I believe strongly that you are an expert.
You are an expert in finding the root cause of a person’s pain and gently alleviating it.
You are an expert at understanding what is going on deep within the body.
You are an expert at bringing relief from debilitating pain and all manner of complex conditions.
But how often do you make that clear to potential patients?
Like you, I’m not generally one to be egotistical or brash in my self-promotion but ultimately we do have to say something pretty convincing or nobody will take us seriously.
If I said I was ‘quite good at teaching you easy marketing skills’ you probably would pass me by. Likewise, if you said you were ‘pretty good at treating back pain’ then you would not inspire your potential patients.
So with that in mind, I’ve drawn up a four point plan for your consideration:
1. Cultivate a great image
Your image within your community is of paramount importance. Do you come across as confident, capable and trustworthy? Do you have a well-maintained clinic? (Run a fresh eye over it to make sure) Are there good quality close up photos of you on your website which allow you to shine? People buy people. Make sure they see you and believe you can help them. They are looking for an expert to help them – all your marketing materials, website and social media posts need to be marking you out as a credible expert who can help them.
2. Build credibility as an expert
It’s important to have a powerful biography which is geared towards your patients. So rather than a long list of qualifications and CPD courses which may not be understood by the man in the street, talk a little about your expertise. What did your training teach you? What are you good at? What do you have a thorough understanding of? What specialisms do you have? What is your passion? What do you love about Osteopathy?
Here is my example:
My passion is for teaching effective marketing skills to Osteopaths worldwide so that they can get better exposure in the community, treat more patients and improve people’s lives. I love to work with Osteopaths and, step by step, help them to build the Practice of their dreams.
What could you say?
3. Share your superhero story
People love to hear a story. So what brought you to Osteopathy (given that many don’t even know what it is) and how can you say this succinctly and passionately? What drives you? What do you love about Osteopathy in particular?
Here’s my example:
The reason I love to work with Osteopaths is two-fold. I got to know many Osteopaths whilst working with some of the best in the UK at the Rollin E Becker Institute. It became apparent that many Osteopaths needed some help with marketing themselves effectively. At the same time, I witnessed how much Osteopathic treatment had helped my son who had Cardiomyopathy. I passionately believe that regular treatments kept him well enough to continue going to college on the bus every day despite being on the waiting list for an essential heart transplant. This combination led me to creating a business which helps a community of people to reach out and treat more people in pain.
4. Social proof
If you are really averse to ‘blowing your own trumpet’ then other people’s opinions are absolutely vital. When people give you five stars on your Facebook page or write you a super testimonial it carries way more gravitas than anything you can say. Third party endorsement is key and you need to harness that and use your patients’ experience of you and positive outcomes to show that you are an expert.
So now that we’ve clarified that you are an expert in pain management and treatment, how about you mention that a few times today? Pop it on your social media here and there and watch it help your potential patients to trust in you enough to give you a call to find out more.
