Clinching Clients with the Know, Like, Trust Principle

What if the secret to building a successful practice is as easy as K-L-T?

It might seem like a no-brainer, but people need to know, like, and trust you if they’re going to choose you as their healthcare provider (HCP).

For most HCP’s, the focus is on providing the best patient care — not necessarily patient acquisition. The thing is, if you work in a field like aesthetics, people have choices about who to see. To narrow down their options, they’ll ask for referrals from friends, favor HCPs whose names they recognize from ads or interviews, DM practices on Instagram, and check Google to see the highest-reviewed places in their area.

The Internet has changed how we seek out medical care. Consider these simple stats:

• 3 out of 4 people have searched online to find out about an HCP before contacting them for an appointment.
• 71% of patients begin their search by reading online reviews.
• In 2021, over 44% of patients posted an online review of a healthcare provider, with 37% posting a negative review.
• The top three reasons for leaving a negative review were the quality of care delivered, the HCP’s demeanor, and issues with the front desk staff.

In other words, people get to know you and judge whether your practice is likable and trustworthy before they even set foot in your waiting room.

So you need to ask yourself: What’s my “KLT quotient” and how can I improve it?

Let’s dive in.

1. Give current customers something to talk about

Rather than spend thousands of dollars on a new campaign, start with who you know. Chances are, 80% of your business comes from the top 20% of your customers. Look at your numbers and you’ll see this “Pareto Principle” is pretty spot on. By focusing your attention on existing customers, you’ll get the biggest bang for your buck.

Here are some of the first things you want to think about when it comes to earning those all-important KLT points:

• Rebooking Rates — Do your patients come back or drop off after the first visit? Investing in an improved patient experience for check-in, check-out, or scheduling can make a huge KLT impact.
• Loyalty — Are returning patients coming in with new work done that you didn’t do? Get curious about why they went elsewhere.
• Referral Rate — The best sign of success is referrals. Around 72% of patients come in through word of mouth. Tracking referrals and thanking referrers with little surprises can go a long way.

There are plenty of ways to show your clients you appreciate them. HCPs can thank patients for referrals by giving them credits toward future services, motivate return visits by providing a complimentary service when bundled with other services, or host special events for its top customers.

You can also set up a loyalty plans or rewards program that allow patients to explore new treatments (i.e., subscriptions that cover one new treatment each month). Programs like these show you value each patient as a potential long-term customer and want to show gratitude by entrusting you with their care.

So, how do you actually earn your KLT points?

• Invest in digital solutions — 51% of patients favor digital scheduling, forms, payment, records, and communication.
• Encourage user-generated content — 85% of people find this more influential than other marketing, so encourage people to share those before-and-after photos!
• Ask happy patients to write online reviews and testimonials (74% of patients find these reviews very or extremely important).
• Respond to reviews that have fewer than 5 stars (69% of people will not consider an HCP with a rating lower than 4.0).

Use this information as inspiration for improving your existing relationships. When you have happy high-value clients, they’re eager to refer friends and family. That’s a big deal because the research shows:

• 83% of people trust recommendations from friends and family
• 92% of global consumers said they trust recommendations from friends and family more than any other marketing factor
• Word-of-mouth referrals are the primary factor behind 20–50% of all consumer decisions

Performing high-quality work and maintaining good relationships with clients goes a long way, and if you can combine it with being genuinely likable, then your KLT quotient will skyrocket.

2. Use your website to establish your brand identity

It’s no surprise that being likable, relatable, and warm during patient interactions goes a long way with patients. But you can also increase your KLT quotient (and boost your SEO!) by providing patients with a comprehensive website that lets them see you and your team at your best. HCP websites with good informational and personality-infused content will always win out over a bare-bones website.

Routinely check your web analytics to get an idea of whether your content is crushing it. Find out which pages have the highest bounce rates, which pages ended up leading to conversions, and which pages never get seen. Tools like crazyegg.com or Google Analytics can unlock powerful insights into the user experience for your site.

A patient needs easy access to an HCP’s work and what they care about, specialize in, or enjoy focusing on in their practice. While a neurosurgeon can’t really show off before-and-after photos, a dermatologist, cosmetic surgeon, or med spa practitioner will have albums full of proof that they do good work.

Think about the following KLT content when you’re building your web presence:

• Introductory videos to help clients get to know HCPs and their staff
• Bios with personal facts, such as hobbies and other interests, to humanize patient care
• Informational blogs to display your expertise in products and procedures your clients want to learn more about
• An FAQ section to address issues patients may be reluctant to ask about
• Before-and-after photos to show off your hard work

3. Develop your digital reputation

Ok, so now you’ve got a plan to: 1) strengthen trust in your existing and potential customer base, and 2) use your website to build out your reputation. Now it’s time to knock that KLT quotient out of the ballpark with some more specific relationship marketing tactics:

Create connections with personalized content and online forms

Too many practitioners try to draw attention to their practice with things like ALL CAPS DISCOUNTS. Instead, try personalizing the experience with targeted emails and texts that provide information that’s relevant to the current or prospective patient. Take that one step further and incorporate online forms or quizzes that make it clear to patients you care about their end-to-end experience.

The average open rate for emails in the healthcare sector is 21% (a “good” rate is about 17%, just for reference). One of the best things you can do without much work is changing your email subjects to feature the patient’s name so it feels more personal and authentic. We have great spam meters these days — being personal is a great way around that.

SMS messages are another way to keep in touch with clients. You can use opt-in SMS messages for a variety of (HIPAA compliant!) communications, including pre/post-care information and special offers. Companies such as SimpleTexting, PatientGain, Cadoo, and Textedly all cater to the healthcare sector.

Including a feedback form or quiz on your website is also a great way to engage the user and get a sense of how they’re feeling. By the time you follow up with them on the phone or in-person, your relationship with the patient is already established, and each of you are familiar with what the other person is looking for on the next visit.

Show and tell your expertise

Most patients seek out information before meeting an HCP, typically from the Internet, social media, or family and friends. That’s why having your own posts or videos online can start to build trust with future patients.

A webpage is also the perfect place to flaunt your accomplishments, including:

• Your training, credentials and awards
• Your experience with the desired procedure
• Client or colleague testimonials (with pictures!)
• Media mentions

Are you more rookie than rockstar right now? Give yourself a KLT boost by blogging about topics your patients care about to make the information they’re looking for more accessible. Very few people have the expertise nor access to read academic articles on medical procedures, and you can help bridge the gap.

So what’s your KLT quotient?

In the race to the top for practice profitability, the only lasting competitive advantage is your brand and the experience it creates for your customers. Implementing the KLT principle is a crucial piece of the puzzle for optimizing every customer touchpoint. At the end of the day, the time you spend marketing yourself and the solutions you can provide will give you the greatest return on investment.

Love talking practice innovation? Send us a message to join the conversation! We’d love to hear from you.

Cheers,
The Revance X Team