Want More Dental Patients? Use An Experienced Marketing Team.

When you open a dental practice, you also become a business owner.  Your plate gets very full, very fast.  Suddenly, you’re no longer just a dentist seeing and taking care of patients—you’re an employer, responsible for training and instructing employees; you’re a decision-maker, responsible for dental office design and determining an effective working order; and you’re also a marketer, developing your brand and promoting your new practice to the community.

For most new dental practice owners, the marketing side of business-ownership is the most daunting. Determining how your practice will best serve the community while generating a successful production income is a delicate balancing act.  

As we discussed in previous articles, you spent significant time and money becoming a doctor.  This what you trained to become and the career you chose for yourself.  Attempting to handle I.T. and advertising tasks on your own is not a productive use of your time and skills.  Unless you have previous experience in marketing, knowing where to start can seem like an enormous challenge.

Attempting to market and advertise your dental practice on your own WILL cause you stress.  Effective marketing and advertising is and art and a science.  It requires analyzing the data to determine which message attracted a new patient and tweaking the message to improve ROI (return on investment).  It may require completely scrapping a current campaign and creating a new approach to deliver the right message to attract new patients (customers).  Not only is this an additional task that will take you away from treating patients, you may become too emotionally invested into a campaign to be willing to change strategy.  

Remember, this is a business you are building—not your ego.  It may be in your best interest to step back from the creative and find a team that can professionally handle your marketing development and implementation. 

Getting help is not a sign of weakness, it’s an intelligent business decision that will payoff in the long run.

Five Reasons to Consider Experienced Marketing Professionals

1. It saves time: You WILL have your hands full when opening your own dental practice—when your marketing is most important. Taking advantage of marketing professionals who can tailor a multi-pronged marketing campaign to your removes a major headache from your to-do list and allows you to focus on the aspects of running a dental practice for which you are prepared.
2. It eliminates guesswork: Without previous marketing experience, you will feel like your marketing campaign is a big game of trial and error. Employing marketing professionals allows you to piggyback on their experience as they have already created methods that get results.  They can avoid known marketing pitfalls and adjust your message more quickly.
3. It gets results: There’s a reason marketing is its own industry—it’s a big job that requires an expert.  There is online marketing, direct marketing, branding, advertising and more.  You will face competition that has been marketing for many years.  A professional marketing team can help you create “shock-and-awe” in an environment where the marketing and advertising has been okay.
4. Eliminates distractions:  A new business will attract all types of companies vying for your advertising dollar.  You will be approached by salespeople from phone books (there are many publishers), card decks, flyers, newspapers, billboard, radio and television.  A marketing team can interface with these salespeople as your proxy—allowing you to spend more time with patients.
5. Maintains brand continuity:  The various advertising mediums can be great, but they will all tell you they have “people” who can design your creative “for free!”  Your message WILL become muddled by having different people handling your designs.  The pictures, fonts, and copy used in medium will differ from others.  The lack of brand consistency will work against your practice instead of working for it.

You can do your dental marketing on your own, but would you do your own electrical and plumbing for your new practice?  As a new new dental practice owner you need to minimize your risks.  A professional marketing team will help you develop the right message, the right brand, and the right campaign to attract your new patients.

You can read more helpful tips at jointherevo.blogspot.com.  Or contact our team at darrensomsen@gmail.com.

Dear Dentist, What Is Your Time Worth?

I once engaged in a conversation with a dentist who said he spent 3-hours a night trying to keep his patched-together computer network running. He had twelve used computers daisy-chained together running Windows XP and he said he struggled every day to keep the system from crashing. I asked him if he minored in Computer Science at dental school. Incredulously he replied, "Of course not!" So I asked why he was wasting his time trying to learn how to keep his system operating versus buying new equipment and hiring a professional to handle installation. 

His response, "Because I'm cheap." 

