A 2011 study that examined the email response patterns of 114 aesthetic clinics showed that 36% failed to respond to new patient inquiries. In part one of Email Essentials I’ll explain how improved email etiquette can help your practice better retain leads.
Email Etiquette
- Respond promptly (within 5 minutes!).
- You are 100 times less likely to connect with a lead if you wait 30 minutes or more.
- Respond professionally.
- Protect patient privacy (and the practice).
Understand the Context of Your Email
- Your site will have multiple contact forms.
- You will get email from multiple sources, and the sender may or may not have seen your site.
- Different types of communications have different levels of urgency.
Craft a Professional Message
- Open with a salutation and a personal greeting.
- Author content that directly addresses the inquiry.
- Use complete sentences with proper spelling and grammar, no CAPS.
- Include a clear call to action.
- Soft promotion for relevant content or opportunities is acceptable.
- Close with your contact information.
Respect Patient Privacy
- Include your privacy notice and disclosure language in all emails.
- In the U.S., include minimal protected health information in replies.
Set an Email Policy for Your Practice
- Ensure that staff understands the importance of email, and articulate expectations for email handling.
- Assume that email might be read aloud in court.
- Consider a formal policy.
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