Dental Marketing | Train Your Patients to Keep Their Appointments Sometimes we believe patients miss their appointments because they don’t value us, or they think other things are more important. There are plenty of theories, all of which bring some validity, but we are missing the big point as to why patients do not show to their appointment. It starts with ownership. Ownership of your practice, and your systems, and knowing that it’s your responsibility to address the problem and fix it. Yes, people have emergencies and they miss appointments and things happen. At the end of the day, there are practices that have very low no-show/cancellation rates. That is because the owner realizes it is their responsibility to… address the problem prevent it from recurring and come up with a system When talking about management and leadership with teams, we’re talking about ONE level of leadership, right from doctor/owner to team members. When talking about diminishing no-shows and last-minute cancellations, you’re actually talking about TWO levels of leadership. You’re not going directly from doctor communication to patient, you’re going from doctor, to team, to patient. Your accountability and training will need to go from you to your team. When I talk on these things, doctors will say they don’t have time for that, and my response is that they need to get someone in there that can create accountability and training for the team. You can’t stop at training. Training is completely worthless if you don’t have accountability. The team needs that structure and accountability, and they will be happier and better at their position if they have it. Remember, training is only as valuable as the accountability you implement. Here are some tips to help better train your clients… 1. Look at what’s being said from your team to your patients on a regular basis. What verbiage is being used to schedule and confirm appointments? How are you going to hold the team accountable? How are you going to spot check and evaluate the occasional conversation? How can you rate the call If not, I promise you, even the best teams are going to slip until they have that accountability. If the team knows you’re spot checking and have a method for listening to calls, they’re going to pick up and adopt your way of doing things a lot quicker. Make sure you have TRUE accountability, pull calls, give feedback on these things so the team knows it’s not just a suggestion, because without accountability everything that you recommend is just a suggestion. 2. Show it, don’t just say it. Have a visual that you can hand to patients when they are scheduling letting them know of your cancellation policy. 3. Don’t forget your “why?” Let them know why you have that cancellation policy. People are inherently good, and if you express to them why you have this policy in place it will leave more of an impression then just stating the rules of the policy. When you explain to people why you connect with them on an emotional level, and they will in turn care about you and your time. 4. Realize that karma is a thing. In business if you’re that doctor consistently taking last minute vacations, moving patients around, and canceling on them, they’re going to think your time is flexible. If you put that energy out there that you can move them around or run late and make them wait, they’re going to treat you the same way. We train people how to treat us. 5. Be Consistent. Be consistent with how you handle these situations and make sure the quality of care is high. Make patients feel super important when they are in your practice and that way they will value being a part of it. I hope this information was helpful for you. If you’d like to learn more tips on how to build ideal patient relationships, contact our team today to set up a complimentary marketing planning session and follow us on Facebook.
Dental Marketing | Embracing Marketing for Practice Growth Sometimes when people think of marketing, they think of something that is false, pushy, or over-promising. This causes people, especially in the dental community, to steer away from marketing. I wanted to give you a new perspective of how I view marketing and why I’m so passionate about it and find it so fun. Marketing is not about putting on ‘rose colored glasses’ or being deceitful in any way. It’s about getting to the core of a person and core of a business. By core I mean… – What do you stand for? – What is your value? – What do you bring to the world? It’s about figuring that out and communicating it to the world. You could be this diamond, this precious gem hidden away in a mountain, and nobody knows that you’re there. Marketing is the way to mine that diamond, it’s how you pull it out and show the world your beauty within. It’s all about getting what is inside, out. It’s not about being false or telling mistruths, it’s about looking inside and finding that special piece of you and finding those differentiators and communicating them so your audience or your community can benefit from it. So, think about marketing and what it is actually… It’s empowerment for your business. It’s how you communicate who you are to everyone else. And it’s important! I hope this helps you embrace the marketing strategies that are around you. For anyone interested in a strategy session, just reach out! We’ll help you figure out how to find that special thing you want to show the world.
