Engage more customers with a dedicated marketing plan

Most American businesses are on a mission to sell a product or service, but few will achieve their goals without a dedicated plan to engage the customer, grab their attention, and earn their trust. It is critical to consider the clinical and business value of customer engagement.

There is little value in having great service or life-changing safety assistance when no one knows about it or understands its value. When your shelves are full of cutting-edge products and you never have to re-order, something is wrong. You may have purchased the products from an energetic and passionate manufacturer representative, but that in itself does not create a sale. It’s successful customer engagement that leads to sales and even bigger goals: customer compliance and improved health outcomes.

The challenge every business faces is how to reach new customers without going over budget. No buying agent wants to look back and have buyer’s remorse about products purchased for sales that haven’t yet left the shelves.

Start by stopping

Start thinking about a marketing and engagement strategy by considering the tasks we need to stop engaging in, including:

• Stop thinking that only your marketing rep is involved in marketing. From retail and billing staff to delivery technician, all must be welcomed into the real world. They are now on sale. Your company’s appearance, message, professionalism, expertise and dedication to quality service are all part of a strategic marketing program. Any interaction with a customer, regardless of origin, is part of a planned marketing message.
• Stop constantly noting a long list of products that aren’t selling. What can happen is that patients don’t buy products because they don’t see their value for their particular medical challenge. You are not a warehouse for products that no one wants. Often, products don’t sell because sellers don’t understand the features and benefits of owning the product.
• Stop believing that when a customer doesn’t understand the value of a product, a refund issue, or how a product works, that’s their problem, not yours. It’s yours. Your marketing should include easy to understand information presented in a clear and concise format. Include in your marketing mission the goal of doing everything possible to create an informed and educated consumer.
• Stop thinking one customer is like the next. Each client has their own communication requirements, experiences with the healthcare industry, and level of interest in participating in their own healthcare plan. Some customers prefer SMS, others email, and some rely on a personal call from your company representative. If you only have one plan for delivering messages about your services or products, you are likely eliminating contact with a large portion of your community. No community has residents who speak only one language, so don’t distribute marketing messages only one way.

Engage difficult customers

Successful marketing is all about engaging the customer. Many years of research have attempted to determine what seems to work and which engagement strategies are the most difficult.

First of all, many customers just don’t want to be engaged, don’t take it personally. These customers don’t want to hear from you. You are a reminder of bad news, a medical crisis, a physical challenge, a life changing event – the list goes on. They will avoid your emails, calls and texts.

Second, many customers are unwilling to participate in their own care plan or choose the products that are best for them. These customers often say, “Just tell me what I need.”

To get the best results, consider some practical customer engagement tips. While these may work for some customers, they may not work for all.

• Create an online patient portal system for customers to book appointments with your staff members or schedule a product delivery.
• Provide customers with product order reminders via email or SMS.
• Become a resource for healthy living ideas, diet plans for people with specific medical conditions, or home maintenance guides for specialized equipment.
• Organize support groups that meet in your store or at an easily accessible community location.
• Make sure patient education materials are accessible through your store and website.
• Create an online account for customers to track their orders, view order frequency, billing and payment information, and update contact information.

The clients’ ongoing relationship with their physician will be integral to understanding their acceptance or rejection of your engagement strategies. When patients trust the recommendations of their orthopedic surgeon or pulmonologist, they are more willing to listen to your explanations of products that can improve their lives. If they have little confidence in their GP, they may not be open to your advice either. It is difficult to engage clients who have a negative relationship with those guiding and directing their care plan.

Appropriate conversations

Most customers want advice and recommendations, not to be told what to order and how they might suffer if they refuse your recommendations. Engaging in appropriate conversations about features and benefits is often the right marketing route to securing engagement.

Think before you sell

Failure to involve customers and patients is impacting healthcare treatment across the industry. Nearly 20% of patients are readmitted to hospital within 30 days of discharge. Would more comprehensive patient engagement or provider marketing efforts reduce avoidable readmissions?

Consider the language of your customers and the technology they have or not. While they may want to engage with you, many face what they consider to be insurmountable challenges. Think before you market and plan before you commit.

Make contact with your customers an integral part of your customer service and marketing plan. Stay in touch with your customers, and I can assure you that when needed, they will stay in touch with you.