Tips & Techniques


Profiting from your Patient Education Brochures
Guidelines for offering In Office Patient Education Brochures

Extend the life of the brochure.
Only offer brochures that are customized to promote you and your services.
Every opportunity you have to tell a patient about the practice's
treatments must be capitalized on. Advertising 101: Say it well and say
it often. They only know you offer cosmetic services if you tell them.

Dollar for dollar, it costs less to present a customized brochure than it
costs to purchase a manufacturer brochure, have a label printed and pay an
employee to stick a label that only advertises the location of your
practice. The patient already knows where you're located because they are
standing in your office. Educate them on all of the services you offer!

Eliminate clutter in your office and highlight only information you want read.
Depending on the type of practice you have, you may experience
pharmaceutical reps placing their product information in your waiting areas
and sometimes posting their information on walls. Your office becomes free
billboard space for these multi million dollar companies. Is it necessary
for patients to see advertisement for Lamisil or Valtrex? NO! Every patient
needs to be informed of all the cosmetic services you offer or they may end
up going to another physician and you could lose that client entirely.

If you are displaying education materials for cosmetic procedures, make sure "clutter" does not dilute their impact. Have a defined area in
your main waiting area to display your brochures, preferably by the check in counter and in a brochure holder mounted to the wall. Do not use stackable brochure holders. Never cover the face of the brochure. The appearance of the cover draws interest and invites the patient to open and read the content.

Don't clutter the counter top in the exam room with advertising materials. Use Patient Education Posters, framed and mounted to
the wall, to keep your exam room clutter free and your patients interested. Posters strategically mounted will remind the patient to speak to you about the procedures.

Posters are effective, practical and affordable. Most treatment providers will ask a patient at the end of their visit "Do you have any other questions?" This is "prime time" for the patient to bring up cosmetic procedures and for you to schedule a consultation or educate the patient. Our patient education posters are printed on heavy photo paper and have a protective coating. Posters last for YEARS and they are customized to promote YOU, not a laser or product manufacturer!

What is important to the patient?
For 2 years we have been surveying patients to see what they like to see
in a brochure. Here are the results of our analysis:

What got them off the chair to grab a brochure?
84% of the patients felt that an attractive cover clearly stating what the
brochure was about motivated them to get up and take a brochure.
1. 16% stated they always grab a magazine or bring a newspaper.
All patients state they do read while they wait to see the doctor.

Do before and after photos make a difference?
92% Definitely. The photos interested them and held their attention,
motivating the patient to continue reading the text on the inside of the
brochure.
8% Basically, after waiting long enough to see the doctor they would have
read anything available in the office.

What did they or did they not like about the photos.
Most patients commented that they liked the photos to be realistic.
They did not trust photos that looked too perfect or as if the patient was
made up afterwards.
When it came to the surgical procedures, most patients liked to see
everyday people in the photos and not a supermodel.
Most patients felt the photos were more believable if the cases were not
extreme.
Almost all patients said they felt they had a better understanding of the
procedure if the brochure had a before and after photo.

Most patients lost interest if the text was too clinical or there was too
much information.
86% preferred a trifold to a booklet.
Most patients came away with the understanding the brochure was to provide
basic information.
66% of the patients said they inquired about the procedure because they
had read a brochure.
48% said they scheduled a consultation that day because they were briefed
on the procedure and asked if they would like to schedule one.

• Create a special area.
• Customize the back panel with your services.
• Suggest at check in that the patient read the brochures while they wait.
• Use brochures in conjunction with the patient education posters.
• Include brochures when mailing patient information.
• When you see a patient has taken brochures, ask him/her if they would
  like to schedule a consultation or would like more information.

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