Should Dentists Use Patient Testimonials in Marketing?

According to NeilsenWire, 90% of people trust their friends’ recommendations for services and products. A shocking 70% of Americans trust recommendations they find online from people they may not even know. There are plenty of places to find recommendations online: YouTube, Yelp!, Twitter, Facebook, Google Places, DemandForce… the list goes on and on. These patient opinions on the Internet are indexed by search engines so that anyone can find them – and there’s not a thing you can do about it.

Positive testimonials are great, and in fact, today more than ever, dentists across the nation use testimonials in marketing. But are they supposed to?

I was recently asked this question by a client, and he mentioned that he’d heard some chatter on the issue lately. When I first began copywriting for dentists, writing websites and blogs years ago, one of the most important topics I investigated was the ADA’s guidelines for dental advertising, marketing, and promotions. In my career, I’ve seen a handful of dentists receive a letter from their state dental board stating that particular language or references must be taken off the dental practice website within 10 days. Now, I’ve never seen a dentist actually have his license suspended for an infraction, but it could happen. If you don’t want to get a warning from your state dental board, there are a few things you need to do.

First of all, contact your state dental board or go online and find the bylaws that address marketing and promotions. Most states adhere to the ADA’s guidelines, but some have added stipulations. For instance, in California, dentists cannot use the term “sleep dentistry.” Ohio, Georgia, and Texas are also known to have guidelines that extend beyond the ADA’s mandates.

When it comes to testimonials, all dentists should be very aware that they cannot: Read More

10 Easy Ways to Make Your Dental Team Smile

Today’s guest blogger is Cathy Warschaw of www.WarschawLearningInstitute.com. Thanks, Cathy!

There is a direct link between job satisfaction rates and whether or not employees feel they are recognized or rewarded for their performance. When employees feel their hard work goes unnoticed, they can become disgruntled, frustrated and dissatisfied. This can spill over into how they treat patients and one another. Yet recognizing performance does not have to be a cumbersome or difficult task. In fact, small gestures can go a long way towards making employees feel valued and increasing the morale of an entire team.

And when the happiness quotient in your practice rises, it can have a positive impact on customer service, which enables your patients to feel more relaxed and at ease during their visits. Plus, it can elevate the entire mood of the office, making it a far more pleasant environment for patients and practitioners alike.

Here are 10 quick and easy ways you can make your dental team members smile. Best of all, none of them involves any great expense!

  1. Say a simple Thanks! A clear and genuine word of gratitude to praise a specific act can be one of the easiest ways to make an employee feel their hard work is well worth the effort. Read More

Investing in People is Investing in Business

What’s more precious, money or time? The correct answer is both. When Jill and I founded Modern Dental Practice Marketing, we decided that we would invest in people as part of our business. First, I’ll tell you what we’re doing and what we’ve learned, then I’ll give you some practical ways to get involved with– and get new patients from– your community.

MDPM is a proud sponsor of the North Texas Hispanic Dental Association, a local branch of the Hispanic Dental Association. We built and maintain the NTHDA blog, Facebook page, and newsletter. In addition, we volunteered at the NTHDA’s booth at the Southwest Dental Conference, and just last weekend, we lent a hand at Give Kids a Smile. The NTHDA is made up of a wonderful, dedicated, and very generous group of dental professionals who value people above all else.

MDPM is also involved with the North Texas Dental Association. Throughout 2011, we will publish the NTDA quarterly newsletters. We work with the North Texas Latin American Physicians Association and will soon become active in the American Academy Oral Systemic Health. Jill is looking forward to being on the board and membership committees of various philanthropic dental organizations this year, as well.

Sure, being a part of these organizations makes us feel great. We love helping people! It’s also a great investment in our business. We’re networking and building relationships with like-minded professionals who also value philanthropy.

What does this have to do with YOU? Well, let me ask you, how involved are you with your community? Sponsoring a sports team is great, but unless you go to the games and let the team (and fans) know who you are, it’s not a great investment. In this way, time is just as important as money.

