In the October 2011 issue of Impact magazine, WSPT’s Daniel Seidler discussed the importance of marketing for privately owned physical therapy practices. Impact is the monthly publication of the Private Practice Section of APTA, the American Physical Therapy Association. Impact offers members brief articles with practice development and management tips, useful internet links, updates on the Section, and current government affairs and reimbursement information. Articles are written by members of the Section, PPS staff experts in various areas of business development, management and growth.[i]
Daniel discusses how marketing is often a challenge for physical therapists: PTs are taught how to provide unique services to help patients achieve their wellness goals, but rarely are shown how to sell those services to the public. Knowing your market is the most effective way to resolve this dilemma.
When Daniel decided to begin an aquatic therapy program, he reached out to members of the community over the phone, face to face, and asked referring physicians directly what they thought patients of a Bronx aquatic therapy program would most benefit from: what chronic diseases were most prevalent? What did patients feel was holding them back from reaching physical therapy goals: too much pain, lack of mobility? Putting in the time getting to know his clientele allowed Daniel to make the best choice when choosing a pool for his facility. He chose the HydroWorx pool because it best incorporated all of the tools he would need to combat ailments he discovered were most common among his patients.
Now that the pool was installed, and existing patients’ curiosity was peaked, the challenge would become making WSPT known for its aquatic therapy program. How to do that? Certainly, tried and true methods such as personal relationships, flyers, mailings, customer referrals and tours, are all beneficial and effective when done well. However, genuinely attracting a wide variety of new patients takes initiative and creativity. Daniel put into place a phenomenal internet marketing campaign, making use of social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, and creating a sophisticated website.
WSPT’s website provides interested consumers and current patients all of the information about the classes, memberships, and educational seminars that WSPT offers, as well as informative blogs.
When all of the pieces are put into place, it is important to stay focused on the ultimate goal: keeping customers happy. Patients coming for physical therapy are in pain, are not feeling their best, so it is important to create an atmosphere that is entirely satisfying. This means having a cheerful and excited staff to greet the patients, therapists who get to know the patient’s history and put great value into the progress and safety of a patient, and keeping the facility clean and welcoming. Encouraging feedback is an excellent way to keep a practice like WSPT new and innovative. If the big picture is growing with the community, it is difficult to not naturally seek out ways to improve. Patients attend physical therapy to learn how to be in their best shape; the facility they attend should strive to do so as well.
Questions for the Reader:
- How would you learn about your target demographic?
- What are some of the biggest challenges when coming up with new programs?
- As a physical therapy patient, how do you feel a practice can better meet your needs?
- What are some reasons a patient would cease therapy before his or her treatment is complete?