Creating an Outside Sales Function that Pre-Sells your Patients

Before They Walk In Your Door

A survey we recently conducted of a client’s LASIK patients confirmed that the top three influences for having the procedure were:

Referrals by OD or friend
The consult with the surgeon
Educational mailings from the practice

While the last two resolved the patient’s lingering doubts, apprehensions, concerns and cleared the path to a positive decision, the first constituted the single most persuasive factor for putting that decision on the table in the first place.

You could say that the referral had the patient ‘pre-sold’ before he or she walked into the center.

This is what we mean by an ‘Outside Or External Sales Function’.

And The Most Trusted Form Of Advertising Is STILL...

Word of mouth. Whether it comes from an OD, or a relative, friend or acquaintance, someone’s personal recommendation still carries the most weight and credibility.

While harnessing the natural impulse of your new patients to sound off about their wonderful new vision might seem difficult (although we could show you how), creating a network of contributing ODs and Corporate Accounts is a matter of research, planning, and execution.

Your competitors may have already had this realization, in which case it’s too late to worry about this element of expanding your practice. However, this is not necessarily true.

First let’s look at what this would entail:

Surveys to determine what regional ODs need and want
Presentations based on those surveys
An OD seminar strategy
Materials for executing the strategy
Surveys of HR directors of local companies with 25-75 employees
Presentations based on those surveys
A Vision Care Benefit Program
Materials for executing the program
A tracking and monitoring system to ensure this all rolls along smoothly

Seems simple enough? Now all you have to do is hire someone, train them, provide the materials they need, and you’ll have a healthy outside sales function in place that will send a regular flow of ‘pre-sold’ prospects into your waiting area.

Those surveys might even discover that the ODs currently partnered with your competitor are not completely happy, and they’ve been wondering why you never asked them for a dance.

OK, now go ahead and start the ball rolling. It shouldn’t be hard to hire someone in today’s economic environment – Oh, you don’t have time to do all that plus all the other things you have on your plate?

Well, that’s why we’re here.

We’re experts in creating outside sales functions. We can do it blind-folded – Well, not really – we do it with our eyes wide open because we know how important this element is in giving you rising profits.

The first thing we’ll do is make a thorough study of your practice and your existing resources – internal and external…. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves – you haven’t yet decided you want to work with us.

Contact us here to schedule an in-depth and confidential Marketing Analysis.