Dental Relationship Marketing

Posts Tagged ‘referral marketing expert’

Last week, the Rocky Mountain News closed its Colorado doors. As newspaper subscribers and advertisers continue to drop away, and additional newspapers fold, where do you think dentists will invest their advertising dollars?

Hopefully not in TV, with the use of DVRs, who watches commercials anymore? Note: I’m not even going to acknowledge the phonebook. My prediction is the internet and social media. Advertising and marketing is continuing to move in the direction of pull not push. Even the word pull sounds inappropriate… instead how about permission based, relationship focused, social and visible marketing where both personality and purpose matter.

The marketing of the future will allow patients to effectively “shop” a practice before their first visit. New patients will likely choose the most authentically appealing dentist they can find. Whether by word of mouth, referral or internet search, people will want to peruse research and literally see their potential new dentist online before committing to a first appointment.

They’ll want to see video of the doctor, hygienist and office décor. Patients will expect to get a feel for the personality of the practice to determine whether it is the best fit for them. Does this mean the days of going to see a doctor without knowing what to expect are gone?

Need dental marketing help? Email rita@tangiblemarketing.com or call (303) 807-3827.

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Remember when people were saying, “Someday every business will need a website”… or someday everyone will have a cell phone and email account?

Today, the new “must have” is a Facebook page. Are you on board yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Here are the statistics:

Growth

• More than 175 million active users
• More than half of Facebook users are outside of college
• The fastest growing demographic is those 30 years old and older

Engagement

• Average user has 120 friends on the site
• More than 3 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day (worldwide)
• More than 3.5 million users become fans of Pages each day

If you haven’t yet embraced Facebook then you probably don’t know that other dentists, health care practices and even hospitals are getting established as we speak. The cost is free, plus your time or a team members time to maintain.

Set up a page, post photos, practice events, etc. Show some personality; however be sure to keep your postings and content consistent with your practice philosophy or brand.

Need help with referral marketing?  Email rita@tangiblemarketing.com or call Rita (303) 807-3827. Oh, and look me up on Facebook!

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Good or bad economy, small or large team, old or new practice… Here are a few great marketing techniques that never go out of style. First, marketing should be segmented into two categories, basic and advanced.

Start with the basics first. You wouldn’t consider enrolling in a Level II foreign language class without first learning the basics- marketing is the same. If you move right into advanced marketing without mastering the basics you risk wasting both time and money. Here are a few basics. I’ll cover advanced topics in a future blog post.

1) Referral Programs- implement systemized programs that are easy to manage. The key here, as with most marketing is consistency… Ask for referrals regularly, verbally and in writing. Note: Practices likely to get the most referrals provide top notch client care (notice I didn’t say top notch dentistry, because it’s not about the dentistry).

2) Keep in Touch- communicate with patients on a regular basis (quarterly at minimum). Quality of content counts, good communication vehicles include emails, hardcopy newsletters, phone calls, thank you notes, events, etc.

3) Office Environment- observe your office and see what it REALLY looks like. We can become numb to our environment when we practically live in it. Has your office become cluttered? Do you have chipped paint, dirty chairs or stained ceiling tiles? All of this directly impacts your bottom line.

4) Case Acceptance – if you aren’t already, get intimate with your numbers. Know exactly how many cases you present each month and how much treatment is accepted. Once you know where you are, you can determine if you are in need of a case acceptance tune up- or praise yourself for how well you are doing.

More marketing tips that consistently deliver… to be continued. Check back soon!  Need help in the meantime email rita@tangiblemarketing.com.

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If you’re like most dentists today you’re probably wondering how you can get more quality new patients without having to invest thousands of dollars. In one of my most popular blog posts “Recession Marketing for Dentists, What’s Hot & What’s Not” I shared the following recommendation:

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.

But don’t just take my word for the uberpower of word-of-mouth marketing. Here are a few of my favorite experts, dental marketing gurus, thought leaders and a few non-dental related quotes to help inspire and motivate you today:

Have comments to share, questions to ask or need dental marketing help? Call Rita at (303) 807-3827.

