Even with a solid business plan and an essential product, things can go wrong. What makes the difference is how you and your team handle the missteps. Making mistakes is inevitable, but finding ways to lessen the impact and keep customers happy will set you apart and ensure success for years to come.

Tip #1: Do Your Research

Before registering your business or purchasing your first inventory, you should be doing your research. Follow brands you respect on social media and chat with your friend who started a business. Reach out to entrepreneurs on LinkedIn and read blogs and books on the topics of running a business. There is much to learn from the successes of others. But don’t discount the failures. While a business may have failed, there are many lessons to be learned through their stories.

A mistake some people make during the research phase is silohing themselves to only researching businesses in their own category. True innovation comes from blending ideas and models and making it your own. Just because your market category doesn’t typically have an ecommerce site or doesn’t utilize a certain buying method doesn’t mean it won’t be beneficial for you and the customer base you create.

Tip #2: Invest in Marketing from the Beginning

Your store is live. Your inventory is stocked. Your staff is trained. But no sales. No customers. A common mistake new business owners make is not investing in marketing early on. They think that product, services, or customer relationships will speak for themselves. While this can be true, you more than likely will need a few first buyers to begin the process. While a ‘miracle product’ going viral or being booked out before opening is possible, it’s unlikely these days without a major following in place.

Luckily, there are many opportunities these days for finding a form of marketing that works for your business. Between social media, ecommerce stores, influencer marketing, events, and eblasts – as a new business you can determine which media works for you and easily pivot if necessary. If you’d like to learn more about which type of marketing could be right for you, let’s chat.

Tip #3: Communicate with Customers When Something Goes Wrong

Even the most well-planned businesses run into issues. With so many moving parts, many of the elements that keep your business up and moving are out of your control. Maybe your operating system went down or a shipment was lost on its way to a customer. What happens when the power is out and you can’t host guests for the day? These things happen, so communication is key.

When issues arise the worst thing you can do is go dark. If clients feel like they can’t reach you, they lose trust and are unlikely to be returning customers. This is especially relevant during your first year in business as you are establishing your reputation in the market. When a problem arises, be as prompt as possible and offer actionable solutions. Let the client know you are aware and on top of the issue and they’ll feel like they are in good hands.

Tip #4: Uplift the Happy Customers

When your online reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations speak for themselves, this grows organic leads. But as a new business, it will take some time to gain a good reputation. Although, there are things you can do to encourage the good reviews. Create a feedback form and encourage happy customers to share their stories. Feature returning customers on social media if they are comfortable. Offer discounts for them to try a new product.

Maintaining a pulse on your customer base and what makes them happy will foster positive conversation around your brand. Good reviews will follow.

Maintaining a Successful Small Business

There is no doubt your first year in business will be riddled with lessons learned and areas to improve. But turning these road bumps into opportunities lies in finding what you can learn from them. Take time to review, make a game plan, and move forward. No small business is perfect, but the ones that stay in business analyze, optimize, and bounce back. Does your small business need help? Let’s chat. 

The post 4 Tips for a Successful First Year in Business appeared first on Digital Limelight Media.

Still, starting good conversations can be hard for even the best doctors. Here are 7 conversation starters for consultation rooms and how you can use them to make sure your patients enjoy their experience with you.

What makes a good conversation starter?

There’s a certain art to picking a good conversation starter. The goal of a conversation starter is the keep the other person talking naturally and the conversation flowing. It’s simply about getting the other person to open up and establish a good rapport.

That being said, there are a few factors to picking a good conversation starter. Your question should be:

• Open-ended: Yes or no questions can be easier to think up, but it’s also easier for your patient to answer “yes” or “no” and then carry on in silence. Make sure your question is open-ended and requires some thought.
• Out of the ordinary: Avoid typical topics like the weather or job-related things since they’re not particularly interesting. Asking your patient a question that takes them out of their regular routine can help them open up and remember their encounter more positively.
• Professional: Conversation starters should never touch on topics like politics, family, finances, or religion. Bringing up unprofessional topics can turn off prospective patients who feel uncomfortable, even if it wasn’t your intent.
• Relevant: If your conversation starter is too specific or out-of-touch, your patient won’t be able to contribute. In this case, you run the risk of being the one doing all the talking!

