The traditional model of dental practice has doctors bending over the chair four, five or even six days a week. That’s a lot of physical and mental strain that decreases the quality of life in what is regularly ranked as one of the two top professions in the U.S.
That practice model is driven by the need for a high volume of dental patients. In turn, that need exists because of how dentists go about marketing their practices – on low price, discounts, and insurance acceptance. It makes sense to take this approach because the prospects who are motivated by price and insurance comprise about 70 to 80 percent of a given market.
But lower average case value, which is what you get with run-of-the-mill patients, keeps you working too long for too hard for too little.
But what happens when you market to the other 20 to 30 percent of prospects?
A Different Proposition
Dentists who want to work less while earning more need to attract the better dental patients in their markets – the 20 to 30 percent of prospects who have the ability and willingness to pay more for the right dentist. You won’t get them through low price or insurance.
Better patients are looking for the dentist who they regard as the likeable, relatable, and trustworthy expert to solve their dental problems. Within reason, they don’t care what procedures cost. They’re willing to invest in their mouths if they’re assured of a great relationship with the dentist and staff, that they’ll be well cared for, and that they’ll have excellent outcomes.
Better patients are the key to working less while earning more. This is particularly true when you have a lucrative specialty that you want to promote – implants, cosmetic dentistry, or clear aligners, for instance. But even without promoting a big-ticket specialty, better patients provide excellent lifetime value to your practice. They’re rarely one-and-dones; once they choose a dentist, they’ll remain a patient for many years to come.
With better patients in your chairs, you need far fewer patients to make as much or more money as you’re making now. Attracting better patients will require a complete shift in your marketing approach.
It’s a Question of Positioning
Dentists today are assumed to be competent. There’s no particular reason for a prospect to choose one dentist over another except for price, insurance, or location.
Your marketing has to work to make you stand out from the great mass of dentists. That’s not an ad campaign or radio spots. You’ll need to position yourself as the dentist of choice for prospects who are selective about who works on their mouths. That will almost certainly require a refocusing of your social media to build engagement while providing helpful information and driving them to your website.
You’ll need to rewrite your website copy and promote a free offer to capture prospects’ email addresses. You’ll need a series of emails for each dental condition that you want to emphasize, sent out at carefully-timed intervals.
That’s a lot for a busy dental practice to accomplish, and most won’t have the bandwidth.
The SmartBox Solution
SmartBox works with more than 550 dentists on three continents. We provide a steady stream of better patients so our doctors can focus on doing the dentistry. Many SmartBox dentists are finding that they can significantly reduce their hours in the practice while earning more.
Dr. Ron Receveur of New Albany, Indiana, transformed his practice by becoming the regional expert on dental implants and hiring an associate to handle the general dentistry side. With SmartBox’s help, he grew his practice from $1.8 million to over$3.4 million in just four years. And he works three days a week doing only the cases he loves to handle – consults and surgery.
Visit www.smartboxdentalmarketing.com and click on the “Get Started” button. Schedule your free, no-obligation Practice Discovery Session
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Following the 25-minute phone call, SmartBox will send you your completely personalized, free, Patient Attraction Roadmap. Again, there’s no commitment or obligation; the Roadmap is yours to use regardless of whether you become a SmartBox dentist.
You can work just three days a week and earn more. Contact SmartBox today.
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