A Doctor's Intro to Patient Marketing

This is an interview I did for a medical journal last year but unfortunately the article cannot be found anymore online. A few of my former med school classmates are starting their medical practices and have asked me to repost this so I hope other physicians can find some insight in here. Please feel free to share your thoughts and ask questions in the comments.

What has been your success in medical marketing?

Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise. I feel this is applicable to anyone regardless of profession. It certainly has furthered my personal and professional growth.

It’s ultimately about being enthusiastic about being disciplined and embracing the struggle and growth that comes with it.

If you’re really good, your peers and even competitors will advertise your strengths for you.

At the core of this is having a discipline of “finding out” and just always being curious.

What hasn’t worked?

"Tricks" that are aimed at short term gains but produce long term consequences. Trying to make something with the purpose of going “viral” or hacking the customer into doing something that they regret.

Experimenting is one thing, but selfish, sloppy tactics over time will often fail and tarnish your brand.

A good test is "if I were on the other side and clicked this would I be upset or disappointed?" Be brutally honest with yourself.

That being said, a tactic could sound ridiculous to try, but there's a hypothesis attached worth disproving. 

How has medical marketing changed over the last 5 years?

The market is forcing it to evolve. Physicians are seeing that competitors who are not nearly as experienced, talented, or even qualified are getting the business because they adopted marketing practices of 2017.

With the companies like Amazon, Nike, and Apple, everyone is conditioned to expect that same kind of marketing to engage with.

What do you see for the future specific for med device and innovations?

B2B and B2C are not as different as you think. Businesses are just a larger organism functioning as a result of efforts by smaller organisms. It’s all similar. I expect med device companies to begin marketing just like consumer brands.

The transactions are between businesses, but the marketing occurs between human beings.

Why should physicians be concerned about marketing?

We are in the middle of the greatest evolution in communication. The internet has now eliminated borders to your business, so you’re not just competing with physicians domestically but also internationally.

Patients need to understand why they should see you and not hop on a flight to go somewhere else where the care might be better, costs are lower, etc.

That starts with telling a story of truth that can hold up to scrutiny and is told with passion and care.

The doctors who get the most business don’t get it because they have the best training but because someone told a story about how committed, compassionate, and thoughtful that physician was.

How are patients changing the way that they access health care system?

With the internet, patients are being conditioned to do their own research, check for costs, and become an informed consumer. They are now a partner in their medical care.

What are the strongest influencers for them?

Of the 6 principles of psychological persuasion, I would say Scarcity, Social Proof, and Liking. Patients want to know that they found a physician that is unique and not common, one that has proof of being a popular choice in our society and that they can relate to.

Many physicians don’t like to hear this, but you don’t have to like it. You do have to learn it.

What are the three pieces of advice you would give physicians about marketing?

1.  Reflect on why you went into medicine.

I advise trying to remember what they said in their med school interviews. Then tell that story, and let people in to get to know you. Patients want to lean in and see who you are, and they can't do that if nothing exists about you online.

You don't need a fancy camera crew or editing team. Just pick up your smart phone, record a video and DOCUMENT what you do. Then, just post it on Facebook. Show your passion and enthusiasm. Brag about your wonderful team. Show why your office is special.

“Precruit” is an innovative strategy that a firm named The Mullings Group is pioneering that is evolving how medical device companies find talent but it's highly applicable to recruiting patient marketing. There’s nothing stopping a physician to adapt that strategy to a medical practice. 

It's all about taking your story and telling it with enough information and on a mix of the right mediums to stimulate a patient’s curiosity, get them to lean in to learn more, and then confidently choose you over others.

You're a media company first, physician second. If that upsets you, then consider this - if you can't narrate your story so it's interesting enough for someone to learn more about you, how can that person magically become your patient? Don't be a slave to referrals. Supplement it by controlling your narrative and going straight to the source of your revenue; patients.

2.  Talk to your patients and start understanding who they are as people.

Why did they choose you? You don’t need data scientists to do this, just be curious. It’s amazing what happens when you approach things with the same curiosity as a child.

Ask questions in a thoughtful way to just learn, because you care. I’ll get you started with a simple yet illuminating question; “ Why did you CHOOSE us?”. Involve your staff and reward them for seeking out patterns in how patients got to your office.

3.  Don’t do it all by yourself.

It’s worth the investment to have someone either advise you, manage marketing for you, or be involved in some capacity. At the very least, find a champion among your staff and support them.

The greatest people in the world, high achieving people, all had a coach. I'm a marketer, and I even utilize other marketers. Take a true entrepreneur’s approach and hire people to help you in places where you’re not focused.

Focus on being the greatest physician you can be, not a good one who's also good at business. Whether individuals or companies, I never saw one fail from being too focused but they often fail when they lose focus.

Omar M. Khateeb is medical device marketer with a focus on surgical robotics.

His interests reside in sales psychology, neuromarketing, and self-development practices.

Check out his virtual bookshelf here to find your next great read, and connect with him on LinkedIn, Twitter, or SnapChat.