There are essential marketing services you need, and your time is not required for these: website, blog, newsletter, print ads, radio, TV, etc. However, we are in Generation G, and you need to get on board. Gone are the days of writing a donation check and getting a good return in the office. Today, you have to engage, get involved, show your generosity in more ways than offering cold, hard cash.

I’ve spoken to many dentists who take on a charity dental case, but don’t advertise it. They’re afraid they’ll be inundated with people wanting free dentistry. And it can happen! Some dentists are involved in their church, but don’t allow that side of their life to cross over into their dental office. Letting people know about your generosity and volunteering should be done deliberately, but in the right way. It takes a seasoned dental marketing professional to spin it in the right way.

There is nothing wrong with being involved in the community in the name of your business. Generation G is defined by a generation of consumers who want to do business with companies that are giving and generous. If your nature is to be giving and generous, you’re one step ahead.

I want to give you a few examples of engaging with your community through giving. Read More

How to Design a Profitable Dental Practice Marketing Strategy & Effective Campaigns

You know you need a blog, a website, a Facebook page; and you probably know that you should have a newsletter and email blast campaigns, host local events, and participate in local sponsorship opportunities. You might also advertise in the newspaper or in magazines, submit press releases, or send direct mail.

Question is, which of these is profitable?
What’s the key to getting new patients,
closing bigger cases, and earning more profit?

First of all, determine what’s lucrative. Don’t keep investing in marketing projects that have little or no return. And, don’t let anyone tell you that something does not work. While I truly believe that phone book advertising is useless for most dentists, some practitioners in small communities may still see new business from a yellow pages advertisement. Likewise, newspapers across the country are filing bankruptcy, yet I still see quite a few dentists, usually those that cater to people 55 and older, who see new patients as a direct result of regular newspaper advertising.

Measuring return on investment, or ROI, can be difficult unless you ask all new patients how they heard about you, then log the information for future reference. The best way to accomplish this is by giving your front office team the tools and training to ask for and accurately record “How did you hear about us?” responses. Your records must reflect ALL new patients, and they must be maintained year after year to truly measure responses. I’ve seen new clients call businesses as a direct response to an ad that was placed over a year before. Read More

The Essential Art of Self Branding for Dentists

What is self branding? Well, it’s just what it sounds like: branding yourself.

Why do I need to brand myself? That completely depends on what you want out of your future. Some common reasons for self branding are:

  • You’re an associate dentist or partner who will go into private practice at some point.
  • You hope to become a speaker, consultant, author, or celebrity.
  • You want a personal following in case you move your practice to a new location.
  • You are a dental student who will practice with a group, as an assistant, or independently.
  • You are a professional and deserve a professional identity. Your skills are transferable, but make sure that your name is transferable, as well.

All too often, we see partnerships dissolve. Dentists who worked under a practice name move on to establish a private practice of a new name, and they have no history of publicity. No one knows who they are. Imagine being in this situation, but having 400 Facebook fans and 1000 hits on your blog each month. Now that would give you a great place to start.

It’s about being smart and staying ahead of the game. Read More

Do All Dental Website Companies Have Bad Service?

Not all do. Many, but not all.

What is bad service from a web company? It’s pretty much anything they do to frustrate, irritate, or anger you. The most common complaints are:

  • No one will return my call
  • No one will answer their phone when I call
  • No one will return my email
  • They only answer the phone when I’m working and can’t call
  • I get transferred from person to person and no one can help me
  • My requests take forever to get fulfilled, and sometimes they are never done
  • My requests are done wrong
  • People are rude on the phone
  • People get too technical and I just want my website stuff done
  • People make excuses about why something isn’t done or takes too long
  • People complain about their job, being overloaded, having too much work
  • The person in customer service has no idea what I’m asking
  • I’m getting the runaround
  • They’re rude to my employees
  • I’m overcharged and under-served

I feel your pain. I have actually worked with business owners and employees that say things like, “I’m not calling him back,” “I’ll make him wait,” and “I put my phone through to voicemail when I see his number.” (I’m leaving out the name calling and profanity.) This kind of service is not service at all, and you certainly shouldn’t pay for it. You can be treated badly for free at almost any “service” station across the country! Read More

Are You an Anonymous Dental Professional?

