By Dixie Somers
Outreach management is about developing the systems and platforms necessary for improving referral volume for a growing practice. With the right outreach management practices, a company can improve their lead generation efforts and maximize results. However, you might feel like your company’s progress is at a standstill if you are stuck in an outreach management rut. Depending on your industry and niche, there are many methods for outreach, but the most important thing is that you have a successful outreach management system set up. Companies dedicated to increasing their return on investment must be dedicated to developing sound outreach management processes—read on to get a few helpful ideas to assist you in this outreach endeavor.
Create a system
Establishing an organized system is vital for successful outreach management. All of the processes developed for increasing the number of referrals for a business are considered a part of a system. Goal setting, collaboration tasks and strategic planning are additional components of an outreach management system. Every step and activity should support the overarching goal of outreach management. Increasing referrals and outlining all of the activities or steps taken to support outreach efforts.
Make sure you are using the right technology
Having the right technology will maximize results for any outreach program. Software solutions can help organize many of the efforts included in an outreach management program. Software packages are capable of automating many of the common processes associated with outreach initiatives—making the process simpler and more organized for you. Not to mention, technology will allow the process to go more quickly, while enabling everyone on your team to take the same approach and stay on the same page throughout different processes. Targeting communications and performance tracking are additional capabilities of a solid outreach management program—both of which you need proper technology for.
Divide responsibilities for outreach
Outreach management responsibilities should never be limited exclusively to management. Having the entire team fully invested in the outreach management practices increases referrals. Something as simple as requesting that staff members request leads from existing clients or having them fill out simple questionnaires can provide substantial insight. Better outreach management will come when you collaborate and enlist the help of everyone on your team, so don’t limit these responsibilities to only a few people.
Document leads
List building is critical in outreach management. Something as simple as having a page set aside on your to solicit leads from third parties can generate numerous leads for a practice. Additional actions like the use of landing pages or asking customers to submit their own referrals are way to keep the list growing. Business intelligence is essential in discovering referral patterns and in assessing available market share for a business.
Consider long-term systems as well
Long term systems should also be devoted to growing a business. Marketing through blogs, websites, direct mailing and referral systems could increase the number of leads for a business. There must be a machine-like strategy working around the clock to generate referrals and leads for the typical business. A constant trickle of leads is vital to the success of a practice, so don’t forget to use other long-term methods that will generate a great deal of leads over time.
Outreach management is about growing and sustaining list building efforts. If a business can develop the right systems and platforms, the practice will continue to grow. Outreach management software serves provide a means to level the playing field for businesses in facilitating planning, automation and collaboration efforts, and will help you in your quest to generate more leads. Use all the resources and personnel available to you in order to create an organized, efficient system that helps you step up your outreach management game. The information for this article was provided by the professionals at Marketware who specialize in healthcare outreach management to assist with physician retention.
Dixie Somers is an Arizona-based freelance writer. Follow her @DixieSomers.
