Dental Relationship Marketing

Posts Tagged ‘Dental Marketing’

The fastest way to halt future patient referrals is to do nothing. When patients receive no recognition or response from you, they wonder if they sent you a “bad” or unwanted referral.

Be sure to say thank you to patients who take the time and energy to refer friends, family and colleagues to you. Sustainability of any referral program relies directly on acknowledging quality referrals.

• Express your thanks in writing with handwritten “Thank you for your referral” notes.  Show gratitude in a timely manner.

• Consider extending referral gifts when appropriate (note, always check with your local dental regulators before issuing referral gifts or rewards).

Offer extraordinary thanks for extraordinary referrals. If you have a patient who refers a lot of quality referrals to you, deliver an extraordinary expression of your appreciation back to them.

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Before launching social media marketing, ensure you have the appropriate staff to support the necessary efforts.       

A common question I’m hearing from dentists is, “How much time will it take for us to maintain  a Facebook page?” The answer can vary depending on many factors.  Let’s just look at one factor today.  The first factor is: How well thought out is your posting strategy?  Do you know in advance exactly what you will post and when you will post it?

For someone capable of planning an effective combination of social messages—sprinkled with appropriate and strategic marketing messages—this may seem like a breeze.  However for some team members, crafting a plan or determining what are the right or wrong things to say can be stressful.

To clarify, posting on Facebook for social purposes is one thing … Posting on Facebook on behalf of a business is entirely another experience.  Remember, social media is social amplifying. If you wouldn’t consider sending your team member/s out to represent you while they speak in front of a group of your best patients and their friends (and friends of their friends), then you may not want them to manage your Facebook presence either.

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Hint, hint… Once the Yellow Pages® is on board with Facebook®, that’s another good sign it’s safe for dental practices to sign up too.

This does make me rethink my previous posts in which I said the internet is drowning phone book advertising… perhaps Yellow Pages will live on, except on Facebook instead of big tangible books.  Note this clipping is from the Canadian Yellow Pages.

What are your thoughts?

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What does your online marketing say about you? Does it say, “I’ve got URLs all over the web- but none of them has any content worth reading,”  or does it say, “You may need to skip over a few links above us on Google’s search page, however once you reach us, you’ll find we are a better fit for you”.

Recently, I ran across a “pioneer marketing” dental practice who hopped on the social media and online marketing bandwagon.  They joined Facebook (a few months ago, and hadn’t visited their page again since).  The practice had many website and blog articles and postings, most of which were filled with blatant key-word text.  The majority of their content was obviously duplicated and re-engineered data plastered all over dozens of sites.  The goal was likely to be found, however at what consequence?

Patients looking for “just any dentist” may not care if you are out to win maximum online exposure.  However, discerning, knowledgeable consumers looking for a more genuine dentist will likely look for online material representative of their ideal dentist.

So, the tip of the day is ensure your marketing matches your brand.  If you are a relationship-focused practice, be sure your marketing (articles, content, website, postings, Facebook account, etc…) looks like you pay attention to it.  Consider the cost of sloppy, rushed marketing before you allow someone to talk you into quantity over quality.

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It’s all about relationships.  The most successful dentists and teams know that patient relations are paramount when it comes to referrals and good case acceptance.  For years, I’ve touted the fact that referral marketing is the best way to market a practice.  Today, despite all the improvements in technology and all the wonderful social media outlets, referral marketing is still king…

So why then would I even recommend social media marketing for dentists, when I know how great word-of-mouth and referral marketing performs?  Social media could simply be seen as an extension of referral marketing.  In other words, if a practice is already exercising excellent patient care, communication and follow up, they are more than likely receiving a great number of referrals. It is just this type of practice that could find social media community a successful extension of their existing relationship-focused marketing philosophy.

To clarify, social media is not a good tool for every practice.  For a practice that is focused on “quantity”, has less than ideal chair-side skills and finds relationship-building an unnecessary toil, social media would not likely be beneficial.  Some things never change… referral and word-of-mouth marketing are still the most important foundation of any successful practice.  Likewise, good relationship skills are a must-have in order for social media tools to be beneficial for a practice.

Good people skills are beneficial in person and online.  Practices who struggle with patient relations in person, may find more problems than they bargain for in online communities… Today, it is more important than ever for teams and practices to assess their patient relation skills- before any type of marketing strategies or tools are implemented.

Again, to clarify, social media is not an end-all marketing solution for everyone.  Begin internally first, assess your client care, communication and case acceptance.  Then determine if it is a natural and authentic extension of yourself, and your practice, to participate in social media.  If you genuinely care, love what you do and it shows, patients will trust and believe in you- whether in person or online.

What are your thoughts?

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While most of us are aware of the value of being found on the internet, many marketers and dental practices are still struggling with the thought of social media.  To join and participate-or not-that is the question.  It is baffling to hear the number of consultants and dentists bashing social media entirely.  This could be a risky prospect… imagine a world with no yellow pages, with no unsolicited (junk) mail and no newspaper advertisements.  What if the only option in the future was online marketing? If that were the case, wouldn’t you want as much positive content about yourself online as possible?

In the future, if “he with the most current, relevant and interesting online content” wins in search, don’t you want to be found?  If yes, then it is necessary to start now.  It is important to begin building a name for yourself online, including participating in social media.  For example, if you have a stagnant brochure-ware website, and your competitor is an active blogger and participates in numerous social media outlets- guess what… they will likely be found time and again before you.

