How to attract patients to your clinic or practice | Complete 2024 Tutorial
Attracting patients to your clinic or practice is essential for building a successful medical career. In this complete 2024 guide, we'll explore strategies and tips that can help you grow your patient base and establish a thriving practice.
1 - The clinic's showcase
There is little to no benefit in having a physical location (or even a digital clinic) that doesn’t attract, engage, or generate results for your clients. I’m not referring to digital media in this case, but rather treating your practice as a business. It is much more than just your source of income—it’s the source of results for your clients.
They need to see, feel, and understand what it's all about. From the placement of the furniture to the wallpaper, everything should convey the respect and admiration you have for your practice. From the scent to the care in polishing the floors, your dream is at stake.
One of the biggest issues we encounter with professionals who achieve little or no success in their clinics is exactly this: they spend so much time working inside the clinic that they forget the fundamental aspect—the entrance, the showcase of the business.
Whether physical or digital, the better it is presented and maintained, the higher the chances of attracting and engaging new clients.
This concept has been widely adopted by doctors across the country, but it first began to emerge in aesthetic clinics, like Belle Vie here in Belo Horizonte.
Look at the attention to detail in the environment, the lighting, and the user experience. The positioning and harmony of the items, the care in brand color coordination — exceptional.
Fonte: belleviebiomedicina.com.br
2 - The clinic reception
Once your patient arrives, what is the first point of contact that will shape their entire relationship with your practice? It’s the reception.
The role of the reception in a clinic or practice revolves around three key pillars:
Scheduling
Agenda organization and reception management
Follow-up
Let's break each one down to understand exactly what this means and how we can optimize your clinic’s performance.
1. Scheduling
Efficient scheduling is the foundation of your patient’s experience. It involves managing appointments in a way that minimizes waiting times and ensures a smooth flow of patients throughout the day.
Online booking systems, confirmation reminders, and clear communication are crucial here to avoid overbooking or gaps in the schedule.
2. Agenda organization and reception management
Once patients arrive, the reception should seamlessly coordinate between the patient and the healthcare provider. This includes greeting patients warmly, checking them in, and managing the wait times.
Organization is key in ensuring that everything runs on time and patients feel valued from the moment they step through the door.
3. Follow-up
Follow-up is essential to maintaining long-term relationships with patients. Aftercare reminders, scheduling future appointments, and checking on patients after treatments are all part of this.
Effective follow-up builds trust and ensures that patients feel cared for even after they leave the clinic.
By optimizing each of these pillars, you can enhance the overall patient experience and improve the efficiency and reputation of your clinic or practice.
3 - Professional positioning
Now that your clinic or practice is up and running, fulfilling the basic expectations (which many tend to overlook), we can finally dive into one of the most crucial aspects: establishing a strong professional positioning.
Positioning encompasses a lot. But we can begin with the message.
What message does your business convey to the world? What impression does your business leave in the minds of those who interact with it?
This is extremely important and goes far beyond a catchy slogan or the type of equipment and professionals you employ. It speaks to the very heart of your business—the core of what makes it thrive.
Take Red Bull as an example. Beyond the famous "Red Bull gives you wings" slogan, the company truly champions the cause of extreme sports. From Formula 1 to skydiving, from motocross to landing a plane on the Burj Khalifa — Red Bull makes everything seem possible.
In the same way, your clinic's message should reflect its values, mission, and purpose. It should resonate deeply with your patients and communicate what sets you apart. Whether it's the quality of care, innovation in treatments, or patient-centered services, your message defines the core identity of your business and influences how it is perceived.
By carefully crafting and consistently delivering this message, you create a powerful connection with your target audience, reinforcing your positioning in the market and building long-term loyalty.
And that’s what positioning is all about. Being in the right places, at the right time, for the right audience. It's about offering hope, and more than that: making the impossible work.
When it comes to your clinic or practice, we have several models that work wonderfully well:
Health education blog;
Paid ads on Facebook and Google;
YouTube channel for instructions and information;
Content creation for social media;
Building and maintaining your Google My Business profile;
Strategic seasonal campaigns to reach new audiences.
The possibilities are endless, and so are the potential results.
I hope this post has helped you structure each step your business should take, and more importantly, guides and supports you in every decision you must make. Step by step, we can walk across the world.
Let's take the first one, day by day, and soon we’ll be far from where we began.