The other day I almost threw my back out from lifting and moving my old patient files around. I was not only doing some really, really, late spring-cleaning, but was also looking to tap into my clinic gold mine.

Most of us can agree that we probably have more inactive patients, than active ones. I’ve been working with people for over 11 years and if every single one of them were still active, I would be treating out of 15-20 treatments rooms, seeing over 250 people per week. That’s more work than I want to do right now.

I invest a lot of time and energy into getting and keeping my patients. I believe it is in our best interest keep familiarized with those who already know us, than to constantly try to get new patients. Don’t get me wrong, we need a steady supply of new patients, but this is about keeping my patient base alive and as active as possible.

Sometimes I get memories of certain patients that I have worked with in the past. I wonder where they went or if they’re still around. Many of them just slipped through the cracks for whatever reason. Maybe they got better and thought that acupuncture was no longer needed to facilitate their wellness. Who knows what could have happened.

But those patients that have somehow fallen through the cracks are a gold mine. One of the best things about them is that they have already taken the initial step of coming to see me and have acquainted themselves with the acupuncture experience.

I have spent time getting to know them and building a relationship. It would be a waste of time, energy, and money to just let them slip away into a dusty inactive file.

I can’t stress enough how important it is to keep in regular contact with all past and present patients. The more your patients receive information from you or your clinic, the more likely they are to reschedule and remember you when a new health issue comes up.

Here are a few things I have done, that you can easily do to reactivate your gold mine!

If they don’t reschedule right away, they may at least call and say thanks for thinking about them. Last time I went through my old file, I found out that one of my old patients went to acupuncture school (cool!!), four of them had babies, a few got married, and another moved to Washington DC to work for the new administration (really cool!!)! Try one or two of the ideas below, you’ll see.

• Send a newsletter – A seasonal newsletter is a great way to reactivate the inactive patients. Four times a year, you have an opportunity to disseminate information about you, your practice, acupuncture, or anything else your heart desires. Use seasonal newsletters as a soapbox for your practice.
• Seasonal reminders – Four, or five times a year (depending upon how you look at it, Indian Summer or not), you have an opportunity to remind your inactive patients that it’s time to come in for a seasonal tune-up. One great way to do this is with our seasonal bookmarks.
• Give them a call – Each week, pick up the phone and give 5 inactive patients a phone call. I have found that it’s okay to leave a message. The patients who really like you, but have been caught up in a busy life will truly appreciate a personal phone call. 
• Send a letter – Go through your inactive file each week and pick 5 patients that you have not seen in a while and send them a letter. It is always nice to receive a handwritten letter. This practice is not common in this day and age with access to high speed wireless internet. It only takes 5 minutes at most to write, address and stamp a personalized letter.

Sending out reminders regularly will give you the chance to successfully reactivate seemingly lost patients. They’ll thank you for remembering them and for wanting to keep them in tip-top shape and you’ll thank them for the continued business—a classic win-win.

Your past clients are a gold mine! Don’t let the gold rush drift away.

Tell me what you think! What do you do to keep your practice alive!