To thrive in these economic times it’s best to focus your marketing dollars on retention, case acceptance, word-of-mouth and referral strategies. Concentrate your efforts amongst those who already know and trust you rather than attempting new patient acquisition from unknown and potentially skeptical audiences.

What’s hot: Invest in improving the patient experience. Now is the time to impress patients, as more than ever they will scrutinize everything you do and say. Consumers are paying more attention to everything they spend their money on. Some may question whether they should keep spending their money with you or go elsewhere. Invest in training for you and your team and be sure your patient relations skills are finely honed. There has never been a better time to implement new techniques to increase your case acceptance rates.

Invest in referral marketing. If you don’t already have an organized referral program, get busy and create one. Actively promote your program- not just twice a year by word of mouth when patients are in your office. Be sure to promote the fact that you want referrals the whole year long. Ask verbally and in writing (No you won’t come across as a pest or seem desperate because most people are busy with life and won’t likely remember the last time you asked, even if you ask them many times per year). Make sure you invite referrals verbally, and also put your invitation in writing. Tangible forms of promotion help visual learners (about 65% of the population) to remember to refer. If you’d like to know more about this, check out my referral guidebook and learn step-by-step how to create a successful turn-key system for your practice.

Invest in your online reputation. Google yourself regularly and see where your website rates. Also be sure to police yourself… confirm the first few pages of your search come out clean, accurate and don’t contain any negative patient feedback. It makes no sense to invest in search engine optimization if you don’t even know that negative patient feedback could be found alongside your name.

Consider investing in social media. While not for everyone, when done well- and authentically, participating in sites like Facebook and other social spaces gives you an opportunity to get your name and face in front of potentially influential networks. Have fun with it. If you know nothing about social media, ask someone on your team who enjoys this to help you. Again have fun, but at the end of the day be sure whatever you or someone else posts about you maintains your personal and professional brand and represents you well.

In this economy, what’s hot now is the return you’ll get from marketing investments related to customers/patients who already know you.

What’s not hot: Investing in brand building or awareness marketing such as radio, television or expensive magazine ads. The first problem is that these mediums are not generally geographically focused. The second problem is they require much repetition and thus very large investments before they penetrate enough to work. Even in good economies these mediums can be expensive and risky investments. With a population scrutinizing every dollar, becoming more skeptical about who and where they buy from and holding-off unless it’s an emergency, it’s better to avoid these types of marketing vehicles for now.

Have a question or comment to share? Email rita@tangiblemarketing.com. I’d love to hear from you!

Where is the absolute best place to market your practice right now? The answer is inside. Before you venture outside of your practice with direct mail or advertising, be sure you are maximizing the business you already have. Start off by seriously evaluating your case acceptance numbers. How many cases of treatment are you recommending, and how many are being accepted? Some practices are busy today despite the economy, and it’s easy to think busy equals profitable. Unfortunately this isn’t always true.

There is only one way to confirm how successful your case acceptance is and that is to read your data. What does your data say? Plain and simple, your key data = how many cases were presented, and how many were accepted? It is very important to point out that low case acceptance does not necessarily mean poor case presentation… in many situations low acceptance can be a direct result of failure to follow up. One of my mantras is, “The fortune is in the follow up”. Especially in this economy when patients are holding off on treatment, and possibly holding off for longer periods of time, it’s critical to follow up with patients regularly. Keep in touch, show you care, continue to communicate benefits, make yourself accessible, etc.

Remember dental needs that don’t hurt are easy for some to defer; however when you are top of mind and someone’s budget finally allows for either a new TV or the crown they need, chances are higher they will think twice before running out to buy the TV (especially if they just read an article in your newsletter about how procrastination costs patients more…). The most rewarding part of case acceptance marketing and training is the win-win benefit. The better your presentation and follow up, the more patients will pursue treatment and gain health and/or beauty- and the more cases accepted, the higher profits you and your practice will enjoy.

Need help? Call Rita at 303-807-3827 or visit TangibleMarketing.com

The correct answer is everyone should sell treatment in your office. By this I don’t mean you should have your entire team running about pitching and closing… Instead I mean your receptionist should be friendly and approachable, your assistant knowledgeable and inquisitive, your hygienist informative and compassionate, and the dentist a good listener with excellent questioning skills.

When it comes to treatment presentation, the best person to present treatment to patients is the person with the best people skills- technical skills are often only a small part of a successful presentation (this spoken from years of personal experience presenting hundreds of diagnosis and treatment recommendations to many times scared, financially challenged or “complicated” patients). In many cases the technicalities of treatment need not even be discussed. Most patients just want to the opportunity to ask specific questions and feel that they have been heard. Yes, there are some patients who absolutely need to see the doctor and learn about all the details. In those situations the doctor is best suited to see the patient. However many times I noticed patients felt more open to ask their “silly” questions and chit-chat with the team members- great trust building and bonding opportunities. It pays to remember the power of strong, healthy people skills when determining who will present treatment and fees for your practice.

Who handles case presentation in your practice?