As the world remains captivated by the COVID-19 pandemic, I couldn’t help but think of some observations between this crisis and building a platform for physician marketing.
The Best Time To Build A Platform Is Before You Need It
There I was, in my third store before 7:00 AM and 15 miles from my home when I finally found a small pack of toilet paper.
I had not at all bought into the hysteria surrounding the coronavirus, but when my wife let me know we were running low, and it would be best to go out and pick some up, I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I had seen and heard stories about all of the panicked people buying up toilet paper like they were going to stop mass-producing it.
And while I was thankful I finally found some, it was apparent that given the circumstances, I had waited longer than I should have to go out and buy some.
My personal lesson: (once things go back to normal), keep an extra pack of toilet paper from Costco in the garage as reserves for if something like this happens again.
The marketing lesson: build the platform before you need it.
All too often, when it comes to marketing, people wait until they need an increase in business to start marketing.
The truth is, building a marketing platform takes time. It’s best to get things in place before you need it.
Following The Crowd Won’t Help YOU Succeed
While I think there is wisdom in many of the precautions being taken to limit the spread of COVID-19, some of the panic that has set in is completely irrational.
Take the stock market for example. The massive sell-off relative to COVID-19 is a prime example of a lot of people making poor decisions because some people panicked.
So while the masses are following the crowd and selling, I’m buying. Stocks haven’t been on sale like this in a long time.
I refuse to just go along with and make decisions based on what the crowds are doing.
When it comes to marketing, having this type of mindset is beneficial.
It truly saddens me to see many physicians, especially those who are employed by a healthcare system, simply follow along with the marketing plans of others, and have no marketing presence of their own. Healthcare systems aren’t going to promote you. Their interest is based on the system as a whole regardless of who’s there.
The physicians that want to stand out and succeed are the ones creating their own platforms, and taking control of their own destiny, not the ones following the crowd.
Don’t Let Fear Rule You
If you’re like me, you’ve seen this show before, just with a different name. I’m old enough to have been through other events like SARS, H1N1, etc… and have realized that you can’t let short term negatives derail your long-term perspective.
Whether it’s hoarding toilet paper or irrationally selling off stocks, a lot of people right now are being ruled by fear.
As a man of faith, I have always loved the fact that “fear not” is the most repeated command in the Bible. It’s mentioned 365 times – one for every day of the year.
As it relates to marketing, it’s easy to allow fear to creep in, especially in areas that are not in our comfort zone.
But if we want to succeed, we cannot allow fear to rule us.
“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10 ESV