Today's patients are inundated with emails while searching for a cosmetic procedure provider. Most of the ones I see are either too short and generic to address the patient's real questions, or so long and overwhelming that the practice loses the patient before ever showing its value.

Here are four easy ways to write emails that won't get deleted — while quietly doing some soft-selling along the way.

1. Segment Your Content

Instead of paragraphs, organize information by topic, followed by related details in bulleted format. It's easier for the patient to scan and find what matters most to them. A few topic examples:

  • Why Choose Us? — Best practice 10 years in a row…
  • About Your Provider — 2018 Doctor of the Year!
  • About the Procedure
  • Recovery
  • FAQs

2. Write for the Dual Readership Path

The Dual Readership Path — a term coined by legendary direct-response marketer Dan Kennedy — holds that people read content one of two ways:

  • By skimming from main point to main point, or
  • By reading every word and taking in every detail

Give the details and facts your careful readers need — but make the main points impossible for skimmers to miss.

Different fonts, bold text, text boxes, bullets, and simple infographics are powerful tools for compiling information visually so both types of readers get your message.

3. Keep It Simple

A good rule of thumb: keep all written patient correspondence at a 6th–8th grade reading level. Leave the medical jargon behind and speak in plain terms. "Brachioplasty" might be second nature to your team — but to a confused patient, it's just a reason not to buy.

4. Utilize the Signature Block

Your email signature is another sales tool. Beyond the basics — name, title, practice, contact info — consider adding:

  • Social media profile icons
  • Links to your blog
  • Practice logo
  • Photo of the sender
  • Links to professional videos on your website

Never overwhelm the patient with too much information — but thoughtfully placed content draws attention and entices them to learn more about the practice, the physician, and the procedure.

To your success!