Marketing for Dentists. Ways to dig deep for new customers.

I just left my Dentist following my annual check and clean and yes

she found some work to do, don’t you always.

Now my Dentist group is exceptional in marketing, they use a company out of
the United States and It costs them a bomb but they tell me it is well worth it.

They are a health fund preferred provider so they get a regular flow of traffic
from the Health funds which keeps them busy but they don’t stop there.

They use Facebook and Twitter as well as Newsletters and birthday greetings.

They engage in local sponsorship and community activities to show a responsible side.

Naturally, they SMS and confirm appointments and keep in contact.

We are looking at a surgery with 7 Dentists so they are not a small player and

have a constant need to keep new traffic coming in the door.

Their website gets a tick as well. It is a simple site but has the phone number well
placed above the fold, a few smiling and happy faces complete the picture. It is simple but tells a story.

They have great backlinks and Google + listing as well as using directories to target
customers

The whole ensemble has a great feeling and no one would hesitate to call them.

So what more could I offer them?

One missing link is a fixed inbound SMS number for client contact. The
use of SMS is so high among the mobile community that it provides a real low-cost
client focus that adds that one more bit of value. It also saves the staff a lot of time.
In chatting to the counter staff I mentioned a local business where we had installed
Inbound SMS and one of the staff said with excitement “I have used it, it is great”

I shall write a later blog on the success of this medium as we build the usage.

A large practice like this can pay the premium for outside support in new

customer delivery but it remains mostly outside the ability of the local dentist.

Or does it?

There is a lot that you can do yourself and with your daily staff.
Google + is a given and must do for any local business and is easy to set up.
Just log in and follow the directions, it is a free service.

Next local directories, just search Dentists and see what directories are available
and book yourself in. None of them will drive a lot of traffic but some of them will
send people to you and at no cost.

Website and SEO. Make sure you have a happy snap of smiles and address and phone number

above the fold or when you google the site,’ it is clearly visible.

Your website has really one main function and that is to attract new patients within your
capture area. These will include those moving into the area as well as the disenchanted that are
wanting to change Dentists.

A Facebook page is necessary but you must post to it regularly and certainly have

your main people listed on Linkedin.

Free stuff.

That’s all free stuff other than your time but now to spend a bit of money.

I would assume that you are sending reminders by email or SMS because it does limit the
no shows patients and is an absolute necessity.
One good money saver for the thrifty is to email your client and ask for a response. When you don’t get a reply then fire up the SMS. This starts about three days prior to the appointment so that you know they won’t forget.

Newsletters and birthday reminders. These will not generate traffic today but over time they
will build a client base that is loyal and bring in a complete family environment.
Cost depends on the volume of messages but between $40 and $60 a month. In fact, I can get you a couple of months free by clicking here.

You can also learn more on how to construct a newsletter here also at no charge as at this date.

The idea of the newsletter is to educate and create demand. I believe that you should have four main focuses with a newsletter.
1) Reduce the time between visits, Every six months is optimal.

2. Obtain everyone in the family as customers. So many of us have different Dentist choices.
3. Start them young and keep them coming.
4. Informing your clients on special products to create high-end sales.

You will obtain high-value opportunities over time with loyal customers that trust you and unless
you have a speciality it is hard to differentiate from the 50 or so competitors in a capture area.
Building your core of customers will provide the flow of big-ticket items along the journey.

Referrals an underused art.

 

One more area is that of referrals. This is used in many businesses and there is no reason it should not work in the Dental industry.
Offer an incentive to change for those family members that you do not see.

The risk of not doing this is to lose your client to another group.
To give away a free clean and check is a small price to pay for a long-term customer. Do up some vouchers and hand them out where you know other family members are not your client. Send them home his / hers tooth pack and an invitation to try out your service. If you don’t ask you don’t get.

Last if not least make them your friends. Most of us hate a Dental visit and I still find it a traumatic experience after my many years of care. The most important point is how I am made to feel as I walk out the door having suffered at the hands of a kind and caring Dentist.

Peter Hanley

Online training a must do!

I know many businesses that think online training is not for them.
Because you are a great mechanic or a great Hairdresser or a fabulous range of clothes, jewellery or even a service guy/ gal that’s good enough to get you by. People will just come and you can do your great work unworried because you are the One.

First of all, let me tell you-you’re wrong. Those great identities you see in businesses have become great because of good marketing.

Marketing that tells the capture area an intriguing story that makes them want to be with you due to some important point of difference.

Since there is a Mechanic in every suburb and possibly a few more how do you become the hero of this story and attract a crowd to your door?

Welcome the kingmaker, I will take you by the hand and show you ways to brand your business above the others, furthermore make you stand out and grow like crazy.

Let’s first look at what you do that is special. You might be a family mechanic, A cheap mechanic, a VW specialist, a dyno tune guy or even part of a franchise, but you must do something that has your signature written all over it.

It may well be location, a convenience thing, hence something that makes you stand out from the crowd. It might be a speciality or technology or even car brand.

This is really simple if you have a USP (unique selling proposition).

What do you do best, what is unique about your business, why do people come and see you?

Using Facebook in business.

The easy parts to start are a Facebook page and Linkedin page and there are lots of instructions to do this.

The hard part is regular posting to obtain a following and some likes and shares,  but one share can create business for you. It is not every day, but when you have a look at the business leaders they are all there plugging away.

A really good example of this was the recent USA elections where now President Trump used Facebook and Twitter to capture a market at a winning margin and at under half the cost of mainstream marketing. President Trump a businessman used solid business principles to gather his followers. The difference was that he used today’s media and not what worked in the past.

He also used Newsletters,  emails, SMS broadcasts and messaging as low-cost avenues to gather subscribers. Interestingly, his cost per action (voter) has been just over $5.00.

If you could get a new buyer at five bucks worth of marketing you could be a winner too.

In my courses at Newbusinessonline we provide instructions and ways to achieve this without breaking the bank.

Some great examples of online training

I know of one business that sent out 130 SMS messages at a cost of just  $26.00 and achieved new bookings of around 30 clients. What’s more, the Dollar return was near to $9000.
Another client sent out newsletters at $60 a month and has achieved nearly double the monthly sales.

My local Fish shop sends a regular email with specials. The latest was fish Tacos with chips. Now I am a regular takeaway Friday person and swap between Italian, Indian, Thai and occasionally Fish. I received the mail at 4 pm and was lined up with the others by 6.30 I had no intentions of doing this until prompted by a single email.

 

Ways to promote your business

In your business work out your customers and the best way to deliver a message and then target a need. I explain all of this in my courses on better business at New business online where we give you all the methods from idea right through to fulfilment

Think how grateful you will be when a simple, low-cost exercise delivers outstanding results and you my friend become the hero of the day.

If you are not using the best of the internet because you are uncertain or think it is too hard then let me take you by the hand and go step by step to a result. I will even throw in some free actions to get you going.

Where is it at?   Go to  www.newbusinessonline.net for your free journey.

Author
Peter Hanley

 

More