Review marketing is the easy way to get your patients to market your clinic for you.

One of the challenges that every medspa or cosmetic clinic has is in trying to get patients to share their thoughts about your practice to their friends. Yep. Word of mouth.

Fortunately, a number of the barriers getting in the way of that have been overcome by software, and others are simply a matter of implementing the right systems.

To start with, you're going to need to get comfortable with the simple practice of asking for a review. Yeah, that's essentially the simple secret; ask. But you have to do it the right way. A recent survey found that 7 out of 10 patients said they would be willing to leave a review if asked. If it's that easy, why do we fail so badly to secure our patients help.

For most people, it comes down to the idea that it's potentially placing a burden on the patient by asking for a favor, or, that if they say no it will be embarrassing in some way. But both of those thoughts are wrongheaded.

When most people, including our patients, are asked for a "favor" they don't see it as a burden. Their perception when you ask them is that you value them and the relationship. Think about it. When someone asks you for a favor your reaction, especially if it's small, is to say yes. Additionally, the mere act of asking can strengthen the perception of the relationship and improve the patient's perception of their relationship with you.

Benjamin Franklin was a master of this.

Throughout his life Ben Franklin built a deep network of friends. However, not everyone was a fan. In his autobiography, Franklin mentions a man who vehemently opposed his candidacy for Clerk of the General Assembly of the Pennsylvania House. No matter how much ‘servile respect’ (a.k.a., kindness in today’s terms) that Franklin showed, this individual’s opinions on Franklin could not be changed. Interestingly, Franklin tried the exact opposite method, and it worked:

Having heard that he had in his library a certain very scarce and curious book, I wrote a note to him expressing my desire of perusing that book and requesting he would do me the favour of lending it to me for a few days.

“He sent it immediately – and I returned it in about a week with another note expressing strongly my sense of the favour. When we next met in the House, he spoke to me (which he had never done before), and with great civility. And he ever afterward manifested a readiness to serve me on all occasions, so that we became great friends, and our friendship continued to his death.

”This is another instance of the truth of an old maxim I had learned, which says, ‘He that has once done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another than he whom you yourself have obliged.’”

It's a simple emotional reflex. When you do a favor for someone you become tied to their success and happiness in asmall but important way. The act of helping them just a little makes you want to help them more.

One of the hardest parts of asking for a review is not only knowing when, but how to ask for a review.

When is the best time to ask for a patient review?

Many clinics will post something on their Facebook page or just ask in an email.

Completely useless. You may get an occasional thumbs-up on a facebook post but it does almost nothing to benefit you or your clinic.

The perfect time to get a glowing review of your clinic is just at check out, when the patient is interacting with the front desk and they're inside your clinic. It's the point in time when they're focused on the outcome, or, if it was a consultation, are looking forward to it. It's also the point where you have maximum control of both the way that you ask and what you're asking for.

The best success rate and reviews are generated using a simple system at check out that uses text messaging that you send directly to the phone in their hand.

Here's how it works.

After the treatment or consultation the clinician or technician mentions that the patient will be asked during check out if they would be willing to leave a review. It's explained that patient reviews are incredibly important to the clinic and that they're taken seriously. If the patient would be willing to leave a review, the clinician or technician will take that as a favor.

Then, during check out, the front desk asks if they can text the patient a review request. They can simply click the link, select a 'star rating' and leave a few thoughts. It happens right now, in the clinic, and will take less than 60 seconds.

Patients say yes because it's immediate, it's fast, and it's simple.

You'll never have success just asking patients to go log in to their online social media accounts and say wonderful things about you. That doesn't work.

The patients that are willing to go do that are the one's that are not saying nice things about you. They're the handful of patients that are angry. Those patients are really motivated.

So, in looking at how this should work we brought on Podium as a Select Partner and they've agreed to give Medical Spa MD Members both special pricing for their software, and special training for your staff on how to manage your patient review marketing.

Take just a second and see how Podium can help you drive new patients and protect your reputation.

And, if you're smart, you'll try out Podium's special offer for Members. It's a month-to-month service so there's no risk, and when you do it right (note the training you'll have access to) it's a no-brainer.