How Did You Become A Great Dentist?

Listening to the Rosie O’Donnell Radio Show last week struck a cord. Rosie was talking about how to become a great standup comedian. She said comedians would “practice their routine over and over and over, change a syllable here, a word there, try a new tag line, and finely, finely, hone it over time. Practice, practice, practice. Do it over, do it over, do it over.” People often ask her, she said, how to become a great comedian and her response is always, “How do you become a great surfer? Get in the water.”

That’s exactly how you became a great dentist, and that’s exactly how to become a great marketer. And that’s why you can count on Patient News to drive results to your practice. We’ve done it over and over and over. 18 years, 35,000 campaigns. We’ve changed more than syllables, words, and tag lines, and we know what works.

Why Direct Mail Will Work For You

Direct mail provides 100% reach to your target audience, and when well prepared, there’s so much research to support that it’s virtually indisputable that North Americans are compulsive consumers of print. Most people – and by most people we mean the majority – about 85% open and read these materials as soon as they get them – across every demographic. What are they reading? Well, let’s just say it’s no accident that the top 5 magazine marketers, from Proctor & Gamble to Unilever, are in the fields of personal hygiene, nutrition, beauty, and health.

According to Trendwatching, good health is now an important status symbol and increasingly, healthcare consumers expect prevention and improved quality of life rather than mere band aid solutions.

The Hartman Group in Reimagining Health and Wellness 2010 reports that consumers are increasing spending on products for health and wellness…

• 73% of US consumers consider being physically fit important to being “well,” with 74% also including feeling good about themselves.
• 19% of all monthly spending in the average household is on product categories that have a “wellness halo.”

How can you take advantage of this research in your dental practice marketing? A highly customized, personalized, and relevant direct mail program is a terrific medium for applying these triggers to educate patients and prospective patients and to promote your practice.People want a quality source of information – it gives them something to talk about with their peers. You’ve got all that to share: wellness, prevention, quality of life, nutrition, and the mouth-body connection.

In addition to readability and communication, numerous studies show that direct mail has other marketing advantages…

• households with higher income receive and read more advertising mail
• 94% of consumers surveyed say they took action on promotional offers received via direct mail over the past year
• 40% say they have tried a new business for the first time because of information received via direct mail

Effective marketing and communication is about more than just numbers. But it’s good to know that all that research supports the wisdom of your direct mail marketing campaign.

Feel free to call Patient News for immediate expert advice and more free information on developing content and marketing your dental practice. We respect your time. Our experts are available for a live call between 8:30am & 6:00pm EST. Outside of these hours your inquiry will be returned within one business day.

Source- www.patientnews.com

Do Patients Really Read A Patient Newsletter?

The answer is … yes they do. And I’m not just saying that!

In fact, of thousands and thousands of consumers surveyed directly via Patient News client newsletters, more than 85% report enjoying receiving and reading their dental patient newsletter!
We all know that patient communication of any kind is a good thing and has a significant impact on patient loyalty and frequency. But we need to consider the medium we use to ensure our communications have the best impact. Statistical data that continues to pour in from multiple sources proves that mailed pieces offer far more efficacy than any other medium. It reminds me of the news article this past spring that launched discussions about what we did as children that our kids won’t … like:
- talking on a phone attached to a wall
- biking without a helmet
- having a pen pal
- and receiving letters in the mail!

Instead of mailing our letters, we use e-cards, emails, texts, or posts. These can be great tools and we definitely use them at Patient News too, but they do not have the same personal tangible appeal as receiving something in the mail. So when we combine these facts, doesn’t it seem to be the perfect time to take advantage of increased visibility by mailing our personalized client communications?
But mail or not, what makes the difference between a successful versus unsuccessful patient communication initiative? Relevant and special information.

One of our longtime clients shared the following anecdote with me when we bumped into each other at a trade show … and his story demonstrates the value of genuine and personalized patient communication. He’d been using Patient News to customize and mail his patient newsletter for several years, and while he knew it was the right thing for him to be doing in terms of patient communication and education, and he believed that customizing and personalizing his message each time was worth it, he kept wondering in the back of his mind how much it was truly being read. He relayed his sad but heartwarming experience … after losing his beloved mother he included a tribute to her in his newsletter. It was personal, it was providing him with some closure, and he didn’t expect anything more. But he ended up being overwhelmed by patient response. He was simply deluged with cards, words of support and sympathy from his patients. Yes, a lot of patients were reading his newsletter.

Another client used their newsletter to help one of their staff members in crisis. A 20-year employee was diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing intensive chemotherapy and radiation. They included a custom article and image informing patients of a benefit dinner to raise money for the medical expenses. 150 people attended and helped to raise $8,000.

Up until a few years ago our most popular product was our internal patient newsletter, mailed to patients of record, and then as dental competition spiked up and the recession hit, the split shifted to our direct mail campaigns – what we call our “neighborhood newsletter/postcard” program. It seems that every dental practice we talk to is facing increased competition and desires more new patients. That’s why we have tended to focus our news on the success our clients are having with patient acquisition rather than the success of our patient newsletter clients. Dentists and their staff are trying to figure out what the best use of their marketing dollars is and want assurances about return on investment. Professionally created patient newsletters have a tremendously positive effect, but it can be a challenge to place a clear ROI value to internal client communications where the goal is education, communication, information, and strengthening long-term loyalty.

