Marketing Your Medical Billing Business

SQUASHING THE MAGIC "LIST OF DOCTORS" AND FOCUSING ON THE BENEFITS OF SELLING BENEFITS

After many years in the business of Medical Billing Outsourcing, Education, Software Development and Support, I'm still surprised when I receive the, on-the-average, 1 - 2 emails per week asking if my medical billing course includes the magical "list of doctors" that other various "vendors" include.  While I really hate to run through your bubble garden with my pin, I'm going to get the issue of "the list" out of the way first by telling you, the magical list of physician's who are chomping at the bit to sign up for your medical billing services ----simply does not exist.

So now you ask, "Well, if there is no list, how am I going to obtain clients for my business?"  Let me start by answering your question with a question.  If you open a doughnut shop, do you expect to receive a list of doughnut eaters to solicit?  Well, perhaps you could drop off a flyer at your local police station!  The long and short fact of the matter is --- you will need to market your business. Marketing your business, regardless of the type of business, is a necessary and vital component.

If You Build It - They Will Come.
This may have been true in the movie "Field of Dreams" and while your business may be a result of your dreams and goals - your vision, business and marketing plans need to be based upon a field of reality. 

A few years ago I met a woman who, at first-glance, really seemed to have her act together.  She was

 beginning a medical billing business.  She seemed diligent in her research and making good choices for her business.  She began her phone call to me by introducing herself and telling me that she was sitting in her newly constructed home-office surrounded by all the necessary equipment...   phone, fax, copier, medical billing software, filing cabinets and all the little incidentals that is needed for such a business.  I was listening intently and was expecting her to inform me that she was pursuing a couple of interested prospects.  Instead, my jaw hit the floor when she asked, "Now, what do I do to get a client?"  My left hand is raised and my right hand is positioned squarely over my heart when I say - this is a true story!  Do you think that, perhaps, this should have been a concern in the planning stages of the business?  Yes!  Absolutely!  Without a doubt!  Yes!!

Planning the Marketing of a Medical Billing Business

Create a Vision

Prior to putting anything down on paper, you must ask yourself a couple of very basic questions:
1 - "What products/services will I provide?"
2 - "To whom will I be providing these products/services?"
3 - "Why are these products/services needed?"
4 -  "What benefits can my clients experience by utilizing my products/services?"

As the answers are coming to you - write them down.  If you don't know the answers, you better find them somewhere and they had better sound awesome and make a whole lot of sense to you if you expect them to sound good to your prospective clients.  These questions will need answers in order to plan your marketing strategy.

"Creating a vision" is always step 1 of the 7 basic steps for strategic business planning, but this article is about marketing your business so let's focus on "creating a vision" as it relates to the marketing of your business.

Let's assume that you are happy with your answers to the first 3 questions.  The answer to Question #4 - "What benefits can my clients experience by utilizing my products/services" should be the springboard for your marketing campaign!  When you have answered this question, you are ready to sell.  Why? 

Because  B-E-N-E-F-I-T-S    S-E-L-L!

MYTH:  Sell Yourself.       FACT:  Sell Benefits  

I don't sell myself because I am flawed.  Chances are good that you may have some flaws too.  And besides, if I could just sell myself, why would I need a business?  The fact is ---benefits are what sell.  I don't care if you have the top-of-the line software, the best phone system money can buy, your eyes twinkle and your teeth sparkle when you speak ----if you cannot exude benefits in your marketing approach, you will have a hard time selling your services.  We've all heard the line "Sell the sizzle, not the steak."

I have an assignment for you.  Millions upon millions of dollars are spent in television advertising campaigns.  Grab a notebook and a pen and go watch TV.  Seriously, spend a good half hour in front of your television set and just watch the commercials.  This might sound funny to you but I'll bet you come back to this article with the understanding that the millions of dollars poured into television advertising are geared toward selling benefits.  Why?  Because consumers buy benefits and not products.  They want to know, "What's in it for me?"

EXAMPLE COMMERCIAL: You see an attractive, nicely dressed female.  Her house is spotless.  Her children are well behaved.  She has time for herself and is planning a family vacation.  She sits comfortably in a chair looking through pamphlets of exotic locations to visit.  You find yourself wanting to be like her.  Not a worry in the world and planning a trip.  You're thinking that she really has it all together. And what has made this all possible?  She bought "Mop N Shine!"  She was able to clean her floors in half the time to a high polished shine. So now she can now focus on a vacation.

Benefits sell.

My Benefit-Selling Brochure That Doctor's Love

This idea is no longer unique because I have been telling people about it for years now.  After reading the book, "Selling Your Services," by Robert Blythe, I sat down and come up with an idea for a brochure for my medical billing business based upon the stereotype that all physician's golf.  On the front of the brochure was a picture of a happy golfer.  The caption below it read, "Let Me Improve Your Golf Score!"  As a medical billing business owner, how was I going to do that? 

Upon reading the contents of the brochure, my prospective client would learn that I would handle his billing and in doing so would cut down or eliminate the problems within his office, turnover, increase collections, provide him with peace of mind, allowing him to get away from the office earlier to hit the golf course and work on his golf skills.

Did I get clients from this brochure?  Yes, I did!  Oftentimes, the office staff didn't even look at the inside of the brochure before handing it to the physician.  I had several physicians who would be laughing as I answered the phone and I would know that they were holding my "Golf Brochure."  I even had a chiropractor call and tell me that he wanted to use my services just because he thought the brochure was brilliant.

Get creative and have fun with your marketing!  Definitely have a plan and sell the benefits of your services!

Bio:
Tammy Harlan is the CEO of www.medicalbillingcourse.com and provides one of the leading online home study medical billing certificate programs for home business or employment. You can contact her via her website or ph: (865) 286-9124.