Assessing Your Time

This doctor made the mistake of failing to value his own time.  The average annual earnings of a general practice dentist is $175,000.  A traditional 40-hour per week job equals 2,080 hours per year.  This equates to an average hourly salary of $84.00, based upon a dentist working a full 40-hour week.  So why do dentists insist upon doing mundane tasks versus focusing upon production?  If the dentist’s response is indicative of the typical attitude, because they are cheap.  But are they?

The Cost of Your Team

An average small practice will have a receptionist, insurance/billing specialist, dental assistant, and a dental hygienist.  Some dentists may employ an office manager who doubles as the treatment coordinator.  What does this team cost?

•  Dental Assistant:  $15.00 per hour
•  Receptionist:  $12.00 per hour
• Insurance Specialist:  $15.00 per hour
•  Dental Hygienist:  $30.00 per hour

A traditional small-practice dentist may insist upon handling all the accounting, human resources, IT and office management while assigning employees to handle cleanings, sanitation, sterilization, answering phones, check-ins and inventory.

Valuing Your Time

The dentist in this example stated he was spending 15-hours a week fixing the office computers and network.  Aside from the risk he placed upon his practice when the computers fail and he loses practice data, he completely devalued his own time.  Fixing computers doesn't contribute to production or office income.

By reassigning the time the dentist spent on IT to production he could have been generating income while making himself more valuable to his patients.  Extending office hours by two-hours a day, a dentist can accommodate patients who cannot afford to take time off during traditional business hours.  The additional ten-hours per week could generate an additional $840.00 per week in individual income.  This equates to an additional $42,000.00 per year while reducing the hours spent after the office has closed by 50 hours.  A completely new computer network, with a server and back-up storage device, would cost about $15,000.00.

What is Your Team Worth?

Hiring a good practice manager to augment your dental office can ultimately increase your profitability.  This person would handle accounting, human resources, basic network maintenance, and treatment coordination.  Enhance your team and you will improve your practice.

Ultimately, being “cheap” will cost you profits.

For more information about owning a dental practice that comes with professional marketing and operational support, visit www.jointherevo.com.

Dental Advertising: What Are You Trying to Sell? Part Two

Every point of contact with the public is an opportunity to “sell” your business.  Whether you sell tires, hamburgers, carpet cleaning or dental service – you have to tell people who you are, what your sell, and why they should purchase it from you.

In a dental practice this means from your first point of advertising to the moment the patient walks out of your office they need to see your brand, hear your name, and “feel” your practice.  The feel of your practice refers back to our previous article Pitching the Practice (http://jointherevo.blogspot.com/2014/04/pitching-practice.html) and discusses making your dental team cheerleaders for your practice versus just employees.  This article will review advertising.

Your Advertising

Direct Mail remains a very effective way to reach your prospective audience.  But you cannot rely on a single mailing to miraculously double your new patients.  Unlike the offer for the new pizza restaurant, your prospects are not “hungry” all the time.  For a dental practice, you have several factors that will contribute to a successful advertising campaign:

• Does the prospect need your services at this time?
• Do they have a current dental provider?
• What services do you offer that are elective AND wallet-friendly?
• How much do your services cost?
• Why should they choose you?
• And, who ARE you?

You need to have your offer in front of the prospect when they need your services.  This is why a consistent advertising campaign is very important to your practice’s success.  In addition, you need to make your practice a household name.  When a prospect needs dental work, you need to make sure your practice is the first one they remember.  And if you’re not getting the response rate you want from your mailer, it may be your creative and your ad copy.  Let’s review an example and how it can be improved upon.

The Mailer

1.  The Header

“There’s a story behind every smile . . .,” could be a tagline for anything from cupcakes to a photography studio.  Nothing in the header tells your prospect this is for a dental practice or who sent it.  A simple change can make a huge difference.

                “There’s a story behind every Smith Dental smile . . .”

Simply adding the name of the practice focuses the narrative in the header.

