How to Attract New Patients: Think like a Marketer … not a Naturopathic Doctor!

One of the biggest challenges Naturopathic Doctors have is attracting new patients, but you already know that!

The real question is why is it so hard for NDs to attract quality patients  to their practice?

The answer is surprisingly simple … you are thinking like a Doctor, not a marketer!

As an ND you have been trained for years on finding the root cause of a problem and fixing it. We hear it all the time, focus on the cause not the symptom, right? That’s what makes you a great ND.

The challenge is that same thinking is why your marketing is not working! Marketing is exactly the opposite. Great Naturopathic Doctors focus on the causes of the symptom, great Marketers focus on the Symptom.

When you are marketing … you need to focus on the symptom! 

Patients are looking for a safe, natural way to ease their pain,  overcome their discomfort, or achieve a healthier lifestyle.  Yet NDs keep talking about the science of the body.

For example, let’s say a potential patient is suffering from frequent headaches, so they go to Google to look for an ND that can help…

Here are four different outtakes from four different ND websites randomly chosen when I Googled “Natural relief from headaches”:

• ND Website 1: “…it may be essential to change your diet and understand  your food sensitivities,  … Compromised detoxification pathways may also…” 
• ND Website 2: “…tension headache may result from imbalances in certain brain chemicals such as serotonin …”
• ND Website 3: “…Abnormalities of the hypothalamus may explain the timing and cyclical nature of cluster headache. Studies have detected increased activity …”
• ND Website 4: “…Vasoactive amines which are substances that cause vasoconstriction (tightening of blood vessels), are thought to precipitate migraines in susceptible individuals…”

I’m sure all of those medial explanations are completely valid and true … but they don’t make me want to come and see you! While many people may be fascinated by your information, (and it is good for SEO) most don’t want to spend time reading all of your amazing knowledge on the subject … I want someone to help me stop the headaches. You are thinking like a Doctor!

Here’s what a Marketer might say:

Frequent Headaches Interrupting Your Lifestyle?

Schedule a Headache Relief Consultation where we will:

• Identify which type of headaches you are suffering from
• Discover the cause of your headaches
• Develop your custom treatment plan to help you get back to enjoying your life without headaches … naturally.

“After meeting with Doctor G I learned how I was causing my own headaches! I used to get severe headaches weekly that would make me shut down physically and emotionally … now I’ve been virtually headache free for 3 months … thank you Dr. G.”

Susie K. Full Time Mom –  San Francisco

Call (555) 987-6543 to book your Headache Relief appointment

While this may be a very simplified version of the message, do you see the difference?

The Marketer is focusing on the patients problem, how it is impacting their lifestyle, then making a big promise,  backing it up with a testimonial from another patient who has experienced great results and motivating them to take an action.

They are not trying to educate them to all the possible causes of their headache and trying to educate them to treat themselves.

The solution for the patient is the consultation with you … not the “Compromised detoxification pathways” or the “brain chemicals such as serotonin” or the “Abnormalities of the hypothalam” or the “substances that cause vasoconstriction” … those may very well be the issues you end up dealing with or treating after you have the consultation to eliminate the cause, but all the patient needs to know is, they need to come and see you!

When you start thinking like a marketer and not a doctor … you will start to attract more new patient inquiries!

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See you on the inside…