Is the old, reliable Lunch and Learn becoming an obsolete form of marketing? Not when there’s so much new to learn, it isn’t! For a while the lunch and learn was the hottest marketing tool for specialists wooing general practice offices for referrals. Then it sort of dropped off the map as everyone felt they had all the information they needed….and more.
We’re now, however, going through the most amazing age in dentistry since the invention of Novocain. There is so much that’s new and exciting in orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, endodontics, periodontics, oral surgery and prosthodontics, that very few general offices have time to learn about them all….and sometimes haven’t even heard about them. The old Lunch and Learn has once again become one of the most powerful tools to market and share information among general and specialty offices.
Remember, as with all marketing, this only works well if you really do your homework. As a practitioner, create an interesting, clear PowerPoint with the option for emailed handouts for the staff and doctor (sent ahead to the office) and a fun lunch from a non-boring spot in town. Bring in BBQ and lemonade or sandwiches from the newest shop that just opened in town…..stay away from the basic and boring…..both in your presentation and your lunch choices. For the staff, be knowledgeable in your area of the presentation….how does insurance deal with these new procedures? ………what role does the assistant play in the procedure? ……….so you can have fun and interesting conversations with the other office’s staff. No one is allowed to just sit and be a “listener” who smiles and says nothing.
Get out there and meet, greet and eat your way to more educated patients by creating more educated referral sources. When they know you and what you do, you’ll get more referrals and patients who already understand the procedures and are ready to schedule. That’s worth the price of lunch….isn’t it?
