While it might seem like a good idea to get your receptionist to handle the marketing for your practice, it’s not advisable.
Your receptionist is busy enough as it is and your online marketing requires more time and attention than can probably be spared.
With this being said, your receptionist still plays an integral marketing function though.
How the Patient Funnel is Affected
Here is an example of why your receptionist plays such an integral role in the patient funnel.
Say you’re running a social media advertising campaign that promotes one of your top treatments. A potential patient sees the ad and a month later she remembers the name of your practice when she’s ready to schedule a consultation.
The patient calls your front desk but unfortunately, your receptionist is either too busy to give her proper attention over the phone or is uninformed about the campaign or the treatment.
At this point, there is a good chance that the patient will look into other options.
When a patient is ready to make an appointment, it’s incredibly important for that part of the journey to run smoothly.
Ensuring a Smooth Patient Journey
Whether a medical marketing agency such as Azuri is handling your marketing or your receptionist is, it’s imperative for you to follow up correctly with potential leads.
This means that your receptionist and the rest of your staff should receive the necessary training to ensure they know how to deal with potential patients and where they might have stemmed from.
Here are a few ways that you can ensure the final leg of the patient journey runs smoothly:
- Monitor your calls so that you can take employees through what does and doesn’t work
- Encourage your receptionist to rather get a potential patient to schedule a consultation instead of handing over too much advice or information on a treatment
- Ensure that your marketing and the service that potential patients receive over the phone are consistent – there should never be a disconnect
Share Your Marketing Efforts with Everyone
Anyone who could potentially interact with a patient should be aware of any marketing campaigns that are currently running and what the messaging is.
If your receptionist or any one of your other staff members sounds uncertain when speaking to a patient over the phone, it immediately raises a red flag and there is a good chance that the patient may look for treatment elsewhere.
It’s also imperative that your staff’s tone and message reflect your campaigns and your branding if you want to stand out and make an impact. Make sure that every employee knows what sets your brand apart and that everyone is on the same page.
This approach should extend to your website and any other marketing materials that you might have produced – your staff should always know exactly what potential patients are encountering both online and offline.
If your online marketing is handled correctly and your receptionist is well-trained and informed, there shouldn’t be any reason why your conversion rates shouldn’t increase.
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