January - LVI Visions

Computer giant Apple has a knack
for creating buzz by NOT telling you
what they’re up to. This creates mystery
as to what their next move will
be and has sprung up a cottage industry
of websites like www.thinksecret.com
that speculate on the company’s
next moves. Apple fans
everywhere can’t wait to join into the
online discussions.
Maybe you don’t have the time,
money, or market presence of some
of these companies to generate buzz.
But in your own small ways, you
have everything you need to give
your patients something to talk
about. And your current patients represent
your best, and most targeted,
opportunity to connect with potential
new patients.
So, how can you encourage your
patients to generate positive word-ofmouth
for your practice?
Start by creating a top-notch experience
for your patients. Are you and
your staff caring and focused? Does
your practice offer the most popular
services? What’s your waiting room
experience like? Do you respect your
patients’ time? Do you explain treatment
options fully and in a way
that’s easy to understand? Is your
74 LVI VISIONS • JANUARY • FEBRUARY • MARCH • APRIL 2008
office environment comfortable and
relaxing? Does your staff make patients
feel welcome? Do you offer
flexible payment options?
These are all things that patients
can and will comment on outside of
your office. Plenty of practices go
the extra mile in order to give their
patients something to talk about.
The emergence of the dental spa,
offering pampering services like
paraffin hand treatments, facials, or
even Botox® treatments, can really
help differentiate your practice
from others.
And that’s what it’s all about. To
create a thriving practice, do buzzworthy
things so your patients have
plenty to talk about.
It’s more than just treating your patients
well. Just as important is keeping
your staff motivated and producing
at the highest level. A happy staff
is a productive staff. And a productive
staff creates a welcoming, caring,
relaxed but focused office environment
that leads to great
word-of-mouth.
How else can you encourage people
to talk in positive ways about
your practice? Get involved in your
community. Participate in voluntary
programs where your dental expertise
can make a difference. Join the
chamber of commerce or other local
business organizations. Be the “go
to” expert that local publications call
upon when they need a quote on a
story that involves dentistry. Getting
out in the community builds wordof-mouth
in positive ways.
The best way to encourage word-ofmouth
for a dental practice (and often
the toughest way for many dentists) is
to simply ask your patients for referrals.
Many dentists just don’t feel
comfortable asking for referrals, but
believe it or not, you’re sending lots of
happy patients out the door every day
that would be very happy to tell their
friends about your practice, if only
they were to think about doing so.
The fact of the matter is that if you
ask any dentist what their number one
source of new patients has traditionally
been, they’ll invariably answer,
“Referrals.” Yet, when asked if they
have any sort of formalized patient-topatient
referral program in place, the
answer is almost always, “Well… no.”
I suppose spending tens of thousands
of dollars on splashy magazine
ads, billboards and direct mail campaigns
might seem like the easy way
to market your practice. But that
doesn’t necessarily make it smart.
Word-of-mouth – the oldest form of
marketing – is the new mainstream.
And to ignore it is to ignore your
most lucrative and most targeted
source of new patients.
With all the communications tools
available to your patients, encouraging
word-of-mouth ultimately comes