Of course that’s a consideration for my team at Patient News, yet despite wanting to focus every marketing dollar on new-client acquisition, we have never missed an issue of our own client Quarterly Update newsletter since we first launched the support tool in 1996. We don’t get astounding response to each issue, but in survey after survey more than 90% of clients report that not only do they read each issue, they share it and file for future reference. It’s a value and it’s appreciated … and clients love to be featured in our profile section.

In our current edition we profile Dr. Michael King. He’s utilizing a combination of our patient newsletter program and our neighborhood direct mail (newsletter/postcard) acquisition program. He discontinued all other marketing and generated an increase in revenue of more than $223,000, and we’re not quite finished his first year! These are great results and speak to the value of a multi-channel marketing mix. Dr. King also made a great decision as he began working with us – he involved his entire team from the decision-making process. They worked with their Patient News Account Manager to create uniquely customized newsletters and postcards. He focused on his staff, ensuring they knew their services and goals and encouraged them to speak with patients and people calling in to really talk up their practice and what they offer. Going forward, we’re adding Call Tracker to his campaigns and we’ll be able to further analyze and improve his marketing results … and keep you posted on tips for success.

In a May 2011 report by Pitney Bowes, small and medium businesses reported that their ideal marketing mix is a combination of traditional and digital communications. As expected, the multi-channel approach is the way to go, with advertising, email, and direct mail deemed to be proven most effective. First we can reach every client on our list with traditional mail, both active and inactive, and reading from paper improves comprehension. Research shows that people enjoy receiving relevant printed communications. We include email as part of our overall package, but it’s important to remember that email does reach fewer readers, and it’s easier to delete and cancel, so in order to reach 100% of our clients a multi-channel mix works best.

And finally, I can tell you that boring newsletters don’t work! Informative visually exciting pieces are proven to boost response. Patients relate to doctors and their teams when they know them a little better. Patients feel more connected when they recognize similarities. An effective patient newsletter becomes an extension of the “small talk” shared at the practice. Include photos of the team, events, before-and-after images of patients, and share information about interests outside of the practice. When you build and strengthen internal patient relationships, you definitely get results!

Patient News grew by having the greatest patient newsletter program available to dentists, and we still do. Feel free to call 1.888.377.2404 for immediate expert advice and request free information on developing content and marketing your dental practice. We respect your time. You’ll talk to a real person experienced in dental marketing between 8:30am-6:00pm EST. Outside of these hours, your inquiry will be returned within one business day.

Source- www.patientnews.com

50% Of Dentists Not Doing Anything About Their Declining Revenues

We’ve all read and heard the research and reports about why patients avoid the dentist – fear, anxiety, the sounds, the smells – but have you heard that a third of people who used to maintain regular dental appointments have not been to the dentist in 2 years? I think everyone is feeling a bit of that pinch. Hearing this latest statistic reminded me of another survey from a while back. That report indicated that many people don’t visit the dentist because they didn’t see a need.

It certainly makes sense… I mean if it’s not your favorite thing and you don’t think you need it, you’re not going to do it. Kind of like me and running. Or my daughter and onions.
So what are dentists doing about the lack of business? Not much according to Lisa Philp, President of Transitions Group. This week Lisa told me that a new survey indicated that 8 out of 10 dental practices admit they’re on a decline but only 4 out of 8 said they were going to do something about it. Whaaa?

What can we derive from this information?

Patients should be educated about their oral health so they understand their various needs and prioritize treatment for themselves and family members.
Patients need to be informed about what they can have so they develop a desire for it, want to buy it, and put a priority in their budget for it.
The competitive advantage is huge for the dental practice that takes action.
Now is the time to act if you haven’t. According to Small Business Trends, luxury spending is on the rise and it’s expected to continue. Consumers are still value conscious, but it’s about the value they want to receive from the products they purchase, not the cost of them. And I think we all know it’s never really about price, is it? OK, so what now?

Get your name out there! 

Take advantage of available exposure in your area that your competitors aren’t.
Showcase your brand attributes and help educate your prospects to establish your practice as the expert and the one people will turn to.
Demonstrate and communicate the quality and value patients will receive in your marketing communications; educated patients who know what they want are more profitable patients.
Develop a marketing plan that includes a mix of reliable methods of advertising and communication.
Just this week I had a conference call with a client in Virginia. His print campaigns generated a 5:1 return within the same year, grossing almost ½ million dollars from first year new patient revenue – imagine the exponential growth that his one year campaign will generate over patient lifetime! A great example of why targeted direct mail really should be pivotal in any marketing plan.
Earlier this month Print in the Mix posted data from Nielsen research. Close to 70% of shoppers said they look at printed paper material mailed to their home or inserted into newspapers at least once per week. The only digital tactic that matched printed paper’s weekly reach was email. Nearly 90% of consumers said they want to receive print advertising in the future. 72% also want email with only about 1/3 interested in social or smart-phone advertising.

Meatloaf sang, “two out of three ain’t bad.” But which 4 out of 8 are you?

Feel free to call 1.888.377.2404 for immediate expert dental marketing advice and request free sample information. We respect your time. You’ll talk to a real person between 8:30am-6:00pm EST, and outside of these hours, your inquiry will be returned within one business day.


Source- www.patientnews.com