For most patients their first contact with any practitioners’ office will be through a phone call.  It is very important to remind staff members to keep the smile in their voice when dealing with patients on the phone. This is especially true of new patients. They want to feel that they are being invited to use the services offered and have a pleasant experience while using the services in the office.

One way to make sure that this is being carried out is to call the office at random times from an undisclosed phone number. Listen to the tone and cadence of the person who answers the phone. Evaluate how they answered the phone.  Another is to ask a friend to call and pretend to be a patient looking for an appointment time or inquiring about services. Give them a few criteria to evaluate the office person’s phone etiquette. If there are problems work with staff members to improve these issues.

Next take a good look at your front office or waiting area. Is it open and inviting? Is there comfortable seating and material for patients to read while waiting to be seen? A relaxed environment will help a patient feel more comfortable and at home with the acupuncture office in general. The more comfortable a patient feels, the better the chances are they will return for further treatment in the future.

In order to have a successful practice, a acupuncturists must have a steady influx of regular and new patients coming into their practice. There are several marketing strategies that can be utilized in order to make this a reality for any practitioner. Here are some strategies that are proved to be working.

First, give new patients the personal touch. Send them a hand written thank you card for using your services. Have someone from your staff call them to inquire as to how they feel after their treatment. This makes the patients feel special in your eyes, shows that you care about their health, and want them to feel better. This goes a long way toward keeping patients on your table.

Second, in a struggling economy some patients may have issues with paying out of pocket for CAM treatments. Since most acupuncture treatments are ongoing or long term, it might be wise to offer your patients a discount on a set number of treatments or on a monthly basis for payment up-front. This is a win-win situation for you and the patient. You receive money up-front and are assured of bookings by that patient. The patient will definitely use the service if they have paid for it.

Give satisfied patients cards or coupons to give to their friends or loved ones. This with their world of mouth referral will go a long way in bringing in new patients, thus improving your patient numbers. Word of mouth advertising is still the best way to sell anything today so do not hesitate to use it as a marketing strategy. You can also ask satisfied patients to give you a testimonial to use in a newsletter or quarterly email newsletter.