Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

Practice Matters DENTAL TRIBUNE | November 20114A How many times have you sat down with patients to discuss their treatment plan and they just want a simple fix to the problem. She may need a crown, but keeps insist- ing that a filling will do. He needs periodontal treatment but prom- ise to just brush better. No matter how you might try to explain the ramifications of such patients’ over- simplified decisions, they don’t get it. The patients are convinced there must be an easier, cheaper way. The same can be said for dentists when it comes to marketing. Often they are looking for the cheapest, easiest answer. They don’t want to hear that quick and easy isn’t the best course of action. They don’t want to hear that a one-time ad campaign will not sustain the flow of new patients over the long term — no matter how good “the deal” is. Nonetheless, like the patient who declines appropriate treatment, a few months later the problems for the practice haven’t been solved and in many cases they are worse. Not a blitz or one-time event The gimmicks will not achieve the results. “If you just purchase this ad campaign, your profits will skyrock- et.” You’ll likely have more patients calling, but it’s no guarantee that they will pursue your recommended care. “If you just invest in this new website, you’ll have all the patients flocking to your door.” Not true, although a website is critical in your overall long-term marketing plan. “Social media is the way to go. All you need is Facebook, Twitter, and email.” Those are additional tools in the marketing toolbox, but they are not the only tools you need. “If you just say these words to the patient in the exact order as presented with the correct inflection, they will say ‘yes’ to treatment every time.” While what you say to patients is criti- cal, equally significant is what every member of your team says as well. Dentists dream of a flood of new patients all clamoring for their care. They imagine treatment accep- tance like they’ve never experi- enced. They can envision not only meeting their profitability goals, but exceeding them. But few com- prehend how critical an ongoing marketing program is in generating the new patients and keeping exist- ing patients interested in practice services. Too many believe that marketing is a one-time event or periodic advertising blitz. In actual- ity, the successful practices under- Marketing your practice on the quick-and-easy stand that marketing is an ongoing system and is supported with a specific budget. Effective marketing is hard work. It requires diligence. It’s more than a zippy ad or charming logo — although those are impor- tant. Marketing is not a single event or one-time “campaign,” it is a sys- tem. To ensure that the system is effective requires that everyone on staff understand their role in mar- keting the practice in every patient interaction. More on that shortly; first, effectively marketing dentistry involves a series of fundamental steps, starting with the following. Five denstistry marketing basics No. 1. Create Your Brand: Branding is making a statement about who you are — it’s your practice name, your logo, and the message that these convey. For example, you see the swoosh on the t-shirt and you immediately recognize it as “Nike.” You don’t have to spot the name to know that under those golden arches is a Big Mac. These images convey the “brand” that you know and recognize. Your brand is unique to your practice, and I dare say that it is not the image of an extracted tooth. Rather, your brand should clearly convey a credible and professional image. It is the cornerstone of an effective marketing strategy, which includes everything from letter- head, to brochures, to advertising. Speaking of advertising: Too often dentists spend thousands in advertising campaigns that are bet- ter described as smattering cam- paigns. They smatter ads here and there with little thought as to whether the ad is targeted to the market the dentist wants to attract. No. 2. Determine Your Mar- ket: Who is your market? Who do you want to be your market? For example, perhaps your prac- tice has focused more on adult patients and high-end procedures, but you would like to expand to include more families. Desire alone won’t deliver patients to your door. Understanding the demographics of your community, however, will. At a minimum, they will help you to best target your advertising efforts to appeal to the specific patient audience you seek to attract. No. 3. Advertise in Multiple Media: When you have a better understanding of your market, you can make more effective use of your advertising dollars. Advertis- ing comes in many forms, from direct mail, to ads, to social media, to coupons, and the list goes on. There is no single form of adver- tising that is the “silver bullet.” Depending on your patient demo- graphics and the market you want to reach, some forms will be more effective than others. Traditional advertising is the best approach to attract certain patient populations, while social media, including Face- book, Twitter, and YouTube, are more effective for others. The key is understanding what appeals to which patients and using the right advertising mix. No. 4. Create Your Website: The next item on our list of marketing fundamentals is a customized web- site that is unique to your practice, not a template; and it is consistent with the look of the rest of your marketing materials. It is the Yel- low Pages of the 21st century and it’s where patients look first to pur- chase products and services. No. 5. It’s Not a DIY Job: Den- tal practice marketing is a team effort. It begins with examining each position in your practice and together with your staff evaluating their role in the overall practice- marketing process. Let me assure you, there is no one on your team who doesn’t play a role in market- ing. For example, assistants should be doing far more than merely passing instruments and turning over treatment rooms. For starters, they are champions of treatment acceptance. They should regularly emphasize the excellence of care provided. They need to build posi- tive rapport with patients and look for opportunities during conversa- tion to mention other practice ser- vices, such as whitening, veneers, implants, etc. They should read- ily provide educational materials to patients that clearly convey the practice brand. Do more than just talk market- ing, incorporate specific marketing duties into staff job descriptions and evaluate those during performance reviews as you do with other duties. Most importantly, if staff members struggle with their marketing roles, seek training and assistance. Their confidence and success is critical to your “campaign” and your ability to reach your marketing goals over the long-term. Finally, don’t travel the market- ing route alone. This essential practice system, when properly funded and supported, will yield true long-term success. To success- fully carry out each of these funda- mentals as well as an overall effec- tive marketing strategy requires time and the guidance of a dental- practice marketing professional who isn’t in it simply to sell you a quick fix and walk away. DT By Sally McKenzie, CEO McKenzie Management ‘Let me assure you, there is no one on your team who doesn’t play a role in marketing.’ About the author Sally McKenzie is CEO of McKenzie Management, which provides success-proven man- agement solutions to dental prac- titioners nationwide. She is also editor of The Dentist’s Network Newsletter at www.the dentist snetwork.net; the e-Management Newsletter from www.mcken- ziemgmt.com; and The New Den- tist™ magazine, www.thenewd entist.net. She can be reached at (877) 777-6151 or sallymck @mckenziemgmt.com.