Do Your Fees Match Your Service Quality? It’s challenging to know the right strategy for what you’re going to charge. You’d think the lower the fee, the higher number of patients you have. In certain specialties and industries, your fee is how people perceive your value. Under-pricing your services may attract the wrong type of patient and set your business up for failure. Where Do I Start? The first step is to do a competitive analysis. Look at where other companies are and figure out where you fall on the spectrum of quality. We all have strengths and weaknesses, and there’s value assessed to different areas of strength. So, look at what others are charging and make sure you’re in the ballpark. -If you’re significantly lower it’s very difficult for people to take you seriously -If you’re higher, that may be ok if you want a lower number of patients and that’s ok. Is the Return Worth My Time? The main factor to take into consideration is: how much time is involved. Find out much of your personal time, and your team’s time is needed and ask, “What do I have to charge to make this worth our time and energy?” You want to look at everything involved, and you want to make sure that it’s something that you look forward to doing. If you are under-priced for what you do, you’re not going to enjoy what you’re doing. Think about if certain things are worth it to you. If your mindset is “I’m only going to get ‘X amount’ of reimbursement, this service isn’t even worthwhile for me,” is that fair to the patient? No. You may need to change your fees, insurance involvement, or change your program. That way, you’re not only investing the time but you’re excited to invest the time. For more strategies on how to improve your practice, contact us and schedule a complimentary marketing planning session today! To hear Grace’s thoughts on this, please watch her video at: https://youtu.be/9m6PA575b6A
The Simplest Way to Improve Your Website Maintaining your website should be something you do on a regular basis. While you’re likely diligent about making sure your services and specials are always updated, you may be slacking in another area–photographs. Say Cheese! Photographs of the doctors and team should be updated at least once a year. Having outdated photos is like holding onto an old driver’s license photo–you may like how you looked then, but it may not accurately representation of how you look today. But don’t stress–a great professional photographer will be sure to catch your ‘good’ side. Office Pictures Don’t forget the office! Photographs of the office help new patients identify your location when visiting for the first time. So make sure that your website has photos of the exterior of the office. A few interior photos are great, too! Especially if you’ve done recent updates or upgrades. Office photos don’t necessarily need to be updated annually, but they should be kept updated to accurately represent how the outside of the office looks so new patients can easily find you. We recommend hiding the shiny instrumentation, though, as most patients already have some level of fear of the dentist. Pictures Help SEO Directory pages that have photographs actually get more traffic than those without. New patients visiting directory pages aren’t just reading reviews, they want to preview the office, too. So be sure to have professional photos that showcase the top features of the practice and accurately represent your brand. The Dos and Don’ts While updating your photos, be sure to follow some simple tips so that you, your team, and your office all look their best. ● Don’t wear loud prints. Do wear something that’s solid and neutral, ideally matching your brand colors. ● Don’t plan for the team to wear the exact same outfit. Do coordinate outfits to match a common color palette and style for a more cohesive, team look that still showcases everyone’s unique personality. ● Don’t have a busy or messy background behind you. Do take photos with a simple, neat background. ● Don’t overdo the hair and makeup. Do your hair and makeup as close to your normal look as you can (it’s okay to step it up a bit, just don’t go overboard). ● Don’t be too serious or stiff. Do relax and have some fun–your natural smile is always better than a forced “picture day” smile. ● Don’t skimp on your photographer. Do hire a professional photographer (with references). A pro will have all the proper equipment, ensure lighting is balanced, do all editing, and will make sure everyone looks their best. ● Don’t forget to book your next session. Do schedule an annual photoshoot to keep your website and team photos current. If you haven’t updated your website photos in a while (or don’t have ANY), contact us today to schedule your complimentary marketing planning session or to discuss scheduling our professional photographer and videographer to come to you!
