File: Marketing Binder > Special Promotions

A Simple Valentine’s Day Promotion

For a little help to generate referrals in February, you may want to offer a selected number of your patients a Valentine’s Day gift certificate/coupon.

These can be ordered from your printer. You can even do them yourself with your photocopy machine. It simply consists of a card that you give to your patient as a gift for someone about whom they care. The card offers some kind of a complimentary or discount service. See the attached examples.

Keep in mind that the key to the success of these gift certificates is all in how you give them to your patients. If they are just left on the top of the front desk, they are completely devalued, there is nothing special about them, and their effectiveness is minimal. On the other hand, if they are valued by the doctor and the staff as actually money, which they are, and also delivered as a sincere token from the doctor and staff to their patients for their patient’s friend or loved one, the coupon greatly increases in value. They are also much more effective in generating referrals.

Review the examples attached, and use them customize your own valentine. You can have your printer make you a bulk order, and since there are no dates, you can use the gift certificate for several years in the future.

Sample Script:

Doctor/Staff member: “Mrs. Jones, (Doctor: “the staff and I”; Staff member: “the doctor”) would like you to have this Valentine’s Gift Certificate as a valentines gift from us. It is for _____ (specific person that you know, e.g.: “Bob”, or “your husband”, or “your valentine”), and is a special gift certificate that (he/she) can use for complimentary services at our office.”

Pull out envelope and physically open certificate, show it to the patient, sign it, and give it to the patient.

Doctor/Staff: “It is good for the entire month of February.”

Patient’s reaction. “Oh, my! Thank You”

Doctor/Staff member: “We hope you have a nice valentine’s day, and let me know if (patient’s valentine) wants to make an appointment.”

Sample Valentine’s Day Gift Certificate Card

Outside of Card:

Inside of Card:

Happy Valentine’s Day

Health Care Gift Certificate

Because you are so special,

And your health is important to me
I am giving you this gift

To help you stay healthy.

You can use this gift certificate for a complimentary New Patient Examination, which includes orthopedic and neurological tests and a private consulting with the doctor.

This gift certificate is good at Palmer Health Center through February, 1999.

Authorized by ______(staff or doctor)______From______(patient)______

Sample Valentine’s Day Gift Certificate Card - Envelope

Envelope:

SAMPLE GIFT CERTIFICATE:

Petty, Michel & Associates 1997 Valentine's Card - Special Promo.doc – Revised 2/17/001 of 4