[Interview] with Lauren Andreas from The Practice Potential about marketing

Hello and welcome to Podiatry practice Mastery. My name is Don Pelt. Oh, and I have a Lauren Andreas here. Welcome Lauren. Hi, how are you? Good. Thank you for joining and I'm going to talk to you a little bit about what you like to do. Which is helping practices, Private Practice. Owners do better in their practice before we kind of do a deep dive. Tell me a little bit. How you got interested in? This, this is always a good story.

Like it was your background. And how did you get into this? So my background and what I studied in school was really marketing and management. So I realized through even personal experiences, and through another company, I work for that. A lot of doctors, go to school

to be doctors. And then they go up in their own practice and there's a lot of missing opportunity there where they need some support and making helping them develop people helping them develop process because they're practicing and that's where they're going to make money. It Is by seeing patients and if they're spending a lot of time and energy on trying to run the practice and that's very frustrating for them than they can get burnt out.

And so, I just saw that there's a big need and helping those private practice, owners Market themselves, Market them their practice. But then once those patients start coming in and how do we make sure we give them a great experience and help them as practice owners, be happy and thriving, and efficient, and also that people work for them. Because Happy? No, no Lauren. What is the biggest? I guess.

I don't know if the word objection of the biggest like, conversation that doctors have in their head. The reason why they don't get help. Is it is it that they're thinking they're, they're doing okay? Or they don't know how much they're missing. Like, what are you? What is your impression? Yeah, that's such a great question. I think there is a couple things I hear one is they don't feel like they have time. They're just trying to keep their head above.

Water. So thinking about taking time for coaching or taking some time out of their production to train their team, or have someone come in and work with their team, they get a little bit nervous of all, that's a whole day out of production or that's a couple hours of production, we're going to be working on my business instead of in my business and

that gets them nervous. But at the end of the day, we all know if you can work smarter and not harder that you'll get that 10, 20 fold back in just a couple months that time that you thought you were were not producing. You're actually setting yourself up for higher production, the future. So a lot of it is that I think they're just trying to keep their head above water and they feel like they don't have the time to carve out to get help.

And then, let's compare that to your like, let's say if you had an imaginary client, that was like the number-one, like what? What little things would they be doing that? Every that are not really. Hard but that they're doing that others aren't doing what are a couple of those things like habitually that they would be doing that. You'd be like well these guys going to be an All-Star in six

months. Yeah, I think one of the biggest things is developing their leaders or developing key people in their organization that they can lean on and delegate to a lot of times, you know, they think they have to run everything in the practice and the people the under them or just executing whatever they say and it's their practice.

But when you can Elevate some of the people when your practice to be leaders and have a take on roles and responsibilities and not just tasks, then you can see those people thrive and so I can see some doctors are good at letting go and saying, okay, you're going to take over. How do we increase the number of new patients coming in? That's going to be your number, your statistic, you're accountable for that.

And when they can make that pass off and give someone else Authority and autonomy, and the freedom to have a part in ownership in the business. Literally ownership in the business, but they feel accountable that they have a responsibility. Like, this is my baby. I can take care of them, whereas, I'll see, other doctors who they very much rub this mindset. This is my practice and that trickles down to their team. Will, this is his practice. This is their practice.

So, they don't have the accountability. They don't have any personal investment in wanting to improve the practice. They don't feel part of something, they feel like they're really a pond and in the scheme and Instead of being a part of something that's growing and getting excited about and passionate about it.

So, that's one thing. I think the doctors that can let go and delegate, and give accountability to others and give accountability to themselves really Thrive and follow through on things that they assign themselves and assign their team. Yeah, I think it's great. I think a lot of times the delegation is like this, this drive-by delegation, okay? You do that back that that and they never check up. There's no You know, follow-up, there's no weekly meetings to evaluate it, there's no, you

know, anything else like that. It's just I think we're all kind of guilty of that and I think a lot of the doctors are very perfectionistic, right? So they know they think they know how to do everything and you might not. So we're going to we're going to, I'd like to do a deep dive talking about like maybe how some of the practices that are listening here. Could be losing some money or patients by the way that they're answering the phones.

