Whether you have been a successful entrepreneur and running your own practice for some time, or you are just getting started, there is never a bad time to continue building your patient base. Loyal patients that have been with your practice for months or years are what keep your business afloat. It’s always a good time to gain new patients to grow your business.

Some patients come and go… but how do you keep them coming back? Here is a practical list of things you can do to keep your patient base continually growing.

5 Star Service

Go the extra mile for each and every patient. You can do this by giving them samples to take home, being attentive, educating them in a simplified way that they can understand, and getting to know them personally. Patients will remember every appointment, so make every appointment memorable. This is your time to shine and your time to show them that you are the best practitioner for them. When you give above and beyond service to each of your patients, they will tell friends and family members about you. Word of mouth is the cheapest and strongest form of advertisement.

Keep Up With the Latest Trends

Medicine and technology are constantly evolving. Some practitioners like to keep it simple and stick to what they know best. With the ‘keeping up with the latest trends’ approach, you do not need to be trying out the latest medicine or newest gadget on the market, but rather, stay in the know of what is going on in your field of practice. For example, if you’re working in a large medical office and have been wanting to go off on your own for some time, you can now easily do that with medical co-working spaces like Viva MedSuites. Co-working spaces are a new low-risk way to have your own medical practice in a way that is affordable and flexible while you make the transition.

Follow Up

Checking in on your patient after an appointment is not only a nice gesture, but it can be a great time for the patient to ask questions they may have forgotten about during the appointment. Being available to your patients shows that you are passionate about your patients. A simple 5-minute telephone call or quick email will make a lasting impression on your patients.

Advertising

When you have a business, advertising is inevitable. Referrals from current patients can be free, but it does not happen every day. It is time to go beyond word of mouth advertising. Here are a few ways to boost your advertising efforts.

  • Business cards are a quick tool to handout or leave in a front office space.

  • Send out promotional letters via mail or email.

  • Hire a professional marketing agency or freelancer.

  • Join your local Chamber of Commerce to network and get your business known in the community.

  • Get your business on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and/or Instagram.

Being a part of a medical co-working space facility, like Viva MedSuites, can help you project a more professional image in your advertising; as well as help you network with other independent medical practitioners sharing the space to develop mutually beneficial patient referrals.

Incorporating one or more of these approaches into your business plan can boost your patient base. Try one approach at a time and see which one is best for your practice.