Stop Losing Cases! You offer your patients a variety of services to meet their needs. These are services that the patient either needs or would benefit from. By offering them, you offer patient convenience while building revenue. So why is your patient acceptance so low? It could be your marketing! What’s Happening? You hand out the exact same stock brochures with the top aligner brand name all over it as any office. Your patient is handed generic educational materials about TMJ, sleep apnea, or dental implants. But when a patient is handed these brochures, all they see is a product they need and they leave the office. What happens after is they either toss the material thinking it’s unnecessary or begin hunting for “the best deal” on that product or service. Why Custom is THE Way to Go Instead of putting out stock brochures and educational pamphlets you should be putting out customized materials. These materials showcase your expertise and experience for the service. The custom case presentation materials should reflect on your conversation with the patient: education on an issue including symptoms, the risks of not seeking treatment, the benefits the treatment offers, and how your team can help your patients reach successful outcomes. With your name and office information on every page, patients will see you as the expert for that service. They won’t want to look anywhere else! ROI Besides being able to inform and educate patients on their condition and the treatments you can offer, customized case presentation materials double as easy marketing! These materials can be used in both internal and external marketing. Patients waiting in the lobby may grab the material that appeals to them or hand it off to a friend or relative who may benefit. These materials can even be given to other doctors or offices in the area who refer patients to your practice. A good practice for external marketing is to hand-deliver customized materials to referring doctors or offices nearby. If the doctor doesn’t have the time personally, consider sending a hygienist, dental assistant, or office manager. Having customized materials as well as a face and name to associate with the service will help set your practice apart from others. If you’re ready to ditch the cookie-cutter, standardized case materials and step up your marketing game with customized case materials, contact Identity Dental Marketing today. We offer free marketing planning sessions and are happy to discuss this and other services that may benefit your practice.
Internal Marketing: Targeting Your Existing Patients Too often dentists focus on bringing in new patients, that they forget there is already a captivated patient population in front of them. It’s a ‘can’t see the forest for the trees’ situation. What is Internal Marketing When you hear the term ‘marketing’, the first thing that comes to mind is likely ads, websites, and similar media. These are external marketing strategies. While internal marketing is very simply selling services to and encouraging referrals from your existing patients. How Do I Market Internally? Internal marketing is all about stirring up excitement with your current patient population. You’re generally aiming to grab the attention of your patients and stir up conversation to achieve word-of-mouth advertising. What Strategies Can I Use? Internal marketing should be interesting and should focus on creating a commodity. You want patients to say to themselves, “Oh! I want that!” or “Wow! Look at that. I should look into that myself.” Here are some simple ways to market: ● Your Team. Your team is THE best internal marketing asset you have. Provide them with the training and knowledge they need to inform patients of all services offered, risks/benefits, costs, and payment options. And this isn’t the sole responsibility of your hygienists–every staff member who talks to patients–on the phone or in-person–should know this information backwards and forwards. The best way to get your team up-to-speed on internal marketing is to hire someone to do an in-office workshop. Practice consultants are often ideal to provide this and a number of other helpful and worthwhile services. They’re worth the money, trust us! ● Before-and-After. Most of us enjoy flipping on our favorite DIY show and seeing the dramatic before-and-after. Captivating transformations can be used in dental marketing, too. Consider sharing patient before-and-after case photos (with signed release waivers, of course). A general dentist can highlight in-office or take-home whitening treatments. An orthodontist may showcase inspiring before-and-after cases, and an oral surgeon may focus on some dramatic corrective jaw cases. Make it your own–you know what your patients are looking for, target that! Share these photos using a newsletter, social media, and quality flyers or framed posters throughout the office. All of these items can quickly and easily be sent to your patients, even the ones who have been quiet the last year or two (what a great way to bring them back in!). ● Amenities. Who doesn’t check out the amenities at a hotel before booking? Providing patients with a warm, welcoming and calming experience will help them feel relaxed when they sit in the exam chair. And relaxed patients are happier patients, and happier patients tend to be more agreeable patients. Consider providing more than just water and a carafe of coffee made 6 hours ago. Put in a single-cup coffee dispenser, offer multiple beverage options like tea, hot cocoa, and an assortment of coffee. Give the lobby and exam rooms a makeover. Apply a new paint color, bring in new furniture or reupholster what you have. And, please, ditch the tired, dated paintings and framed prints! Instead, opt for some modern, clean artwork instead. Don’t be afraid to bring in a professional designer if you don’t have the eye for it. Identity Dental Marketing offers monthly Internal Marketing strategies to address topics that contribute to practice growth. For more information visit https://identitydental.com/services/dental-internal-marketing/. If you’re ready to step up your marketing game, with internal and/or external marketing, contact Identity Dental Marketing today for your FREE marketing planning session. Contact us today to get started https://identitydental.com/cmps/.
