I'm just wondering if anyone would have any advice as to what is the best way to market to doctors etc to create a relationship for referrals. I am wary of sending out a mass mailings as the info may not get past the front desk or may get buried in junk mail.

 Thanks

Trish

I  used to work in the medical field and in our office, new practitioners would appeal to our physicians by setting up meetings in the office, talking about their practice and then offering a free session to the physician.  They got face to face time with the doctors as well  as meeting the support staff, and they got to make the important personal connection. 

Whatever approach you choose to reach out to the doctors in your community, it is important that you know about their specific practice and what they do so that you can speak to them about what it is that you can do specifically for their patients.  If you know about they kinds of clients they work with, then you can speak directly to them about how you would work with the client using example of what types of movemnts you would incorporate and how you would progress them as they get stronger.  It is important that you be able to speak their language, don't use pilates' exercise names, but use terms such as flexion, rotation, extension, abduction, etc.  Once you have the physician in your studio you could use the opportunity to work with them on their own issues and aslo illustrate what you would do with other injuries. 

Although they may not expect you to speak in specific medical jargon, in order to be confident in you, you will need to be knowledgeable about the anatomy and some of the more common dysfunctions.  Showing your ability to use pilates as a complimentary modality will boost not only your integrity, but also the integrity of pilates as a useful tool in a patient/clients recovery. 

Thank you Jeanette,

 This is very helpful and I had not considered offering a session to a physician etc. Thank you for your great advice.

 Trish

Great question! Networking with doctors and other licensed professionals was one way I effectively built a successful business. Other licensed professionals, such as physical therapists and massage therapists, are a resource for referrals too, even more so than doctors. E-mail blasts just don't cut the snuff because they are not relationship-building and that's the key. Think about how many e-mail blasts you delete, it's just a numbers game. It's good you have realized the folly of it. Now you have to do some ground work and plant the seeds for growth. Here are some things that worked for me in the past, call it your 'professional tool kit' if you will. It should include hard items but also action items:

How will you benefit them?

Write a short, decisive resume showing why you are a good candidate for the respective doctors' or licensed professionals' patient referrals. How will you assist them with their patients? Hone in on your experience or the benefits of what you do and how it assists in healing, and, if you can, adjust it to their particular branch of medicine.

Referrals from your clients

Turn the tables; get referrals from your clients - all of whom have interns, gynecologists, massage therapists and physical therapists, etc. which is the first place to start. Most doctors will at least look at your materials, listen to a phone message or read an e-mail if its from one of their patients- especially if that patient has a good referral about you. Ask your client to introduce your services to their doctors and give them material to pass along to them. You can follow-up afterwards but make sure the presentation is professional!

 Offer services

Now that you have their attention, offer them a complimentary private lesson to build respect and a relationship. Offer group classes or a combination of services provided at a discount. Get creative here. Nothing speaks better than experience. In Pilates, we say "teach to the body, not the brain" and this concept will work wonders for doctors and getting referrals!

Visit their offices

If you have a client who is under PT care, visit the office and see what they do. Permission will need to be granted of course, but most therapists will welcome your interest to visit. They are limited to what they can do because of insurance regulations, but if you can further their work in your practice they will send you unlimited referrals. Once you build a few of these relationships then the two of you can speak freely and openly about your clients/patients. Get the doctors name that the therapists work with and write a letter to them. Introduce yourself and explain how you are working with the therapists that they recommend. Be cautious, though - you don't want to step on the therapists' toes so let them know what you're doing and keep it professional.

Hold open houses

Once you have contacted numerous licensed professionals and have their attention, hold an open house and invite them to see what you do and the equipment that you use. This can be arranged a number of ways and has been proven successful for me in the past. They key was to develop the relationship and my worth to them first so they would even come to an open house.

I hope this helps get you thinking in the right direction about what you can do in your community. Once you get established and build your reputation, you will find that doctors and licensed professionals will seek you out. Your reputation will precede and that's the way you want it! And remember, no e-mail blasts needed!