Every business struggles at one time with getting new customers through their door, and doctor’s offices are no exception. However, marketing a doctor’s office presents unique challenges, as you can’t create demand where it doesn’t exist.

If your office is currently struggling to find ways to attract more patients, here are a few tips.

Train Your Team
Before your patients even get to meet you, the doctor, they will be speaking with nurses and receptionists. Because of this, your staff needs to be on top of their game. Your staff should not only know which services you offer, but they should also know how to answer questions about health insurance, what to expect during a procedure, and what new patients need to know after their first appointment. The more your staff knows, the more comfortable your patients will feel with you and your office as a whole. They’ll likely recommend you to their friends and family who are searching for a new practice.

Work with a Medical Answering Service
Have you ever sat on the phone with a business waiting for someone to answer, but after some time, you realize no one is going to? How frustrated were you? Imagine how your clients would feel if they were in the same position with your office.

Hiring a medical answering service will help your clients feel as if they always have someone to talk to, even if you’re busy. A 24 hour answering service is an excellent choice for a doctor’s office where patients often call in to cancel their appointments after hours. Many practice’s charge a cancellation fee if patients don’t cancel within 12 hours or so of their appointment, but limited office hours make this difficult for patients to adhere to. If something does come up when the office is closed, they can speak with the phone answering service to avoid the charge. The number one thing customers are looking for when they call contact centers is to have their problems resolved quickly. An answering service can help out with that.

Follow Up With Your Patients After Their Visit
As a courtesy, you should always follow up with your patients following their visit. Not only will that help you address any potential problems, but it will also give you a chance to show your patient how much you care about them. Even if you only reach out via email, they’ll appreciate that you did.

To run a successful business, you need new customers. The same goes for a doctor’s office. If you don’t have any new patients coming through the door, consider working with medical answering services, calling your patients post-visit, and training your team to create better patient experiences.