Swat your competitors!
In my day to day work with my beloved Osteopaths, we always begin the process by nailing down who their Perfect Patient is.
For some this is obvious; the female horse lover who wants to keep her trusty steed in tip top health. Or the athletic guy who wants to recover fast from the trauma his body suffers from the high impact sports he plays.
But some who are struggling with not being optimally booked, still can resist my plea to specialise. Their websites try to speak to everyone across the board but end up being arid and devoid of personality. Newsletters, if they are being sent at all, are dull and bland and guaranteed to remain unopened in their recipients’ inboxes.
My own example explains and illustrates the principles of this idea extremely well. For years I have hoovered up knowledge about clever ways to market businesses and I have completed many books, online courses and 1:1 coaching sessions with mentors. I am well equipped to pass on this vital knowledge to any small business anywhere in the world.
But how do I market that and how many competitors would I have?
It’s such a vague claim that my words would resonate with very few and I would soon go hungry! I could hone it down to ‘body workers or therapists’, which is still pretty vague but I might do slightly better than before. But getting in front of everyone from Massage Therapists right through to Reiki practitioners, Beauticians and Osteopaths might well cost me much in time, energy and money.
Then there’s the language I use in my marketing materials. Trying to appeal to Chiropractors and Beauticians in one breath wouldn’t necessarily work. Not least because they tend to be very different beasts!
So whilst I could teach my stuff to any small business, I choose to place all my time, energy and money on getting in front of Osteopaths and being specific about how I can help.
Understanding your quarry
Once you fully understand who you are marketing towards, you will know where to find them both online and off. And then it’s time to step out of your comfort zone and get in front of them.
Because if you don’t tell them about the benefits to them of Osteopathic treatments, they will never become your Patients.
A few surprising byproducts
Out goes the general adverts, random leaflet drops and bland website content. By focusing on one type of Perfect Patient at a time, you will become the ‘go to’ expert. And who wouldn’t rather go to a specialist rather than a generalist? And who wouldn’t pay a little extra to get expert help? That’s right; no more discounting of fees. There’s also the benefit of your Patients’ appreciation of your understanding and ability to make a significant difference in their lives. I know of Osteopaths whose reputation is so fantastic that people will even fly in from other countries just to be treated by them personally. How awesome is that?
And that’s how your status begins to be elevated too. Will a golfer appreciate going to an Osteopath who really understands him and the game rather than a general therapist? Given the choice, would a worried mother choose a specialist in Paediatric Osteopathy rather than a generalist? I know I would! Of course it never means that you turn away any other kind of patients. It just means that the effort you put in to your marketing actually brings results.
In my own example, I receive many replies to my newsletters giving me further encouragement in my work. I hear from lots of Osteopaths who want to keep in touch and have plans to include me in their future growth. Because I have niched and listened to what you need, I have got to the point where I don’t have a single competitor. Not one. Because I am not like anybody else. I do not work like anybody else and I have a very clear idea of how I want to work and with whom. My Clients are such a joy to work with that it’s a misnomer to call it ‘work’.
So similarly, if you promote your expert talents effectively and demonstrate your Osteopathic genius you will simultaneously kill your competitors stone dead!
