Direct Response Marketing Secrets
For PT’s – Click here to watch the video.

Pull up a chair…

And let me tell you a quick story:

…So not long ago I was speaking at a big Marketing Seminar in “St.Louis”.

It’a beautiful city with an impressive Arch and I stayed in the fabulous “Union Station Hotel” which has an awesome light show going on inside the main Lobby each night starting at 7pm.

But that’s not what I wanted to tell you about…

[Press play on the video ^ to watch the webinar]

No, I want to let you know all about another PT I met there whose name is “Chad”.

A PT who REALLY impressed me with his marketing ideas.

Anyhow…

At the bar one night, we got to talking about “all of the different ways that PT’s could (and should!) be using to bring more patients into their clinics”…

Mainly, direct response type stuff to attract direct access patients!

It turns out that “Chad”, (of “Madden PT” over in Harrisburg, PA) is the founder of a company called “Breakthrough PT Marketing” – meaning, like me, he also helps other PT’s in the USA to grow more successful practices.

He is an AWESOME guy (and very clever, too) and recently, he invited me to talk to HIS list of clinic owners about how I grew my own practice using direct response marketing,

– AND –

Share some secrets of what I’m doing to help other owners overcome their biggest business challenges.

Owners from all across the USA paid to attend – and the “webinar replay” is here for you to watch:

– Just press play here now >>>

Here’s just a taste of what you’ll discover on the webinar:

* The secret website strategy that generates new patients 24/7, on autopilot.

* Why attacking CHIROPRACTORS in your marketing is healthy for profits.

* The SUPER secret to boosting your average patient visit – you need to get good at just this one thing that anyone can learn!

* How to use patient testimonials to get get more referrals.

* My big tip if you’re sending out “every door direct mailers”.

* The single best way to test past patient reactivation offers, for FREE!..

* How to create your first “lead generation” advert and what to offer.

* How I built a $1m dollar clinic, selling against a completely free health care system!

* The one thing I read that changed the way I think (and my practices profits!), literally over night

* And so much more revealed in under 60 minutes!…

If you want to know all of that, and more, best hop over to this video replay now:

– Just press play here now >>>

Cheerio for now 😉

Paul Gough

P.S I’m the one with the “tropical” British accent.

P.P.S Watch the webinar… and within 3 minutes you’ll also learn the single fastest way to boost referrals from your website, (often in under 20 seconds flat!)

Here is the link to the replay to watch it:

– Just press play here now >>>

So yesterday I did three “Strategy Calls” and one was with a pt clinic owner from Cambridge, Boston. 
 
A guy currently surviving ONLY on referrals from doctors who refer post op knee replacement patients to his clinic. 
 
We’ve chatted on Skype now a couple of times about what is the best way for him and his business to move forward so that he can begin to generate his own referrals
 
– AND – 
 
take advantage of direct access and stop wasting time on chasing doctors proving “harder than ever to reach than ever”.
 
(His exact words!) 
 
But here’s the thing: 
 
My “system” – and what I said I could do to help, he didn’t feel was right for him – at this moment. 
 
See, he KNOWS it’s what he needs…
 
And he knows it’s going to be what he HAS to do (eventually)…
 
But, it just doesn’t feel right at this moment for him to invest in my system for finding new patients.
 
…Even though it’s working in different counties and states in the USA at this VERY moment and even though my “ads” are generating phone calls from new patients who had they not seen the ads I write, would NEVER have even considered visiting a pt.   
 
BUT anyway…
 
He now has a very clear understanding of what MUST be done to get more patients in his business that means he isn’t going to be relying upon just 3-4 doctors. 
 
I left him with some tips for his website – something which I sensed is frustrating him more and more as NO referrals come from that either…
 
Even warned him of the pitfalls of advertising “in-clinic seminars” without having an “offer” to move the people who attend from “pupil”, to paying patient. 
 
So what I’m trying to say to you is this:
 
If you’re at all interested in learning about the options you’ve got for getting more new patients into your clinic (via direct access), then why don’t we have a conversation about it? 
 
It might be that what I can do IS right for you and your clinic. 
 
But if it’s NOT, I’ll do my best to help you decide what is – and tell you where to look to get it.
 
