Let’s face it…..even though we all look back longingly at the days when all a dentist had to do was open an office and wait for the patients to start calling, those days are long gone. Especially in the current economy, marketing is a necessity for all offices……both new and established. The truth is that some really nice practices out there are starting to languish due to lack of marketing, and they’ll ultimately be worth a lot less than they should be when the doctor is ready to retire. On the other end of the spectrum, some beautiful new offices are way too quiet due in part to lack of marketing.
We’re living in a society that has become accustomed to letting marketing assist with all its decisions….including dental care…..and every new dentist who opens or purchases a practice should know the value of getting on the marketing bandwagon and riding it indefinitely for long term success. The reluctance of some of our more established practices to return to, or even begin a marketing campaign is causing them to lose more patients than they can spare to all the new offices opening around them.
Let’s take a look at some of the forms of marketing to consider, and evaluate where and how they work the best.
INTERNAL MARKETING
- In my opinion, internal marketing begins at the very first phone call. This is probably the least expensive form of marketing…..but it does have a price tag. The cost of this marketing comes in hiring someone who can really “wow” your patients at the first call rather than just hiring a warm body who’ll pick up the phone when it rings. Spending a few extra salary dollars on this first impression will translate into more future case starts…..patients who feel welcomed and special in an office are a lot less likely to shop around for a few dollars off treatment fees or for a location that’s slightly closer to home.
- Other inexpensive forms of internal marketing have to do with how we present our physical space and attitude to our patients. One simple marketing tool comes in the form of a coat of paint and a carpet cleaning. Spending a few dollars on a regular basis to keep the spit and polish shine on your office will really impress a new patient….not doing so, is almost guaranteed to drive them down the street to your competitor. Even the large investment in a new home for your practice can really pay off if done correctly. Also, while we sometimes joke and grouse about office perks such as coffee, water, snacks and even warm towels at the end of the appointment, they’re little pleasantries that make for a more enjoyable patient experience. Our patients don’t have to settle for a stuffy “all business’ office when they can go a few blocks down the street and enjoy a brighter, happier attitude. It takes very little investment of both dollars and time to make the office a much more inviting place for your patients.
- The final form of internal marketing that I’d like to touch on is much less obvious but becoming more and more necessary….accepting insurance assignment as a network provider. There was a time when I advised many of my clients (based on local demographics) to remain fee for service. Many insurances will pay out of network, and by staying out of network, you avoid unreasonably low caps set by some insurance providers. The problem with this is that patients are becoming more and more insurance savvy and less and less loyal to any particular office. Patients are aware that while they’ll still get the same $1,500 to $2,000 yearly benefit in or out of network, they’ll pay less in network because of caps and write offs. They also don’t really care if they previously had a good experience in an office…..they want a dentist who “accepts” their insurance coverage. Loyalty to a particular provider has been replaced by economic reality and one way to keep a family as patients is to make the office as economically attractive as possible. I never encourage participating in every insurance plan that’s available, but I do strongly suggest doing your homework, finding out who the predominant carriers are in your area, and getting signed on with two or three of the big insurance companies. As one of my clients so succinctly put it, “write offs beat empty chairs any day of the week.”
EXTERNAL MARKETING
When we start talking about external marketing, there are a myriad of products available and the trick is choosing the right ones for your office and your area. I’ve listed some of the marketing tools you may want to use, and briefly discussed where we can expect each product to produce the most interest.
- Brochure marketing has become very popular here in Colorado and it has been very successful for many offices. There are however limitations to the types of areas (and practices) where it works best. By and large, brochures or mailers have the best success in areas that have a great deal of new population growth. New residents are looking for new practitioners and are more open to mailer marketing. There are also good inroads to be made with mailers in neighborhoods that are in strong transitional phases….areas where older homes are being sold to younger buyers and/or general gentrification of the area is in progress. Older more established neighborhoods are less likely to give a good return on mailers.
- Newspaper ads are still definitely a good way to go, especially in smaller town where the local newspaper is a real “back fence” type of informational periodical for the community. I suggest smaller communities, because while newspaper marketing will get some results in larger communities, your ad can get lost in a large urban paper. Television and radio also have some good response in smaller markets but they can also get lost in the AM programming in the larger areas.
- Obviously (and I use that word cautiously) the best external marketing you can have, is the dentist himself (or herself) getting out into the community and meeting other practitioners and local business people. Joining community groups of all types can be a major benefit to a new dentist. The reason I use the word obviously so cautiously is because some doctors have a real aversion to getting out to lunch or an afternoon of golf with potential referral sources. To these shy, gentle folks I say as politely as I possibly can, and with only good intentions….”get out there and get over it!” You not only want to be taking your neighbors and potential referrals out to lunch, sporting or social events and golf, but you want to come prepared with thoughts about what makes your office special. Send “meet and greet” gift baskets to local businesses, medical providers and, if you’re a specialty office, your potential general dental referrals. No matter how excellent your clinical skills may be, the whole package has a lot to do with why people suggest your office to friends, family and patients.
- Finally, think outside the box for your marketing. If you’re in a good sized medical/dental building with a large parking lot available, talk to building management and the other tenants and get a Health Fair going for the community. Have fun activities like face painting, a cotton candy machine, etc for the kids and informational booths on all the offices in the building for the parents. People come because it’s good free entertainment and you get some face time with patients….it’s a real win/win situation for you and the community. Another good thought, especially in smaller towns is an office field trip or in class hygiene instruction. Invite local teachers to bring their class (or go to them) and set up plans for offering healthy snacks, a free digital photo opportunity, hand impressions, etc. so they can have fun as they learn about the dentist. End their day with a certificate of completion with their photo on it and you’ll have some happy kids and their teachers telling area parents about your “awesome” practice.
We’ve only touched on a few of the many forms of marketing in this article, but there are as many other creative, fun ways to set your practice apart from the rest as there are practices in your town, city and state. I encourage you all to get creative and get marketing …..your potential patients have a lot of options for good dental care and you want to be the office they choose.
