Workbook

Defining Marketing Plan

Another term that needs clarification is "marketing plan."

This should not be seen as an intimidating task. It's nothing more than a formal documenting of the results of your marketing investigation, and a listing of your specific plans for educating your current and potential patients. All that is added are budgets, and realistic timelines.

In its simplest form; the marketing plan is a road map for you and your team. The destination, and the roads to travel, will be clearly marked out in advance, which makes the trip more efficient, makes you less apprehensive, and makes the journey more enjoyable for everyone involved.

One of the most difficult challenges I face while working with doctors is coaxing them to put their thoughts and strategies down on paper in a marketing plan.

To overcome this obstacle, I've developed The Concise Marketing Plan. It's designed to provide viable information fast, and in a usable format. It utilizes a series of worksheets that are based on traditional marketing principles. This compact worksheet system assists planners in focusing on refining descriptions and ideas to their simplest, most readable form. The intent is this: when the plan is completed, the doctor can provide each team member with a structured, yet simple method of accessing the key data related to the marketing of the practice. This includes information on objectives, strategies, tactics, budgets, and timelines. Most importantly, it gives a clear listing of what the team members' responsibilities are, and the part they play in building the business. An example of the Concise Marketing Plan can be found in the Explore Marketing page title "Writing a Concise Marketing Plan."

Getting Started

Now that we've clarified what we mean by marketing and a marketing plan, let's see how to implement them. You've all heard the aphorism, "Failing to plan is really planning to fail." Well, in the case of marketing your practice, it is particularly true.

I've been doing this long enough to understand why allocating time for planning is difficult, especially with the clinical intensity of your profession, and your daily focus on production. But I must emphasize that for your long-term success, time must be allotted for developing a realistic plan of action.

Defining Marketing

The S.W.O.T. Plan

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