Ron Sheetz

Social media websites have become extremely powerful marketing tools for businesses because they're sites where people connect. The media sites themselves are very impersonal; it's the sharing of information between "friends" that builds relationships and rapport. Learning how to connect with people through these media can be a powerful way to build rapport and relationships with current and prospective patients.

There are five keys you should incorporate into your video marketing messages. Using these will help you build on the relationships you have with your patients... you're goal should be to connect with them, once you've connected you can continue to openly communicate to them. This month we will start with the first two. 

Key #1: Know Your Audience 

What does you audience need or want. What problems do they have that you can help them solve? The greater you can niche your audience the better you can speak to them. If you aren't sure who your audience is then analyze your existing patients. Look for commonalities. It's helpful if you have a database, you can then segment your list of people into age, economics, buying habits, purchasing frequency. Look for things they share in common with one another. Once you've identified the common needs you can then target the second key. 

Key #2: Speak to your audience's pains and/or interests. 

Sally McKenzie

Every dentist in every practice experiences the seemingly endless frustrations associated with patient cancellations and no shows. The cash outlay is significant as broken appointments cost practices some $40,000-$60,000 every year. And that doesn't begin to count the thousands of dollars lost in production that the doctor never has the opportunity to diagnose, much less deliver.  

While dental offices typically point the finger at the business staff to maintain a full schedule, clinical teams often overlook their indispensable marketing role in urging patients to keep appointments. In actuality, curbing cancellations and no-shows begins chairside. It is essential that clinical teams emphasize the value of the dental care provided during even the most routine dental visits as well as clearly explain to patients the importance of keeping their appointments. Call it marketing; call it patient education, bottom-line it makes a huge difference in curbing cancellations.

Ironically, dentists frequently overlook the significant influence that they have on the patient's perception of routine dental care. In a rush to return to their own patient, they often unwittingly minimize the value of the professional dental hygiene appointment.  

Consider this common scenario: The hygienist spends time explaining to Mrs. Patient that she is now showing signs of periodontal disease and will require more frequent oral hygiene appointments. The patient is concerned and is prepared to schedule her professional dental cleanings once every four months. Then the doctor walks in to check Mrs. Patient. He greets her and marvels at the great job she is doing with her oral healthcare. The doctor has unintentionally given Mrs. Patient justification for skipping her next oral hygiene appointment. "The doctor said I'm doing a great job; why would I need another cleaning so soon." Even more troubling is the fact that the doctor's comments cause the patient to question both the doctor's and the hygienist's diagnostic abilities.  

It's a common marketing snafu that is easily addressed. First and foremost, the clinical team has to be on the same page. This situation is effectively managed if the hygienist takes just a moment to explain to the doctor what has been found and subsequently discussed with that patient. It is a simple solution, but it underscores the importance of the clinical team's role in marketing to patients the value of ongoing dental care.  

If your practice is not stressing the importance of the next visit to the patient while they are sitting in the chair, you probably have many more broken appointments and cancellations than you should.

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