As with anything, never make assumptions based on your patient’s demographic (age, gender, race, etc.) and what you think they might be interested in talking about. In fact, it can be helpful to just stick to a small handful of questions that you can ask no matter who comes in the door.

Questions to start a conversation

It can be difficult to come up with questions that fit these criteria, so here’s a list of good conversation starters for meeting with new and existing patients.

1.      What’s your favorite thing to do around here?

This can be helpful in a couple ways – firstly, if your patient lives in your area, it immediately establishes some things in common. Secondly, if your patient isn’t from your area, then it gives you a chance to make good recommendations for things to do and places to stay while they’re visiting. Obviously, your patient has traveled to you for a reason, so you can set yourself apart as a unique practice truly in touch with the local environment rather than a cookie-cutter option.

2.      Do you have any pets?

The one thing that never changes is that people love talking about their pets. Pets are a source of great comfort for many people, so – especially when patients are nervous – talking about their pets can be a way to pull them out of their anxiety and talk about something they adore. If you have pets, make sure to have some pictures on hand so you can share, as well.

3.      I’m planning my next vacation. Can you recommend anywhere interesting?

Everybody has a favorite vacation they’ve undertaken, and you might find that you have destinations in common. You can also learn a lot about a person’s interests and hobbies by the activities they do while on vacation, whether it’s as outdoorsy as hiking, kayaking, or fishing or as relaxed as sightseeing, shopping, or dining out. It can even be an easy jumping point for other topics of conversation.

4.      Do you listen to podcasts? What’s your favorite one?

There are a lot of unique and delightful podcasts out there and most people are always excited to recommend their favorites. Again, you can learn a lot about people by their podcast preferences, which are most often tied to their favorite hobbies and interests. Podcast recommendations often spread through word of mouth, too, so it can be a good follow-up question to ask how they found it. Finally, it can be a good opportunity to plug your own podcast (if you have one).

5.      Great shoes/outfit color/accessory! Where’d you get it?

Giving your patient a quick confidence boost can go a long way in helping them warm up to you. However, keep in mind that people generally like to be complimented on things they have control over, so avoid compliments directed at their body and natural features. Instead, things they chose like a haircut, outfit piece, or nail polish color are great options for compliments.

6.      How’d you hear about us?

Although maybe not a great question to start with, it can still be a good thing to ask once you have a good conversation flowing. Taken as a whole, this can help you get a feel for whether patients are finding your practice by word-of-mouth, organic search, or social media, for example. People always have a reason for choosing a business or practice and who knows – they might have a good story to go along with it.

7.      How has your time with us been so far?

This can be a good way to get a pulse on your practice’s patient hospitality and what areas you can improve, like the check-in process, waiting room, accommodations, and staff availability. On the other hand, it’s also a great way to hear what your practice is doing right when it comes to the patient experience. It’s always good to get feedback directly from patients who might even have good recommendations on how to make your patient experience even better.

Let’s Get In Touch

Having the right support is important when it comes to growing your practice. At Digital Limelight Media, we offer all the industry-leading tools you need to thrive and provide the experience your patients are looking for. Give us a call or fill out our online contact form to learn more.

The post 7 Conversation Starters for Patient Consultations appeared first on Digital Limelight Media.

1. Honesty

The most important thing is honesty. Perfection is impossible, and your patients will appreciate your recognition of your weaknesses. Maybe you do strive for perfection, but does that ever get in the way of your ability to trust others or perform your best since you fear making a mistake? Take a quick, intuitive moment to think about real weaknesses you struggle with but are trying to overcome; that shows confidence and commitment. Remember that you are not only representing yourself as a doctor, but you also want to create a genuine human connection.

2. Pick an Unrelated Weakness

If your patient comes to you for a surgical procedure, you don’t want to say that one of your weaknesses is something related to your ability to perform that surgery. Instead, consider an honest weakness you have in other areas of your practice. For example, maybe you are not great at talking on the phone, so your tone sounds a bit more negative or short than you intended. Be honest with your patient and pick a weakness that you personally deal with.

