Linda Drevenstedt

This is an ever changing future trend. Keep up or be left out.

Social Networking will continue to grow.  Depending on your target market and demographics, this can impact your practice. As soon as a patient leaves your office their experience can be shared with their social network via Twitter, Face Book and what ever will come in the future. The truth is you are no longer isolated patient experiences. The younger your patient base is, the more you are exposed to social commentary via these networks.  BE sure you monitor you "web" conversation.

Young people are much more likely than older adults to use social networks. Pew Research shows the following:

• 75% of online adults 18-24 have a profile on a social network site
• 57% of online adults 25-34 have a profile on a social network
• 30% of online adults 35-44 have one
• 19% of online 45 to 54 year olds have a profile
• 10% of online 55 to 64 year olds have a profile
• 7% of online adults 65 and older have a profile

Patients who are internet savvy will come to expect online dental bill paying, online appointment scheduling, email and text confirmations, email and text recall notices and reminders.

More about Drevenstedt Consulting, LLC...

Sally McKenzie

1. Communicate your financial policy to patients regularly.
2. Expect full payment at the time of service for all procedures under $200.
3. Partner with a patient financing company, such as CareCredit.
4. Offer a slight adjustment in fees for costly procedures not covered by insurance and paid in full.
5. Allow patients to build a balance on their accounts prior to starting treatment.
6. Require insured patients to pay their portion at the time of service.
7. Give patients the opportunity to pay in full within 30 days before contacting them.

Joe Spencer

Way back in 1980, Robert Metcalf formulated what has become known as Metcalf's Law:  The value of a network is approximately equal to the square of the number of nodes in the network. One person with a phone does little good, two people with phones are a bit better. Four people with phones means that each person can call about 16 other people... making a phone more valuable. As the number of connections increases, the value of the network increases.  

Metcalf's law has also been shown to be true in social networks as well. How big is your social network? Is it big enough and high enough quality to do you any good? As a dentist, you should be building connections with two groups of people: your potential patients and other professionals.  

You will find your potential patients on Facebook. By the way, you will want to create a business page for your practice if you haven't already. They will be "friends" of your current patients and of your office team. Treat them well and your potential patient network will grow over time. Aim for quality. Thank them for coming to their appointment on their Facebook wall. Keep the conversation going and your network will grow in quality and quantity. Your personal connection will deepen with your patients like older generations of dentists could never imagine.

Networking with other professionals is easier now than ever before. Join LinkedIn (just use the free account- it is plenty powerful for what most people need), create a simple profile, and join some groups. Currently, the most active moderated professional dental group on LinkedIn is Dentist Network.  Join the group and start building relationships with other dentists across the country. You will be able to see how other dentists market their practices and learn from the best dentists in the country. As you get involved, others will look to your leadership and connect with you. Your professional network will be more fulfilling and numerous than any ten dentists of a decade ago.