What is self branding?

Since you’re a dentist, you probably have some understanding of what branding is. In short, branding is the whole concept, idea, and image that a business conveys. Self branding, therefore, is the concept, idea, and image that you convey.

Isn’t my website enough?

If the website is for you, and not your practice, then yes, it is enough. Just enough. You would still do well to have a blog and social media presence.

Why do I need to brand myself?

Maybe you’ll always have the same job you hold today. Maybe you’ll live in the same house and see the same people and love your life forever. But maybe, just maybe (and in all probability) something will change at some point. Perhaps you’ll start a new practice or a new business. Who knows; maybe you’ll move across the country – or to another country. You might decide to become an author after you retire. At that point, will people know who you are? Self branding today gives you a head start on tomorrow.

Then again, maybe you’ve already written a book, spoken at national conventions, mentored young dentists, or started a new professional association. If so, self branding is essential right now. Without it, you’re limiting yourself. Don’t limit yourself. To quote Nelson Mandela, “We must all exceed our own expectations.” Read More

The 3 Dimensions: Dental Practice Mission Statement, Vision Statement, and Team Commitment

Think, for a moment, of your business having three dimensions: you and the company are one; the client is one; and your employees are one. All dimensions must be in focus. For each dimension, you need a goal or purpose. You and your employees work together with the goal of serving the client. Your practice mission and vision sheds light on this purpose – the purpose of serving the client. But you, as an employer, must also serve and manage your employees if the mission and vision are to be carried out. So, in addition to a mission and vision, you need a commitment to your employees.

Now let’s delve into definitions and samples.

A business’ mission statement should define the intent of the company.

  • Ask yourself, from your patient’s perspective, what does your practice do?
  • Use words that embody the emotion, integrity, and expertise that goes into your product.
  • Keep it simple and short.

The MDPM mission is…

To provide dental industry professionals with a creative, consistent, and highly visible online marketing presence.

A vision statement sheds light on what will happen when the mission is carried out.

  • Ask yourself, what’s the purpose of your mission? What’s the intended result?
  • Use words, again, that convey emotion and excellence.
  • And, again, keep it simple and short.

The MDPM vision statement is…

To increase our clients’ profits through effective online visibility. To extend superior customer service with responsive solutions that address each customer’s unique needs. Every client should be proud to say that MDPM is their marketing company.

At MDPM, our first priority is serving our clients to the best of our ability, but in order to fulfill our mission and achieve our vision, we must keep our employees happy, focused, and driven. It’s just a natural extension, to Jill and me, that after creating a mission and vision statement to address what we want to achieve for our customers, we create an employee commitment. Some experts refer to internal and external clients – internal being your employees. Both types of clients must be satisfied if your business is to thrive and succeed.

The MDPM employee commitment is…

To create an environment and provide opportunities that inspire wholistic development of the individual. Every employee should feel appreciated, welcome, and genuinely happy at work.

As mentioned in previous posts, Jill and I went on a retreat this weekend to do some important big-picture stuff. Though we’re a marketing firm, like a dental office, we needed to establish our mission and vision. Here at the MDPM blog, we get a ton of visitors looking at mission and vision statement advice, so I decided to share our experience with you. Let me also say, my advice to dentists, and the advice I apply to MDPM, is based on years of interviewing, writing for, and reading literature from the dental practice management leaders. I don’t begin to claim the advice as my own; it is my interpretation of the information I’ve been privy to from leaders in the industry.

If you want to discuss your mission, vision, and employee commitment, or if you have questions about how to attract patients who will appreciate your mission and vision, call MDPM today at 972-781-8861, or email us.