Would that be worth the 30 seconds of your time it will take to fill this form out:
 
www.ptprofitacademy.com/strategy >>
 
Claim a strategy call with me by filling out this form here:
 
www.ptprofitacademy.com/strategy >>

Paul Gough 
 
P.S Was talking with a client of mine from CA yesterday…
 
…and as we’re preparing a new marketing piece set to run in the newspapers soon, we spoke all about the different types of problems that his patients with back pain face…
 
And they’re NOT things like: sciatica, SI Joint stiffness or muscle tension or anything medical like that. 
 
It’s much more important than that…
 
Things like: being unable to play golf, surf, sit in their beach chair, run, go to the Pilates studio, or play at the swing park with their children, is WHAT the REAL problems are.  
 
Only when back pain stops any of these things do people think they even have a problem – despite the pain they’re suffering having been there for weeks or months! 
 
Do you know what your prospective new patients REAL problems are? 
 
If you don’t, it’s very difficult to attract them to your clinic.
 
We’ll talk about this some more on a strategy call. 
 
Apply here:
 
www.ptprofitacademy.com/strategy >>

If you came looking for Marketing Ideas to boost self-referral at your small town or independent Physical Therapy Clinic, then you’ll find this article helpful.

It’s Physical Therapy Marketing Ideas for beginners who just don’t know where to start, or are somewhat overwhelmed by the constant message they keep hearing that they must better learn to “market your services”.
So I’ll start by introducing you to something I call the “Marketing Triangle”.

It’s something which forms the foundation of all good marketing activity in EVERY industry – and that most definitely includes the physical therapy sector.

It’s made up of THREE components and they’re all as important as each other:

1. Market
2. Message
3. Media 

And the first I’ll teach you about is the Market.

Marketing Triangle Part 1 – How To Identify Your Ideal Patient

This is your “WHO” you want to attract to your pt clinic.

(Because you don’t just want to try and attract everyone and anyone, right?)

Now…

I often refer to the WHO as an “AVATAR” – and it’s essentially WHO your IDEAL client or patient is.

Someone you love to work with.

Get great results for.

Someone whose hopes, dreams and goals are perfectly aligned with your pt skills and clinics specialist solutions.

Thing is, NOT many pt’s really know WHO their ideal patient is (so it’s almost impossible for them to have ANY success at marketing their services to them).

Sure…

PT’s will always be able to tell me that they see more people with back or neck pain etc…

…but rarely are they are able to describe to me their IDEAL patient in any more detail than that.

What I mean?

Well, let me tell you about my own “avatar” to help you understand:

“It’s” a lady – and she’s in her mid 50’s (or 60’s).

For a whole bunch of reasons, but in a nut shell…

…simply because my clinics service is focused on helping people maintain independence, mobility and living free from drugs and without the risk of surgery – all of the things that many women value most (MUCH more so than men).

And another reason…

Women are “pre-conditioned” to invest in their body and health.

They’ve been going to hairdressers, beauty salons, spend a heap of money on face creams and care greatly about how their nails look – enough to spend money on it – so I want to tap into that pre-conditioned behaviour pattern rather than try to create one with guys who don’t regularly spend time or money on their health until it’s an urgent or pressing need.

Now back to my “avatar” (Ideal client)…

She is married with children (and now likely to have grandchildren who she adores), is politically “conservative”, pays using Credit card rather than cash and is MORE interested in things like maintaing “self worth”, social independence, mobility and playing with those grandchildren in the park – than she is merely ending “back pain”.

(An end to back or knee pain (or whatever) is hardly EVER the reason a patient will come visit your clinic!)

I even got it down to which newspaper and magazines she likes to read, what TV shows and which radio station she is more likely to be listening too.

What’s more…

I spend so much time thinking about her and talking about her with my star, I felt I had to give her a name – so I did, and it’s “Mary”!

And whenever I’m preparing a marketing piece to attract more “Mary’s” to my clinic, I go so far as to look at a picture of a “best” patient of mine (also called Mary) – one who accurately represents the type of person I love to work with and want to see more of in my clinic.

Consequently…

When I sit down to write these marketing pieces, say for a newspaper advert or write words to attract a patient from Yelp.com etc, I have a clear understanding of what to write that will motivate many more people like “Mary”, to respond to my message.

