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Friday, September 27, 2013

Attracting New Patients Effectively – With Patience. (Part 2)

Tune up your marketing “engine”

Proactive marketing is much like a professional series car race: the race is not won or lost on the first lap. The race starts, and the car is fundamentally sound. It has four tires, a sleek frame, an engine that runs, and a driver who knows how to get around the track in a hurry. The most successful race teams are the ones that have the right approach, are consistent with their approach, and also make the needed adjustments along the way. We need to consider the competitive world of dentistry as a car race. The race is fast and the competition is fierce - and marketing is the engine that fuels your racing car to fly. The better tuned your engine, the faster you will get around the first lap, and the more competitive you will be for the long run ahead.

Your marketing “engine” has five main elements you need to manage and direct, while also ensuring they are integrated and mesh well together to achieve better overall performance. The five “gears” are as follows:

1. Your brand / practice identity: Don’t kid yourself - your practice name and your office logo are the first thing to project your image of a progressive-minded practice.

2. Your internet presence: Your advertising is what sparks interest or an idea to consider you. Your website and social media presence is what reinforces your credibility and provides a first taste of office atmosphere and patient experience.

3. Patient communication: Ask yourself this question: “On a scale of one to ten, how aware are my patients of the scope of treatment and services available at my practice?”

4. External marketing: Do the people living around your dental practice even know that you exist at all? Let alone the great patient experience they can expect upon joining your practice?

5. Your team: Are you making the most of your team meetings? The better you communicate with your business goals and marketing approach, the better your group can support your efforts.

Just like you expect a professional accountant to help you manage the big picture of your practice finances, you should expect a professional marketing company to help you manage the big picture of where you are going with your practice. Regardless of the stage of your practice, developing a marketing plan and a brand vision are key to long-term growth. Many practices can make the mistake of focusing too much on the details of a specific campaign or communication piece, without taking into account the long-term brand and marketing plan. The key to success and growth? Patience. Because the more committed you are to long-term marketing, the more opportunities you’ll get to be “top of mind” with potential patients. Choose patience – for more patients.

Bottom Line: This article advocates a long-term marketing strategy and promotes the message that… ‘patience’ is necessary to attract new ‘patients’.


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