While orthodontist develop clinical skills in orthodontic school, the vast majority of orthodontist graduate with little knowledge of how to market or educate their patients on the services they offer. The commonly held notion that a good orthodontist doesn’t need to market is no longer valid in today’s marketplace. With an increasing number of general dentist offering braces, aligners, and veneers to straighten teeth, orthodontist in general need to market their practice and services more than ever!
Additionally, potential new patients are more aware of their choices than in the past. With internet access, patients can actively seek information to help them make decisions well before coming into the practice.
Creating a marketing game plan tailored to your individual practice, can capture patients awareness , stimulate interest, and positively impact your case acceptance . Successful practices know the needs of their market and strive to meet those expectations on levels.
Key # 1 : Assign a head marketing coordinator
I recommend hiring an outside source at least one day a week to promote the practices marketing needs. Otherwise, you could offer one of your own staff members the opportunity to head your marketing department. This position would require the employee to work extra hours outside of their normal work schedule. Many employees will value the extra hours offered to them.
Often times practices are closed on Fridays and using this day to accomplish marketing tasks is perfect! You can’t expect the staff to accomplish these task during regular business hours, if you do it will never happen! In addition, you want staff members to participate in this area because they want to not because they were asked too. By taking this approach you will find a significant increase in how well your over-all marketing efforts work.
Key # 2 : Establish a marketing budget for the practice
I recommended that most practices allocate a budget of 6% of the previous year’s total collection to marketing. For example, if a practice collected $ 500,000 last year, then the marketing budget for the next year would be 30,000 dollars. Take the 30,000 thousands dollars and divide it by 12 months which equals (2,500). This would be your budget per month for marketing. If your offices chooses to do direct mail marketing , radio commercials and or cable ads increase your budget to 10% of the previous years collections.
Often time’s practices never establish a budget or put aside money for this essential area of the business. I have found over the years that many orthodontist fall into the common scenario of “I’d like to market my practice but with the economy is on a sliding decline and my start rate is decreasing , I just don’t have the money to do it right now. “
There are many different ways to create the financial ability to do so. One way is to apply for a credit card and use this credit card for marketing expenditures only, paying it off in full each month just like all other bills. Another way is to take out a loan at the beginning of each year spreading the payments out over a twelve month period.
Orthodontic management Solutions work s with several companies that offer this financial aid to those practices wanting to participate in this type of funding. Having the funds available to market each month will create a continued awareness of your practice and the services you offer.
Key # 3 Define Your Practices Niche
Orthodontics is like any other product on the market. In order to gain and maintain awareness, you need to generate a perception or feeling in the minds of the potential patient that will set you apart from any of your competitors. Positioning your practice, can help you define your niche in the market.
If your practice promotes shorter -treatment time, fewer office visits, no head-gear , then this is your niche, market it! If your practice treats a lot of adults with esthetic appliances, focus on adult treatment , this is your niche, market it! If you have a high tech office that will convey quality through advanced technology, this is your niche, market it! If your practice is large or the fastest growing, promote it. Consumers often view this as you being the leader in the industry and will choose your practice over others for their needs. If you have a small practice , promote it. Focus on personalized service and relationships, this is your niche. What-ever your niche may be take the time to identify it and start to brand it.
Key # 4 Know your competition
Orthodontist should know who their five top competitors our in their area. They should know who they market too and what type of marketing campaign they offer. Example: Do they take doctors to lunch? Do they have office parties? Do they participate in school functions? Do they advertise with direct mail marketing? Do they practice using the same philosophies ? Understanding your competitors’ and their marketing campaign will help you differentiate yourself and ultimately increase your own identity in the market place.
Key # 5 Build Your marketing Campaign
When building a marketing campaign I recommend that you stay focused in three different areas: Internal marketing, external marketing and patient based referrals.
Internal marketing: The key to effective internal marketing is consistency. Having someone in charge of games, giveaways, contests and updating these areas monthly will ultimately generate “raving fans” which translates to higher conversion rates, loyal patients and increased referrals. Here are a few internal marketing ideas that can be implemented with in the office.
- Patient surveys for new patients, current patients , retention patients and those patients who declined treatment.
- Brochures, practice information packets, counter displays and posters
- Patient newsletters, follow up care calls, birthdays and accomplishment cards
- Deband celebration days
- Gifts to referring doctors and patients for referrals
- Having the doctor call and thank patients who referred someone to the practice daily .
- Acknowledging all patients as they enter the office
- Speaking consistency to patients regarding their treatment plan and progress.
- Having a coffee machine and snacks for patients
- Having a game area in the practice for younger and older kids.
- Giveaways and contests
External marketing: The key to an effective external marketing campaign is variety and sustainability. No one ad or brochure will make a difference. Your target must receive several impressions of your advertisement before you can create awareness and stimulate interest, so don’t engage in any marketing activity if you can’t sustain it for up to 6 months at a time. Make a game board for the staff, track your advertisements progress and keep the statics’ visible for all staff members. Here are a few marketing options for external marketing.
- Have lunch and learns with the GP’s on topics that are of interest to them : Laser, implants etc…
- Targeted direct mail marketing
- Web site and e-mail advertisement
- Print advertisement (local newspapers, magazines etc..)
- Local mass media advertising (radio/cable television, movie theater)
- Employee referral marketing
- Educational school workshops/ tours of your practice
Patient based Referrals: Taking the time to continue to educate your patients about why you are different and the services you offer will help promote your practice to their family and friends. Taking the time to train your staff on the meaning of ultimate customer service will also increase your referral base. Have weekly meetings in this area . Define customer service and what is expected from your employees regarding this area.
Example: Having the front desk trained to properly handle initial phone calls will create excitement about the practice and motivate patients to want to refer their family and friends. Having the office properly staffed so that patients do not sit on hold for long periods of time and are not waiting for their appointments at the front desk will create customer service. Having the treatment coordinator trained on all procedures that the doctors recommends in the exam rooms and how to present these treatment plans will educate the patients and only increase case acceptance. Having the staff in the clinic trained to speak to every parent about the produce that was done on their child that day will create an awareness of that patients individual needs. What-ever way your practice defines ultimate customer service, have weekly meetings to discuss this area, so everyone is on the same page regarding your practices goals.
Key #6 Measure your success The most important aspect of your marketing campaign is how well you are able to measure it’s success. Make it routine for your front office staff and treatment coordinator to ask how a prospective patient heard about your practice and record that information in using a tracking sheet. This way this information can be analyzed later for future campaigns. At the end of each quarter count the number of patients who have responded to each marketing activity and how many of those started. You may find that some of the activates that bring in the most calls also have a poor conversion rate, whereas others may not bring volume but have higher case acceptance.
For more information on subjects related to Management, Increasing Case Acceptance and or Marketing visit our webinar section of the website. We provide weekly webinars on many subjects as well as consulting services. orthodontic-consulting.com