It's external marketing that gets the phone to ring and new patients are certainly the life blood of the practice, but it's the patients of record who refer to you and build your practice with their own personal dental care. Internal marketing is what keeps patients talking favorably about the practice. Once per month have a PATIENT APPRECIATION DAY where each patient seen that day receives a $5-$10 useful gift that makes them know you appreciate them. Your marketing committee (one team member from clinical assistants/one from hygiene/one from admin along with the Practice Manager) selects and wraps or bags gifts in advance. These can be bought locally, ordered online, or from a novelty catalog. On the last day of each month, pull a number 1-31 from a bowl. Keep pulling a number until you have a work day for the following month and that becomes the PAD (patient appreciation day). Patients love feeling special and will hope all their next appointments fall on that monthly lucky day. Cost: $10 in a solo practice with 30 patients each day $300 per month. ROI: Priceless in good will and continued referrals.

#2: Toothbrush Exchange

Ask your local bank, drugstore or mall if you can publicize a TOOTHBRUSH EXCHANGE DAY in 8 weeks. For the person who brings in the UGLIEST toothbrush, they will win a prize (could be a gift certificate toward dentistry in your practice or a gift card from the store that lets you use their sidewalk or lobby). Every person who brings an old toothbrush receives a gift bag with a new toothbrush, floss, lip balm and a card from your practice with this note: "If you don't have a personal dentist, we invite you to join our family of fine patients."

#3 Local Business Outreach

Make a list of ten companies within a five mile radius of your practice. Personally deliver a lovely basket of food goodies and a thank you card to the HR department of that company. Introduce yourself and thank the personnel manager or whoever you talk with for answering questions from your insurance coordinator over the past several years (months). Let that person know you see several (many) patients from their company. Compliment them for having a dental benefit plan. Offer to have you (your insurance coordinator) come and explain in 10-15 minutes the clinical dialogue of their plan at their next employee meeting. H/R departments receive little recognition in their daily work. Wonder who they will think of dentist-wise when a new employee asks if they know a great family dentist!

#4 Eliminate New Patient No-shows

Each day that new patients are scheduled the Scheduling Coordinator should give the dentist the patient's name, telephone number, date and time of their appointment. Each day when the dentist has a five minute break, they should phone the new patient, introduce themselves and let the new patient know how much they are looking forward to seeing them on _______(date) at ___(time). No other health care provider extends an introduction and welcome before patients come to their first appointments. Smart dentists who do this report fabulous results in relationship building and pleasantly surprised patients who are impressed with the dentist's gesture of kindness. One doctor reported, "You know this is working well when a new patient who hasn't come in has already referred a patient the day before their own visit.

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