3. Personal Weaknesses

If you want to build an even stronger human connection, look to your personal life for weaknesses. Maybe you are introverted and that held you back from taking risks in school. Whatever your weakness is in your personal life, it likely carries over to some degree in your professional career so this is a great way to be both honest and choose a weakness not directly related to your abilities as a doctor.

4. Think About Your Support Team

Acknowledging the people who have helped you grow shows that you are self-aware of your ability and can look to other people for a second opinion or assistance. Consider the person who inspired you to attend medical school, a professor, or a coworker you admire.

5. Give Examples of Your Improvements

Everyone has weaknesses, but not everyone has the ambition to work on them. Being aware of your weaknesses allows you to learn new skills and improve yourself to fix the traits or abilities you might be lacking in.

Once you pick your weakness, practice answering the question so that you can exhibit confidence and reassure your patients of your medical and bedside skills. Make sure your confidence doesn’t come off as arrogance and be honest with yourself and your patient.

Marketing Advice from DLM

Highlighting your strengths as a doctor or medical practitioner is one of the best ways to promote your business. Let us utilize those strengths to build your brand with a personalized webpage, social media account, and more! For more tips or to learn about our services, visit us online or read our blog.

The post How to Answer the Question “What is Your Greatest Weakness?” appeared first on Digital Limelight Media.

Unfortunately, most people only touch the surface of what Excel can do with the right shortcuts, formulas, and tools. Excel has incredible depth, and it takes dedication to truly unlock the bulk of its functions – but it’s worth it to spend time learning it or making sure one of your employees becomes an Excel expert. In the meantime, here are a few important functions to implement into your marketing spreadsheets to elevate your data collection and make smarter business decisions.

Note: This applies to the most recent version of Excel and thus these formulas might be different for older versions.

How to Use Excel Formulas

You’ve probably noticed the “Formulas” tab at the top of your Excel window and wondered what it does. In fact, it can seem like a lot of gibberish without some further knowledge. Called “functions,” Excel formulas are organized by type so it’s easy to look for a formula that might do what you need.

To insert one, highlight a cell and click on “Insert Function”. A browsing window will pop up and you can scroll through recently used formulas and potential other candidates. It will even show a small summary of the function and what it does.

Alternatively, you can type the equal sign (=) to begin a formula if you know a specific formula you want to enter.

Now, let’s take a deeper dive into some of the most common formulas and how they can be used.

15 Excel Formulas Worth Knowing About

Here’s a quick collection of essential formulas, shortcuts, and other tips and tricks to help make your marketing spreadsheets more accessible.

1.      SUM

=SUM is one of the most basic Excel formulas. It simply totals two or more values, saving you from having to grab your calculator to add up numbers. You can type it in the following format:

=SUM(value 1, value 2)

This can be any number you need or the value of a specific cell (and the sum will automatically update if you change the values in the corresponding cells).

If you’re trying to add any two numbers, for example, you can type:

=SUM(40,60)

If you’re trying to add the values in two specific cells, it looks like this:

=SUM(B2,B6)

You can also total a list of numbers in Excel. You simply insert a colon in between the first and last cells. So, it might look like:

=SUM(B3:B10)

Excel will automatically insert the total below the list and update if you make changes to any of the values in the indicated cells.

2.      IF

The =IF function allows you to add value to a cell if something else in the spreadsheet meets a true/false criterion. It takes the following form:

 =IF(logical_test, value_if_true, value_if_false)

This means that if the value meets the criterion, it will plug in the “value_if_true” data. If not, it will plug in the “value_if_false” data. For example, if the C column denotes Yes or No values (let’s say rewards membership status), then you could enter the following function:

=IF(C2=”Yes”,1,2)

Using this formula, you could streamline your email marketing process by designating certain activity codes for members (1) and non-members (2).

3.      Percentage

The percentage function is a very quick shortcut to find the percentage of two cells. It takes this format:

=A1/B1

Alternatively, you can highlight the cell and select “Percentage” from the dropdown menu. Keep in mind that Excel might return your percentages as decimals – just select the Percentage setting from the dropdown menu on the right side of the Home banner.

