Some Nuggets of Tips for You in an April Marketing Easter Egg Hunt
In some parts of the U.S., this month is the peak of tornado season, so April showers might be the least of your worries. Call us optimists (or maybe we’ve just been transported to Oz and aren’t in Kansas anymore), but we’re predicting a month of marketing sunshine and fresh tips moving up from the south. With Practice Cafe in your forecast, you don’t have to wait till May to get your marketing plans blooming.
Nugget 1: Don’t Be an April Fool, or a Marketing Egghead
Plan ahead, and set realistic expectations for new patients. The best April Fool’s jokes take planning in order to dupe anyone other than the most gullible. Likewise, marketing takes planning, budgeting, and timing to get projects out there to attract potential patients. Even better, marketing that honestly portrays the benefits of your practice isn’t a hoax, so when new patients arrive at your office, their expectations will be met (or exceeded!). You want your marketing to showcase your office in a flattering and truly representative way, so patients will feel comfortable and pleased with how your practice measures up to what you advertised.
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We had a client recently express a worry about his office not being as nice as some of the newer offices for which we’re doing marketing. However, this particular doctor is super nice and easygoing. In such a case, marketing should focus on the friendly nature of the dentist and staff to put patients at ease. Focus your advertising on what you have to offer, not on what you’re lacking; then do something about what you’re lacking. If you’d like some suggestions for sprucing up your office on a tight budget, we have a short brainstorm for you here.
Be practical, but don’t be afraid to try something new. All talk of practical jokes aside, being practical about your marketing is important. There are no magic formulas for success, and you should be wary of any company that offers a quick fix for complex problems or that promises too-good-to-be-true results. That being said, don’t be fearful of planting new marketing seeds and watering them. Nothing withers practice growth like stagnation. If you already have a logo, website, and direct mailer, then consider adding a referral card to your marketing garden, or perhaps a new set of promo boards in your operatories. Feel free to call us about our green marketing thumb and how we can help grow your practice.
Nugget 2: Diamonds vs. Pencils
April’s official birthstone is the diamond. The fact that diamonds are no rarer than many other precious gems doesn’t seem to matter to all the girls singing, “diamonds are a girl’s best friend...” Why? Well, it’s partly because of an artificial rarity created by the diamond cartel, De Beers, in addition to some extremely masterful advertising that continues today. To hear more reasons for the bedazzlement, you can stop by any jewelry store and ask a salesperson to explain the “4 Cs” of cut, clarity, carat, and color, and how these help determine why one diamond is better than another. At the heart of it all, though, maybe we just love sparkly, fancy things, especially when they’re meant to say “I love you.” Whatever the reason for all the fuss over diamonds, let’s talk a little about how they come to be...
Every diamond starts out as a cluster of carbon-rich materials, hanging out approximately 150 kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface and enjoying the 900º C weather. If put under enough pressure and the temperature stays just right, a cluster bonds and crystallizes, eventually forming a diamond that slowly makes its way towards the Earth’s crust. Scientists don’t know exactly how long this process takes (some estimate that the diamonds we have today are over a billion years old), but one thing is for sure – once those shiny little stones make it to the surface, they’re a valuable and desired commodity.
Let’s return to the Earth’s mantle and our marketing tips now, because we digress... Even the slightest fluctuation in temperature, inconsistency in pressure, or chemical interaction can set off an entirely different process. Instead of hopping on the next armored truck to Zales, those carbons can become graphite. Hello pencils! Think about it and you’ll find that this is not a strictly geological phenomenon. Misleading or simply insufficient marketing, a less-than-friendly front desk person, and inefficient office systems are all elements that can change the destiny of your success from sparkly and clear to grey pencil lead. Unlike those carbons, though, you have the control to achieve and maintain the right balance of elements for your practice to run smoothly and keep growing.
Also like diamonds and the 4 Cs that identify their unique qualities, every dental practice is different. Call us and we’ll help you appraise what is most dazzling and appealing about your practice!
Nugget 3: Why Don’t People Go to the Dentist?
