branding and reputation

What’s Next? Managing Client Expectations

doors

Years ago, I worked with the staff at a large primary care practice teaching them some basic customer service-type skills to help them better manage their patients and, frankly, improve their own job satisfaction, too. Nurses, receptionists, the referral and billing groups – clinical and non-clinical staff attended. We made lists of patient complaints, then worked together to develop some simple and no-cost approaches they could use to reduce complaints. I then asked them to begin implementing some of those […]

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Maximizing Your Star Power!

stars

Today we’re looking at ratings and reviews (testimonials, or endorsements – all of them) and best practices for where to place them. This question popped up recently when I noticed an APHA member’s email signature included a request for 5-star ratings on her Google listing. I asked her how she had chosen that particular ratings location. There are so many places a client can rate an advocate or care manager! Google is one. But ratings are also found on Yelp,

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The Folly of a Free Consultation

samples of juice

In the past few days I’ve had occasion to check out more than one dozen websites created by advocates and care managers. Of those sites, all but two offered a “Free Consultation.” Say it ain’t so! Why? Because the great majority of these free consultation offers simply pave the road to failure. I know… most advocates and care managers who are new to business think that a “free sample” will convince people to work with them, sign a contract, send

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Aye, Aye, Aye – Don’t Begin with “I”!

fudge

One of the simplest and most important rules to effective marketing is one that is broken most frequently by advocates who don’t really understand a few marketing basics. Yet, it’s among the simplest to understand once it’s explained. Further, it’s quite easy to fix. Good, effective marketing is always about seeing the world through the eyes of our target audiences. What we tell them should be focused on THEM and THEIR needs, framed as the benefits to working with us.

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Do You Make These Simple, Very Unprofessional, Errors?

scream

There are simple spelling or usage errors that advocates make – frequently! – that scream “UNPROFESSIONAL!” Do you make them? I have seen them in emails, on discussion boards, even on brochures and websites! Granted – they are common errors, and it’s entirely possible that potential clients or their loved ones would not realize they are errors. But if this sort of “small” detail escapes you, and someone knows it, what does it say about your attention to detail? What

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