There is a cure if you follow a strict treatment plan for feeling better.
A doctor called not long ago and told us he desperately needed our help.
That's not unusual, but he said he couldn't even wait to go to one of our monthly strategic marketing planning meetings; he wanted us to work with him at his office-and he wanted us NOW!
We spoke to him briefly, but before he even had time to share the details that led him to call us with this "urgent" need (his word), his nurse interrupted him with another "urgent" issue and he had to hang up. He called again the next day...and again was interrupted and had to cut the conversation short.
Finally, we received an email giving us a specific time to reach him, when he said he would await our call. We called and...guess what? He was too busy to take the call.
Sound familiar?
This physician was suffering from a malady increasingly found in healthcare practices all around the country. He was suffering from "hecticus extremis." In lay terms, he was too busy to be successful!
From almost daily reports, we conclude that this virus is rapidly reaching epidemic proportions in healthcare practices and organizations around the U.S.
Could you be suffering from "hecticus extremis" and not even know it? Here's how to tell:
We're happy to pass along encouraging indicators that "hecticus extremis" can be cured, if diagnosed in time and if a strict treatment regimen is followed.
1. Make time to work on the business—not just in it.
No excuses. If you can't or won't make this a priority, you relinquish all rights to complain about your situation.
2. Leverage your time to better advantage.
3. Develop a strong action plan for all of the above.
Two of the three time-leveraging action steps in item #2 above can be accomplished by implementing a well-conceived and executed marketing plan for your business. A good marketing plan should be tactical as well as strategic and specifically shaped to serve your goals.
4. Support yourself with an efficient patient acquisition and retention marketing system.
A plan defines what you need to do. A system gives you the infrastructure of ongoing support that keeps your most effective activities well organized and consistently performing at a higher level. If you build your marketing system correctly the first time, it will deliver more success with less sweat for years to come. A successful marketing system creates more freedom, more time, and more equity in your business.
"Hecticus extremis" rarely resolves itself and usually gets progressively worse over time. If you suspect or know that you suffer from this insidious affliction, don't procrastinate. Seek help immediately.
One final word of advice: Find a place to hide before you place this call so that none of your employees can find you and interrupt you. You'll be glad you did and you'll feel much better.
Marketing a healthcare organization can be challenging - even painful if you don't approach it with the right knowledge, tools, and guidance. By reading about mistakes and lessons others have learned the hard way, you can boost your marketing effectiveness and take a shortcut to success. Discover how to avoid these "Seven Deadly Sins". Plus, join over 30,000 of your fellow healthcare providers with a free subscription to our Insight Newsletter.