Marketing for Dentists in Connecticut has a specific job: to educate your patients about the services you offer, and how you can help them best, while helping you grow your practice, and increase revenue.
There are really only 3 ways to increase revenue:
- Help more patients
- Help each patient more frequently, and
- Help each patient in more ways.
Most dentists focus their marketing strategy on finding new patients. Unfortunately, that’s also the hardest way to do it. You’re probably doing the same thing.
In fact, dental practices spend about 94% of their marketing budget on finding new patients (typical of most businesses). That doesn’t leave much for anything else, so it’s not surprising when revenues “decay.”
That’s why dentists, from Greenwich to New Haven, and Danbury to Hartford, have such an opportunity: to rethink their approach, and grow your practice more efficiently.
Marketing for Dentists in Connecticut can be more profitable…
You have goals for your practice…to help your patients and increase profitability. When it comes to marketing and advertising, most dentists invest in attracting new patient for services like Invisalign, implants, whitening, cosmetic dentistry.
But you’re just competing with other dentists in your area who offer these same services. So what can you do?
…when you focus on existing patients
Focus on existing patients. You’ve served them for years. They’re loyal because they like you and value your care. They’re also the most receptive to your advice.
But as a dentist, you can’t “sell.” So what can you do to help them in new ways? There are proven approaches, and you can use them all:
- Marketing Materials: most dental suppliers (e.g. Invisalign, Zoom Whitening, Cerec) offer in-office brochures and posters for your waiting room, or your front desk. Be sure to use them
- Staff: make sure that your entire team is familiar with all the procedures you offer so that they’re always ready to help with patient inquiries and set up a patient consultation with you
- The telephone: It’s your first point of contact with every patient. Coach your front desk team with a script so that every patient receives the same high quality.
Your office is busy. When patients call your office to book their examination or follow-up procedure, they can often be asked to wait “on hold” (up to 69% of calls are placed on hold: AT&T). The patient should be politely asked for permission to place them on hold.
While the caller is on hold, make sure they’re listening to something more interesting than the default “elevator music” that came with your phones. Give them custom messages, focused on their oral health…as well as providing helpful ideas about your most important treatments. Did you know that 12% of callers ask about the services they hear about while on hold? - Create a professional, organized presentation for your most profitable procedures. Invest time in explaining the procedure, and the benefits, and your conversion rate will rise with practice.
Focusing your efforts on your existing Connecticut patients is both more economical, and more successful. So before you look for ways of attracting new patients, remember your first priority…helping your existing patients best.
5 Years Stamford Chamber Ambassador
For more ideas call us: In Greenwich, Stamford, Norwalk and Westport call (203) 655-3920
Throughout Connecticut and Nationwide call (800) 862-8896