The other day, during a conversation with a dentist friend, it was implied that marketing a dental practice was somehow “unethical” or “taboo.”
What would make marketing a dental clinic “unethical”? Don’t humans somehow respond to marketing from dentists, accountants, and lawyers the same way they do to tech, durable goods, or home improvement companies?
Were you told at school that it is against the “code of ethics” to try to grow your practice?
Think of the last restaurant near your house that recently closed. Did you ever go there? Was the food and service good enough? Most likely the food and service were good enough, so what happened?
The odds are the restaurant suffered because they didn’t get enough new and repeat customers to drive growth. That is a direct function of marketing!
Are you in danger of suffering the same fate as that restaurant around the corner?
Now you know only 1 in 25 companies (4%) survives 10 years, Right? Translated: 96% of companies fail in year 10. So … how old is your practice? No one needs to tell you that if you are under 10 years old, you face serious difficulties.
Do you still think that marketing your dental practice is a bit “unethical”? Sure, it’s a bit harsh to say it that way, but Isn’t it time to get over the stereotype that marketing is “bad” or in some way “bad”?
The legal field used to view marketing the same way, but how many ads have you seen in the last 24 hours for a personal injury attorney? How many lawyers do you know who do not market? How well are they doing compared to those who consistently market their practices?
Let’s talk about a few things to determine if you are on the right track.
Just word of mouth?
Many dentists believe, right or wrong, that word of mouth should drive the steady growth of their practice, so advertising and marketing are not necessary. In theory, that’s a great scenario if it plays out as expected, but reality rarely plays out in such an idealistic way.
1 Negative experience …
What happens if word of mouth runs out or someone has a bad experience with your practice? You know that the word will spread much faster and the consequences will be much more shocking.
If your dental practice were constantly advertising and marketing, one or two negative experiences will not threaten your well-being in the long run, although most people do not like trips to the dentist’s office.
Keep this in mind: With all the social media sites freely available to anyone, your practice is in jeopardy if you are not involved in social media or trade regularly to counter a “bad apple” or two.
The same can be said for a disgruntled employee … nothing is stopping them from setting up an online store and spreading negativity about their practice. Even if you are not actively involved in social media, at least stay tuned and attentive.
How can they find potential new patients for you?
How are new patients discovering your practice now? Do you keep track of new patient sources and how long does a new patient usually stay in your practice? What can you do to make it easier for new patients to come to you?
Do you have a strong web presence?
Consider your website for a moment. Do you have a prominent position on search engine results pages on Google, Yahoo, or Bing? What if someone searches online for a new dentist in their area … will they find your practice?
One final question: If you don’t consistently advertise and market, what steps are you taking to help your potential new patients find you more easily?
Remember, this is not about being “unethical” but about surviving in a tough economy at a time when people are increasingly relying on the Internet before selecting a solution provider.