I know that's one area kind of low hanging fruit. You help and talk to practice is about. So why don't you start talking about? Like, what are some of the common problems that you see that practices are doing? Yeah. So, absolutely. Well, like I said, my background is in marketing, so I love marketing. I understand marketing Roi, and investment, and getting

creative, and that's awesome. And usually, when a practice wants to grow, the first thing that pops into their mind is, let's spend money on marketing, right? Let's go do all this marketing. Spend all this time, energy and effort. Ting, which cost time and money but what they forget is you're doing all this marketing and most people aren't going to just walk in the door. Once they see your marketing, they're going to pick up the

phone and call your practice. And so if we already have marketing out there and we think oh it's not working, it really could be the fact, it is driving phone calls into the practice but those phone calls aren't getting converted into patients, walking in the door and so really the awareness of that. Some of the tracking of that. Are you missing calls during prime time? I'm a lot of practices will not answer the phones in the mornings and the afternoons, and

at lunch. And that is when most working professionals are going to be calling you and research will show that if I call your practice, and I'm a new patient. And I have no referral toward your practice or I have no reason to pick you. If you don't answer, I'm most likely won't leave a voice message. I'll hang up and pick the next person on the list. So just the fact of answering, the phone is step one.

And if we're answering those phones are We making sure that we're converting that patient into a booked appointment. And a lot of times, I see, and I've listened to hundreds and hundreds of calls and in how we answer questions, and how we make the patient feel, is it a Welcome to our practice? We're so excited to see you. You've called the right place. It ends up. Being what's your what's your name? What's your birthday?

It's an intake of information. And your this basically just answering questions without the intention of getting the patient. You are and that's Again, part of that accountability, that staff member, my job is to get patients, booked on the schedule. And I should feel accountable for that verse. My, my job is just to answer the phone and answer questions. So I think that's the biggest thing is how we answer questions

and transition them. And just the mindset of getting the patients in the door in this is something that there should be training. Correct. Like we have staff that this should be role-played and trained and retrained and secret secret shopper type of stuff. Absolutely. Absolutely.

So, actually, that's one of the things I do, is I go into practices, I spent an entire day with them, just on how to answer the phones and you might think what are you doing for 7 hours about answering the phones but we're doing some of what you're saying is what's the call Flow, what's the six-step process? We should be following. How do we answer questions? What are the common questions we're getting in?

Are we answering them away? That makes is basically marketing so that one agree to that appointment. How do we transition? Just scheduling how do we schedule effectively and then how do we create data capture, and follow-up and systems that are keeping us accountable for getting patients in the door. So taking time out of the day and in trainings I always ask the team. I'm like, isn't it crazy that so many offices Just Wing It day to

day? Like this is hard like you could get 10 different questions on the phone. How are we answering that and how we converting those collars and into patients? So it is a process of breaking old It's and changing our mindset and getting those people trained and confident to answer questions and moving that phone call along. So that you're not spending 15,

20 minutes on a phone call. Then your front desk tops going to be overwhelmed because they're just not understanding how to effectively handle a call. Mhm. Wow. So let's let's let's go into it. So let's say we can we can do a role-playing okay I can I can I do that. So you're going to be the office. Okay, I'm going to I'm going to ask. Questions. Okay. Okay. Just for fun. Yeah, let's do it. So, I'll dial you up and you say hello in the answer. My questions.

All right, and ring. All right, Podiatry, practice. This is Lauren. How may I help you? Hi, Lauren. I wanted to see if you take my insurance. We do work with all insurance companies. I'd be happy to do a benefit to check for you. How did you hear about our office? I heard of you. I Googled you. That's why I Googled you, oh, you Googled us. I'm so glad you found us. Let's go ahead and get you scheduled. Do you prefer morning's or afternoons?

