Starting a new practice, whether you’re beginning from scratch or acquiring an established dental office, is one of the most exciting times in a dentist’s career. Preparing to be successful in business, growing in the community, and in helping your patients (and neighbors) gain better oral health and self-confidence should instill excitement. In dental school, you learned how to address a wide variety of dental health concerns, as well as how to employ the latest materials and technology in dental care. You are trained and prepared to help people! But what did you learn about marketing your dental practice? Most dentists learn next to nothing about marketing while in school. Instead, their education comes from trial and error – and that strategy can lead to a practice’s ultimate demise.

A Dozen Steps to Success

In this post, I’m going to give you an overview of what your new practice needs to succeed in the market today. Formerly, dentists could hang out their sign and start seeing patients. A listing in the phone book and perhaps mention in the local newspaper were sufficient advertising to draw new patients. Today, we live in a world jam-packed with marketing messages, brands, and advertisements. Where does your practice fit into this jungle, and how can you gain a stake in your market? Read More