Every Door Direct Mail: One way to Mail Flyers, Postcards, and Coupons - By: Guy Walsh

Coupon offers have been highly effective in the consumer market and have been adopted by the majority of consumers. According to the magazine Advertising Age, 87% of all shoppers use coupons. Tough economic times have made discount coupons an even more valuable tool in attracting patients who would otherwise skip costly medical treatments. Their effectiveness is even higher in professions that do not take health insurance.

During a recession, patients at all income levels look for discounts or at least look for ways to make them feel like they are getting a good deal. The rise in unemployment has lead to an increased loss of healthcare coverage. This in turn leaves patients with having to pay for medical services out of their own pocket. Those circumstances create a strong incentive for patients to search for the best doctor within a limited budget. It is exactly in this type of environment that coupons can be a major factor in the decision of selecting a physician. Discounting medical services also makes economic sense due to the fact that a practice's overhead costs are fixed in nature. Rather than being a concern discounted prices help towards partially or fully covering preset costs even if its per-unit reimbursement rate is below the average. Another far more important consideration is the so-called "lifetime value" of a patient. Depending on the medical profession, The lifetime value of a patient can be worth thousands to hundreds of thousands in revenues therefore rendering coupon costs negligible when compared to future earnings potential. Savvy medical practitioners know that coupons dramatically impact their bottom line. Just to name a few benefits:

Effective coupons attract new patients to your door. This has been verified by the fact that people will drive miles out of their way just to save 5 cents on a gallon of gas.

Coupons entice patients from other practices to try your services. It is a proven fact that consumers will break their routines in order to take advantage of a good offer.

Coupons can re-engage old patients by enticing them with special offers.

They also present a great opportunity to introduce new services to existing and new patients.

Marketing through coupons is measurable. You can easily measure, control and adjust the offers to drive the right amount of patient traffic that you require on the days that need it the most.

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