Gem #47

"Marketing and Promotion of Your In-office Dispensing Products - Part I"

Now that we have discussed the many benefits of in-office dispensing, how do you begin?  Many practices with very successful in-office dispensing programs employ a technique known as “passive marketing”.  Patients are never told that they have to purchase a product.  Instead a statement is made such as, “Mrs. Smith, you really need to use a skin moisturizer on your feet twice a day”.  Her response is usually, “Can you recommend one for me?”  With this response, your door of product opportunity flies wide open.  The idea is to have your patients exposed to various products in several ways throughout your office.  Some offices will have binders available for patients to look through.  These contain information on the doctors, the staff, the services offered, and a section on foot care products.  The section on products shows what is available, and outlines some of their common uses.  You can hang a sign in your waiting room as an added reinforcement stating, “We carry several products such as pads, arch supports, skin moisturizers, ankle supports and healing products in our office, as surveys have indicated that our patients appreciate the convenience of purchasing the products here.”  Many offices have had success with a small display including some of those products in the reception area.  Some companies offer Plexiglas cases, which allow products to be easily viewed. These cases provide good exposure and a professional appearance.  These can also be purchased at an inexpensive price if you choose, but try negotiating for this to be given free of charge based on high volume orders.  Patients often ask at the front desk which product they should use. Your staff should be trained in “non-selling.”  In our office, we do not push a product.  Instead, we will show a bottle of the moisturizer that we offer.  The patient is informed that similar products can be found in the pharmacy, but these are available for purchase in our office if they would like.

The top of your x-ray view box is a good area to put your most common products for patients to see.  They will often ask what they are used for, or remember that they have run out and need more when seeing the product.  With the advent of digital photography, it is easy to create a collage of your products and have them enlarged and nicely framed for each treatment room.  Patients’ curiosity as to the use of the products will lead to increased sales.  This also increases patient satisfaction through providing solutions to their problems.  Be sure to let your patients know that they can stop in at any time to purchase products.  On their follow-up visits, be sure to ask if they are using the products, whether they are using them as directed (once a day, twice a day, etc.), and if they have run out or are running low on the product and need to purchase more.  The key is the soft sell.  Convey to your patients that this is not the focus of their visits, but simply a component of the treatment plan.

Be sure to read FootZine next week for Part II of Marketing and Promotion of Your In-office Dispensing Products.  Until then live, love and laugh!