Be purposeful about the image you project.

Plastic surgeons know, perhaps better than anyone, that image matters. People care about their own looks, and they care about the appearance of what they buy. Appearance counts not only to your patients but for your practice as well. (Just ask companies like Apple or Nike).

Change is difficult to many people. Making the jump to a new doctor or the decision to have a plastic surgery procedure can be stressful. One way to help prospective patients to feel more confident is by projecting a purposeful image, also known as a brand. A brand helps consumers to know exactly what they’ll get for the time and money they spend. Take Starbucks coffee for example. When you purchase a cup of coffee from Starbucks, do you know precisely what you can expect? Of course you do, because the Starbucks brand cares about their appearance – they add personalization, great graphics, and a well thought out experience to every cup of coffee. You see, a good brand adds trust, an emotional connection, and increases confidence in knowing what you’ll get.

Wishing you a week full of profitable work, joy, and laughter,
Candace Crowe
President, Creative Director

Candace Crowe Design
Educating Patients. Marketing You.

www.CandaceCrowe.com
Copyright © 2010 | Candace Crowe Design | All Rights Reserved

After the year we’ve all just lived through, it’s understandable that consumers are scared and tired and distrustful of just about everyone, from the media and politicians to banks and insurance companies.

Trust… what an interesting, elusive intangible. What causes patients to trust you? How do you inspire trust in people you have never even met? Why should they trust you when they might perceive your efforts to market your services as just another clever way of trying to separate them from the money they feel compelled to hold on to right now?

In business, trust is built in much the same way as it is in our personal lives. It is built on relationships, and good relationships are built over time through effective communication. How are you communicating these days with your patients and prospects? Is it often and consistent? Consumers are busy and bombarded by information, so you’ll have to be polite and creative to get through. Is it patient-focused and genuinely caring? Is it motivated by fear or is it inspired by hope? Consumers are savvy and usually see right through.

There are so many great opportunities to build trust by just being sincere in your desire to consistently offer what you promise. No one in business right now can afford to not deliver what their marketing messages promise. Make certain everyone in your practice is encouraged to uphold your practice’s high standards at every touch point— on phone calls, in email correspondence and certainly in person at the consultation through procedure to follow-up appointments.

Maybe one of the best way to build trust right now for all of us is a little laughter. Sound cliche? Maybe, but it’s hard to be skeptical when someone makes you laugh.

Wishing you a week full of profitable work, joy, and laughter.

Candace Crowe
President, Creative Director

Candace Crowe Design
Educating Patients. Marketing You.

www.CandaceCrowe.com

© 2009 Candace Crowe Design

Yesterday I drove past a recently cleared commercial lot and saw a neat row of cement blocks outlining a foundation but could not find a site sign to identify what the building was going to be when completed. An office complex? A homeless shelter? A Starbuck’s? I was left to ponder, but the builder surely knew what kind of structure those blocks were destined to be the foundation for. Before he even began, he had to know exactly what he was building, how it was to be used, how it would fit in with the buildings around it, as well as how much it would cost to construct.

Building a brand for your practice is not unlike constructing a building. You first have to understand exactly what it is that you’re building and for what purpose? How will you market your brand to your existing patients and future prospects? You’ll want to know how your brand will be different from your competitors, and of course, you’ll need to know how much all of this is going to cost.

After ensuring that your practice has a solid foundation by providing the highest quality services available, the next step in creating your brand should be the professional creation of a logo and tagline. This mark will uniquely identify your practice in all of the visual impressions you create with current and prospective patients. It should be used consistently, responsibly and often. Multiple impressions lead to long-term remembrance.

Like a strong building, your logo should be durable. It will be photocopied, faxed, stitched on t-shirts or hats, reduced, enlarged, printed in b&w, color and abused in various ways. It should be designed to last a long time — nothing too trendy.  And, finally, like your services, it should be of the highest quality design available. Expect to pay for quality.  Remember, everything in your practice reflects on your brand.

Kindly,

Candace Crowe
President, Creative Director

Candace Crowe Design
Educating Patients. Marketing You.

www.CandaceCrowe.com

© 2009 Candace Crowe Design

“Some people say motivation doesn’t stick. Well neither does a shower – that’s why we advise you to take one everyday.”

Sometimes someone sends you a message that you’ve just gotta share. Here’s one sent to me from Paul, one of my ballroom dancing friends, that made my morning great! I hope you enjoy it. Life is so much sweeter with a heart of gratitude.
You gotta LOVE ZIG… Zig says… “Some people say motivation doesn’t stick. Well neither does a shower-that’s why we advise you to take one everyday.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRMogDrHnMQ

Zig Ziglar teaches people all over the world the fundamentals of  success. Here he tells a story of a woman with a negative attitude who hated her job, shifted her attitude and changed her life.

Wishing you a grateful day!

Candace

CANDACE CROWE DESIGN
www.CandaceCrowe.com
Educating Patients. Marketing You.