The Dynamics of a Village: Marketing Strategies for a New Millennium

By Howard Farran, DDS

Successful marketing of a dental practice involves more than a yellow pages ad. Picking a dentist is an emotionally based decision. Dentists who take steps to become involved in their communities and interact with the people within them will reap the personal and professional rewards necessary for a successful practice.

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

From the beginning of recorded time, man has been strongly influenced by personal recommendations. It started in the Garden of Eden. Eve said to Adam, "Go ahead, taste this fruit." He didn't read about the fruit in a slick, full-color brochure. He didn't hear about it on television in a strategically placed commercial. He made his decision based on only one thing: Eve's recommendation.

The power of a personal recommendation is still one of the strongest motivating factors in our society. People do not choose a good restaurant based on the size of its ad in the yellow pages. How many times have you told someone about a movie, and they saw it based on your recommendation? The synergy of human communication is the most powerful component of economic stability in a village.

The Village

Why the reference to a village? Statistically speaking, a practice's sphere of influence encompasses a 3 to 5 mile radius. Mature practices can sometimes increase their coverage to incorporate 7 miles. This small area -- the village -- should be your primary focus. Think of it as the backyard of your practice.

Few will disagree that today's dental offices are facing more challenges. The impact of managed care, the economy, and the ongoing changes in dental insurance suggest that dentistry will become more competitive. How do you survive in a competitive market? You find a niche and then focus your efforts on developing positive relationships within your village. Familiarity with the sociological and economic factors of your neighbors is intrinsic to the success of your practice.

The power of relationship marketing is quite evident in commercial advertising. Take, for example, the people-oriented advertising campaign of Saturn automobiles. What does flying a little old lady from out of town to a factory and having her meet Saturn employees have to do with the quality and workmanship of a car? It means very little to an analytical mind; but, to the average consumer, it's emotionally effective. The message implies Saturn cares about its customers and is willing to go that extra mile to make them happy. Saturn's advertising executives understand that even though people drive cars every day, they really don't know much about the mechanics. These executives also know that purchasing decisions for cars, as with most consumer goods, are primarily based on emotion.

Patients also make decisions on an emotional level. Selecting a dentist is based on personal recommendations they have received and their feelings (Figure 1). That's all the information they have to make a decision. Patients don't know the science of dentistry. When was the last time a patient asked for a bitewing X-ray of a crown upon completion or to see a periapical X-ray of a root canal to make sure all four canals were cleaned, shaped and filled all the way to the apex? Patients can only relate to personal recommendations and how they feel in the dental office. That's the reality -- and as Einstein once said, "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a persistent one."

In a recent article, Dr. Ken James stated that less than one-tenth of 1 percent of practice income comes from what is termed the emergency appointment -- pain, swelling, bleeding, or fracture. Virtually all other procedures done in dentistry are optional.1 The stark reality, which comes as a shock to some dentists, is that today's practitioner must actively vie for a market share of disposable income along with travel agents, beauty aids, camera equipment, and home computers (Figure 2). This cannot be successfully done by locating a practice on the sixth floor of an office building and relying on a yellow pages ad.

Personal Involvement

There are dentists who perform dentistry in their "professional" environments for 40 years, and the neighboring villagers could not recognize their faces even if they were plastered on the front page of the newspaper. These are the same dentists who are depressed and struggling to maintain even a reasonable lifestyle. Obviously, advertising (purchasing an identity) is not enough. A successful practice needs visibility and interaction within the surrounding village. Why is it a politician can become a household name in a community within months while a dentist in the same village can't be identified in a police lineup after 40 years? The politician has learned the value of "pressing the flesh" in the village. Yes, he uses advertising -- printed materials, television commercials, and slogans. However, few would disagree that his strongest effect on the village comes from personal involvement. Why do you think candidates spend the day before an election visiting 50 cities to kiss babies and talk to senior citizens? Because they understand people make their selections primarily on an emotional basis.

It is essential to understand the difference between advertising and public relations before you can effectively market your practice. Advertising is cost-generated and purely purchase-oriented. It is a necessary part of your image campaign, however it cannot make up the entire effort. It must be used in conjunction with public relations.

According to sociology, the family unit makes up the primary structure of our society. With that premise in mind, it is not hard to understand why consumers have shown a preference toward family dentistry. Does that mean they don't want implants, orthodontics, or bleaching? Certainly not. Unless educated, they don't even know their options. Villagers prefer family dentistry because they want a place where everyone knows their name, where the staff members treat them with kindness and understanding, and that provides convenience.

