Hopefully in my last post about marketing your pharmacy I was able to get your juices flowing and help you overcome that initial struggle of where to start to develop your marketing program. If you haven’t read that post, here it is, Marketing My Pharmacy – Where Do I Start.

Now that we know what a patient is worth and we have a framework for tackling a no-cost marketing option, referrals, we can move into some of the low-cost, easy to implement marketing opportunities.

We are going to stay focused on the things you can do inside and around your store. You have patients who come into the store every day, go through your drive-thru, and call the store with questions or need assistance. What can we do to enhance these valuable encounters to create an opportunity to serve them even better?

You have patients transfer into your store every week. Hopefully through the referral process you now have in place, the number of transfers in is increasing. When a new patient first transfers to your store or comes in to get their first prescription, what is the experience like? If you’re like most independent’s you greet them with a friendly smile, actively listen to what they are saying about the most recent doctor’s visit, learn about the other medications they are taking (if any), promptly fill their prescription, and explain the necessary details about their medications. If they have been going to a chain pharmacy, this experience was likely something they had never experienced, just like it was for me when I first went to an independent.

But what if they are coming from another independent? Whether they transfer from a local independent pharmacy or just moved to the area, those patients have come to expect the experience I described above as the baseline, as the minimum. They expect you to know their name, to greet them kindly, to ask (learn) about their family, to be a resource for them in improving their health and wellbeing. How do you take your service to the next level?

Wait, I thought this was about marketing?

It is. To steal a concept from one of the best marketing minds of our generation Seth Godin, you need to be remarkable. “Something remarkable is worth talking about.” If you prefer, we could lean into Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles and ask, “How do we create Raving Fans?”

Here are some ideas and a structure that you can use in your store to create a remarkable first impression.

It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but it does need to be valuable for the patient. We’ve listed a number of options below. Pick four to put in a bag to hand out.

1. Coupon
2. Greeting cards, if you sell them.
3. Swag such as key chain, fridge magnet, something to give their kids or grandkids, pen, etc.
4. Free OTC sample (a two-pack of Advil, small package of band-aids, small tube of antibiotic ointment, children’s gummy vitamins, etc.)
5. Is there a product line your patients really like? Is there a sample or coupon you can offer them to try it?
6. Postcard with QR code to connect with you on social media.
7. Brochure of a value-add service offering, such as, flu shots, test kits you offer, open enrollment review, etc.
8. ___________________________________________ (add your own idea here)

If you don’t have most of the items above, take just a couple that you do have and put them in their bag. We’re creating a new experience for your patients, one that makes them feel special, so it is important to take a few seconds to share with them what you are giving them. For example,

It’s all about giving. Exceed their expectations and opportunities to serve more patients will present themselves. If they recognize this excellent service, take the time to ask if they have someone specific in mind who would appreciate such excellent care and service.

Note: Let’s be honest, not everyone is outgoing and enjoys these interactions with your patients. It is important to recognize who on your team does enjoy it and who doesn’t. Task those who are more extroverted to create these engagements. The experience will be better for the patient when it is with someone who wants to do it.

Take the next opportunity to wow your new patients with a follow-up call and email. Don’t make it terribly detailed or too much of a burden.

Schedule your calls for a time when you can get to them, like Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday afternoon. A simple, “Hi, this is _______ from _________ Pharmacy. I am calling to check in and see how you are doing with the prescription you picked up a few days ago.”

Obviously, you have these conversations all the time with your patients, so you know what to do based on where the conversation leads. Once you have handled the questions that they have, this is an opportunity to offer something more, “If you’re on Facebook, connecting with us is a great way for you to know when we get the flu vaccine and find the best time to get your flu shot this season.”

If you collected their email address when they came on board during their visit, follow-up with an email. Here is a starting point:

If you haven’t collected their email, a snail mail thank you card works too.

The key to a successful follow-up is the leave the patient feeling like you care, and you want to offer them even more. It’s about giving remarkable service.

You have taken the time to create a welcome package and you are doing a great job providing excellent care and service of your new patients. Make sure you celebrate it!

Just like we talked about in the referral process, create a way that your team can see the value they are delivering and the engagement it is creating. Examples are highlighting the experiences during your team huddles or creating a scoreboard so you can see how many welcome kits you have given out and how many follow-ups you have done. Ask your team to tell the stories of patient’s responses. “We had two new patients yesterday, who served them, and can you please share their reaction to their experience and the welcome items?”

They won’t all go perfectly, and if we give the team the chance to tell the stories there will be more positive than negative. When we have an encounter that doesn’t go as expected we recognize it as an outlier, and we can jump in to support the team to ensure that they know it isn’t a reflection on them.

Creating a visible and measurable process allows you and your team to see and feel the impact you are making on your patients and your community.

To review,

You have clarity of the value of a patient to your business so you now know what the impact will be of investing in marketing your pharmacy. By investing in marketing and growing the number of patients you serve and the services you offer, you create the sustainable healthcare destination your community needs.

We are starting with things you can do inside and around the store. First is a referral process and second is a new patient experience, one no-cost and one low-cost option.

Just like other programs you implement in your business, this is not something to try for a week. It takes time. If you have steady traffic coming into your store, these two items will take you a few months to create, get your team up to speed, and form the new behaviors to transform your business.

Next post will be for those who may not have the traffic to leverage these strategies.