To dazzle and appeal to potential patients, it’s helpful to understand why some people don’t go to the dentist. You already know that many people don’t like to go, and you know that some go as far as actively avoiding it. To prove it’s nothing personal, here are some common reasons people give for not keeping dental appointments, not accepting treatment plans, and in some cases, for never even making appointments:
They’ve had a bad experience. It could have been 30 years ago, but for some people, that inadequately anesthetized root canal might as well have happened yesterday. A full-blown phobia can be spotted from a mile away, but a painful or frightening experience can turn even a calm person into an anxious wreck of a patient. Consider all of the sights, smells, sounds, tastes, and textures that a patient encounters during a typical dental visit and ask yourself which ones could flip a panic switch. Make accommodations to limit the likelihood of freaking patients out, such as quiet handpieces that are kept out of patients’ line of vision. Sedation options can help patients relax in a big way, too, along with TVs and music in treatment rooms, candles burning, and private, attractive operatories (meaning as unclinical looking as possible). Ask the same thing about your reception area: does it look like a warm and welcoming place for a patient to sit comfortably, or more like a maximum security prison? Be honest with yourself, and then make improvements.
They feel helpless. It’s different for everyone—it could happen in the auto repair shop, the hair salon, or the suit department at Macy’s—but we all find ourselves at the mercy of another human being from time to time. From high-powered CEOs to toddlers in Dora the Explorer onesies, something patients have in common is that they’re not dentists and they have no idea how to judge the clinical treatment you’re proposing to them. When interacting with your patients or their parents, avoid using overly technical jargon. Explain diagnoses and treatment options in a way that is easy to understand, without crossing over into condescension or pedantry. Knowledge really is empowering. When patients feel informed and in control of their own dental care, they’ll be more likely to not only keep coming to the dentist, but to accept more extensive treatment when they need it. The same rule should be applied to your marketing. Don’t talk down to your potential patients. Advertising pieces should be easy to understand and informative. Remember: Your marketing is for patients, not for you as the dentist.
They’re scared of the white coat. Imagine for a moment that you never went to dental school, you’ve had a toothache for weeks, and you finally gave in and scheduled an appointment. So here you are, on your back in a dental chair, staring up at a head whose face is partially obscured by a paper mask. Above that mask, two magnified eyes blink down at you through loupes. Add to that some poking, scraping, and stuffing of your mouth with cotton, not to mention the bright light overhead, and you could just as easily be experiencing an alien abduction. This scenario may sound overdramatic to you, but for many people, it’s a reality. If your hygienist is usually the one who leads patients to the operatory and preps them for their cleaning or other treatment, make a point to pop in and introduce yourself before your patient has a mouth full of cotton. Interacting on a personal level builds trust and reminds patients that you’re human and you care about their experience. You might even consider forgoing a lab coat altogether and instead opt for khakis and a polo or some other less intimidating attire.
The final, but certainly not the least likely, reason people aren’t getting the dental treatment they need is that they can’t afford it. Especially in today’s economy, many people don’t have enough money to meet all their needs. Admittedly, sometimes common sense loses out to human nature (“I need a root canal, but I really need a vacation!”), but more often than not, financial strain leaves people sacrificing things like dental health maintenance. Although ignoring dental problems only amounts to more pain and expense in the future, right now, a dully nagging toothache is easier to ignore than rent. Consider offering flexible financing through CareCredit® and/or Capital One® Healthcare Financing to help patients fit the cost of dental care into their monthly budgets. Depending on your area, you might need to be more insurance friendly to meet the needs of your local demographic.
Amusing April Facts
- If you’re not a poet, then you probably don’t know it, but April is National Poetry Month. In 1996, the American Academy of Poets joined forces with publishers, non-profit institutions, and schools across the nation to designate April as National Poetry Month.
- From the 3rd and on through the month, April is full of religious holidays (including Hindu, Christian, Jewish, and Buddhist). Easter Sunday is the most important religious holiday of the Christian year, since it is when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- April 3, 1860 marks the first ride of the Pony Express, America’s first attempt at transcontinental mail service. Structured as a sort of horse-powered relay race, the route stretched from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California—roughly 2,000 miles! Though it proved faster and more reliable than previous mail delivery methods, the Pony Express was replaced less than a year later by the near-instantaneous telegraph. With remote web updates threatening to make 24-hour news networks obsolete, it’s hard to imagine that in 1860, 10 days was priority mail!
- April 15, 1817: The American School for the Deaf was founded in Hartford, Connecticut by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc. As America’s first educational institution designed specifically for the deaf, the ASD also houses an archive of books, letters, and periodicals that chronicle the history of deaf education in America.
- April 23, 1616: William Shakespeare died at the age of 52. While scholars and historians can’t seem to agree on exactly when Shakespeare was born, there’s no denying the legacy that this poet, playwright, and cultural icon left. Why not celebrate National Poetry Month and pay homage to The Bard by reading a sonnet? He wrote 154 of them.
May we request the pleasure of your company again next month? We hope so! See you soon.