Welcome 2022, a new year and fresh start!
By: Shana Chapman, Senior Practice Services Specialist
When it comes to your practice you may be asking yourself, “what can I do to generate new patients and more revenue?” There are many answers to this question, and we will highlight a few of our best practices for the new year:
- Mine your database! Look at your current patient database and organize it based on last hearing aid purchase or last annual exam. Your current patients are a hidden gem for increasing your revenue. Start by contacting the patients who have hearing aids that are 4 years or older and/or have not been into the office for a while. When you call, remind them that being tested on an annual basis is imperative to maintaining their hearing health. This can be used as a platform to potentially get patients to upgrade their hearing aids. Mining your database can be arranged and utilized in the following ways to help you connect more smoothly:
- Arrange patients by purchase date, from oldest to newest
- Organize by last appointment they had with the office, then break it down by last annual hearing exam
- Putting notes in the patient file is best practice. If the HCP spoke about new devices at last appointment, contact those patients to see their interest in upgrading into the new year
- You can also organize by tech level, from lowest to highest. Focus on lower-level tech first, typically these are patients who seek better devices
- Send out annual hearing test letters to all your current patients, make it personalized letting them know you are thinking about them and how they are doing with their hearing aids
- Take the leap and try a new marketing service. You may notice that the marketing you are doing might not being yielding the results you expected. Inner Circle offers a wide variety of marketing offerings for your practice. We even have a “Marketing Planning” service that helps you build a steady stream of new and current patients. Ways Marketing Planning can help your practice:
- Maps out decisions you have made to pave the way for future success of your practice
- You are looking for your practice to grow, therefore, you will need a strategic plan to get you there
- It will help you understand your customers, competitors and market environment much more thoroughly. It will help you develop a marketing mix that your customers will find highly attractive
- Look at your website and make a conscious effort to become more engaged with patients. Perhaps put a blog on your site to let patients know about different hearing-related topics or even instructional videos on how to clean and maintain your hearing aids. This will let patients know you care and will encourage them to come in more frequently for appointments.
- Invite current patients in for a “lunch and learn.” This allows you the time to demonstrate new products, gives you the opportunity to test the patient again as well as educates patients on how new devices can help them. Successful lunch and learns provide:
- New revenue
- Garners patient loyalty
- Differentiates your practice from the others
- Gives you a way to really communicate with your patients and help uncover their needs
Making sure you have a steady stream of patients and revenue is the key to having a successful year. Make the most out of your telehealth appointments that you have, also, don’t be afraid to reach out and touch base with patients, it’s a more personal approach that many will appreciate. As a wise person once said “New year – a new chapter, new verse, or just the same old story? Ultimately, we write it. The choice is ours.” Don’t you want the opportunity to change someone’s life by helping them hear better?
Shana Chapman is Senior Practice Services Specialist for the Phonak Inner Circle team. Previously, she was a Patient Care Coordinator/Medical Biller in the hearing industry for 10 years, and attended Northern Illinois University. Her favorite sound is her niece and nephew’s giggles.