The Secret to More Patients
Amongst dentists, marketing is a subjective issue. Every dentist has his or her own distinctive style. Certain professionals prefer conventional marketing. Others opt for the automated possibilities that technology has to offer. And some blend the traditional with the innovative. While there is not one panacea for managing a thriving dental practice, results are only as effective as the number of patients they produce.
A Case Study for Marketable Results
Reviewing two similar dental offices, which practice achieves the best marketing results?
Dr. Wise and Dr. Downing manage dental practices just three blocks away from each other. Their practices are nearly identical. Both have 10 years of clinical experience, use state-of-the-art equipment and offer equivalent pricing.
Where the two dental offices differ is in their respective marketing approaches. Dr. Downing pays for advertising using a bevy of expensive directories and publications. Dr. Wise relies primarily on patient referrals and one promotional product to market his practice, a magnet.
Dr. Downing spends tens of thousands of dollars per year on marketing. He has a big Yellow Pages ad, is listed with 1-800-DENTIST and advertises periodically in the local newspaper. When patients visit his office, Dr. Downing exudes amicable, professional dental care. Once a year, he sends each patient a reminder postcard. Dr. Downing interacts with his patient three times:
* Patient appointment
* The office visit
* Reminder card
Dr. Wise allots less than $10,000 annually to marketing his practice. Rather than invest more money in expensive advertising, Dr. Wise's marketing strategy involves perpetual persistence:
* When the patient sets the first appointment, Dr. Wise's office follows up the call to get the information needed to complete the new-patient questionnaire in advance.
* Next, a patient orientation package is mailed along with a copy of the completed medical questionnaire.
* Four days prior to the new patient's appointment, Dr. Wise leaves a personal voicemail reminder.
* Upon the conclusion of the office visit, the patient receives, Dr. Wise's signature gift box, filled with the following items: a toothbrush, spool of floss, travel-size tooth paste and a toothbrush clip-magnet.
* Following the dental appointment, Dr. Wise's office thanks the patient for their visit and includes a survey.
* When patients refer his services, Dr. Wise rewards patients for making the recommendation by sending them a gift.
Doctor Wise interacts with his patients six times. That's three more contacts than Dr. Downing employs.
Which dentist procures the most new patients?
Which marketing strategy returns the highest return on investment? Who do you think loses fewer patients? Despite Dr. Wise's lower-cost marketing strategy, his patient base outnumbers Dr. Downing's. From patient retention and a higher return on investment, to the procurement of the most new patients, Dr. Wise's perpetual persistence reigns supreme. In fact, last year, he acquired three times as many new patients as Dr. Downing.
Interaction, Interaction, Interaction.
While Dr. Downing makes contact three times, the patient interactions are not any different from the support or encounters experienced with other dental practices.
And despite the seemingly excessive interactions between Dr. Wise's office and his patients, it pays off in the end.
Here's how and why:
Doctor Wise's perpetual persistence approach conjures trust, loyalty and showcases exceptional patient support. Each interaction demonstrates a commitment to exceptional service:
Interaction #1 - The Medical Questionnaire
By surveying patients, Dr. Wise learned that most patients prefer to complete their paperwork at home. Many perceive the form as "too time consuming" to complete during the visit. To improve patient satisfaction, Dr. Wise has office personnel complete patient's medical questionnaires by phone.
Interaction #2 - The Patient Orientation Package
Dr. Wise mails an orientation package to welcome new patients. The kit features useful dental information accompanied by a copy of their completed medical questionnaire. The completed form gives the new patient a chance to add or amend any information. The patient orientation kit instills patient trust that Dr. Wise's office is professional and devoted to quality dental care. Since the practice started mailing new patient packets, the number of appointment cancellations has been reduced substantially.
Interaction #3 - The Personal Appointment Reminder
When Dr. Wise's office leaves the appointment reminder message, it demonstrates a commitment to reliable dental care.
Interaction #4 - Distinctive, Branded Giveaways
To distinguish his practice from other dental offices, Dr. Wise equips new patients with a gift box opposed to a gift bag. By using a different encasement for the dental supplies, Dr. Wise's giveaways brand and set his practice apart from the competition.
Interaction #5 - The Appreciation Communique
As a follow-up to the patient's appointment, Dr. Wise uses the appreciation letter as a form of market research. The letter requests that the new patient provide feedback on their experience so they can receive even better service in the future. The thank you note again exemplifies Dr. Wise's devotion to customer excellence and supports the exceptional patient experience.
Interaction #6 - The Referral Reward
At Dr. Wise's office, referring patients receive a $5 Gift card from Starbuck's Coffee. However patients who provide on-going regular referrals or those who refer large cases get specials gifts - anything from a nice pen or travel alarm clock to a new iPod. You might think this is excessive, but gifts like this are more than paid for by a single additional referral. What's more is that each time the patient uses one of these gifts, they are reminded of what a great dentist he is. Rewarding existing clients for making patient referrals conveys an appreciation for patient loyalty and inspires future referrals. Not to mention, maintaining patient allegiance is as important as cultivating new customers.
At the end of the day, Dr. Wise wows and dazzles new patients with attentive customer service. It's not because he doles out nifty gift boxes and gift certificates. It's the exceptional patient experience. Aside from extraction, cosmetic procedure or other dental services, it's the cumulative patient contact or interaction that provides the patient experience.
Perpetual persistence is the tool and strategy multi-millionaires apply. Ask any uniquely successful individual the secret to their success, and they will purport perpetual persistence among their keys to success. At least, it's what Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates claim. Whether it's the persistence of knocking on doors for new business or perpetually following a proven market strategy, this strategy provides dependable, consistent results.
Perpetual persistence is a marketing methodology that not only cultivates new patient relationships; it ensures the retention of new patients. How will you implement it in you practice?
About the Author
Al Lipper is a master business coach, university instructor and dental business consultant. He is CEO of Dental Success Consulting.
www.DentalSuccessConsulting.com
fcoach@DentalSuccessConsulting.com
Article source http://w4rum.com/2824.t
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