2.  The Copy

“ . . . and everyone wants to have a smile they feel good about, no matter their age. [Sic] gender, profession, or circumstance.”

First, two paragraphs break the “10-words or less” rule of copy.  Unless you have a compelling story, keep it simple.

Second, the copy sounds like the opening of a speech.  There is not a call to action or a reason why there is a story behind every smile.  A better approach:

                “ . . . and that’s why we want to help you find yours again.”

 The second paragraph:

“Understanding that simple fact has allowed us to provide not only exceptional results, but a pleasing experience as well.”

This paragraph is unnecessary, but can be written to provide a more compelling reason to visit this practice.

“At Smith Dental, we respect your reason to improve your smile.  Whether you want to improve your career, are dating again, have an upcoming reunion, or simply want to feel better about yourself – we will give you excellent results.”

This copy gives the prospect pain points to consider even if they have not been thinking about dental work.  The suggestions may trigger the prospect to choose an elective dental procedure.

The third paragraph:

                “So whatever the story may be . . .”

This paragraph is simply unnecessary and does not add to the “conversation”.

3.  The Tag Line

“ . . . we’d like to be a part of yours”

This line is frighteningly passive, like a shy 8^th grader asking for a dance in junior high.  The tag line should be confident and assertive:

                “At Smith Dental, we will help you restore your smile.”

4.  The Image

The picture should tell a story about what you will receive at the dental practice.  The smiling dentist and his family is a well-staged photograph, but does not show an example of the services.  With a few small changes in layout this mailer could have shown two services, like professional teeth whitening or veneers, to support the header.  This was a missed opportunity to show results of making an appointment.

5.  The Identifier

This section had the name of the doctors larger than the contact information.  This was a missed opportunity to put a large contact telephone number and a call to action:

                “Make your appointment today.”

This may seem like a simple statement, but it tells the recipient what they should do if they want a restored smile.

Direct Mail Does Work

A direct mailer doesn't require printing 25k pieces at once – nor should a dentist do so to get “a better price”.  The value of direct mail is the ability to change your message and offer based upon impact and the needs of the practice.  The look and feel of the mailer should maintain a theme, but the offers and images should rotate in order to keep the mailer fresh.

Remember, if you’re not getting the response you want, it’s time to change the mailer.

For more information about owning your dental practice that comes with professional marketing and operational support, visit www.jointherevo.com.

#dentaladvertising  #dentalmarketing  #dentalpractice  #practicemanagement

Dental Advertising: What Are You Trying to Sell? Part One

I opened a direct mail envelope today.  You know the kind, fifty different advertisers on individual 3x9 slips of paper with offers from pizza to tire alignment.  As I was sorting the offers I encountered fourteen different dental practice advertisements.  Of the fourteen inserts, twelve included pictures of the dentist and their families.  As the pile grew with I saw they all had a similar format of color-coordinated, smiling, often outdoors, and shot by a professional photographer of the dentist,a smiling spouse, kids and family dog.  This is a trend most closely associated with dental advertising – and realtors.

So WHY is this so prevalent in dental advertising?  I have yet to see an advertisement for a local restaurant with a picture of the owner and his family.  Maybe the owner in a chef’s coat, but not the entire family.  The owner knows he’s selling his food, service and prices.  "Branding" the family will not help sell product.

Keys to Success

There are three primary keys to any business:

• Quality
• Price
• Service

A business' success relies upon offering two of the three items.  Customers will embrace higher prices if the quality and service are excellent.  They will accept “okay” quality of the price is lower and service is impeccable.  But in a dental practice, if the patient feels the service is poor, you will soon fail.

How Do You Sell Your Practice?

A business only has a few seconds to grab the attention of the consumer.  So it is critically important for the success of advertising to effectively set a hook before they lose interest and drop your mailing in the trash.  The above dental mailer example was professionally printed on nice cardstock and had a slick look, but it missed several key elements for success.