Buyer Beware: Marketing Scams (Part 2) We’re continuing our blog about marketing scams. Unfortunately, many agencies prioritize revenue over ethical customer service. The Identity Dental Marketing team takes pride in providing our clients with integrity, treating them with the respect and honesty they deserve. Directory Deception We regret to say we’ve seen clients come to me after being targeted with directory deception. To be clear, a directory is a business listing site. Assimilate it to the old-fashioned phone book, except it’s online. Think Google or Yelp, for instance. There are companies, some with well known names, that will generate reports using fabricated data. These reports show a particular business has poor rankings on search engines. Some will compile a list of directories where the business has missing or incorrect information listed. These companies use these reports as a scare tactic to get businesses to purchase their service which, for a fee, will fix these “problems.” But what business owners are failing to see the deceptions behind the reports. They come in a few different forms, some include all and others just one or two. Here are some of the deptions that can occur: List of unknown directories. The reports show a long list of directories, and most of them are ones that no one has even heard of. Why? Because they’re not real directories. They’re fabricated websites–often owned by the company running the report–all so someone could make a buck off the uneducated, unsuspecting business owner. It’s a temporary ‘fix.’ Some of these schemes get their repeat customers because listings are only temporarily “fixed.” When a client is actively paying for the maintenance service, the directories are correct. However, once the payments stop rolling in, these directory listings will mysteriously revert back to having errors. And the cycle will repeat itself because the unknowing victim doesn’t know any better. Duplicates. Some of these pay-to-fix schemes will actually duplicate listings on reputable directories. Why? Because they’re doing what’s easy. They’re using a quick-fix method that only makes things worse for the business. Duplicate business listings mean that reviews are split between the real business listing and a duplicate listing. Not only that, but SEO rankings become skewed and ranking will likely plummet. Takeaway Be sure to do your due diligence. Understand what a company values, whether it’s their customers or just the money they bring. Be aware of the data source–make certain the data is coming from a reputable third party resource. If you’re ready to breakup with your lying, cheating, good-for-nothing marketing company and want to have an honest and open business relationship, contact Identity Dental Marketing today. Remember, with Identity Dental Marketing, “Your success is our success.”
Buyer Beware: Marketing Scams Integrity is everything in business. It is one of the pillars of my company. We hire by it, we live by it, and we accept clients by it. So nothing bothers us more than when other companies, especially marketing agencies, operate in an unethical manner. As any good doctor will say, “I know I’m not the only one able to help you, I just want to make sure you’re treated well and receive the care you need.” So whether you choose to work with Identity Dental Marketing or go with another agency, we want to make sure you’re being treated fairly and ethically. Here’s some information to help protect your company from a scam. Know Where Your Money Goes It’s a simple concept, but one that is often forgotten: Before you sign on the line, be fully aware of what you’re getting. With Identity Dental Marketing, we’re up-front with our clients about the services we’re providing, the associated costs, and where their money goes. In our proposals, we clearly define the services we recommend along with their fee–like customized website or an ad design. During our marketing planning session, we discuss your goals and make recommendations about what a good ad budget would be, what the target audience should look like, and any other incites that we feel would be beneficial. A good, honest marketing company will have you pay Google and/or Facebook directly for your ad campaign. By paying Google and Facebook directly, you know that every penny of your money is going toward your ads. Our clients do just this–they pay Google and/or Facebook directly to run the ad, and we get paid directly for our services–like designing and coding the ad. If a marketing agency is asking you to pay them, and they say they’ll pay Google or Facebook, it should be a big red flag. Why, you ask? Because too often marketing agencies are pocketing at least a portion of the money. Time and again unethical marketing agencies will dazzle a prospective client with a smoke and mirror show: They run a Facebook or Google campaign and show the client unbelievable results and sell them on their services saying that “if you pay us just $1,000 a month, we can get you great ROI. See what we did!” They send a report and the client sees these unbelievable results–but they’re just that, unbelievable. Why? Because it’s all a scheme! What’s really happening is they’re reallocating funds. The ad campaign they used to wow their prospective clients is probably valued at about $5,000 a month. But once a client signs the contract, what really happens with their $1,000 per month is only about $200 will actually go to their ad campaign. The remainder is thrown into a pot and is poured into the next huge $5,000 ad campaign to pull in the next unknowing victim. Meanwhile your ad yields poor ROI (because $200 a month is nothing in ad spend), and you’re stuck riding out a contract that’s getting you nothing. The Bottom Line Make sure you work with a company that is upfront with costs. Always directly pay the digital marketing provider to run your campaign. Know what your contract is actually getting you, and don’t be afraid to ask for references. If you’re prepared to experience a marketing agency that truly cares about its clients, contact Identity Dental Marketing today to schedule your complimentary marketing planning session.