And that “Message” (another part of the “Marketing Triangle”) has nothing to do with “me”, my services, how reputable I think I am, or how many years I’ve been in business.

I make NO attempt to be “all-inclusive” or to cast the net wide to catch as many “fish” as possible – like most of the marketing guru’s will tell you to do.

Nor do I even give a minutes thought to who I might repel, even offend (usually chiropractors or drug companies!) when I do so, either.

In fact, the more I mention those two in my ads in a negative way, the more calls to my clinic I seem to get from “Mary’s”!

I know my prime target (the “WHO”) – and I design my “Messages” and choose my “Media” accordingly.

And if you want to attract more self-referrals to your clinic, you’ll need to give some tough to YOUR Who, too.

Start “brainstorming” your favourite clients, think through what they have in common, what words they use to describe their pain, what their hopes and goals are. You’ll soon see a lot of commonalities in there and when you know them you’ll have a clear picture of who you want to MARKET your services to.

So now let’s talk about the MESSAGE.

Marketing Triangle Part 2 – The Message

Click Here to Subscribe to Paul’s Marketing Tips Email List >>>

If you’re looking to grow the number of referrals from Direct Access, but it’s not quite happening for you yet, then one of the things that is getting in your way is the number of people telling you to:

“Market your service”…

I first heard it from a practice management “guru” I watched at a seminar in New Jersey and I’ve continued to hear it ever more from companies “advising” PT’s on how to Market their clinics.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it. Just, “market what you do”. As in, run an advert in the paper, or send out a postcard to people in your town, buy some likes on Facebook (and now pay more to “boost your post”), set up a page on Yelp and just make people more aware or YOU and what YOU do.

And if you do, they will call… And yes, I get the idea behind it and even the theory. I just don’t don’t agree with it. Because it doesn’t work well enough! …

Even less so if you’re an independent or a small town clinic battling against the big hospitals or the POTS. Why? Simple. People don’t care about you. Heck, most don’t even know that what you do is what they need – so they won’t even call your clinic when the offer is an offer of a completely free session.

So if you’re running adverts like this, it’s the MESSAGE that is going wrong and limiting how many people self-refer.

What to do about it?

Well, instead of the “Message” in your Ad being about “you” (and your clinic), why not switch is to saying something about the problems you know how to solve?

Say, or better yet, “offer”, (like bait), something that can help someone solve a problem or pain in their life and at least let them know there is a solution out there and tell them exactly how and where to get it – i.e. by calling your clinic.

Think of it this way:

To the person who is sat at home on his or her couch and starting to get frustrated with gradual and ever increasing intensity of their back pain (or knee pain etc)…

…who really doesn’t want to have to go through the hassle of contacting their network and doesn’t even want to contemplate having to sift between all of the PT’s on Yelp.com or popping up on Google, and choose between the self labelled “best in town”…

…is he or she more likely to be motivated to call YOUR clinic, if they see an advert with a Message which offers something like a “free tips report” on the best ways to end back pain? Or one who offers a free telephone consultation with a PT BEFORE going any further and signing the forms – just to help them make sure they’ve made the right decision? Probably.

So your “MESSAGE” – it’s not about you or even PT, it has to be something that is compelling enough to spark a response. Preferably, one which is going to solve their particular problem, in the easiest and fastest possible way – that THEY See it. (Which, at this stage, is NOT attending for 10 session of pt treatment).

Here’s where it gets profitable:

When they do call your clinic (to request the free “DIY tips report”), THEN you or your reception staff can begin a conversation which talks about their real pain points i,e, the thing that concerns them most about their back pain – such as loosing their ability to work, walk, or play time with grandchildren.

And when you know that… THEN you can begin to educate the person about how what you do, as in your PT skills, really is the best option to solve that specific problem. And you do that while on the phone and you’ve got all the time you need – not in Ad which which costs $100’s dollars per inch to place!

Most clinic owners get poor results from their advertising and marketing because they give no compelling reason to respond. (Free sessions and “call now” aren’t enough…) …they offer no “bait” like a free report to self help, or they put out the wrong bait for the right people they want to attract.