1.  The header – “There’s a story behind every smile…” doesn't really have a hook or tell the consumer what the product is.
2. The copy – There is nothing in the copy that says the advertisement is a dental practice or offering dental service.  Other than the name of the practice at the bottom (blurred as a courtesy), this piece does not state it is a dental practice.
3. Image – Over 60% of the advertisement is a photograph of a man, woman, and two color-coordinated children.  Nothing about the image states this is a dental practice or give a reason for the consumer to continue reading the mailer.
4. The tagline – “…we’d like to be a part of yours” is passive and not a call to action. 

Overall, this mailer could be for a number of businesses.  With the staging of the family and soft copy this could easily be an advertisement for a professional photographer. 

If this mailer was sent to 5,000 households it would need to attract 50 new patients, or a 1% rate of return, to provide a good ROI (return on investment).  Based upon the copy, layout and lack of a specific call-to-action, it is unlikely this advertising met the goal.

See us on Friday for Part Two of this article.

For more information about owning your dental practice that comes with professional support, visit www.jointherevo.com.

#dentaladvertising

The Trick to Hiring the Perfect Dental Office Manager for Your Practice

As with all things in business – there is no “trick”.  Hiring the right team members to help you create your office culture is a challenge.  They need to be efficient, helpful, friendly, skilled, and foremost – share your passion for helping patients and making your practice a success.  One of your key hires will be your office manager.  They will direct practice personnel, interact with patients, explain (and sell) treatment plans, manage P&L, and help you establish the “personality” of your dental practice.  A good office manager will let you focus on production, a great office manager will help you be a success.

So first, you need to know what kind of a practice YOU want to operate.  Your outline for patient care and practice success will set the tone for the type of team member you hire for office manager.  Your priorities will become their priorities.  If quickly answering the telephone in a friendly manner is not important to you, neither will it be for them.  If they perceive you don’t like treating lower-income patients, your office manager will reflect this to patients and staff.  Your bad day or off-hand comment will directly affect how your new office manager directs staff and the treatment of prospective patients.

This isn't intended to make you nervous or increase pressure, but to help determine the goals for your dental practice so you make hiring decisions that compliment your personality.  Here are a few tips to help you find a great office manager for your new practice.

Qualities to Look for in a Dental Office Manager

·         Organizational skills:  You need your office manager to be on top of ALL the paperwork and processes that keep your dental practice running great.

·         People skills:  A good office manager will not be afraid to make eye contact, small talk, and know how to make patients feel at ease.  They will be able to convey these skills to other team member by example and coaching.

·         Customer service experience:  Anyone who has worked with the public has handled a difficult customer.  A skilled team member will understand the adage, “The customer is NOT always right – but they are ALWAYS the customer.”  Hiring an office manager with experience in finding a positive resolution for unhappy customers will have the skills to redirect the ire of a dissatisfied patient.

·         Phone skills:  A strong, friendly, engaged individual on the telephone will set the tone for the patients’ perceived experience once they enter the practice.  A clear, well-spoken, and kind telephone personality will be the difference between prospects choosing your practice over another.

·         Sales:  With growing competition for dental patients, “sales” is no longer a dirty word.  Your office manager will likely also be your treatment coordinator.  This takes a personality who can clearly explain your notes and treatment plan to the patient.  They will listen, offer suggestions, and “sell” your suggestions to help the patient realize THEIR goals for an improved smile.

Interviewing and Hiring the RIGHT Practice Office Manager

Your office manager will have a more fluid job description than any other member of your team.  Unlike your dental hygienist or dental assistant, they right office manager may not specifically have training in a dental environment.  Due to this it is likely you will receive more applications with more diverse backgrounds for office manager than for any other position you need to fill.  This will give you more choices for right candidate, but will require more attention to the selection process.  Here are a few suggestions for making the right hire for office manager.

