Several years ago, I had an appointment with a dermatologist. No, I don’t remember why but thanks for asking. Anyway, I got an email from them yesterday. From a marketing perspective, the email got two things right and several things wrong.
See if you can tell what’s what.
The email subject line: “We’d Love to See You Again”
The body of the email:
“Hi there,
It’s been a little while since your last visit, and we just wanted to check in.
Whether you have a concern you’d like to discuss, or are interested in cosmetic treatments, we’re here for you.
Please schedule your appointment online, [website], request a callback here [link], or call us directly at [telephone].
Sincerely,
(Name of the clinic)
-—
That was the entire email.
What did they get right?
First, they contacted me. Many professionals don’t do that. You hire them once and never hear from them again. Bad for them since they get less repeat business or referrals. Bad for patients and clients who might need help but not get it.
So, kudos to them for contacting me.
The second good thing they did was to give me several options for contacting them. The easier it is for a patient or client to contact you, the more likely it is that they will.
A professional will get more business doing those two things. But they could get a lot more:
- It’s been years since I heard from them. Staying in touch with patients or clients means contacting them more often than once every several years. When you’re out of their mailbox, you’re out of their mind. Even if they don’t need your services immediately, they might need them soon and remember hearing from you, or know someone they could refer.
- They didn’t tell me who they were and it’s been a while. They mentioned the name of the clinic and I had to think about who they were, which I did for the purpose of writing this post. Most patients wouldn’t bother.
- They listed the generic-sounding name of the clinic instead of the name of the doctor. It would be easier to remember the name of the doctor. Make sure your name in all of your communications, not just the name of your firm.
- “We’d love to see you again” (subject line); “We just wanted to check in” (body). Sorry, Charlie, nobody cares what you want. What does the patient or client want or need? You can’t get the attention of a patient or client or prospect by talking about yourself and what you want; talk about them.
- They didn’t tell me why I should make an appointment. They leave it up to me to figure out if I might need or want to see them again. Their message should reference problems I might have or want to avoid. Tell your list what you can help them with and you’ll get more appointments. Leave it up to them and you’ll get fewer because clients don’t know what they need or even what they want.
- Why this clinic? Why should I see them (again) instead of any other doctor or clinic? Always tell clients and prospects why they should hire you or talk to you instead of any other doctor or lawyer. What do you do that’s different or better? What do you specialize in? What’s new I should know about but might not hear from other lawyers?
Finally, they should have made an offer. A free consultation, a discount, an invitation for a friend, or information–a report or checklist, a seminar or video or some other incentive will get more calls and appointments.
Some things to keep in mind the next time you contact clients and prospects, and I hope that’s soon.
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