Our last blog post described the PT patient funnel from Introduction to Investigation to Decision. Introduction is the phase when a prospect first hears about your practice either from a friend, family member, physician, or even online. This is also when the prospect identifies that they have a need or want for PT services. Next, the prospect begins researching (the Investigation stage) physical therapy as one of several treatment options and also looks into your competitors to determine which PT clinic is the best fit. Lastly, the prospect has all the information and context needed to make their Decision—to make an appointment for PT. This decision phase is critical to the success of your practice. Once the decision to make an appointment is made, now the PT patient funnel is solely controlled by you, your practice, and the new patient.
Now that a new patient appointment is booked, you and the patient transition into the Commitment stage of the funnel. The time between booking and the actual appointment is your practice’s opportunity to really “wow” the patient with both your customer service and marketing. Use your website to streamline the new patient process from having FAQs or frequently asked questions available to help new patients know what to expect to having forms available to download and complete prior to the visit.
On the day of the first appointment, the patient needs to have a truly easy and comfortable experience. The front desk and PT staff can provide welcomed support to the patient as they start their initial evaluation. Everything from an informative new patient packet to a clean and attractive facility add value to a patient. Now, you still have to sell them on your full treatment plan—remember, the last two phases of the PT patient funnel are largely owned and directed by the clinic experience.
Once the patient leaves your office, they have to convince a spouse or family member that spending the money for deductibles or copays at your practice is a wise investment for them. They also will revisit your website and social media to verify they are making the right decision. This is where online reviews can really matter. Often past patients will leave a review about how they feel after therapy. You want to make sure that these online reviews are accurate (even if they aren’t positive). Even a negative review can be a public relations win if you respond to it appropriately and demonstrate how much you care about your patients, present and past. After discussing with family, confirming their online research, and verifying with insurance, the patient is now ready to commit to physical therapy treatments at your clinic.
The last stage of the PT patient funnel is Referral—the essential component of any successful business. You want patients, past and present, to continue to rave about their successes with your PT and to send their friends and family to you for care. Additionally, if the patient was referred to you by a physician, you want them to report back about their improvement health and mobility. This will encourage the physician to send future patients needing PT to your clinic.
To support the referral stage of the funnel, there needs to be an emphasis in the clinic on asking for referrals and giving print materials that make it easy for current patients to refer. Furthermore, promotions and engagement on Facebook and Twitter can make it easy for patients to share your information with friends and family, driving those potential referrals back to your website.
The PT patient funnel is ultimately circular from Referral to Introduction—the feedback and recommendations of current patients supports the sharing of your. clinic’s information with friends, family, and doctors. To learn more about the patient funnel and how to best market your physical therapy practice, sign up for a free download of our 7 Secrets to Attracting New Patients through Online and Social Media.
The post The PT Patient Funnel from Commitment to Referral appeared first on Practice Promotions.
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