Dental Practice Marketing & Advertising

Dental Marketing

Marketing is promoting your dental practice for its success.Your practice philosophy should be something that reflects the type of dentistry you want to provide to all your patients. What you may have to change, however, is the way you "market" your practice based on the diverse dynamics of your surroundings.

This section presents a range of tools to implement your marketing strategy and meet your specific objectives, organised around five headings. Choose the ones that best support your practice objectives.

Creating an identity - The process of translating your image into a visual, tangible representation is called "creating an identity." These representations should be integrated into all aspects of your marketing communications. The following activities are to help create your identity:

• Develop a practice brochure. Make sure the brochure addresses the benefits of your practice not just the features. Distribute the brochure as often as possible.
• Provide current reading material in your reception room. Use reading material to portray your image and your patient interests.
• Develop a patient newsletter. Send a practice newsletter to all active patients at least once per quarter. Newsletters and brochures can also be sent to local establishments that cater to the types of patients you would like to attract to your practice.
• Create stickers that say "Compliments of .. " Put these stickers on toothbrushes, toothpaste or other appropriate give- away item. The words "Compliments of ... " help the patient feel a special bond with the giver.
• Develop a practice logo that projects your image is easy to identify and remember. Use your logo consistently on all practice stationery, office signs, brochures, business cards, etc.
• Print patient education information, such as instructions for handling a dental emergency, on the back of your business cards. It can help make your patients feel confident that their dental needs can be addressed if an emergency arises.
• Provide a "smile" book or digital photo frame with running slides in your reception room so patients can see what services are available. Upon viewing the photos, patients may be more likely to discuss cosmetic procedures.
• Place a biography of each staff member on a bulletin board in your reception room. It allows patients to "meet" the staff before the actual visit.

Building Patient Relationship - Excellent patient relationships help ensure that your patients talk about you and your practice positively. This could lead to increased patient referrals and recommendations. The best way to help build relationships is by providing both expert dental work and personalized service. Listed below are some ideas to help build patient relationships:

• Be on time.
• Take clinical photographs of the patient's teeth and let them see for themselves what their dental needs are. Then upon completion of the case take photos again to show patients the treatment results.
• Sometimes offer complimentary cleaning to your regular patients.
• Follow-up with all your referral sources after a patient visits. One of the most important aspects in a referring relationship is a quick report back to the referring professional.
• Track your referral sources. Tracking referral sources tells you who is sending patients your way so you will be sure to maintain these relationships. It will also tell you who has stopped or reduced referrals so you can work to rebuild these relationships if necessary.
• Make new patients feel special. When a new patient comes to the office, make sure they are introduced to all the staff and offered a tour of your office.

Connecting with your Community - Efforts and participation in community events can generate visibility for you and your practice. Follow-up are activities that will allow you to connect with your community:

• Volunteer to speak about relevant dental topics before community groups, College groups, neighbourhood associations, etc
• Introduce yourself to local pharmacists, paediatricians, physicians and other community healthcare providers. Be sure to give them business cards and your practice brochures.
• Participate in local health camps. Offer oral exams or other services to participants. Distribute practice brochures, and business cards.
• Send introductory letters and practice brochures to apartment owners and realtors in your area.You may also want to arrange personal meetings with these people when appropriate.

Accessing the local media - Exposure in local print, radio and television is another way to build awareness about dentistry. The media is primarily accessed by publicity and paid advertising. It is important that you understand the distinction between publicity and advertising as you begin to implement your marketing tactics. Publicity is typically characterized as non-paid exposure, while advertising consists of paid messages. An effective ongoing publicity efforts will increase your practice's visibility among current and prospective patients, as well as with potential referral sources. Accessing the media can include the following activities:

• Ask patients what local publications they read. This will give you an idea of good places to feature ads for your practice.
• Place an advertisement in your local yellow pages.

Communication Skills - Regardless of the size of your practice or specialty, communication skills are essential to your marketing plan. Why? Because patients place a high priority on the emotional aspects of the care you provide. Here are some aspects to keep in mind when you interact with patients.

• Interpersonal Skills
  • Each patient will perceive your words and communication style differently. Try to tailor your style to suit individual patient needs.
  • Understanding must not be assumed, it must be worked for.
• Listening Skills
  • Will deveiop over time.
  • Make the environment conducive to listening.
  • Be careful of complex or vague topics, and your emotional reactions to the patient or the subject matter.
  • Don't interrupt.
  • Don't plan your answer while the patient is talking.
  • Concentrate. Keep the patient as the focus of your attention.
  • Use encouraging language.
  • Ask for clarification when you are not sure you understand the patient.
  • Paraphrase what the patient has told you to double- check your understanding.

• Speaking Skills
  • Prepare yourself. Record brief notes of each patient's visit, then review the file before the next visit.
  • Use specific terms.
  • Whenever possible, use the patient's language when communicating complex terms or procedures.
  • Explain instruments and procedures.
  • discuss the benefits of treatment.
  • Use as many communication tools as possible (charts, photos, etc.)
  • Communicate one idea at a time.
  • Use analogies and examples.

• Non-verbal Skills
  • Your patients can read more meaning from your non- verbal communication than from the words you use.
  • Non-verbal communication expresses feelings and attitudes, so be sure your body language makes you seem open and approachable.

We at IDA have provided you with some fundamental information needed to develop a marketing plan for your practice. Now its up to you to make the best use of this information to improve your practice.