How to Fill Your Schedule & Build a Thriving Practice Using Simple, But Effective Marketing Strategies

 

 … without wasting money on ads or endlessly posting to social media

If you’re tired of the feast-or-famine cycle, the inconsistent revenue …

If you struggle to attract enough patients to earn a good living …

Or, if you're afraid, you may have to close your practice and go back to working a job…

… this message is for you! 

 

Starting a practice is one thing, but growing it is another … because building a successful practice takes more than clinical skills.

It takes business skills, including marketing.

And that’s where some NP business owners run into trouble.  

 

Beliefs That Hold NPs Back

Shared beliefs and common misconceptions about marketing stop NPs from actively marketing their practices …

 

Marketing equals selling … 

For many, marketing is synonymous with selling.

When they hear the word marketing, they think of the stereotypical used-car salesman … loud, obnoxious, and pushy.

Nobody wants to be that guy!

But selling and marketing are not the same.

Marketing is telling people about your business … It’s an ongoing activity aimed at creating awareness and demand.

Compared to it, selling is directly working with customers to make a sale. 

Granted, there is some overlap, but fundamentally, the two are different activities.

 

Subliminal Messaging …

Female NPs face another obstacle.

Years of subliminal messaging have taught women to focus on serving over promoting themselves.

This alone creates an internal conflict, making it hard to talk about yourself or promote your practice …

… and it may be holding you back.

 

The Myth …

It’s easy to buy into: "Build it, and they will come."

But it’s not what happens in real life. Starting a practice takes more than hanging out your shingle. 

People find your practice  ... because someone, you or a satisfied customer, told them about it.

It’s marketing that brings customers to your practice!


Too Complicated and Expensive …

It’s true, marketing can get complicated and expensive.

There are too many platforms, channels, and options to accomplish the same thing essentially… get your message in front of customers.

But it doesn’t have to be complicated or cost you an arm and a leg… no matter what the “experts” say.

Others may opt for complicated strategies, but you can choose to keep it simple.

While NPs agree that marketing is critical, they get overwhelmed and confused by all the choices and options.

As a result, they lack clear goals, plans, or strategies for marketing their practice.

So they try different marketing activities, switching from one to another, without ever seeing any noticeable results.