If you’re not giving people compelling reasons to respond in your advertising messages, then you’re doing something called brand advertising – which is what the corporate hospitals love to waste money on – and I urge you NOT to copy cat.

Your marketing Message should be “direct response” style. It should have a deadline, a reason to respond TODAY, and even include some “scarcity” too. (No body wants to miss out).

Marketing Triangle Part Three – Where To Place Your Advertising (Media)

So now you know about the “message”, and your “market”. Next, let’s chat about “Media”…

Because you need to know precisely which MEDIA you’re going to use to locate your WHO. Or, in reverse, you’ve got to know which media your “WHO” is tapped into – so that you can serve them highly specific messages to trigger response to your clinic. Remember…

…the goal of why we’re using *direct response marketing* is to get your prospective patients – with, say, back pain – to take action BEFORE they ordinarily would have (had they not seen your Ad) and most definitely before they call their insurance or a chiropractor.

Sounds a little “cerebral”, right? Well, it kinda’ is! But it’s fun. And hugely profitable. And means for less worrying about getting referrals from doctors and more time thinking about achieving the main goals of your having your clinic in the first place.

So, “Media” is  where you choose to run your ads and the list is long – often so long that it can feel overwhelming and stop you in your tracks before you’ve even got going. The Media includes but is not limited too:

* Facebook

* Google

* Newspapers

* Magazines

* Yelp

* Coupons

* TV

* Radio

* Etc, Etc…

The question is, which is best?

And the answer. “There isn’t one”.

It varies a lot by “WHO” YOU want to reach. An example: If you’re trying to reach a 65 year old gentlemen who loves to play golf and take cruises with his wife (because that’s “WHO” you have decided you want to work with), then is he likely to be looking on Google? Perhaps.

But maybe you’d have more chance of finding more gentlemen aged 65 with back pain, by running an ad in a golf magazine, appearing on a website for a cruise company or sending out a postcard to a list of highly targeted individuals who fit this description – and offering them a free “tips” report titled:

“Golfers – How To Swing Without Back Pain Even In Your 60’s”

And of course…

One of the “tips” that is going to be included in that report is YOUR PT service. And the first goal of running the advert is to get the Gentlemen’s contact details when he calls to get his free report – so that you can have a nice chat with him to find out precisely what his problems are, what he wants and needs and politely make him aware that physical therapy is something that will help him, get there faster.

Remember, the process that I’ve just described there, that’s called “direct response” advertising. And my advice is that whatever Media you’re going to choose – it must allow for you to deliver a “direct response” message – or skip it. With that said, your goal as captain of your ship should be to use as many different MEDIA as possible to seek out your preferred “WHO”. Most clinic owners become very lazy at this…

…choosing to be dependent on only physician referrals which could be stopped at any time…

Or on only one, two or three means of getting new patients, leaving them very vulnerable to sudden disruptions in business and never really feeling as though they can move from, say, seeing 30 patients per week, to seeing something like 100 (and employing others to do the work for them) – not to mention the threat from competition opening up in the market place.

Click Here to Subscribe to Paul’s Marketing Tips Email List >>>

Hope this helps.

Paul Gough

Author, Clinic Owner, Founder at PTProfitAcademy.com

P.S If you want more marketing tips like this to boost self-referrals from direct access at your pt clinic, please click the link below:

Click Here to Subscribe to Paul’s Marketing Tips Email List >>>

Let’s talk about the third component of your PT Clinic Growth System:

The Cash Value System.

I should really call it the MAXIMUM Cash Value System because it’s a method of extracting the absolute maximum value for the money you invested at the very beginning to find these new patients in the first place.

Remember the golden rule of direct response marketing:

“$1 in, $2.00.

Ideally, $1.00 in. $10.00 out.”

So let’s talk about how to get $10.00 of this new machine you’ve created.

(A “machine” is a nice way to think of it).

Let me take you back to my diagram…

It’s gotten a bit “fancier” since the day I mapped it out on a scrap piece of paper on the plane home from Chicago that day.

(Same rules apply though).

Here it is for you to look at.

(Click the image to see it bigger)

We’re now over on the right hand side having passed through the ATTRACTION SYSTEM & The BUYER SYSTEM.

So, how do we Maximise Cash Value?