4.      Subtraction

Just as you can easily add two values, you can also subtract them. It’s actually just a small tweak to the =SUM function. It takes this format:

=SUM(A1,-B1)

There’s actually no designated subtraction formula in Excel but you can simply plug in a negative sign before a value to get the same result.

5.      Multiplication

Multiplying two cells in Excel is also very quick and easy. You might think it’s a simple “x” but multiplication is actually denoted using the asterisk (*). It looks like this:

=A1*B1

You can actually add multiple cells to the formula as needed, or =A1*B1*C1*D1… etc.

6.      Division

Dividing numbers in Excel can be performed with the forward slash (/), like so:

=A1/B1

Keep in mind that order matters – in this case, you’re dividing A1 by B1. If it needs to be the other way around, then adjust the cells accordingly.

7.      DATE

You can quickly add dates into your Excel sheet with the following formula:

=DATE(year,month,day)

The year, month, and day values can actually be taken from specific cells if needed, or =DATE(A1,B1,C1). You can also quickly add today’s date to your spreadsheet with this text:

=DATE(YEAR(TODAY()), MONTH(TODAY()), DAY(TODAY()))

8.      Array

Array formulas can help extend your other functions by including a range of values rather than specific ones. It uses the brace symbols to denote a range of numbers – for example, if you’re multiplying a range of numbers, it can look like this:

{=(Start Value 1:End Value 1)*(Start Value 2:End Value 2)}

In practice, it might look like:

{=SUM(B2:B5*C2:C5)}

This totals all the values in the cells B2-B5 and C2-C5 and multiplies the totals together. Excel uses a specific key command to calculate the result, which is Ctrl+Shift+Enter. So, if you’re adding up multiple columns and multiplying them by each other, an array function can save lots of time.

9.      COUNT

This is a much quicker way to find out the number of values in a specific range of cells. For example, if you’ve selected a group of patient names, the =COUNT function will tell you how many you’ve selected. The formula takes the following form:

=COUNT(Start Cell:End Cell)

Keep in mind that it won’t total the values – it will simply tell you how many cells there are. But, if you’re looking to keep track of how many patients have purchased the product you’re featuring, it can be extremely helpful.

10.  AVERAGE

This formula can calculate the average of a range of values. This means it adds all values and divides them by the number of values there are. You can enter it one of three ways based on your needs:

=AVERAGE(number1, number2, etc.) OR =AVERAGE(A1, B2, etc.) OR =AVERAGE(Start Value:End Value)

As you might have guessed, the first will take the average of specific numbers while the second will take the average of specific cell values. The third will average a range of cells.

11.  SUMIF

The =SUMIF function totals the values in a designated range if they all meet a specified criterion. It’s denoted:

=SUMIF(range, criteria, [sum range])

So, an example would be =SUMIF(B5:B10,”>50,000″) where the formula would total all cells between B5 and B10 if they’re greater than 50,000.

12. TRIM

=TRIM is a quick and easy way to delete any spaces around a specified text. It’s written like:

=TRIM(text)

For example, if a cell (B3) contains the words “Breast Augmentation “ with an extra space at the end, then =TRIM(B3) would remove the excess space without having to comb through your sheets by hand. It’s a much quicker way to ensure that your patient contacts can easily be pulled for email lists, for example.

13.  LEFT, MID, and RIGHT

If you have a long string of text in a cell that you want to break up into different segments, you don’t need to retype it all manually. The =LEFT, =MID, and =RIGHT functions are a must faster way to extract characters from a string of text or numbers and place it in a different cell. The =LEFT function extracts characters starting from the beginning of the string, while =MID and =RIGHT extract them from the middle and end respectively. The look like this:

=LEFT(text, number_of_characters)

=MID(text, start_position, number_of_characters)

=RIGHT(text, number_of_characters)

In these cases, the text is the full string of text or numbers that you want to extract from while the number of characters is (you guessed it) the number of characters you want to extract. In the case of =MID, the start position begins with 1 at the far left of the string so you’ll need to count from left to right appropriately.

