No One Meant To Lie To You - BUT - Simply being good does NOT guarantee success
Faulty logic may keep you stuck as the "best kept secret" in town.
Healthcare practitioners often fall victim to the widely-held, but mistaken belief that being a good doctor is sufficient to attract new patients and assure success. In reality, this non sequitur often leads to failure, and the frustration of feeling like a "best kept secret." The reality is that a professional approach to marketing can enhance your reputation and your bottom line.
Chances are, early in your training someone told you: "All you have to do is be a good provider and everything will take care of itself."
Implied Translations:
- You never need to worry about getting enough patients if you're simply good
at what you do. - THEREFORE, if you aren't busy enough, there must be something wrong with you.
- AND OF COURSE, doctors who market themselves must be really "bad," or at
least needy, greedy, cheesy, sleazy or desperate.
Faulty Logic:
No one meant to lie when they told you these myths, but that doesn't make them true. (What's worse, they've been repeated over and over again until they now feel believable...certainly attractive, and maybe even comfortable.)
In reality, the premise and extrapolated assumptions are all non sequiturs—fatal logic flaws where the conclusions do not follow from the premise.
Stop and think about it. Exceptions to these "rules" are everywhere, including most probably, colleagues you know.
For our part, we've worked with many thousands of doctors over the years, and we can absolutely tell you that many of the best, most respected and credentialed doctors want and need more patients. It's like the "pretty girl in high school" — everyone just assumes they are busy.
So, being good (even great) does not assure that success will follow.
There is only a marginal correlation in the real world between quality and being busy. Consider this: a lot of great doctors have open appointment books, and a lot of average doctors are booked solid for months.
Sure, there are good doctors who brag they "never have to market," but there are also a lot of great doctors quietly hoping that "someday" everyone will recognize their outstanding skills and talent. Meanwhile—and probably forever—they call themselves the "best kept secret in town."
Where are you on this scale?
Does this strike a cord with you on some level? Frankly, being the "best kept secret" would drive me CRAZY.
Silly me. I would vastly prefer to be BOTH respected AND successful.
What's more, many doctors whom their peers perceive to be "average" are "cleaning-up" as a result of marketing. (And they couldn't be happier that most of their colleagues remain out of the marketplace.)
So if you are genuinely tired of being the best kept secret, do something about it. If the idea of marketing gives you heartburn, at least do proper due diligence. Learn what is involved. Study and plan before committing.
One great way to do this is to attend our 2-day marketing immersion. If you were to go, you would finally understand how marketing can enhance both your reputation and your bottom line.
If you consider yourself to be the best kept secret, you are in a multi-year habit of falling to excuses. The biggest non sequitur is a serious roadblock to your success.
Keep in mind that you aren't deciding to market yet...you are only investigating the possibility. Of course you don't have to come to us. There are lots of resources out there. But just make sure you do SOMETHING. Even picking up the phone will be hard, but at least it's toll-free, and there's no obligation. We're gentle.