Simple.

Find as many different ways as possible to re-sell to that same patient and turn a profit, over and over again.

i.e. introduce a new service or product such as massage or a monthly subscription Pilates class.

– OR-

Have a system in place to get your existing leads and patients to give you referrals.

I like both.

But lets talk about *referrals*.

Because people who have been referred are much easier to work with, happy to pay your prices and are nearly always going to follow through on the treatment plan you suggest.

And all you have to do to get more of them is build a referral process it into your system…

One way is to do it when people come to your website and “opt in” for a free report or ebook, OR, simply have your buyer (follow up) system do it for you.

Here’s an example of how I do it:

I email a link to a webpage which tells my patients what to do if they know anyone who is currently unhealthy.

Here it is:

(Click the image to make it bigger)

How it works…

First, note that I don’t ask for a referral.

I simply ask them to request some information from me.

(The exchange takes place – info for contact details).

And when they do that (by opting into my system), guess where they end up?

That’s right…

Into the same BUYER SYSTEM (as their friend or family member) and they will begin to receive the same offer of my book, emails, postcards and direct mail for however long it takes them to realise that physical therapy is their best option.

Now here’s the fun part:

Let’s say I spent $500 for some kind of advertising which brought in four new patients spending an average of $900 each.

You have spent $500 to make $3600, pretty good return on investment, right?

($1 in, about $7 out).

Well, what if immediately after those 4 new clients had their initial consultation with you – an automated system asked each one if they knew anyone “unhealthy?”

Let’s be pessimistic and say just two of them sent this web page to a friend who had back pain – he or she entered your system – and not long after became a client.

That would be an extra $1800 in revenue that you otherwise wouldn’t have got.

So now instead of generating the $3,600, the original investment in marketing would have generated $5,400.

That’s 50% more money for zero additional effort.

(It’s now $1 in, nearly $11 out).

But it doesn’t end there.

Because you’ve built a system to automatically do it for you, the two new referrals would also be asked for referrals.

If the stats remained the same, you’d get a further 1 patient and another $900, making a $6,300 return.

(It’s now $1 in, nearly $13 out).

In other words, having a simple automated referral system in place to maximise the referrals you get can DOUBLE your new patient in take and sales… on autopilot.

Now…

You won’t need me to tell you that the pt industry is getting more and more competitive by the day.

Do NOT try to figure this out for yourself.

You don’t have to understand how electricity works to turn lights on.

You don’t have to understand how web pages are programmed to be able to surf the internet.

You don’t have to understand how to build a system like this in your business for you to start profiting from it.

Let me and my team build it for you.

If you want to be the stand out physical therapy business in your town – perhaps even the USA – one with the type of business you’ve always dreamed about and making the income you deserve, SYSTEMS are the fastest way to do it.

Just imagine…

No more worrying over having no marketing skills or getting referrals from doctors.

In a few months time from now, you could wake up every day to a flood of hot new enquiries, eager, keen and ready to say yes to an examination or consultation at your clinic – meaning you’re much closer to achieving more free time, real wealth or financial security.

Your clinics car park is full everyday, your new patient numbers are through the roof and your bank account is full of cash, but most importantly, your business is working hard for you, rather than YOU working (excessively) hard for it.

I know that not every pt in the United States is ready for this…

But if you think you are, then go ahead, fill out this form here now:

Let Me Talk To Paul About Getting My Own Clinic Growth System >>>

And we’ll get on the phone or Skype and see how this type of system could radically increase profit for your clinic.

Here’s the form again:

Let Me Talk To Paul About Getting My Own Clinic Growth System >>>

I’ll see you on Skype.

Paul Gough.

P.S For obvious reasons…

My systems are “Area Exclusive”.

Meaning, if I’ve already agreed to work with one of your competitors, then I’m not able to do this for you.

With that in mind, please be quick to fill out the form and indicate that you want to talk to me before another pt in your area does:

– Let Me Talk To Paul About Getting My Own Clinic Growth System >>>

===

Note to physical therapist looking for marketing ideas…

Sign up to Pauls email list and get Marketing ideas and strategies for your pt clinic sent to you by email:

Click Here to Subscribe to Paul’s Marketing Tips Email List >>>