing, web marketing, webvertising or e-marketing Process of marketing goods or services through the internet The Web Social media Cloud-based systems Mobile technology

64. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Website Essentials Social Media

65. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Website Essentials Hire a professional Average cost $2,000 - $6,000 Cost depends on complexity and capability Crucial features Great home page Great picture of your surgeons and staff Videos An easy link to connect with you

66. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Home page First impression – either grabs or jabs your audience Clean and uncluttered Key information readily visible Logo and branding will set a look and feel – use throughout the website Content should meet your patients’ needs Links should be visible

67. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Patient information – must haves Location, contacts, and parking information Printable driving directions “Contact us” box (patients who use e-mail after hours) Patient forms – downloadable Educational materials – Basic pre- and post-op instructions. Single specialty – all instructions Pictures and photo tours Video clips Physician profiles and links to practice websites

68. Marketing Strategy – Internet Marketing Social Media Embrace social media to optimize communications Effective Inexpensive Spans local and beyond

69. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Twitter Facebook YouTube LinkedIn Yelp Google+ Pinterest

70. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Join Twitter and invite your surgeons, staff and patients to connect with your center. Post to Facebook …create a YouTube library. Use Facebook to communicate your newsletter, new procedures, etc. Share video clips on YouTube. Educate and enhance your reputation and that of your surgeons. Get “LinkedIn” and join a professional social networking tool that allows you to connect with colleagues, staff and surgeons.

71. Marketing Strategy – External Marketing Yelp is free – whether you want it or not. Enables people to find local surgeons and surgery centers and browse reviews. Ask happy patients to post their reviews to your center Google+ is a new social networking site. “Circles” allows more control of what you share and who you share with Advertise on Pinterest – a virtual pinboard, lets you organize and share things you find on the web.

72. Your Marketing Plan – Where to begin? 1. Complete a facility assessment: SWOT Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

73. Your Marketing Plan – Where to begin? 2. Collect data and complete a market analysis. Competition – other providers, types of cases, volume, profitability, market area Area surgeons – where are they working, insurance contacts Payer challenges Marketing campaigns currently in your market area Know the gatekeepers – IPAs, payers, physicians, receptionist, office managers, schedulers

74. Your Marketing Plan – Where to begin? 3. Establish a set of marketing goals and objectives. Usually designed for 1 year 4. Develop your marketing plan. Identify and prioritize the right combination of marketing strategies and tactics to meet your goal and objectives 5. Establish a marketing budget. Appropriate to the level of goals your setting 6. Incorporate your marketing plan and budget into your business plan. 7. Communicate to your board, partners and staff, and get their buy-in.

75. Your Marketing Plan – Where to begin? 8. Develop an action plan. Include timelines, deadlines and responsibilities Target audiences, call lists and campaigns 9. Develop marketing materials needed to meet goals and objectives 10. Implement according to timeline. 11. Maintenance Monitor, track and evaluate

76. Success Successful Centers Willing to market their center Recognize their center is a business and reorganize as necessary 3 “Ps” – Personality, Positive attitude, Perseverance Sales skills Educated staff “Doers” – get stuff done Repeat, repeat, repeat Follow up, follow up, follow up