14.  VLOOKUP

This one can be a little complicated, but =VLOOKUP can combine two separate spreadsheets. For example, it comes in handy when you have one spreadsheet with patient names and phone numbers and another one with patient names and email addresses. This way, you don’t have to manually copy them all over and match up the contacts by hand. It follows this formula:

=VLOOKUP(lookup value, table array, column number, [range lookup])

Firstly, you’ll need to make sure you have at least one identical column in each spreadsheet. This is the “lookup value.” The “table array” is the range of columns in sheet 2 that you plan to pull data from (including your lookup value). The “column number” is which column in the table array that you want to copy over. And finally, the “range lookup” should be FALSE since you want exact matches only. So, in all, your final product might look like =VLOOKUP(E3,Sheet3!C:D,2,FALSE).

15.  RANDOMIZE

The =RAND function is similar to shuffling a deck of cards. It takes a range of numbers and randomly places them in a designated column. So, it can be a quick way to randomize a list of contacts if you’re trying out a new email marketing strategy. It looks like this:

=RANDBETWEEN(bottom,top)

In this case, “bottom” is the lowest number in the range and “top” is the highest. It will automatically populate your designated cells with random numbers in that range without repeats.

Let’s Get In Touch

Effectively and efficiently analyzing your patient information can be tedious without the right knowledge and support. At Digital Limelight Media, we offer industry-leading tools for you to manage your EMRs all in one place. To learn more, give us a call or fill out our online contact form.

The post 15 Microsoft Excel Formulas to Save Time on Your Marketing Spreadsheets appeared first on Digital Limelight Media.

3 Reasons You Shouldn’t Reject New Patients

Patient Volume Fluctuates

Every provider will experience attrition, which means while you may be getting many new patients today, that may not be the case tomorrow. For long-term success, you should always accept new patients to keep your patient roster at a healthy level.

It is Bad for Business

It’s never a good idea to turn away customers, no matter what type of business you run. Once customers have been turned away, it is very unlikely that they will return or try to make another appointment. Plus, many people who find a doctor they like will refer friends and family members. If you are turning away these patients’ loved ones, they may end up leaving in the long run.

Temporary Closures Cause Uncertainty

While some amount of patient turnaround is normal, you don’t want to completely close yourself off from new patients. A move like that can make it hard for existing patients, insurers, and other doctors to keep track of your current status. Other physicians may even stop referring you because you may be unavailable for patients who need immediate medical attention.

How to Handle More Patients

Enhance Your EMR

To effectively treat a higher volume of patients, you must increase your efficiency. Integrating an EMR system with software can help your practice provide quality care while also boosting productivity. At DLM, we integrate with the top three EMR systems to match patient data against lead data for accurate revenue and operational metrics.

Automate Routine Office Tasks

With the right systems in place, more patients don’t have to strain your staff. While some tasks require a personal touch, basic tasks like appointment confirmations and reminders can be automated to allow for a streamlined experience. It also allows your staff more time to focus on new patients while also reducing later arrivals, no-shows, and cancellations.

Give patients More Control

An effective way to give patients more control of their experience with your practice is to allow for online scheduling. According to surveys, more than half of patients prefer digital interactions for tasks such as appointment scheduling and filling out forms. By providing online access to these tasks, new patients can complete forms in advance, making it easier to keep up with a busy schedule.

Give Us a Call

Are you ready to streamline your patient experience? To learn more about how our team at DLM can help you take on and keep more patients, contact our office today at 616-222-3735. You can also schedule a 15-minute demo to get started.

The post Why Providers Should Never Stop Accepting New Patients appeared first on Digital Limelight Media.

Customer experience has a major impact on whether or not your customers are loyal to and happy with your brand. You must be mindful of industry trends to quickly adapt your strategies to the latest insights for an improved customer experience.

Stats to Recognize

Here are the customer service stats that we are keeping an eye on for this upcoming year:

Customers will spend more for a good experience.

Have you ever found yourself sticking to a brand whose products are more expensive than its competitors? If so, you are probably loyal due to the great customer service experience and are willing to spend more money on a brand that you trust. According to Forbes, one in four customers is willing to pay up to 10% more in almost every industry if they know they will receive quality customer service.

66% of customers expect companies to understand their needs.

