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Now is the time to plan ahead for possible slower times in your practice.

As you well know, many practices will slow down during the winter months while expenses stay relatively constant, affecting your profitability. What can you do to build up your practice during these slower months? How about planning for a targeted marketing campaign? I would suggest that you develop a targeted marketing program for senior wellness during the months of October and November and a dental targeted marketing campaign for the months of either January and February or February and March.

For senior wellness targeted marketing, identify all your patients over the age of six or seven—those who you’ve seen during the past twelve months—and offer them a senior wellness package of services. This might include a comprehensive physical exam, CBC, chemistry panel with a thyroid, UA and ocular pressure. You can decide on what services to include in the package but is should be a screening package. We have learned that if you try to do too much, such as x-rays and EKGs, you will not get the response you might desire. Once you determine your package of services, the next step is to include some type of incentive for your clients to take advantage it. This might be a free pet grooming, complimentary day of boarding, or a senior wellness gift.

There are four essential elements in a targeted marketing program:
1. Identify your target group
2. Educate your target group
3. Provide a package of services to that group to meet the need you have educated them about
4. Provide them with an incentive to take advantage of what you are offering them

The hard part is the incentive; we do not want to give discounts, although that might be the most effective incentive we can use. Each practice must decide what is best for them and they will provide an incentive for their targeted marketing campaign but, if you do not provide an incentive, you will have a minimal response to your mailing.

The dental targeted marketing campaign works in a very similar fashion. The target group would be those dogs and cats that have come in during the past twelve months but, in this case, they are over three or four years of age and have not had a dental cleaning performed. We would then detail in a letter the importance of preventative dental care and enclose a brochure. The incentive might be a free home care kit or a bag of food.

You should expect to receive a 30-40% response to your targeted marketing campaign. It will certainly help to build up the business during your slower time periods and help to maintain income within the practice. Even more important, the targeted marketing campaign will provide excellent preventive medicine to your patients as well. Now is the time to plan for this very important activity within your practice.

Mark Opperman, CVPM
President - VMC, Inc.

Let us hear from you - tell us what you'd like to see in future issues. You can contact us at vmc@vmc-inc.com