No Wait, That's 3 Ws

It seems every day we hear at least one thing from a practice that makes us giggle. We're calling prospective clients in a few key cities to verify their practice Web site address. The responses we're getting range from horrifying to silly. Our favorite today was, "Oh, wait, let me find that...it's written down here somewhere. Found it! Our web site address is ww.[practicename].com. No wait, that's 3 ws."

You probably had to be there to appreciate the humor.

What we're finding is startling. Fully 50% of the board certified plastic surgeons we are surveying in major metro markets do not yet have a site. And WORSE, the staff for more than half of the ones that do have a site don't know the address.

Give me a second to jump up on the soap box...get my balance and my bullhorn...

• Everyone on your staff who interacts with patients MUST know your Web site address, be able to spell it, and know what is on the site and why someone would want to go there
• The recall should be instant, no searching or hunting should be required to rattle it off
• The site should be OFFERED at the end of every casual interaction as a way to learn more about the practice, view before and after photos, subscribe to a newsletter...whatever your site does...as a way to extend your interaction with that patient, build your brand and reputation, and increase the value of the site to your practice

Stepping back...no wait...give me that bull horn back. We noticed while making the calls, when we are just asking for the Web address, even the practices who can provide it aren't asking if they can help us in any other way. Not one has said, "You really should go to the site to read about the doctor's experience and training and to see samples of our work...but while we're on the phone there must be some questions I can answer for you. I'm Ryan, what was your name?"

If ever there was a time to start a dialogue with a patient...it's when you are already talking to the patient! So, clearing my throat...

• If you have a prospect on the phone, introduce yourself, ask for the patient's name, and offer help. Better yet, ask if the caller would like to come in for a consultation!

Granted we're not real prospects, but the receptionists didn't know that. My advice for any plastic surgeon who is listening today, invest a bit more time and energy training your front office staff to make the most out of every interaction...that may mean making sure there is enough help in the front office to allow them to engage each caller, rather than just processing them!