Many businesses struggle to understand their customer’s needs, and studies show that it is an important measure that can decide if your company is successful or not. Salesforce found that 66% of the 6,000 customers surveyed expected companies to understand their expectations and needs. To deliver a trustworthy customer experience, It is vital that your company is dedicated to fulfilling customer needs.

Business leaders agree that prioritizing worker happiness gives companies a competitive advantage and makes it easier to retain talent.

An Indeed report revealed that the majority of the 1,073 business leaders surveyed agreed that prioritizing employee happiness provides a competitive advantage and makes it easier to keep top talent.

Customer-centric companies are 60% more profitable than companies that aren’t.

Companies that are customer-centric are more profitable overall because they can leverage customer service as both an acquisition and retention tool. For example, if a company has good reviews online, it can promote these reviews as a way to bring in more leads. Customers tend to trust reviews from other customers the most. For customer retention, reviews can be used to keep customers loyal. By sending customer satisfaction surveys, you can collect feedback to make the changes needed.

Trends to Watch

Here are some customer experience trends to consider:

Improved Personalization.

Nowadays, sending out a birthday message to a customer just isn’t enough. Patients nowadays want a personalized experience in all of the ways you engage with them, like suggesting products or procedures based on their history and learning from their website behaviors.

Widespread adoption of chatbots.

For growing companies, one of their biggest challenges is handling the number of customer support calls and emails. It can be difficult for customer service teams to keep up with these communications. Chatbots are a great way to help ease this pressure. While they cannot completely replace the job of a human, chatbots can answer quick questions to save your staff time.

Omni-channel experiences.

Today’s customers want to be able to connect to your practice in many different ways using many different channels. This makes omni-channel experiences a significant customer service trend to watch this year. Multiple different channels can include over the phone, email, social media, and chatbots.

Continued investment in customer loyalty.

When customers are loyal to your company, they are more likely to return. While loyal customers usually only make up 20% of your customer base, they actually drive 80% of your business! Because of this, placing a heavy emphasis on loyalty programs is a great way to show appreciation to these customers and keep them returning.

Securing customer data.

While customers want personalized experiences, they also want the data you have about them to help you provide those personalized experiences to be protected. Because of this, it is important to prioritize data security for your customers such as listing your data practices in privacy policies, asking customers for consent to use their data, and explaining how their data will be used.

Let’s Chat

To keep up with the latest customer service trends, give DLM a call today or schedule a 15-minute demo online! We will be happy to chat about your individual practice goals to create a marketing plan that works best for you.

The post Top Customer Experience Stats & Trends to Keep an Eye On appeared first on Digital Limelight Media.

Reputation and credibility

As a healthcare practice, you know that reputation means everything. You should always screen your marketing agency for things like testimonials, referrals, and word of mouth from other practices in your field. Also, make sure to take a look at their website to learn more about their values and philosophies toward healthcare marketing. It’s important to be able to trust your marketing agency with your practice’s success and you’ll want a partner that you work well with – and trust. Finally, always look for any certifications, awards, or publications mentioning your agency so you can get a feel for their reputation in the marketing industry and how they measure up.

Experience in healthcare marketing

The healthcare industry has its own unique needs when it comes to marketing, so don’t just pick a general marketing team. A healthcare marketing agency will be equipped with the right tools to help you navigate standards and regulations that can get you in trouble if you’re not careful. Always make sure your marketing agency has extensive processes and training in HIPAA compliance, EMR tools, and reputation management specifically with patients. Additionally, browse your agency’s other clients to make sure they have experience in your specific healthcare field, whether it’s dentistry, plastic surgery, dermatology, and more.

Professional certifications

Your healthcare marketing agency is made up of individual professionals, so make sure to screen them on an individual level. Don’t hesitate to ask about your team’s credentials, experience, and understanding of your industry. Healthcare marketing requires its own unique approach, and you should feel confident that your team has the knowledge you need to handle any and every situation that comes up – as well as help you grow in a constantly changing digital landscape.

A focus on ROI

When you make the decision to invest in healthcare marketing, you obviously want to maximize your returns. Make sure that your marketing agency is ROI-driven and wants to turn your investment into new patients and a prosperous practice. It’s easy for a marketing team to make promises, so make sure that your agency has tools in place for you to track ROI and measurable goals. Your marketing team should be able to supply data to help you make informed, smart decisions for your business. If our marketing agency doesn’t seem invested in your practice’s success like it’s their own, it’s time to look elsewhere.