1.       Conduct the initial interview over the phone.  The best way to understand what your prospects and patients will encounter on the telephone is to hear how the candidate interacts with you on the phone.  Your impromptu questions will help you determine if the candidate is the right “voice” for your dental practice.  Trust your gut.  If you don’t hear what you’re looking for, move on.

2.       Ask for both professional and personal references.  Take references seriously.  The people for whom the candidate has worked and with whom they have worked are a good insight into how they will fit into your growing practice.

3.       Include scenarios in your final interview.  Use your personal experience to create events for the candidate to respond.  This will allow the candidate to demonstrate how they can handle a potential situation which can happen at your practice.  You top candidates will have good listening skills, will be able to understand the situation, and offer several options to correct this matter.  The right candidate will demonstrate they can “think on their feet”.

4.       Trust your instincts.  As we stated in item one, this may be your most reliable way to determine if you have a great candidate.  Your first impression will be your prospect and patients’ first impression.  If you are not impressed by the candidate’s demeanor and how they conduct themselves during the interview – move on.

Click here if you are interested in owning YOUR dental practice, or would like to download our free eBook, “The Profitability of Dentistry”.

#jointherevo, #practicemanagement, #dentalpractice, #dentalhiring

Dental Practice Management: Hiring Your Support Staff

One of the most exciting, and intimidating, aspects of opening your own dental practice is hiring your support staff. You will spend more time with your staff than you do with just about anyone else in your life, so taking the time to find the best fit for all parties involved is worth the effort.

In addition to hygienists and dental assistants, you’ll also need at least one Dental Concierge (receptionist) who make also be responsible for Accounts Payables/Accounts Receivables, supply orders and other duties. It may seem overwhelming when resumes and applications start rolling in, so here are a few tips to get you started with the process.

Five Things to Keep in Mind When Hiring Your Support Staff

1. Have clearly written job expectations. While responsibilities might shift as your practice grows, do your best to have as clear of expectations as possible when hiring your support staff. You want them to begin their new job with a firm idea of what their position entails. Having everyone on the same page from the get-go will make for an easier transition.
2. Think about the office dynamics. An office dynamic is always improved when the people working there get along, or at least have complementary personalities. With each new person you hire, ask yourself: can I see this person contributing positively to the office dynamic? Make sure you conduct thorough interviews to get a feel for how your new employees will function within your new dental practice.
3. Weigh experience with cost. While you want to hire the best candidates for your position, keep in mind the financial responsibility of taking on an employee. You might find that a younger, less seasoned individual may have lower salary expectations, but their experience may not be what YOUR practice needs. Do your best to strike a balance to find the right fit for your office and budget.
4. Conduct phone interviews. Your front-of-office Dental Concierge (receptionist) will be the first contact for all of your patients, whether calling on the phone or coming through the front door. In addition to meeting these candidates in person, conduct a phone interview to hear what your patients’ will hear. Ensuring that your future Dental Concierge (receptionist) has a dynamic phone personality is important for your patients’ overall experience and WILL directly the conversion of callers to patients.  In addition to being a pleasant conversationalist, you also want to make sure he or she uses proper grammar and has great manners to best represent your practice.
5. Be patient. Start the hiring process with enough time prior to your Grand Opening that you won’t feel rushed to make a quick decision. Finding the right support staff can take time and—while you don’t want to be too picky—you also don’t want to feel forced into choosing the wrong person due to a time crunch. Opening your own dental practice is stressful in and of itself, but the hiring process can also take a toll. Be patient and keep an open mind when it comes to finding your support staff.

Bonus Tip.  Not everyone you employ will be as enthusiastic as you about your new practice – but keep a keen eye out for those whom share your passion.  You may not be filling a “career” position, but you don’t want a team member who only looks at employment with your practice as a “job”.

Those of you who have hired support staff before: we’d love to see your best tips in the comments section below! Or, if you’ve just recently decided to open your own dental practice, download our free eBook “The Profitability of Dentistry” for more great tips.

