Neil H. Baum, MD

In the third part of his series on urology practice marketing strategies, Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane University, discusses the result of successful prospecting and conversion as well as how to cultivate “raving fans” of a practice. After converting leads to patients, it is critical to create an exceptional customer experience. To do so, Dr. Baum emphasizes reducing “pain points” in a practice, such as patients completing duplicate demographic forms and excessive waiting prior to an appointment. He suggests calculating the total time a patient spends in the office versus the time spent with the doctor. Dr. Baum advises leaving one to two time slots open every day to account for inevitable delays. Another helpful tool is to provide each patient with a card for writing down three questions they want to be answered and responding to a brief feedback survey. This simple system allows the doctor to finish consultations on time and ensures patients receive the information they need, with the added benefit of conveying their customer experience. Dr. Baum then describes how increasing customer value translates into a stellar patient experience and ultimately into ambassadors for the practice.

In the second part of his series on urology practice marketing strategies, Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, presents three elements of lead capture and conversion. For example, after giving a talk to a lay audience, Dr. Baum suggests collecting the names and contact details of these potential patients. Once these marketing leads have been captured, it is critical to nurture them through consistent follow-up. The most effective way to manage this with potential patients is by using a customer relationship management (CRM) database. While offering tokens like pens or notepads is commonplace, Dr. Baum instead recommends sending materials that distinguish the urologist or practice from competitors, such as articles that have appeared in local or national media or were published in professional journals. Finally, urologists need a conversion strategy that demonstrates their expertise to potential patients. If a doctor is a leading robotic surgeon, treats erectile dysfunction without medication or surgery, or provides other specialized services, these should be emphasized in their follow-up communication.