Creative energy

Design and content make your brand recognizable to potential patients, so it’s essential to make sure your marketing agency can help you realize your vision. Take a close look at your agency’s existing client websites, as well as any other marketing materials, to get a feel for their creative ability. Check for visual design and content to get a feel for your agency’s breadth and capability – it can be a red flag if it all seems the same or if it seems incomplete, sloppy, or poorly thought out. Additionally, your creative team should be knowledgeable and able to make professional recommendations to help you hone your brand and make an impression. Also, make sure your creative team fits your energy level – as with your marketing specialist, you’ll want to find a creative team that you work well with.

Let’s Get In Touch

Finding the right healthcare marketing agency is an invaluable part of your practice’s growth. At DLM, we offer industry-leading tools and a knowledgeable team with decades of experience in healthcare marketing. To get started and learn more about how we can transform your brand and your returns, give us a call or contact us online.

The post Your Checklist for Hiring a Healthcare Marketing Agency appeared first on Digital Limelight Media.

How Efficient Workflows Help Retain Employees

After you have hired an all-star team for your medical practice, it’s important to focus on employee retention. Efficient workflows can go a long way to prevent employee burnout. One of the biggest contributors to burnout is an unreasonable workload. If your staff is too busy with mundane tasks, it’s easy for them to become overwhelmed and start searching for work elsewhere. Reducing the number of unnecessary tasks for your staff and creating efficient workflows will reduce stress and keep your staff feeling their best at work, improving your overall retention rate.

Using Technology to Automate Front Desk Tasks

Several common front desk tasks can be automated using digital tools. For example, our IRIS Conversational AI can be used to connect with patients who want to schedule appointments using convenient text messages, send automated appointment reminders, and more. This means less time spent answering the phone or making potentially unnecessary calls for your staff. Using IRIS Conversational AI, your front desk staff can wait to respond to messages until it is convenient, allowing them to prioritize their workload during busier hours.

Similarly, automated email drip campaigns can be used to connect with patients without much oversight from your staff. By completing the contact form on your website, patients can be automatically enrolled in email campaigns with valuable information before their appointments. These emails can be tailored based on a patient’s procedure of interest or other considerations. This saves your staff time before they reach out to schedule the new patient’s appointments.

Automation Improves Patient Experience

It may seem that automation removes the personal connection from your patients’ experience with your medical practice, but the opposite is typically true. Automating processes for scheduling and other tasks frees up additional time for your front desk staff to connect with patients when they are in your office. By spending less time on the phone, your staff is free to share a conversation with patients in your waiting room and create a more personal experience. By reducing staff workload and stress, they will feel more relaxed and friendly with patients in person, improving patient experience overall.

In addition to an improved in-office experience, automated communication means that patients spend less time waiting to hear back from your staff or are on hold. This goes a long way to improve their overall experience with your practice, increasing your overall patient retention.

Call DLM to Improve Your Efficiency

To learn more about improving your medical practice’s efficiency through IRIS Conversational AI, email automation campaigns, and more tools, contact Digital Limelight Media. You can call (616) 222-3735 or contact us online to schedule a 15-minute demo.

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Consider Your Interior Design

It can be easy to think that a waiting room doesn’t need to be anything fancy, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Waiting rooms that feel too dated, cluttered, sterile, or manufactured can put your patients on edge ahead of their appointment (which they’re probably already nervous about!) Prioritize space and consider trying new seating arrangements – cluster chairs around a coffee table or provide quiet spaces for patients to catch up on work. Make sure to also provide enough space for patients to socially distance if needed. Finally, pay attention to your furniture design and incorporate some of your branding into your selections – try a more sleek, modern layout for a luxurious, state-of-the-art practice or something more relaxed and comfortable for a down-to-earth feel.

Designate Staff for Hospitality

One way to make an impression on your patients is to make them feel pampered and taken care of. Make sure to train your staff to greet patients when they arrive, provide refreshments, and help patients with booking and paperwork. Staff who excel at going out of their way to get to know your patients and their circumstances are best for this position.

