Author :

Have you ever wondered what sets good companies apart from great ones?  There is a key that isn't as easy to find as we all would like but, nevertheless, it's there to be found.  You see business is all about differences.  If you are the same or try to fit in with other businesses you can never have a great business.  Your business will just be a commodity that everyone will try to get the lowest price on every time.

If you don't give your prospective patients any other reason to choose you other than price, than you can't expect them to "hunt" for a reason.  Or figure out that you are a better surgeon than the cheap discount doc in Costa Rica.

The problem is that all consumers, including your prospective patients, want to turn everything into a commodity like buying beans at the supermarket.  Just look for the lowest price then there is no thinking required.  People do not want to think…but they will if they think it will help them avoid pain.  In your case, the pain of making a bad decision and not getting the results they wanted or could have gotten.

So how do we differentiate ourselves from the rabble?  You must have a compelling USP (Unique Selling Proposition).  What is that you say?  It's the reason that prospective patients should choose you when compared to all other options available to them.

This is not easy.  It will take some thought and research of your competition, but the return on your time invested will be astronomical.

Just think about Dominoes Pizza when it first started growing like a weed (which is an interesting comparison since "weed" also helped Dominoes grow because of their late hours and close proximity to college dorms…)  Tom Monaghan caused this growth with the best USP in his business, "Fresh, Hot Pizza Delivered In 30 Minutes Or It's Free."  His USP was made possible by limiting his delivery radius of each store to make it easy for his employees to achieve.

Here's a list to consider when thinking up your USP:
  1. What awards have you received?
  2. How many of each type of procedure have you performed?
  3. Do you have equipment no other Doctor in your state has?
  4. Can you create a unique experience that no other competitor has for your patients?
  5. What treatments can you package together that no one else is?
  6. What local celebrities can you get to endorse your practice?
And the list goes on and on.  The point is to be unique.  Snooki is not making more money than the other girls on the Jersey Shore because she's so incredibly gifted or talented or even smart…because she's definitely none of those.  She's making money because she is so different and controversial.

As my wife's due date draws ever closer, we have been looking for hospitals to deliver in and I shake my head because few have any answers for me when I ask why we should use their hospital.  There was one hospital that posts their ER wait time on the freeway billboards which is a decent USP.

But what sold my wife was one that provided a jetted tub.  No other hospital provided such a nice tub.  Now just think of all the pregnant women that would line up to have their babies at this hospital if they just advertised that one fact…I just shake my head.

Remember, business is no place to be the same…unless you have no interest in staying in business.

About the Author :

Paul McGraw has helped more than 300+ doctors and business owners grow their businesses for the last 12 and a half years now.  He has lectured on marketing strategy in schools and for the community.  He is currently the President of thewealthyplasticsurgeon.com.  He is also the author of "How To Predictably Grow Your Practice 22-36% Each Year Without Having To Compromise Your Ethics" which is a book and CD mini-course available at www.thewealthyplasticsurgeon.com.