How Your Practice Could Survive The Recession
(Grow When Others Are Shrinking)
My spouse and I went to see a potential buyer the other week; when he referred me, he was very fussy; his revenues had gone down from around £50, 000 per month to under £30, 000. He was putting the grandchildren through private training and didn’t know how he was planning to continue paying the fees.
Moreover, he had recently invested in some Cerec machine; he was taking up an orthodontist; he offers equal implants and aesthetics. He was a new practice manager (which he didn’t trust), having also been just completing the Six Month Smile course that he would shortly be offering to his patients.
We had an excellent meeting; we seemed to get on with each other on the surface. I asked your pet what he was currently performing to market all the above; they answered that he experienced tried leaflets, and they had not worked. He was getting no business from his website. He didn’t have the time or skill sets to do almost anything else, so he had efficiently given up on marketing his exercise.
I asked him how this individual thought he would get out of the current situation without spending time and energy on marketing and trying to get their story across to their patients and prospective sufferers. He said, “he thought the economy might improve, and things might get better again.”
Unless this individual knows something that I avoid, I do not believe that our economy will pick up any time soon, which means that the only way to get their business back on track would be to encourage his existing sufferers to spend more time and cash with him and boost the number of new patients he has.
We have been close to zero development or recession for almost five years. The economy is smaller now than it was in 2008; at the same time, we have been the actual victims of relatively higher inflation compared to incomes, which has made you and me very careful about spending each of our money.
Dentistry has never held its place in a situation like this before. This can be the first time I remember that resulted in real competition between routines. The supply and demand situation has reversed from where it was up to ’08. Do you remember those appendices of patients trying to create an NHS dentist?
Many years ago, you could break free by sticking an advert from my press and have a listing from the Yellow Pages, and that would almost do it. Patients were straightforward to come by; in fact, many teeth practices closed their textbooks on new patients (that appears an awfully long time ago will, not it).
Those days have gone (probably forever). Dental Routines now have to compete with each other and the paying choices that your patients are responsible for every day.
If a patient is thinking about an implant as an example, they may also be wondering should they should book that holiday break they wanted instead. Or perhaps buy that carpet, personal computer, new car, etc . and so on
But it doesn’t just end there, go onto Yahoo and google and search for implants to see how many practices in your area (or from abroad) are offering to take away your patients along with your revenue. It’s not very comforting; you can find dozens, if not hundreds.
You’re not just competing with regional dentists in your area; you are fighting with East European, Native Indian, and goodness knows where else. So what should you carry out?
You could book a few advertisements in the local press; you could advertise on your website; you could potentially send out leaflets; you could perhaps advertise on a poster. That is certainly what I saw a local dental practitioner to me do a few weeks previously.
Or you could get smart. You need to communicate with your existing affected individuals. I’ve mentioned it previously in other articles; the item costs, on average, five times considerably more to get a new patient/customer than it does to sell to a recent one. It is so much easier to trade with people who know and trust you than it can be with people who have never read about you. So why don’t all people do it?
The problem is that it takes a great deal of time and effort. Positioning an advert in the press put in at home, you call the local classifieds, tell them what you want, agree to fork out the bill, and hey presto, you have got your advert, and you’ll likely pat yourself on the as well as tell yourself that you’re doing all your marketing bit!
There is nothing wrong with press advertising and marketing; it’s a great medium, nevertheless only one avenue you should end up deploying. Incidentally, likely, your existing individuals will probably never see the advertising.
Most people are unaware of the advances in cosmetic dentistry that have taken place in the last decade. If you ask most people what they know about oral implants, they will have no idea. Should you mention orthodontics to most men and women, they will immediately think of young adults with a mouth full of steel. The likes of Zoom Whitening are unknown to most people outside of the dental profession.
So how do you assume your patients and possible patients will buy these products and services from you if they have no clue it can even be done, not to say ask for it from you?
Connection with your patients/customers is a simple, weekly, monthly ongoing method that never ends. There are not any one media that will apply it either, so anyone that says to you that Social Media is everywhere it’s all at currently doesn’t know what they’re dealing with; it’s just another avenue for one to get your message across.
Designing a monthly or quarterly Newsletter is one of the best ways to stay in touch with your patients; simply producing one will give you lots of information to keep all the other marketing avenues populated too.
But providing this type of material is cumbersome, and don’t think that you can get at a distance with just putting one thing onto your website, because it won’t ever get read if you don’t trust me to think how often planning onto another web site in addition to the site and read a new newsletter unless something features prompted you.
I’m worried your newsletter will have to be your fashioned printed version for it to be able to make any impact on the audience.
So here is my tick list of seventeen points that will significantly make a difference in your revenues and profits.
1. Become a celebrity in your area simply by P. R. Make yourself the most effective known dentist.
1. Produce a quarterly or, better yet, monthly newsletter.
* Complete a monthly blog article on your website or printed substance.
* Write regular emails to promote your blog/newsletter (do not try to sell with them! )
* Mentor your employees on how to sell your product or service.
* Set up a Google places (formarly local business center) account its free advertising and marketing.
* Set up and maintain a new Google AdWords account to drive order to your website.
* Try local groups and clubs, in addition to business associations.
* Create patient referral programs.
1. Email and text your current existing patients with helpful information about what you are doing.
1. Have open days.
1. Engage with Social Media.
* Ensure you regularly recall your patients and use this to market your current services.
* Have a very patient plan in place.
1. Set up reciprocal marketing with non-e competing companies in the area.
* Don’t miss a way to market in your waiting area, reception, and in-surgery.
1. Have a proper patient customer survey in place; it’s invaluable.
Transforming into a celebrity is a lot easier than you consider. I don’t mean you the national press; you could get yourself on BBC regional radio; they are always trying to find content. Have open days and nights with a celebrity and get yourself into the press alongside these. Write articles in local click or magazines, boosting you above your competition.
I assure you that non-e of your competitors will be carrying out any of the above (or almost none of it) because it needs much time and effort. But if you do what everyone else will, then be prepared to get the same results.
Furthermore, the prospective client I described at the start of this article decided not to use my services. I assume he or she is still struggling, although he or she occasionally emails me inquiring about my advice. I have directed him to a copy of our book “How Your Training Can Beat The Recession. ” I hope he reads that.
If you feel that doing each of the above is beyond an individual and you don’t have enough time, then give me an ask at 01767 626398 or email Neil. sanderson@dentalmarketingexpert. c. uk or visit my very own website at
Suppose you fight to grow your dental practice during these tough economic times. A tooth Marketing Expert can help.
My partner and I offer cast iron. If you put my suggestions into place and don’t see a rise in your revenues, I will repay my fee.
My insurance product enables us to meet every and discuss our advances; we always set a new target and judge ourselves against that target.
Read also: Doxo Scheduling At Selle Family Dental