Have you noticed that in the past few years more and more dental practices are popping up?
It used to be quite easy to attract patients simply because there used to be more patients than practices.
But now, the competition is fierce. Dental practices need to sharpen up their marketing skills if they want to continue to keep a steady patient flow.
There’s not much you can do to reduce the number of competing practices, but you can add a few savvy systems and strategies to ensure your appointment books remain full.
Build Strong Relationships
Your biggest advantage right now is that dental practices are built on relationships. Your patients are people who have come to you for help because they believe that you care about restoring and maintaining their dental health. And they clearly trust you enough to let you poke around in their mouths…
So really, your marketing starts by having a “fireside chat” to bond with and find out more about your patient in as little time as possible.
Initially, when you do this you want to find out their complaint, dental history and dental aspirations. You also want to gather as much personal information as you can.
Why?
Because you can use this information to build rapport. If they tell you about their grandchildren, you can inquire about them next time.
Remember, it’s the little things that count.
Build Patient Loyalty And Trust
One of the most important factors affecting patient loyalty is trust. Trust is at the heart of every relationship we have, whether it is personal or professional.
Trust comes down to three broad groups: Ability, Behaviour and Character – the ABCs of trust.
If your patients have chosen your practice amongst all the others out there then they clearly believe you have the ability to take care of their dental health. But a bit of social proof never hurts, so don’t be afraid to toot your own horn by making the most of reviews, industry awards, local small business awards, and anything else that lends credibility to your skills.
If your patients doubt your ability, the relationship more or less ends there.
When it comes to behaviour, our deeds must match our words. We need to be congruent with what we say and what we do. Your behaviour needs to reflect your practice’s values, the way you market yourself, the promises and guarantees you make to patients, and the branding you promote.
And finally, you need to build a character you can be proud of. Your character is built on credibility and integrity, and a large part of this is going to shine through in your personal interactions with patients. How do you put them at ease? How do you make them feel valued and listened to? How do you live up to, or exceed your reputation?
Build Value
At the end of the day, you need to be able to create and provide value to your patients. People don’t stay with a business for very long if they feel they’re not getting good value.
By giving your patients the greatest amount of value possible, you position yourself as an expert and trusted advisor.
Patients will listen to your recommendations and make their dental health a priority, come back more often, accept more treatment, and refer family and friends.
But you need to build value at every stage of their journey with you.
Talk with your patients about what the treatment will entail and why it’s important before the appointment. During the treatment, explain what you’re doing at every step and then, debrief them afterwards.
When the patient is at reception, debrief the receptionist on what you have done and why – this is for the patient’s benefit.
Now these are some excellent strategies to help nurture the relationships you have with patients, build a reputation in the community that lets you stand out, and even increase your chances of referrals.
But the real magic of patient flow comes with marketing – and not enough dentists know how to do that effectively.
We spend years in school honing and perfecting our clinical skills, but learn nothing about the realities of running a business or a thriving dental practice.
How can we be expected to master marketing and sales without any education or training?!
If your practice is falling short when it comes to marketing (as many are), then I don’t want you to feel doomed or dismayed.
You’re doing the best you can. And with the right know-how, your marketing could absolutely skyrocket your patient flow!
If you’re ready to upgrade your marketing systems and attract patients like a magnet, then it’s crucial you book in for a Practice Growth Call. We can have a chat about where your practice is at now, where you’d like to be, and what needs to be done to bridge that gap.
Be sure to schedule yours in today, and get on the road to effortless patient flow.