#jointherevo, #practicemanagement, #dentalpracticestaff

Assuming the Sale: Increasing Patients in Your Dental Practice

Dentists should take a lesson from restaurants.  When a person enters a restaurant it can be assumed they are hungry and want to be fed.  They selected a specific restaurant due to menu options, entertainment, atmosphere and location.  Many of these factors are related to marketing and advertising, but once a patron is in the door – they want to be fed.

The waiter or waitress can take one of two approaches in how they serve the guest – take an order, or assume the sale.

Take an order:

“What can I get you?  A plain burger?  Can I bring you a glass of water?”

Assume the sale:

“Hi, I’m Angie!  Welcome to Sam & Ella’s.  Have you been in before?  Well, you’re in for a great meal.  My favorite is our Double Bacon Cheese Burger.  It’s a 6oz of ground sirloin and the kitchen cooks it to perfection.  I recommend a side of our Sweet Potato Fries.  They’re a little more, but go great with the burger.  Great!  We prepare them fresh, so it’ll take about ten minutes.  If you’re hungry, I recommend starting with our Jalapeño Cheddar Potato Poppers as an appetizer.  I can have them right out.  Can I start you out with a tall draft?  Excellent!  Give me just a minute and I’ll be right back.”

Angie could have simply brought the customer a burger and a glass of water, but instead, she recognized it was her sale to lose.  By making recommendations she doubled the sale and made the guest feel welcome.

What Does a Restaurant Have to Do With My Practice?

When a prospective patient calls your practice your staff needs to assume the sale.  People do not “browse” dental practices like a gift shop, they call because they need service.  Your staff needs to understand the caller WILL select a practice to perform a procedure.  Their job is to insure the caller selects YOUR practice.

Too often, dental practice team members get locked into their “title”.  “I’m just the receptionist.”  Or, “I’m just the hygienist.”  Neither comment is true.  As we discussed in our previous article, all members of the team need to “Pitch the Practice”.  The first person who “meets” the prospective patient will determine if they purchase from you – your receptionist, or “Practice Concierge”.

Why Practice Concierge?

Your receptionist is who the prospective patient perceives gets things done.  They provide answers regarding pricing, insurance and availability.  They are the person who can “get them in” when the patient is in pain.  So you need to empower them to actually make things happen instead of saying, “Let me check.”  Every second a prospect is on hold is an opportunity for them to hang-up and call another practice.

The telephone (and walk-in) greeting will set the tone for the remainder of the conversation.  Instead of, “Doctor’s Office”, the greeting should be:

“Hello.  Thank you for calling Dr. Smith’s office.  This is Angie.  How can I help you?”

This short greeting welcomes the prospect, thanks them for selecting your practice, identifies with whom they are speaking, and asks how your staff can be of assistance.  Patients will appreciate the greeting, and prospects will be made to feel they selected the right dental practice.

A prospect will ask one of three questions:  “Is the doctor taking new patients?”  “Do you have any appointments available right away?”  And, “How much does [procedure] cost?”  How much is important,

   

“Wisdom teeth cost $XXX per tooth.  I have a consultation appointment available with the doctor tomorrow at 10:30 in the morning.  He’ll take x-rays and perform an exam.  Can I schedule you for tomorrow?”

Instead of simply answering the question and allowing the prospect to call back, Angie understood if they are calling for a specific procedure they want it resolved.  She assumed the sale and booked the appointment.  Once a prospect is in the exam chair, they just became YOUR patient.  You now have the opportunity to cement the relationship.

An empowered “Practice Concierge” can assume the sale.  They have the flexibility to answer questions and work a prospect into the schedule.  They can “make it happen” for the prospect.  This lets the caller know the entire team wants to help them feel better.  

It tell them you are a doctor who cares.

For more information on how you can own YOUR own dental practice, visit www.JoinTheRevo.com