Well, I just wanted to check. I have I have this this think it's free care or health type of thing. I just wanted to see if you guys some places don't carry take that insurance. So in this role play so to pause for a second and this role play the it would depend on if we actually did take that insurance, right? If you don't if you don't, if I don't, then I would say something along the lines of we are not in network without

insurance. But we have plenty of patients that come here because the quality of care we provide. How did you hear about us? And I consistently go to making the urns. It's not the sole focus of the conversation and it's true because MassHealth is like, not free care, but we don't take it. But we see tons of patients that they just either can't get in or they don't get the quality of care or they've just want to see someone else.

Exactly. And so that's and that's where we kind of get caught up or the people on the phone, get cut up and say, oh, they just would answer that question. Say no, we don't take that. That sounds to me as a patient. We don't see you, we can't I feel instead of leaving that door open. You still want to answer the question? Honestly, we aren't in that group without insurance, but we do have plenty of patients who

come here. So, the quality of care, we provide and we'd be happy to welcome you as a patient, our practice. And they also do have some practices offer a complimentary benefits check because sometimes there is some coverage that those patients can get. And it's just the unknown that scares them. It's not necessarily that they are going to owe thousands and thousands of dollars or it's going to be Different than that

and network. Yeah yeah I like that even the benefits check of like just in what. Okay so it's not it's not covered but then what is it was $150 well that's not that bad or $200 you know yeah. Like what's the estimated fee schedule for whatever and we have that all kind of we don't put it on the website but we have it up there and it's not it's not that much really and I think a lot of them and I can say this because I'm married to a Brazilian that's why I moved here.

There's a lot of and they don't have insurance. And they tend to see them, but they're used to paying, they just don't have insurance, but they used to paying for it. And so I find a lot of people are just used to it, right? And so it's good to break down the barriers that the person may have or the preconceived notions and the often the staff members all. Listen to tons of calls where staff members just say, no, we're not in network, but you

know who you could try is blah. Blah blah, blah. Blah down the street. Yeah, 100% people say that because they are thinking I'm being helpful when they're forgetting. You like your job is to get the patient a door and if they believe you're the best doctor for that patient to see them, give them the option to come in because we all know we pay for what we find more valuable.

So when you do answer questions and how your first impression will make your practice see more valuable, which makes that hundred and fifty dollars worth it rather than zero dollars that maybe I would have to pay somewhere else. Yeah. How do you let's let's talk switching because I'm interested in this stuff. This is funny and a lot of it. Let's talk about money. That's always kind of a thing that no one likes to talk about. We do a lot of, like, I don't know, kind of expensive.

Probably not like Dental though. If you've been helping, dentist, ours is nothing to compare it. So, we have some treatment called, like, amniotic stem. Cell injections are like 1,500. Shockwave might be like, 1,200 for the package. Do you recommend prepaying for packages of treatment? You recommend one at a time? Do how do you talk about it? As the doctor talk about it. Do you have staff? You know what are your thoughts on that?

Yeah. And there's so another one of my training days is all about, how do you get treatment presentation once they're in the office? The it's a different conversation than on the phone, right? Because if I'm on the phone I am not a doctor answering the phone, most likely. So even if I quote, you a price, we don't even know if that's the best fit for you. If that's the best treatment for you. Yep, right. So, if I say this is what I think you need, or what you're

asking about. Then I'm giving irrelevant a good advice. Yes, exactly. And so, I think you always want to give options to your patients and I love packages. I think that's just eliminates decision fatigue. It helps people. If you say, here's a package of three treatments or package of these three services. This is the one price. I just make the decision based on that one price. I don't have to make three separate decisions.

Does that make sense it does? Like, for example, we would do, let's say an ultrasound not covered Shockwave and then amnio that package is 1500 active, a just want the shock wave. It's like 900 or something like that ugly. So bundling it together and I also think another really smart way to present treatment is to have a couple options to kind of

anchor the cost. And what I mean by not to tell, Dina guys if you're here, if you guys haven't read Robert Cal Dina, you anchored to a higher price. So tell me about that. Yeah, so here's option one, and let's call this this is going to be $2000 or here's option two which is 1500 dollars. Now, all the sudden, I think I'm getting a deal or I'm like well at least it's not the two thousand dollars but fifteen hundred dollars and I lead happy thinking I didn't pay full price.