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The correct answer is both mediums used together is best. Why? You might ask, “With so many marketing companies now offering e-newsletters, isn’t digital the best option?” The answer is no, for several reasons. Digital or e-communication (as much as I love it) cannot yet completely replace all the benefits of hardcopy.

Tangible newsletters allow people to experience news in a much different way than e-communication. Most importantly, hardcopies allow us to get away with longer articles, more photos and richer content than digital formats.

There is just something more sincere and warm about holding a tangible note, card or letter in your hands rather than scanning it on a screen… For similar reasons, highly personalized hardcopy newsletters are still key relationship and trust building tools.

At the end of the day, you want to be sure your patients have seen and absorbed all you have to convey. Ensure your marketing communication is achieving every important objective by including both email and hardcopy news in your 2009 marketing plan.

Need help with dental newsletters for yourself or your practice? Email rita@tangiblemarketing.com or call Rita (303) 807-3827.

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Convert your website visitors into patient appointments and referrals… LinkboxTM is a website add-on that provides valuable marketing tools to any existing website. LinkBoxTM encourages website visitors to contact your practice, as well as refer friends. And because it’s a stand-alone product, LinkBoxTM doesn’t integrate with your current practice management systems in any way – so it’s simple to set up and start using right away.

I especially like the way the product opens the door for dialogue. Consumers today have become so accustomed to sharing their thoughts, opinions and requests through their computer keyboards… This tool gives potential new patients one more way to explore you, and gives existing patients one more way to refer you.

Watch a demo and learn more about their terrific no-risk 30 day trial here.

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“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas A. Edison

Many dentists today realize the value of “wowing” patients during their standard two office visits per year; however few appreciate the value of connecting with patients throughout the year.

If you look to the specialists of dentistry, the oral surgeons, periodontists and orthodontists, you’d likely see examples of good relationship marketing (staying in touch with general dentists) throughout the year. If not, they’d likely not be able to maintain good communication, strong relationships or most importantly receive referrals from you. If you didn’t hear from the specialist more than twice a year, a general dentist might wonder if they are sending the wrong type of referral, if the specialist has become too busy, or perhaps wonder if they just don’t need – or want- your referrals any more. The same is true with patients of the general dentist…

Yes, staying in touch with patients throughout the year is work- it requires time, effort and investment. However the benefit you receive is increased referrals because patients:

Feel they have a relationship with you.
Sense you care.
Know you still want their business.
Believe you welcome their referrals.

How do you take advantage of referral marketing opportunities?

Are you looking for an effective way to stay in touch with your patients? Want friendly, authentic and proven marketing? Contact rita@tangiblemarketing.com to learn about our patient newsletter programs and keep your patients loyal, motivated for treatment and regularly referring.

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1. NEWSLETTERS – Quality not quantity is the key. Don’t put off sending out a newsletter because you think it has to be four tedious pages long. The most important elements are to be consistent, interesting, and unique-to-your-practice.

2. REFERRAL PROGRAMS – Make sure you have a turn-key system in place. Be sure to say thank you for each and every referral and consider rewards or incentives when appropriate.

3. CHASES CALENDAR OF EVENTS – Reference this book and find ideas to celebrate any meaningful day of the year with your patients.

4. EMAILS – Send out e-news, greeting card, special offer, promotion, announcement or invitation.

5. CONTESTS – This can be something patients actively enter to win, or are automatically entered into when they refer, elect to receive your emails or complete surveys.

6. POSTCARDS – Get creative! Personalize a custom postcard with a team photo or use a non-dental related theme to get more attention.

7. SPECIAL EVENTS – Picnics, barbecues, pumpkin patch hunts or patient appreciation open-house parties.

Finding effective referral marketing activities doesn’t mean you have to re-invent the wheel or bust your marketing budget. If you forgot to plan, simply choose a few tactics you can implement today.

Want to know more? Get your complete Referral Marketing System How-To Guidebook now.

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