Provide a Productive Environment

Patients are just as busy as you are – your waiting room is a great opportunity to help them feel like they’re not wasting time while waiting for an appointment (which they’ve likely taken time off for.) Every practice should already have free, high-speed WIFI for patients. But consider also providing desks, charging stations, or other forms of stimulation like retail areas to help your patients multitask.

Make Sure Patients Know Their Wait Time

Nothing is more frustrating than a five-minute wait turning into a twenty-minute wait. Long wait times are unavoidable – but patients will appreciate knowing that they have time to make a phone call, enjoy a cup of coffee, or read a chapter of their book instead of waiting to be called back at any minute. Consider a text-based messaging system that can estimate a patient’s wait time, so they’re kept in the loop while they wait. Consider also implementing virtual wait rooms so your patients can wait in their car or elsewhere.

Offer Refreshments

Refreshments can go a long way in helping patients feel at-ease. Setting up a coffee bar or a mini-fridge full of water bottles or other drinks is a quick and easy way to make your waiting room a more pleasant and energizing place. Just make sure your staff keep an eye out for empty cups or bottles and restock refreshments regularly.

Incorporate Your Community

One way to firmly ground your practice in your community is to reach out and provide space to connect. Consider putting up a community bulletin board, offering pamphlets or business cards for local groups and businesses, or incorporating local artists into your décor. It’s a great way to establish connections to expand your business – if you support your community, chances are it’ll do the same for you.

Let’s Get In Touch

Growing your business and nurturing loyal customers requires a knowledgeable approach and an experienced team. At DLM, we offer everything your practice needs to thrive and succeed. To get started and learn more about our industry-leading tools, give us a call or fill out our online contact form.

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These changes have caused patients to reevaluate whether their healthcare provider really meets all of their needs. To thrive in today’s healthcare landscape, private practices must deliver a top-notch accessible patient experience.

Common Mistakes that Lead to Patient Dissatisfaction

While taking the right steps to improve your practice and patient experience is important, it is equally as important to avoid common mistakes that can lead to patient dissatisfaction. Here are four common mistakes you should avoid to maintain patient loyalty.

Not keeping Patients Engaged

Keeping your patients engaged between appointments is important to ensure that they are following your plan of care to keep up with their health. This can be achieved by sending out well-timed email campaigns to improve patient outcomes, strengthen the patient-provider relationship, and improve loyalty. In these email campaigns, you can include reminders for patients to schedule their next appointment, highlight any newly offered services or new providers, and send seasonal health-related info such as tips to manage allergies, the availability of vaccines, and more.

Continuing with Old Habits that are no longer Effective

Healthcare is unfortunately known for its notoriously slow adoption of technology, which can cause frustration for today’s consumers. With people used to modern conveniences across other industries, they now want the same with their healthcare providers. Employing technologies such as text messaging and online access for scheduling, filling out paperwork, accessing health records, paying a bill, or asking their provider a question can save your practice time and resources while boosting patient satisfaction.

Not Listening to Patients

Patients want a provider that will listen to them. Providers who take the time to really listen to their patients and offer prompt responses to questions have better patient retention rates and higher patient satisfaction. An easy way to give a clear signal that you are listening is to end each appointment with a wrap-up question such as “Have I answered all of your questions today?” Another way to let patients know you are prioritizing their needs and communication is to implement automated patient satisfaction surveys for ongoing feedback.

Neglecting To Book Your Patient’s Next Appointment at Check-Out

Booking your patient’s next appointment at check-out is a way to secure patient volume, as well as make the patient’s job easier by not having to call back to book. By streamlining this entire process, the patient will be happier, and your practice will run smoothly. Ensure that your providers indicate when the patient’s next appointment is on their check-out paperwork. Also, send out an automated appointment reminder via email or text to help keep patients up to date with when they need to be seen.

Reduce Your Patient Attrition Today

If you are ready to make the necessary changes to improve patient communication, loyalty, and satisfaction, our experts at DLM can help. We offer a number of reporting and retention services to help you keep the lines of communication open with patients, as well as to measure your overall performance. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.

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