3 Things We Do to Hinder Our Success In my recent conversation with a business owner, we were discussing business strategies to help her. Her business wasn’t growing as quickly as she needed it to in order to cover her overhead. In strategizing and coming up with ideas with her, she gave me some very strong resistance which manifested in these three things that hold many people back from success. Hunger for Approval I’ve seen it time and again, business owners are too concerned with what their employees will think of them that it stops them from doing what they have to do. In my conversation with this business owner, I was suggesting that she try a management strategy that I use in my own company, which operates on accountability. I described how I run my team by giving detailed instruction, holding people accountable, and having deadlines. The business owner felt like if she tried this management style that she might be accused of being a ‘micromanager,’ and she was adamant that she did not want to micromanage her employees. She was about to let her desire to have her employees approval hinder her from trying something new. I’m happy to say the business owner will be implementing an accountability management style. Perfectionism and a Fear of Failure These two often go hand-in-hand: Perfectionism and a fear of failure. Many business owners are afraid to make a mistake, and only want to do something that will guarantee a positive outcome. The problem is if you don’t try anything, you’ll achieve nothing. During this same conversation with the business owner, I presented her with some strategies to grow her business. Her initial reaction was ‘No’ because she didn’t know for sure that these strategies would work out well, or give her the results she wanted. As we continued talking, she found herself quickly realizing that, Yes! She could try these new strategies–she could learn what works and what doesn’t. The call concluded with a business owner ready and excited to execute some changes to grow her business. The Takeaway Take a moment right now to consider your own life, your business. Are you letting these roadblocks hinder your business from progressing: Do you worry about acceptance from your team? If they approve of what you do and say? Are you giving your team the tools they need to succeed individually, and as an organization? Are you letting perfectionism and fear of failure paralyze you? As business owners, we have to remove these roadblocks we put in our minds. We need to be willing to take a risk and try something new. Listen to my vlog here:
Why Successful Practices Need Ongoing Marketing Marketing your practice should be a proactive approach, not a reactive one. Learn why successful practices need ongoing marketing in our latest blog. Consider This: Imagine a scenario in which you and your team have just invested in a short-term marketing approach such as a high-cost ad that runs for the duration of a month. The ad goes live and you’re surprised by the amount of new patients you’re seeing each day. Then, your month is up. The ad comes down. The stream of new patients that were calling each week and making appointments is dwindling. What went wrong in this scenario? Marketing should never be approached with a one-and-done mentality. Building momentum in your brand recognition, patient education, and your search engine potential takes time and effort. This is why investing in an ongoing marketing campaign is crucial if you’re looking to bring consistent, tangible growth to your practice. The Strategy Behind an Ongoing Marketing Campaign If an ongoing marketing campaign is the best way to reach practice growth, what does one actually look like? Here are some of the key elements. Modern, Optimized Website — A visually-stunning, easily navigable website with a direct call-to-action should be the crux of your strategy. With ongoing maintenance and security, your site can stay up-to-date and protected. SEO — Search engine optimization is a long-term investment that offers incredible ROI by bringing you to the top of Google searches in your area. Facebook Ads — This strategy allows you to show your community the value of choosing you through compelling ads that target your unique services. Over time, you can tailor specific ads to custom audiences, improving your conversion rate by targeting your ideal, new patients. Google Ads — Are you hoping to reach neighboring towns or attract more speciality cases? Pay-per-click ads on relevant Google searches can get you there. Social Media Marketing — Engage your community with custom-branded social media marketing on a consistent basis. Depending on your unique practice, your strategies will differ. That’s why we take the time to listen to your needs and help you build an ongoing marketing campaign that prioritizes long-term success through a constant influx of new patients. How can we help? We can’t wait to hear your goals. Schedule your complimentary marketing planning session with our team today.
