How well do you know your patients ? – Find out in this blog.
“Mr Smith,after doing your complete examination,your Xrays and going through your case history and your photographs,you will need a complete comprehensive plan to increase the height of all your teeth & what we call “raise the bite” in dental terms.
Here is the best treatment plan that will be best suited to your unique needs….& It costs….INR…”
Silence…
You take a deep breath…
More Silence…
“ Hmmm..Doctor..actually….
Hmmm…
I need to think this through..”
Silence..
“ I will let you know !”
And the patient is out of the Operatory.
In your mind..
You have already heard these words..
“ I will tell you…NO ”!!
Sounds familiar ?
What if you could get inside the conversation in the minds of these people ?
To understand the real Story they are telling themselves ?
What if you could have a way to know these people so well, that you could read their minds, and they themselves will SELL the treatment to themselves ?
Because you get them and understand them and their needs so well, that they themselves come looking for you ?
When it comes to dental practice marketing, identifying and targeting your ideal target audience can help you have more effective marketing messages and increase practice growth. While targeting your ideal patient may seem simple in theory, it can be difficult to execute. The key is getting in front of potential new patients in the right place at the right time, with the right message that resonates with your audience.
Lets help you identify your Target Audience in this Article –
Set aside an hour or two to work through this questionnaire.
1. Identify your ideal case.
· What are the top 3 dental services that you most like to perform?
· From which services do you make the most profit?
· What is top 20% that brings you the 80% revenue in your practice ?
2. Identify your ideal patient Demographics
· Who are your 10 favourite patients to treat?
· What’s their age/sex/place ?
· What their relationship status/Career/Kids ?
· What is their Annual Income/Job Title/Industry ?
· How do they pay for dental care?
· Why do you like to have them as patients?
· Where do they work?
· Do they live with family?
· What treatments have they undergone at your office (by service)?
· What’s the average age?
· What’s the average case cost?
· What are the main races?
· Do you have more men or women?
· What cities do they come from?
3. What are the interests of these People ?
· What do they Read ?
· What do they listen to ( News/Podcasts/music etc)
· Where do they holiday ?
· Favourite events ? Conferences ?
· How do they spend their online time ?
· Which Channels or Platforms ?
4.What are the Psychographics of these People ?
• How do they seek & find out Information ?
• Calls a friend ?
• Asks for Recommendations on FB & WhatsApp Groups.
• Googles information ?
• Asks local support groups / like society groups /Gym Buddies/kitty party groups/Kids school groups etc.
• Asks his physician/Family doctor
• Follows whom ? Any Religious /Political/Celebrity/Influencers
• What are their Core Beliefs & Values ?
WHAT ARE THE PAIN POINTS OF THESE PEOPLE ?
· Their Biggest Frustrations in context to Dental problems.
· Their NO 1 Struggle?
· What is the ideal and best solution to the above problems?
· How much would they be prepared to pay for that?
Once you know the pain points of these people,you can structure your content, your marketing message and your conversation in such a way that it addresses, acknowledges and provides solution and speaks to these unique people and their pain points with EMPATHY.
Some Key Questions to ponder about your marketing activities are as follows-
· Do you have a website ?
· How many pages does the site have?
· What year was the site created?
· Do you have Google Analytics installed on your website? If so, do you analyze the data monthly?
· Do you have a blog?
· How often do you post blogs?
· How many new patients calls do you get from your website /Google My Business each month?
· Do you have a Facebook professional page?
· How often do you post to the page?
· Do you have a Facebook business page?
· How often do you post to the page?
· Have you claimed your Google My Business listing?
· What other social networks are you involved with?
· How often do you post on each profile?
· Do you have any online reviews from patients?
· If so, where?
· Are the reviews positive or negative?
· If negative, have you responded publicly?
· Have you received any new patient calls from your social media efforts?
· Do you send email reminders, e-newsletters, or print newsletters to your patients of record?
· Do you have an email list of current and/or potential patients?
· How many new patients do you get from word-of-mouth referral each month?
· Do you invest in paid online ads, and if so where and how much do you spend on each monthly?
· Do you invest in print marketing, and if so how often and how much do you spend monthly?
· What other marketing do you invest time and/or money in?
So to complete the story…
After few months..
Mr Smith, to our surprise did indeed come back !
He said “ Congratulations Doc ! on completing your first 10k Marathon ..I saw the pictures on your FB.Did you know,my son too was on that Marathon ? …
Starts talking about his family..
His travel plans to visit his daughter for her graduation ceremony…
Conversation goes on…
Suddenly Mr Smith says..
“ Wanted to ask you, Can you do…that thing.. what’s it called ? the drive thing..in my mouth too ? the one you did for Ms Carol ? – I saw her video on your FB and couldn’t believe the transformation – mindblowing !”
“You mean TEST DRIVE ?”
Oh Yess !!
“ Honestly, I was very scared to go through any dentistry in my mouth the last time I met you,but seeing Carol overcome her fear and the amazing results you have given her,I finally got the courage to sign up”
One last Question.. Will it be done before Diwali ?
I am visiting my daughter in LA for her graduation Ceremony and this time I don’t want to hide myself behind my mask in pictures !
About the Author -
Meet the visionary of dental marketing innovation - Dr. Anisa, Your Social Dentist and founder of Anisa Your Social Dentist. With expertise seamlessly intertwined with a passion for authentic connections in the dental industry, Dr. Anisa envisions dentistry as a canvas for storytelling and personal branding.
Embark on a transformative journey with Dr. Anisa, where dental marketing becomes a narrative woven with threads of trust, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to redefining patient experiences. Join Dr. Anisa in shaping a future where dental practices thrive as beacons of genuine connection in an increasingly digital world.