If the COVID pandemic is still causing potential clients to avoid your physical therapy clinic due to fears related to public safety, you need to overcome those mental barriers to patient care.
Although marketing costs can be considerable, an unlikely advantage of the current times is that less foot traffic has meant lower overhead expenses for businesses. This presents a chance for you to renew your focus on lead generation. To keep your business healthy, prioritize these three things:
- Retaining your current clients
- Acquiring new clients
- Developing convenient virtual physical therapy services
Remain Dedicated to Meeting Your Current Clients’ Needs
Everything you do to engage the public constitutes a marketing opportunity that can either enhance or damage your brand. The qualities that initially attracted your clients will continue to make them feel like your business goes above and beyond to serve them. You can improve your clinic’s image and express continued loyalty to your clients in three ways.
Demonstrate Professionalism
From friendly and helpful reception to thorough examinations and tailored treatment plans with consistent follow-up, a conscientious approach to patient care is what clients expect from you. Communicate regularly with them, offering convenient solutions-based information.
Expand your communication to remind patients that everyone on your staff is doing their best to practice strict COVID protocols for their health and safety. This will reinforce the idea that all professionals on your team are united in adhering to a high standard of treatment.
Make Treatment More Accessible with Discounts
Offer a percentage off the next visit for all patients who have not made appointments in the last year. Provide a free virtual wellness seminar with helpful exercises for patients you haven’t seen in a while. Customers will appreciate your continued assistance and sensitivity to their needs in these difficult times.
Provide Convenient and Fast Communication
With so many practitioners and support staff working remotely, communication has become a source of great frustration for consumers. This could cause some to further delay seeking treatment.
With convenient modes of communication, you will be well-equipped to assist consumers who are seeking your help. You will also be better prepared to receive the new and returning patients who are expected to flood clinics once the world resumes normal activities.
Loyal Clients Will Invite Others
Motivate patients to bring you referrals by encouraging them to invite family members or friends to see you for a consultation.
- Remind them that their loved ones will benefit from the same standard of care that has improved their health and quality of life.
- Combine your efforts in referral marketing with a discount on products or services for patients whenever a new referral makes an appointment following their suggestion.
- Be sure to have a WebPT Telehealth platform in place for when potential clients begin calling, so you can promptly make appointments.
Be a Leader in Virtual Physical Therapy
Even before COVID, telehealth was a convenient and effective tool for serving busy patients and those whose mobility issues made office visits difficult. Now, video conferencing platforms have become more robust.
With SimpleVisit, you can hold HIPAA-compliant telehealth sessions using readily available apps like Skype, FaceTime, or Google Hangouts. You may also want to use your own digital assets. If you have an app that allows clients to view medical records and prescriptions, you can have appointment-setting, live chat, or video capabilities integrated into it.
Whatever option you choose, the long-term advantages of online physical therapy are clear:
- Loyal patients can continue receiving treatment from your clinic, even if they move away from your city or state, or temporarily leave the country.
- You can offer some information through group sessions and seminars to keep costs low for patients, then make individual sessions available at premium prices.
- Medicare Part B now covers telehealth appointments, according to guidance issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This includes retroactive coverage for services beginning March 1, 2020, and continuing through the duration of the pandemic.
Flexible Care for Changing Times
The fact that COVID puts the world on pause does not mean your growth has to remain frozen. If you stay flexible and focused on client well-being, you will continue to attract new patients to your clinic.