If you just come at me with the $1500 in my you let whatever was in my head, be my anchor or where I think the price should start. So I thought maybe call in thinking, this is going to be the five hundred dollar procedure. You say 1500, I'm going to be like whoa, I need to think about that. But if you say, hey here are three options. Here's price. One price to price three. All In Instant always start with the highest. Then most of the time, your patients will pick the middle

package. So I like to give three options and you'll notice this when you're Googling or a big marketing companies, they usually have three options because scientifically proven people, they don't want the least and they don't want the biggest so they usually go with the middle. So whatever your most popular packages I make your middle, make some VIP bigger package that anchors them at a higher price and then have a lower

package. So I think that that is is bundling things together and then giving that anchoring of price, I think are really good strategies, but I would always offer payment options like your credit or a different vision is great. Different ways for me to pay because of cost is truly a barrier and it's just I can't produce that money right now, but I really want it then give me options and that makes me feel like you care about me as a person and you're working with me as your patient.

It's need um, how about Dude, you ever do any like shock and I work in terms of like a shotgun all packaged with your practices. So that's kind of like Dan Kennedy talks. Like sending these big box or PDFs or things like that. To present patient makes an appointment, you send them all the stuff to kind of pre-frame them before they come in saying, okay, we do expect like a orthodontist, will put them on the same day. It'll be eight grand this in that.

Do you have any tips for that or any thoughts? Yeah, so I think when you're doing marketing and And any time you can do something that's different from everybody else. I think that's where we're going to win, right? Like if for example a lot of doctors offices will do a postcard in the mail if I'm going through the mail, nine times out of ten, we all did this right. What where are my Christmas cards, where the handwritten letters? Where my bills? Let me throw everything else out.

But if you can do something kind of to what you're speaking of is a male or that has something in it, I will not throw that away. I will open it. So I've had practice. This puts, it doesn't have to be big, it could be just a small puff email or with something in it that just makes you go. Hmm, what's this? I'm going to open it and now you've caught my attention versus being just a postcard. I throw in the mail or through the trash.

So, any type of package or pink one female or something like that? Yeah, lovely mailer is great. The other thing is I really am a big fan of new patient. Welcome gifts. So is the patient comes having some Reciprocity guys, child. Exactly prosity. Yes exactly what it is. Before I ask you before, you ask me for anything, you give me a gift and there's a lot of science behind that. If you give me something first, I'm way more likely to comply with whatever you ask me to do

after funny. Funny question, I just thinking about it now. Like we give socks and a water bottle because we're podiatrist, right? So they're athletes. We give it when they leave. Like when they buy the Orthotics then they so you actually would give it when they come in like first patient entry. This is for you. Yeah, before I before because at that point, they're like, okay, well I gave you my time my money. And now I get a pair of socks like that's their thought process, right?

Whereas if I walk in, I have done nothing for you and you hand me a gift even if it's a socks and water bottle, like oh wow, this is a surprise, this is a delight verse at the end which is still great that you're doing that. But if you can just flip them, I think you'll notice a really big

bump in your compliance. And yeah, some people will still just I'll take the bottle and walk out, maybe not do whatever treatment suggest, but nine times out of ten, I guarantee it's going to make them more likely to cooperate with you and want to do treatment with you. You have Goodwill. That's awesome. I think I think that's that's something great for just for just simple things, just switching the order order things.

Let's talk a little bit about your thoughts on, like, in terms of direct response marketing, the whole idea of of staying in front Of your actual customers and building your list. Are you still a believer in regular newsletters? You do email newsletters, how often, how much is too much things like that. What is your recommendation?

So my biggest recommendation right now is for practices to do video and not even if they're doing a newsletter, put a video in it and it doesn't have to be a long video. It can be, you know like the length of an Instagram real Or a tick tock and make it fun and the personality to practice. I think a lot of times we try video and if it's boring, people are going to watch that. But people we know are drawn to

content through video. And if we can do content through video and some intriguing things that I'm like, oh my gosh, this is funny. Let me share it, then that's going to also double your marketing because now I'm sharing it with my friends, right? I'm actually open it because it looks interesting. So what I say video, don't just mean any. It's going to work but it's these intriguing videos that get my attention and make me open your email and some offices.