Eventually, they get discouraged and stop marketing! 

~~~~~~~~~~

But there’s another challenge NPs must overcome …

 

Practice Owners Don't Like to Market!


Most struggle with the idea …

Marketing is an afterthought, done sporadically, if it happens at all.

In the past, medical marketing was viewed as unnecessary and in bad taste.

Today, however, healthcare marketing is accepted, and the medical landscape is more competitive than ever. 

And that’s why you must market your practice!

Plenty of NPs own thriving practices despite not marketing as much as they should. And not every practice will fail without marketing, but many will struggle to stay competitive.

Marketing is a long game and shouldn’t stop, even if the practice is successful. Change and attrition are a fact of life for every practice.

Ongoing marketing increases stability and generates steady revenue. 

Now, for the record, let me say this …

Marketing does not guarantee your practice will be a success.

However, it certainly will tip the odds in your favor to help you build a successful practice. 

 

Knowing Doesn’t Equal Doing


Practice owners know they should actively market their practice. However, often they engage in marketing only when appointments drop, and they need to see more patients… ASAP.

Because knowing you should do something is not the same as knowing what to do.

With so many strategies, tactics, and choices, it can be difficult to know how to move forward.

Overwhelmed and confused, you wonder where to start or what to do first.

Should you …

  • Start with offline, online marketing, or both?
  • What about newspaper ads? Don’t laugh, they’re still around.
  • Should you go with Facebook or Google ads?
  • How about advertising on billboards?
  • Is a neighborhood mailing a good idea?
  • What about speaking to service organizations?
  • Do networking groups still work?
  • Hand out business cards and flyers?
  • What about writing articles and getting listed in online directories?
  • Post to social media … how often, and which platform?

It’s good to have choices, but having too many leads to confusion and indecision.

But regardless of the distaste for marketing, the confusion and overwhelm, here’s the truth.

 

Marketing is Essential ...

It’s a key business activity …

It’s non-negotiable …

If you want to build a successful, thriving practice, you must let people know about your business and tell them how you can help. 

And here’s why …

  • People move
  • They change insurance, or lose insurance
  • People die; referrals dry up
  • New providers move into the community
  • Healthcare is getting more competitive

Regardless of why people move on or who you’re competing against, you can keep your schedule full and build a thriving practice by applying simple yet effective marketing strategies.

Marketing is twice as important if your practice is:

  • new, you’re just starting out
  • struggling to gain traction
  • facing increasing competition

That’s when finding ways to market your practice effectively is a must for you!

 

 

 

 

KISS

 

The KISS (keep it simple, silly) principle goes back to World War II, challenging engineers to design jet aircraft that could be repaired under combat conditions by average mechanics using only basic tools.

The principle emphasizes keeping things as simple as possible; avoiding unnecessary complexity even leads to better outcomes.

So … keep it simple!

It worked for the military, and it will work for your marketing!

Pick one or two marketing activities that resonate with you. Understand how they work and use them… consistently!

That’s it!

Don’t think you have to do everything, regardless of what others do …

Applying simple but effective marketing strategies is the focus of my program “Marketing Basics: Simple Steps to Grow Your Practice.”

Once enrolled, you’ll learn simple but effective strategies that are easy to implement.

It’s for Nurse Practitioners who want to improve their marketing by simplifying it. It’s for NPs who want to build a thriving practice.

Where to Go from Here?

 

If you’re actively marketing your practice, great.

You're on the right track, keep doing what works! 

But if you do one-off marketing, or worse, no marketing at all, it's time to rethink your approach.

Why not consider taking a different route?

As long as you own your practice, or any other business for that matter, you’ll do some form of marketing…

So why not learn the basics, understand what moves the needle, and what’s essential for success?

Who knows what kind of practice you could build with simple, but effective and consistent marketing?

You’ll never know unless you get started  ...

 

You've Reached A Fork in the Road

And you have a choice to make …

Will you keep doing what you’ve always done …  

  • PRN marketing
  • Switching from one strategy to another
  • No marketing at all

Or …

Learn the basics of marketing and build simple but effective strategies that get results and grow your practice.

Either way, time is ticking away …

And every week that goes by is one you could have spent building marketing systems that grow your business now and in the future.

The choice is yours …

 

If you’re ready to build your practice with simple but effective marketing, you’re in the right place. We are here to help …

But first, let me introduce myself. 

 

 
Hi,

I'm Barbara C. Phillips, APRN, GNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, and I’m a Nurse Practitioner like you.

I've spent over 30 years in the trenches. And for the past 20 years, I’ve also been teaching NPs how to start and run a practice, covering all aspects of business.

Here is what some NPs have said about working with me.

“I wanted to share I heard Barbara C. Phillips speak at an NPACE conference in Clear Water, FL. I will never forget what she said. Job security is not job security. Create a pathway in business, put NPs name out there, and write up news articles so people know what and who are NPs. Michigan is a restrictive state but I am bound and determine to make a name for me and other NPs.
Thanks, Barbara C. Phillips for being an inspiration.  

Patricia Wells, NP
Michigan

“It’s been over four years since I attended your course in Nashville about how to start a practice and here I am with two practices that are growing every day. So first and foremost, THANK YOU! 

Warm Regards,
Genny Sanders, APRN”
Kentucky

 

As a Nurse Practitioner, I believe it’s essential that NPs understand the “Business of Healthcare.” It helps us advocate for our patients, ourselves, and our businesses.

Healthcare is no longer what it used to be. It’s a complex and highly competitive industry today, and as practice owners, we benefit from understanding how it works.

 

