How can you stay in the game of the competitive NDIS service provider space? How can you become the client’s preferred organisation?
Since the NDIS began on the 1st of July 2013, the agency and its partners have focused on their job of ensuring that people with permanent and significant disability get and continue to receive the support that they need. This dedication along with the NDIS’ goal to provide more than $22 billion in funding a year to an estimated half a million eligible Australians within the next 5 years have attracted a lot of clients requiring support.
With this massive opportunity, it is no surprise that NDIS service providers have continued to grow in number and new registration requests land on the NDIS’ doorstep everyday. This increasing competitiveness within organisations have challenged service providers, old and new, to be the preferred NDIS support system.
How can you stay in the game of the competitive NDIS service provider space? How can you become the client’s preferred organisation?
Marketing is essential and should be a priority for all NDIS service providers.
So, let’s look through that in more detail
Know Who You Are
Getting the job right is important for any business’ success, but it is NOT the only element. Registered NDIS service providers are all capable of delivering NDIS-standard services, but who you are as an organisation will set you apart from the rest.
Do you and/or your clients know who you are?
“I/they kind of know it. Nope, I am too busy to sit and understand my organisation.”
This is a typical scenario why marketing is not prioritised. Service providers tend to be task-oriented, but without knowing who you are and where you want to be, you’re just going through the checklist to get the work done as clients come and go, just wandering without clear goals and purpose.
It’s time to pause and understand your organisation.
Marketing through strategies help you understand who you are, what you do, and how you are better and what needs to improve in comparison to other service providers. It then delivers this message and identity to your target clients, introducing and connecting you to those who share and believe in your organisation.
With effective and efficient marketing strategies, you are making an awareness.
- An understanding of your organisation as an NDIS service provider;
- A statement of who you are; and,
- Creating a strategic consciousness of how people perceive your organisation.
When you and your clients know better, you do better.
Understanding Your Clients
Not everyone is your client.
Some may say that the more clients, the better for the business. But you also have to remember that pleasing all clients bounds any business to fail.
This is where marketing comes in. Understanding the “right” kind of clients is marketing’s objective. It helps you know:
- Where they are;
- What platforms they use;
- What gets their interest;
- What their dislikes are; and,
- What their purchasing behaviours are.
Targeting the right clients directs you to people who you want for the business, who are worth your time and expertise, and who share and believe in who you are as a business.
A great benefit of targeting your clients is also knowing your position as an NDIS service provider. Are you in the spot to receive just any clients? Or, have you marked your relevance to your sector enough to only accept the right clients?
Client Retention
So, your clients know who you are and what you can offer. You have the right clients too.
But… are you confident that your clients retain your services?
What if another NDIS service provider who knows who they are and understands their clients comes in between? Will your clients stay… or feel compelled to leave you?
Leaving it up to chance and luck is nowhere close to being the right business strategy.
Marketing isn’t only important when acquiring clients, but also in keeping them. Effective strategies using analysed marketing data can be implemented which aims to:
- Keep them engaged;
- Recognise value for money spent;
- Gauge love and satisfaction to the organisation;
- Customer loyalty; and,
- Word of mouth marketing.
As the saying goes, “clients are like teeth; unless you take good care of them, they go away one by one… until there is none”. Having a good marketing plan in place is like a dentist – someone to take good care of things, keeping everything strong and healthily intact.
In Conclusion
Marketing is a key factor in your business’ success. It’s no longer an option but already a necessity. The moment you promote your business (verbally, digitally, etc.) you are marketing.
But the question is…
Is your marketing effective and efficient enough to sustain and grow your organisation in the NDIS’ competitive environment?
Look at your marketing strategies TODAY and get professional help if you feel that it is still lacking. A good marketer is dedicated to understanding and implementing all of these best practices… and more. It is never too late to prioritise your marketing needs.
