Do I target an “A” List?
May 1, 2006
Author: Amy Shulman
Most physicians go into the transition process with a preconceived notion of the patients who are going to join and the ones who are not. They therefore believe that they can save a lot of time and money concentrating on the “A” list of patients. GSC has not found this to be the best way to approach the marketing process. First and foremost this assumes that the doctors have an accurate assessment of their patients. In some cases they are relatively astute, but every physician is surprised by some of the people who do not sign up.
Even assuming relative accuracy identifying the “A” list, let’s take a look at what is being passed up. Say that that 10% of the practice makes the “A” list. This leaves upward of 2000 patients who are relegated to second class status. If only 5% of these patients opt to sign up, that is 100 potential members that are being left behind – more than enough to differentiate a successful from an unsuccessful transition.
On the other side of the equation is the cost to market to each incremental patient which is actually insignificant. A mailing is required from a continuity of care perspective and it might as well serve as a marketing piece also. GSC usually suggests a second round, but this cost can be justified on a case by case basis. Also, a process needs to be put into place to talk to patients who have an appointment during the transition phase since face to face is the most effective sales methodology. It does not cost more and is actually logistically easier to talk to every patient who walks in the door than cherry picking the ones to talk to.
Obviously, the ones who show initial interest are worth more time than the ones that dismiss it out of hand. Also, it cannot hurt for the doctor to personally inquire with some of the more obvious omissions from the member rolls.
The bottom line is that with only a short time to achieve a critical mass of retainer based patients and the marginal value of a patient being as high as it is, there is no reason not to market to the largest group possible.