Be open and try social media.  Treat your participation in online groups with the same common sense as you would any other social situation.  In other words, don’t post anything in writing that you don’t want to come back and haunt you.  Don’t treat others like they are numbers- be kind and sociable.  People want to be treated well online, just as they do in person. Be willing to converse, be friendly and get to know about others- hence the name “social” media.  If you think it is all a complete waste of time, then it probably will be for you.

The old saying “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it” applies to social media as well.  Those who participate with others online, expand their networks and spend time interacting with people they enjoy will get a completely different perspective on the direction marketing is moving toward.  So, before deciding against social media entirely, reconsider what you really have to lose or gain from it.

What’s your opinion?

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“As one dental client of mine said, “It’s not about hanging your shingle out front and waiting for new patients to come in the door anymore”. How true… Likewise, the future shows limited opportunity for sustained success with yellow page ads, newspaper ads and TV commercials. In addition, how many companies can continue to ethically contribute to landfills with wasted paper that some direct mail campaigns produce?

Today we have an abundance of fresh (environment friendly, green) marketing options available from internet marketing to social media to blogs- and referral marketing of course. The major difference between the direction marketing and advertising is headed, from that of the past, is conversation. In the past much of marketing and advertising sought to “target” new clients with specific messages. Think one-way communication. For example, you (the consumer) see what I have to tell you and then you call me (the business owner) and become my customer.

In the future (in fact, it’s happening already), the most successful marketing and advertising will be a two-way conversation. One in which businesses share authentic, relevant information with potential clients… information which allows the potential new client to research, share, interact or participate with- before they make a decision about whether they want to become your customer or not .

Some practitioners will see “conversation” marketing as a burden. For those business owners, it was easier to invest in the biggest yellow page ad or cut a check for direct mail. All that was required was building the ad and they would come- maybe. In the future, the dentists who enjoy conversation, are comfortable sharing their personality/authenticity, and are willing to invest time and energy in getting to know others will find marketing a breeze.

In the end, marketing as a conversation will allow patients to more easily find their ideal dentist. Likewise dentists who participate in marketing as a conversation will find they are more apt to attract their ideal patients- it’s truly a win-win for everyone.

What’s your opinion?

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The best way for dental specialists to increase referrals is by marketing actively. Think face-to-face meetings with referring dentists. In person meetings will produce higher quantity, and quality, referrals than passive marketing…

For example, during lunch meetings specialists have the opportunity to ask referring dentists questions, share conversation and receive valuable feedback. It is personal interaction that nourishes and grows the relationship between specialist and referring dentist. It also allows the specialist to learn first-hand about the referrer’s preferences- which in turn lets the specialist continually improve service to both the referring dentist and mutual patients.

To further illustrate the difference between active and passive marketing, review the brief list below.

Active Marketing:

· Doctor lunches

· Personal marketing deliveries

· Small group activities (such as golf)

Passive Marketing:

· Marketing deliveries handled by third parties (such as Mrs. Fields® cookies delivered via UPS)

· Gifts

· Newsletters

Successful referral-based practices utilize a combination of both active and passive marketing activities. Further, smart practices focus on enjoyable, quality relationships and communication- which in turn produces loyal and frequent referrers.

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During times of economic hardship, many dental practices turn to marketing for relief. However time and again, some dentists find themselves overwhelmed with their day-to-day tasks and consequently their marketing lags behind.

If you find yourself regularly falling behind with your marketing duties, consider enlisting a “success” team. Enlist a motivated team member or dental marketing consultant to help you. In the book, “The Success Principles,” author Jack Canfield said, “Your goal is to find the top one, two or three activities that best use your core genius, bring you the most money, and produce the greatest level of enjoyment”.

If you don’t have the time or simply don’t wish to maintain your marketing, there is never a need to go it alone. Remember, the most successful marketing is a result of consistent, ongoing action. Do what you need to do- today- to protect your core genius and keep your marketing on track.

Do you need help? Email rita@tangiblemarketing.com or call (303) 807-3827.

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The number one best way to market is referral marketing. First and foremost, “relationship” marketing is a proven win-win for both patients and dentists. Patients won’t refer if they feel they were not treated well, and dentists who strive to provide the best patient care experiences will receive the most referrals.

The second best way to market right now is online. Online marketing is green… websites, video, online resources and social media won’t waste paper (unlike masses of direct mail, a tactic commonly used in dental marketing). Most importantly, studies show over 73% of consumers already perform online research before they make purchase decisions- which includes purchases from shampoo to cars to health care. This means it’s extremely important for you to be found online. Further once found, you’ll want to have a variety of information about yourself available. In other words, make it really easy for someone to see how great you are.

Referral and online marketing can work hand in hand for your practice. Online marketing will allow new patients to research and “shop you” before their first visit and referral marketing will help ensure a good patient experience- and, hopefully, a long term relationship built on trust (the type that motivates referrals).

So, what are you waiting for?  Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, blogs and more await you. Don’t let the options overwhelm you, instead just choose one tactic to explore for now- and remember to have fun with it!

Have questions for Rita? Email rita@tangiblemarketing.com.  Get a copy of the Referral System How-To Guidebook for Dentists.

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