Influence of Baby Boomers

In North America, the largest portion of the population is made up of baby boomers -- those born from 1946 to 1964. This demographic group has been dictating commercial trends in the economy for more than 50 years. One marketing principle you must understand about boomers is that they demand convenience. They want a place where the entire family can be treated. If you're not treating children, boomer parents would prefer to find someone who will offer them one-stop convenience. As a group, boomers have been overindulged by the economic powers of retail convenience for more than four decades. With indulgence comes expectations, and boomers' expectations can be quite intimidating. However, boomers are an easy group to reach if you understand their primary motivation in life is obtaining the very best, not only for themselves, but especially for their children. Once you provide the optimal care for their children, your practice will grow in substantial family units.

Case Study

For many, the first experience in marketing comes with the opening of their practice. They suddenly realize that their dental school GPA is meaningless, and a steady flow of patients doesn't happen by itself. They way I dealt with this problem can serve as a case study for others.

When I graduated from dental school, I was married and $86,000 in debt. With little money for advertising, my wife and I hit the streets of Ahwatukee -- the village where our practice is located. One of our first public appearances was an annual Easter parade in our village. I unicycled down the parade route throwing out toothbrushes and sugarless candy to the kids. At the end of the parade route, we had a tent where we spent the day blowing up hundreds of balloons with the name of our practice, Today's Dental, and our easy-to-remember phone number, 893-CARE. At the time, my wife was very pregnant, and the majority of the villagers stopped to ask about her due date and to suggest names for the baby. No one asked me about my sterilization techniques, equipment, or where I attended school. They were more interested in our expanding family. I stood by with gloves and a tongue depressor checking teeth and answering questions. When people said they would call later to make an appointment, we took out the appointment book and "closed" a time and date on the spot. In one day, we booked more than 400 appointments. To achieve the same results through a direct mail campaign, with a 1 percent response rate, would have required a mailing of more than 40,000 pieces at a substantially higher cost.

Churches are another excellent place to connect with people. In our area, we have 18 churches. I visited all the local clergy and offered them free dental services. I even provided free orthodontics to one of the pastor's wives. She was a highly visible woman within the community, and many parishioners noticed her gorgeous new smile. I also performed a "smile-lift" on a local pastor. I received numerous comments from members of his congregation who started coming to my practice after seeing their pastor's transformation. They enthusiastically told me he looked 10 years younger. Aside from receiving personal recommendations for my orthodontic work, I genuinely felt good about giving these people beautiful smiles.

I was also a founding charter member of our local Rotary Club and in charge of speakers for the Ahwatukee Kiwanis Club. Imagine me, a dentist, flipping pancakes at our Kiwanis Club's annual "Say No to Drugs" pancake breakfast. Quite honestly, I loved it. This was also a great opportunity to meet local elders such as bankers, lawyers, politicians, coaches, and PTA leaders. I met business owners, and we shared our common problems. It would be impossible to put a monetary value on the relationships my wife and I established through social interaction with these organizations.

Relating to Villagers

Don't let your public relations and marketing efforts end on the street outside your practice. Bring the same warmth and friendliness you extend to the community into your practice. Tear down those glass reception-area walls that separate your warm, friendly, caring staff from patients, and let them meet face-to-face. And speaking of staff, make sure they are from the village, or can effectively relate to the villagers. If your practice is located in Smurfland, then it would be wise to make sure a large portion of your staff are Smurfs. Remember, your patients will feel more comfortable with familiar surroundings. Always remember humans are visually oriented. What they see will have a dramatic impact on how they feel.

At a time when some claim the "golden age of dentistry" is coming to a close, I say the best days of dentistry are still to come. With only a few months remaining until the new millennium, I've never felt more inspired. Not only do I love the actual art and science of delivering 21st century dentistry, I thoroughly enjoy helping people in my village. Incorporating my skill while helping others gives life meaning and great personal satisfaction. If you're not enthusiastic about your work, maybe the secret to success lies in your village. Happiness and financial success may be closer than you think.

Author

Howard Farran, DDS, is a nationally known expert on practice management and publisher of The Farran Report, a practice management newsletter. He is a fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry.

Reference
1. James K, New age marketing. Dental Practice Management Sept/Oct 1996, p 29.

To request a printed copy of this article, please contact/Howard Farran, DDS, 10850 S. 48th St., Phoenix, AZ 85044.