How Can We Help?

Through providing educational programs and business information to the Nurse Practitioner Community.

Our program, “Marketing Basics: Simple Steps to Grow Your Practice,” teaches low-cost, simple, yet effective marketing strategies and principles that are easy to implement.

It’s for Nurse Practitioners who want to get started with, or improve, their marketing to build a thriving, successful practice.  

What's Inside?

Here is what you'll find inside “Marketing Basics: Simple Steps to Grow Your Practice.”

We organized the course into bite-sized videos that are quick and easy to consume.

In addition to the videos, we included a workbook, audio recordings, and their transcripts (in case you prefer to read).

Here is an overview of what's included and what you will learn inside the course.

 

Let's Talk Modules

The breakdown
MODULE 1

Introduction & Overview

A brief welcome to the course and NPBO™.

  • We’ll go through an overview of what’s included in the course.
  • We’ll introduce you to the platform, so you know how to move around, get from A to B, and find what you are looking for.
  • Lastly, we’ll talk about how you can get in touch in case you have questions or need more help, so you’ll know how to always to get a hold of us.  
MODULE 2

What is Marketing?

Marketing is a universal requirement … all businesses, small and large, must (should) engage in marketing.

  • What most don’t understand about marketing and why it's important.
  • Build it, and they will come, right or wrong? 
  • Dangerous marketing myths that are flat-out wrong! Are you aware of them?
MODULE 3

Marketing Assessment

Knowing where you are now is your first step. What are you trying to accomplish with your marketing? Consider these questions:

  • What are the goals for your practice? Dig deep; you may be surprised what you find.
  • How are you marketing your practice now?
  • How effective is your marketing? Do you track your numbers?
MODULE 4

The Ideal Patient

Do you know who your patients are?  And who is your ideal patient? How to identify your ideal patient? Why is it important?

  • What is the ideal patient concept (it’s not what you think)?
  • There is no ideal patient in primary care… right or  wrong?
  • Why a one-size-fits-all marketing message may not be enough.
MODULE 5

Benefits, it's about Benefits

Are you clear about your clinic’s products and services and their benefits? Perhaps you have clarity but do your patients have it too?

  • What are the deeper benefits you provide to your patients?
  • Why would someone come to see you over the clinic down the street?
  • How do you communicate deeper benefits to patients?
MODULE 6

The Marketing Message

Marketing is all about the message. Is your message clear, or do you leave room for interpretation? How specific are you in your messaging? If you talk to everyone, you talk to no one…  

  • Understand how to create a clear and compelling marketing message
  • Not all messages are right for all people; true or false?
  • The benefits of fine-tuning your marketing message.
MODULE 7

General Marketing Principles

The attention span of a Goldfish? Anyone in business must deal with declining attention spans. We’re bombarded with marketing messages daily. How do you get through to people so they will hear you?

  • How to use the principle of multiple touches …
  • Don’t be afraid to tap into the power of asking for it …
  • Why you must tell them what to do next (they will thank you) …
MODULE 8

Ways to market your practice, part 1

There is no shortage of marketing channels; we’ve never had so many choices. 

  • Mobile, online, local ... and what it means for your practice.
  • Your website. Do you have the essentials covered?
  • How to tap into the Google Business Profile. It's free and easy!
  • And much more ...

 

MODULE 9

Ways to Market Your Practice, Part 2

We’ll continue our discussion of marketing channels:

  • The power of video and why you should use it
  • Social media in your marketing … the dark side of social
  • When and why to consider other marketing channels
MODULE 10

The Marketing Plan

It pays to have a plan, even a basic one ...

  • Include the what, why, who, and when ...
  • Outline the where and the how ...
  • Why tracking results is a must.
  • Discover what works and what doesn't.
 Now you know what‘s inside “Marketing Basics: Simple Steps to Grow Your Practice.”


You’ll learn everything you need to know to market your Nurse Practitioner practice so you can choose what’s right for you and ignore the rest.

 

     Join us inside "Marketing Basics: Simple Steps to Grow Your Practice.”

What's the Investment?


The investment in the course is a one-time fee of $297.

Once you've completed your purchase you get immediate access to everything included with the course.

The course has been designed to quickly let you choose what works best in your practice and bypass the rest.

Finally start marketing your practice or improve the marketing you're already doing!

 

Start simplifying your marketing today

 

Now, let me take a moment to talk about who this course is for and who it is not ...

The Course is Not for You ….


If you’re looking for a program …

  • that covers every possible strategy in the marketing universe
  • praises the benefits of one-off marketing tactics
  • that wants you to throw your hard-earned cash at Facebook and Google ads (it takes time and skill to dial in ads, that’s why we don’t cover ads in the course!)
  • that skips over marketing fundamentals
  • or if you’re in search of the holy grail of marketing…

If that describes you, please close this page and keep looking for another solution to your marketing troubles.

However this Course Is for You IF …

  • you want to understand marketing
  • you want to know why some things work and others don’t so you can improve your marketing
  • you want to understand the fundamentals, the principles, and how to implement them (over and over again) to get results with your marketing
  • you don’t mind rolling up your sleeves to implement simple steps and repeat them with consistency

 

Because marketing, like anything else, is based on principles that must be understood before applying advanced strategies that you may not need.

Keep it simple, be consistent, and you will see results.

 

If “Marketing Basics: Simple Steps to Grow Your Practice” is for you, I invite you to click the button below and join us inside the course.

 

Yes, I'm in

Still Got Questions?

 

PS: L earn the simple steps to market your practice and never worry about going back to working for someone else.

Join us inside the course now!