Tips to finish your practice's marketing plan

Once you've defined your practice's position (page 16 of the May issue) and developed a written identity statement (page 20 of the June issue), you're ready to build a marketing and communication strategy. Linda Wasche, president of LW Marketworks in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., recommends you start by reviewing all the ways you're currently conveying your practice's message. With your identity statement in hand, review your:

Linda Wasche

• practice name, logo, and taglines

• stationery items and letterhead

• client communication tools

• marketing materials

• interior and exterior signage

• facility—artwork, reception area, lobby, and exam rooms

• Web site

• on-hold and after-hours phone messages.

Do these items reflect the identity you've defined? Remember, every point of contact creates an impression. "I recently entered a practice for the first time," Wasche says, "and I asked if it was a cat clinic because of the large number of feline pictures on the walls." But in reality, she says, the practice saw more dogs. This is your chance to revise messages and visual elements that don't mesh with your desired identity.