Make Your Holiday Promotions Count

The song says, "It's the most wonderful time of the year..." But it's also a very stressful time of year for most people. Holiday parties, family gatherings, expectations, holiday spending, heavier traffic, winter weather, and flu season combine to take their toll on patients and staff alike.

How can you help your patients get the care they need without adding to the stress and chaos of the holiday season? Here's how.

Tip #1: Plan Ahead

The worst time to decide how to handle the holiday season is during the holiday season. Determine in advance your hours and marketing activities, and communicate them clearly to your patients. Some practices use the holiday season as a time to take vacation themselves, and that's certainly an option, especially if your patient volume is down.

Some offices take advantage of the fact that other offices are limiting their hours. Increasing your hours or marketing efforts while your colleagues are decreasing theirs can help your marketing dollars spread further. In addition, expanding your hours during the holiday season can make it easier for your patients to fit appointments into their busy schedules.

Tip #2: Don't Be Afraid to Ask

Simply asking your patients how you can best help them during the holiday season may provide surprising results. One harried mother suggested having a Santa (or other holiday-appropriate entertainment) available so her kids could get their pictures taken and get an adjustment. It saved her a trip to the mall and the long lines that were sure to await.

Tip #3: Ramp Up the Reminders

During hectic times of the year, it's understandable that people will forget schedules, appointments, requests and so on. If your office doesn't typically provide reminder calls or texts, consider doing so during the holiday season. And if your office accepts insurance, reminding patients to use their benefits before the end of the year can be helpful.

Tip #4: Host Holiday Events

Many providers are hesitant to host events during the holiday season because they're afraid no one will show up. However, if you organize the right activities (ones that resonate), people will make the effort to attend. Charitable events and events that save people time are two types that can generate a decent turnout.

Help remind your patients to be grateful for all they have by hosting a charitable event. What causes are near and dear to your heart or to the heart of your community?

Is there a local family recently touched by tragedy that the community could rally around? Can your office adopt a family (or families) through a local church or shelter? Combining a food drive with a referral event can easily grow your practice.

Be a drop-off location for Toys for Tots; sponsor a Habitat for Humanity site; or create an Angel Tree. There's no end to the ways you can combine a charitable event with an office promotion. Be creative and discover what works best for your practice and your area.

Tip #5: Two Birds, One Stone

Find ways to help your patients do their holiday shopping while they're in your office. Gift certificates and discounts on retail products are a good place to start.

If you're ready to get a little more involved, create an annual holiday event whereby you invite other local businesses into your office to showcase their products.

The first year you do this event, it takes a little work, but after you've done it once, it almost runs itself in the future. Here are some quick tips to get you started:

• Partner with other local businesses that make sense for your practice and demographics. For example, if you have a pediatric practice, a local insurance agent specializing in assisted-living-facility insurance wouldn't be a good fit.
• Determine your theme in advance and select local businesses on the basis of that theme. For example, if your theme is self-care / pampering during the holiday season, consider massage therapists, acupuncturists, naturopaths, homeopaths, doulas, energy workers, or vendors selling essential oils, candles, etc. Around the holiday season, make sure to have a variety of vendors who have products that can be purchased as gifts.
• Have a free gift-wrapping station for purchases made during the event.
• Develop a memorable name and branded image for your event.
• Ask each vendor to commit to being there the entire time and to providing a door prize worth a predetermined dollar amount.
• You – and all the other vendors – should invite people to attend. This way, everyone has exposure to potential new customers.
• Determine your offer, and make sure it's compliant with professional rules and regulations.
• Create a "floor plan" to give attendees that has each vendor clearly marked. Consider having vendors sign off as people visit their station. When their floor plan has every station initialed, it can be turned in as an entry for a grand prize. This ensures every station will have traffic.
• Ask a local health-food store or restaurant to provide healthy refreshments.
• Clearly communicate expectations and responsibilities to vendors. Follow-up after the event with thank-you notes.
• Provide large name tags for each vendor and attendee. Color-code them so people know at a glance who's a vendor and might be able to help them with any questions.
• Promote networking between vendors.
• Give each attendee a goody bag at registration that includes the floor plan plus business cards / literature / promotional items provided by the vendors.
• Have each attendee register for the event with name, address, email address and phone number. After the event, provide a copy of the list to each vendor.
• For more impact, combine this event with a charitable fundraiser!
• Have fun!

The holiday season can be a slow, stressful time of year for an office without a plan. Be proactive with your approach to the season: Plan ahead, ask your patients how you can help, send reminders, and plan appropriate marketing events to help your practice thrive during the holidays.