Marketing on a Tight Budget

By Roger P. Levin, DDS, MBA

Marketing is necessary to build a dental practice. A consistent, repeating, and ongoing set of marketing strategies is necessary to put a practice on the map and get people excited about becoming patients. Often, however, a dentist doesn't realize the necessity of marketing until such efforts are least affordable. This paper discusses a variety of low-cost ways of marketing a dental practice.

Article copyright 1998 Journal of the California Dental Association.
Photographs copyright of the authors.

Marketing is necessary to build a dental practice. These days, if a practice is not growing, it is in decline, and putting ads in the yellow pages simply is not enough to give a practice that extra edge that make patients want to go there. Instead, a consistent, repeat, and ongoing set of marketing strategies is necessary to put a practice on the map and get people excited about becoming patients.

Marketing the dental practice does not necessarily mean that the dentist has to spend a lot of money. Many times, when a dentist decides that it is necessary to actively and aggressively market the practice, it is at a time when the efforts are least affordable. In other words, most dentists wait until productivity decreases and the practice is in decline before taking action. Naturally, the author does not advocate this approach, but it is common nonetheless. If a dentist is faced with marketing when money is tight, the following suggestions should be used to reap rewards while maximizing dollars.

Know the practice's prime potential patients. Many dentists rely heavily on patient referrals or, if they are specialists, referrals from general dentists. Once the dentist knows the potential patients, he or she should get to know them better. The dentist should form a detailed profile of the best patient referral sources and should be as specific as possible. When chronicling potential patients, the dentist should define them by age, gender, marital status, zip code, employer/ occupation, and educational level.

Define the practice's competitive edge. The dentist must determine the biggest benefits the practice offers from the practice's; patients'; and, in the case of the specialist, the referring dentists' perspectives.

Promote the practice. The practice's services are valuable only if potential patients and/or referrers know about them. Educating potential patients is critical to the success of any marketing program. Assuming that everybody knows what the practice does is dangerous and sets up the practice for less than spectacular results. The doctor and staff members must tell patients what their services can do for them and should always highlight the competitive edge in promotional pieces.

Substance is critical. If practices do not provide the clinical expertise and high quality customer service they promote, people fooled once will not return. The practice must constantly emphasize improving quality to support marketing efforts.

Maximizing results with minimal funds. The author advocates using 25 to 40 simultaneously functioning marketing strategies. These strategies should incorporate a blend of one-on-one personal contact (patient surveys), group contact (community events), written communication (fact sheets and statement stuffers), and phone contacts, and should involve each level of the practice (doctor, clinical staff members, and front desk staff members).

Make news. The practice should recognize all awards, honors, memberships, milestones, new equipment, or recognition of any kind for the dentist or staff members -- all of these are suitable subjects for short press releases. Anything positive, upbeat, or unusual can be used to the practice's advantage. Admittedly, major metropolitan or daily newspapers will be less likely to run this type of story. Community weekly papers or local inserts in major newspapers provide the best chances for publication.

Generate publicity. The practice should sponsor contests, competitions (best smile, whitest teeth), fund-raisers, appreciation days, debates or speeches, carnivals, or workshops. The dentist and staff members can use their imaginations and plan promotional activities to coincide with upcoming local events. The practice can announce and recount these events in press releases or in fliers hung around the office waiting room or on the bulletin board.

Donate time and money to charitable causes. It is better to give than to receive, but it is best to do both. Charitable contributions are not only tax deductible but also can pay for themselves many times over. The practice cannot possibly be actively involved in every charitable cause, but choosing wisely can help immensely. The doctor and/or staff members should:

• Establish contacts;
  
  
• Generate publicity;
  
  
• Gain access to a large base of potential patients; and
  
  
• Associate the doctor's or the practice's name with a worthy cause.
  

Some charitable associations issue a letter, plaque, or award to contributors. The practice should plan to publicize any recognition its members receive. People in the community will be glad to know that their dental office supports community/charitable activities.

The practice may not have a lot of cash to be a major contributor, but the doctor and staff members can still become involved by using "product dollars." For example, the practice can offer an organization one or more $100 treatment gift certificates. Suggest that the organization either give the certificate to someone who can benefit from the practice's services or raffle it off. The publicity generated from the contribution can attract more patients to the practice.

Network. The doctor and/or staff members should not waste time and money joining organizations that will not ultimately benefit the practice. Instead, they should choose organizations patronized by their desired potential patients. Consider social, military, ethnic, religious, and fraternal organizations.

Celebrate the holidays. The seasons can be used to the practice's advantage. The practice can give out sugar-free treats on holidays such as Valentine's Day, Easter or Halloween.

Enjoy contact with sales representatives. All practice members should be nice to sales representatives, who are an excellent source of information about competitors. These representatives may also have contact with patients. The practice must put its best foot forward to ensure that salespeople leave the practice saying "Wow!"

Praise! Praise! Praise! The dentist must recognize the efforts of staff members. It is too easy for the doctor to fall into the habit of thinking, "I pay their salaries. They owe me." That may be true, but employees respond to praise -- the more the better. The doctor must set himself or herself a praise quota for the day or week and track his or her praises to be sure the target is reached.

Turn patients and staff members into advocates for the practice. The doctor must provide patients and staff members with referral cards to give to friends, neighbors, and co-workers. The card should have room for the patient referral source to write his or her name and address.

Point of purchase displays. A small sign in the reception area or staff pins that say "Ask me about ______," can be valuable in facilitating communication and educating patients about the services provided in the office.

Offer gift certificates. Gift certificates are wonderful for any occasion. Newlyweds, recent college graduates, young singles, and senior citizens may need and want dental services but often lack the immediate finances to make the commitment for treatment. The practice should get in the habit of informing patients that gift certificates are available to make optimal dental health possible for their friends and family.

The dentist must promote himself or herself. The dentist may find himself or herself at several "obligatory" events. This time can be used to foster relationships with those in a position to refer to the practice. The dentist should develop a 30 to 60 second script about the practice, find out who will be at each event, and target people he or she wants to be sure to meet (whether for the first or 19th time). Within 48 hours, the dentist should send follow-up letters or handwritten notes to the people with whom he or she has spoken.

Get marketing help. Local colleges often try to procure internships for students so that they may gain real work experience before graduating. Students are typically hard-working and enthusiastic and may bring many new and exciting ideas to the dental practice. Of course, because of their age and inexperience, they may need extensive direction from the dentist to ensure professional standards of marketing.

Use statement stuffers. Information regarding the services provided in the dental office should accompany all bills and outgoing mail. Each treatment option should be highlighted with some regularity. Although current patients may not be candidates for the procedure, friends or family members may be.

Send thank you notes. Every time the dentist or staff members receive exemplary service, they should write a short thank you note on the back of their business cards. Statements such as "I enjoyed your great service -- keep up the good work," and "Thanks for being so helpful. If I can ever help you, please give me a call," work wonders.

Carefully proofread everything leaving the office. Computer tools such as spelling or grammar checkers cannot be relied upon exclusively. Good proofreading is not a strategy but an excellent written communication tool that will help convey a highly professional, competent image.

These marketing strategies are extremely cost-efficient, yet offer the dentist and staff members a chance to show the community and patients that their practice is committed to high quality care and customer service. The same strategies are applicable to both general dentists and specialists -- specialists must market to their referring dentists as general dentists market to their patients.