Case History: Physical Therapy Practice Distances Itself from the Pack
Onondaga Physical Therapy was a young, successful practice, with two years of steady growth to show for the hard work they had put in.
Despite their early success, however, owner Lauris S. Rigdon, PT, noticed a disturbing trend: His patient count was dropping off. Growth in his two locations had flattened, and the specific types of cases he wanted — aqua therapy, orthopedic postsurgical rehab, and neck-spine-low back pain — were only trickling in.
A competitor had begun offering aqua therapy and was aggressively marketing to
Mr. Rigdon’s patients and prospects. He needed a marketing strategy to establish himself and differentiate his practice from competitors.
Practice Builders designed a marketing plan to reverse the negative trends and achieve Mr. Rigdon’s goals for Onondaga PT:
- Establish a unique, differentiating and compelling brand identity for Onondaga PT to set it apart from its competitors
- Reduce vulnerability to competition by increasing and diversifying medical referral sources
- Increase practice revenue 85%
- Attract more of the specific types of patients they wanted
- Increase community awareness of Onondaga PT as an elite brand
New Brand Identity
(To set the practice apart from competitors)
New Logo and Tagline
To set Onondaga PT apart from its competitors, Practice Builders created a new practice logo and positioning-based tag line. “Helping you live, work and play better” was chosen to capture the benefits of Onondaga PT offered prospects, and to overcome the “like everyone else” identity that had held them back.
Promotional Practice Brochure, tri-fold
This was the cornerstone of Onondaga PT’s new marketing materials. More than merely providing a list of Onondaga PT’s services and capabilities, the goal was to build an emotionally compelling reason why patients, referring doctors and businesses should choose Onondaga PT. Both copy and graphics emphasized emotional benefits.
A magnet was later created at Rigdon’s request to promote an important benefit Onondaga PT offered its patients: the chance to return more quickly to a pain-free, active lifestyle.
New Medical Referral Sources
(To reduce vulnerability to competition)
Physician Liaison/Practice Representative
The practice’s co-owner (also a PT) and one staff member agreed to function as practice representatives visiting potential referrers’ practices. Visits were made on a regular basis to build name/brand awareness of Onondaga PT and build relationships with front offices. (Building relationships with front office staff is crucial, since they are often the real directors of referrals.)
Mailings
Practice Builders created a series of mailings to potential referrers, each highlighting a different benefit that Onondaga PT offered the referrer and their patients. The new practice brochure with a cover letter was mailed first. Additional mailings were made at bi-monthly intervals, and were targeted to orthopedists, family practitioners, PCPs and internal medicine practices.
Key Medical Referrer Program
Prioritizing Current Referrers
First, Onondaga PT prioritized all its established referrers into A, B and C categories based on current relationships and future opportunities. All received the mailing sequence described above.
Practice Representatives
The practice reps always made sure the referrer had plenty of Onondaga PT’s materials on hand, to make it easy for them to refer patients to Onondaga.
Practice Representatives
(To create “raving fan” patients who would refer family and friends, increasing Onondaga PT’s patient base and revenue)
Call Tracking
Practice Builders provide trained Onondaga PT staff to track and record the source of each inquiry phone call. A new Practice Kit and Welcome Letter were sent to all converted new patients to instill high expectation, a sense of excitement and to reduce no-shows.
Connecting with Patients
PT’s were trained to connect emotionally with patients. Does their condition affect their work, recreation and relationships? Being sensitive to what a patient is going through goes a long way toward creating a loyal patient and ultimately, a “raving fan.”
Patient Referrals
Ask Patients For Referrals
This is one of the most effective strategies any practice can implement – and it costs nothing. Onondaga’s physical therapists were trained to watch for certain kinds of statements from patients that allowed the PT to ask for a referral of family members or friends – all in a natural, comfortable way. The practice is also developing “thank you” cards they can send to patients who refer.
Patient Referrals
Onondaga PT experienced a 33% increase in patient visits, and a 60% increase in net receipts after implementation of their marketing plan. This is an example of the results your PT practice can enjoy from a professionally-designed marketing plan, created specifically for your practice and put into action by your practice.
Practice Builders has assisted hundreds of PT practices like yours. Call us at 800.679.1262 and we will be happy to discuss how we can help you attract more of the specific patients you want, increase your referrals and build a more rewarding practice.