How The Confidence Gap Is Preventing Potential New Patients From Calling Your Practice
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Orthodontic Marketing System
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Greetings!
Frequently, during economic downturns, many practices reduce or eliminate their marketing, thinking that their return on investment will be reduced. What these practice owners are ignoring is the Confidence Gap they are creating by doing this, and the long-term effects this Confidence Gap will have on their treatment starts.
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So what is the "Confidence Gap"?
To understand the Confidence Gap and its impact on new starts at your practice, first we must review how marketing works. Effective marketing influences 2 distinctly different groups of potential patients (even though most orthodontic practices erroneously only focus on the first group). The first group are those potential patients who are "Appointment-Ready". In their mind, these "Appointment-Ready" potential patients have already decided that they need to see an orthodontist. They just need a referral from a friend or dentist, or an enticing offer (a referral incentive or persuasive direct mail piece/offer) so they can decide who to make their appointment with.
The second group of potential patients influenced by effective marketing are the "Investigators". This group of potential patients is far greater than the "Appointment-Ready" group, and this group holds far greater long-term profit potential for your practice. Yet, most orthodontic practices ignore these "Investigators" - frequently due to a lack of marketing training.
"Investigators" are families considering orthodontic treatment for a child or family member. However, before an "Investigator" will call anyone for an appointment, they need more information. Frequently, "Investigators" don't know when they should take their child to the orthodontist. Sometimes "Investigators" aren't confident that they can afford braces at the present time, and sometimes they don't understand all of the lifelong benefits that orthodontic treatment will provide their family member.
However, the #1 reason "Investigators" don't call any orthodontic practice is the Confidence Gap. These potential patients have not been provided with consistent, compelling evidence that any orthodontist in their area is the BEST choice for orthodontics for their family member. And, they don't know that your practice is really any different from any of the other orthodontic (or dental) practices in your area, where they can also go for braces. To these "Investigators", choosing an orthodontist is like the great unknown. Many choices exist, but the potential patient has no idea which choice is BEST.
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So what happens when an "Investigator" is stuck in the Confidence Gap? NOTHING....That's the problem! Since it's human nature for us to want to make a good decision, when we as purchasers don't have enough empowering information to feel like we're choosing the BEST option, we put off making that decision.
Eventually, if no practice in your area, effectively markets to these "Investigators" with consistent empowering information that differentiates their practice from everyone else, the "Investigator" may still eventually make a decision to see an orthodontist (or dentist). However, in such a situation, this patient will make their purchasing decision based SOLELY on price. Regardless of what consumers are buying, in the absence of compelling evidence that makes them feel like they are choosing the BEST option, consumers seek to MINIMIZE PRICE because COST is now the only piece of information that "Investigator" feels they can make a good decision on.
And lets face it, having a practice full of patients seeking the lowest price is not the most effective (or enjoyable) way to build your orthodontic practice and its profitability.
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So What's The Answer? ...How Does Your Practice Close The Confidence Gap and really begin increasing your new starts?
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Answer: #1 - Communicate consistently with those households in your area who represent the best potential to seek orthodontic treatment from your practice. #2 - When you communicate with these potential patients, have something unique to say that educates your potential patients with compelling information that gives them CONFIDENCE that you are the BEST OPTION for orthodontic treatment for their family.
How Do I Do This? - First, you're going to have to spend money to do this...that is the price of running an orthodontic practice in 2009. If you don't have a marketing budget, make one - TODAY! Secondly, remember, effective marketing is like a symphony, not a solo. Do NOT look for that one marketing action that will bring in an avalanche of new starts to your practice. Instead, implement an effective, comprehensive plan that fits your marketing budget and encompasses the following:
 Become a jolly good fellow (or gal) in your community. Do something positive for your community that will create more goodwill - and, ultimately, patients - for your practice. Doing truly good deeds such as food drives and anti-drug events not only raises your visibility through free press, but it enhances your credibility as well, and places you head and shoulders above your competition.
- Improve your website. Having a website designed by TeleVox or Sesame Design that says pretty much the same thing as every other orthodontist in America is NOT good enough. Provide empowering, educational content on your website that helps your potential patients view you as the orthodontic EXPERT in your area. For better marketing content for your website, check out the GetOrthoCases Website Marketing Reports: Click title to view each Sample Report.
- Implement a polished, educational direct marketing campaign to homes in your area with disposable income and children present in the homes. Include offers in your direct mail for your "Appointment-Ready" potential patients, as well as links to differentiating content on your practice website to educate the "Investigator" group of potential patients among your target homes.
- Implement a consistent patient referral program that rewards your patients for referring their friend and family members and incentivizes these potential patients to see you for their orthodontic needs. Please note, any effective patient referral program MUST be easy and comfortable for your staff to implement, or THEY WON'T EXECUTE IT EFFECTIVELY.
To view a sample Patient Referral Brochure from the GetOrthoCases Marketing System, click here: - Implement a search engine optimization program to increase traffic to your website. Make sure the vendor you choose can give you references of other companies/practices they have successfully optimized search engine traffic for. Do a Google search for common search phrases, such as " (town) orthodontists" and see if they display on the first page, and how they rank.
In
conclusion, closing the Confidence Gap in the minds of your potential
patients is vital to the long-term profitability of your practice.
Those practices effective at this, will attract new starts who aren't
hyper-focused on price. Those practices who don't address the
Confidence Gap will continue to struggle.
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"Don't just take our word about what we can do to produce results for your practice. Take a look at what one of our orthodontists has to say-in his own words..."
 "We've been using the GetOrthoCases Direct Marketing System for several years now with great results.
Whenever we do a mailing, we can expect at least a 5 to 1 return on our investment, and have seen a high of 11 to 1!
We love the predictable nature of the response."
Roy E. Scott, DDS
Warren, OH
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Marketing System
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- Precisely Targeted External Direct Marketing Campaigns
- Increase Patient Referrals and Professional Referrals
- Differentiate Your Practice and Generate new starts from your website with our Website Marketing Reports
-Customized Marketing Packages starting as low as $995/ month!
-Monthly Payment Plans available.
Call GetOrthoCases TODAY at 1.888.657.2762.
We can help you.
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Mention this email and receive a $250 DISCOUNT off the cost of your 2009 GetOrthoCases Practice Marketing Plan.
Offer expires March 13, 2009
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