I work with they do very professional videos, even for recruiting for retention, for welcoming new patients that are very nice and I think that's great for a first impression. But then also those touch points where they're doing more fun videos. Let's show you the personality of the practice. We're not just like everybody else. How do we stand out again? Like if marketing, if you can stand out, Who the noise you're going to win when you're marketing?

That's great. And then is it is, it is. So I kind of know the answer with some worker to say is, is weekly too much. Is it once a month? Is it daily, you know, in terms of what are your thoughts? Yeah, I think it's all about tracking. It's all about tracking. If your emails aren't getting getting opened up then something's wrong, right? I don't like to have like a blanket statement of like this is the right answer because you'll hear anything from you

should. Three times a day on social media manager truck, right? This has. Yeah. It's like the that's seems like so much but, but my question is always about tracking the marketing is about tracking. What are if you're sending these communication emails, what Roi are you getting at the interval? You're currently doing it? If we add more? Is that going to improve or diminish? If no one's open are emails and sending more is probably not going to make them open or emails.

I would look back and say, what's our subject line? Because that's going to make me open it or not. I think that's the most important. Orton part of the entire email. And then the first impression, if you can do an email with a video in it, I click it. That's going to help your click rate. That's going to help me realize. Oh I enjoy opening these emails.

The next one that comes through. I'm more likely to open versus just like one that looks exactly like a template in email that probably your but I have it to you know, that a marketing service email, provider creates, but as consumers, we know what those look like and we just think oh, it's just another email easy, trash, trash trash. So I think it's all tracking. See what's working? Have a great subject line and then have content. That makes me want to open it again. You're so evil.

Awesome. So Lauren I'm gonna ask you one more question, it's going to be about online reviews, but before we do that, if people are listening they maybe want to learn more about you and your company in terms of marketing and chat with you. What's the best website that they can go to and I'll put that underneath the video as well. Oh thank you very much for doing. That so it's just www.the practice potential.com.

Okay. And on there you can request and set up a console call with me and we can chat about ways to help will be kind of like this. You tried for half hour. See if it's a good fit. So the practice potential, great. And I think you guys will enjoy chatting and you know, I think that's I think it's good. The more people you meet the more ideas you get, I just got some great ideas right now and hope it if it's a good fit, you

know? That's that's how you make your practice Grosso. The last question is, I how do you? What's the best type of reviews is it video, is it Google reviews? And do you have any great tips at getting them? So, a lot of parts of that question. So I said the first thing is, I think video reviews are great. Always, I'm always gonna be an advocate of videos have those but also still have your Google reviews. And so, both all is the answer. All of the above get as many

reviews as possible. I do think it makes it easy when you have a QR code or something at checkout and you have it easy to where I just scan the QR code and I go go right into their but above anything else. Any other tip I can give you about getting more reviews, ask for reviews, which sounds so simple. And most people will say, oh, I do that. I do that. Okay, tell me what you say, how much you say and they'll say something like that. Don't forget to review us or

send us a review. That is not a question that is not asking that's a suggestion. So I always say change your verbiage and get a verbal commitment from them that way when they leave, they actually felt that principle of commitment. I agreed. Do this review. I'm more likely to do the review. So for example you could say something like how was your visit a oh my gosh, it was so great. Oh, we love to hear that. Do you mind going ahead and scan that QR code, and leaving us a

review, pause. Wait for the answer, they say, yes, and you've LED that in. So there's ways to do it without feeling pushy, but a lot of times we shy so much away from asking that it's almost, you know, if you feel like it kind of sort of, maybe Leave a review, maybe but you don't have to that it comes out very much like a suggestion. So above anything else, ask wait for them to say yes, and you'll see a huge increase in the number of reviews you get, you know, that's great. Great, great.

Great. Well, thank you so much Lauren that was very helpful. Lot of great ideas. Check out Lauren's website. I appreciate your time. Thank you so much. I appreciate you too.