Relationship-Focused Dental Marketing

Posts Tagged ‘case acceptance’

Despite the internet, social media and all of the wonderful technologies we enjoy in dentistry, it’s the soft skills that still reign king.  Dr. Barry Polansky, author of the book “The Art of the Examination“, explains that people skills are a prerequisite to a successful private practice and that trust is the highest form of human motivation.

Read more in Dr. Polansky’s “Ask the Expert” column in Dental Economics. Explore Dr. Polansky’s coaching services in his Academy of Dental Leadership.

Why do some marketing programs work for one practice and not others?  If your practice has better technology, nicer referral cards and the best website … How can another practice that has none of those be more successful?  The answer lies not in the marketing tools, strategies and tactics, but in the people who use them.

The dental team, armed with exceptional people skills and genuine interest, can out-relate—and outperform any marketing secret.  Whether it be Facebook, a referral card or a personal follow-up call … the way in which the socializing, relating and interacting is done is key.

When a team member inherently enjoys what they do in your practice, the benefits are immeasurable. They interact with patients, genuinely, because they like to.

Customer service (patient relations) and marketing are one.  If patients feel a disconnect between what brought them to your practice and the experiences they have once there, it is a make or break point.  You and your team have the power to fuel Facebook activity, word of mouth and referrals—or not.

If your practice Facebook account is stale, referrals are flat and phone calls are unreturned, it may be time to review the motivation and energy behind the effort.  Remember, people don’t interact with Facebook, they interact with other people.  Likewise, patients don’t refer to a “practice”, they refer to people.

Good marketing plans are important; however the people that act upon the plans day-to-day are most important.

Dr. Tony Alessandra, author of the book Collaborative Selling, says, “The commando approach to selling is obsolete. It does not foster referrals, references, repeat business, word-of-mouth advertising, customer satisfaction, or good will.” Once effective ways of selling, pitching and closing, are ineffective with today’s buyers… Instead, patients want to buy from people they feel they have relationships with. Patients want to feel confident that you have heard what they need to say and that you can fulfill their needs. Before they buy, they want to trust you.

The most common question I hear from dentists is, “What should I tell people so they’ll trust me faster?” The answer is not what you should tell, rather it is what you should ask. Telling is pitching- an old school sales tactic. Asking open-ended questions allows the patient to open up and speak what is on their mind. The more the patient shares, the more trust they are building with you. This provides a more pleasant decision-making environment for the patient and makes selling easier for you.