September 20, 1997
American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry,
Atlantic City, New Jersey

October 2, 1997
Futuredontics, Inc.,
Scottsdale, Arizona

The following are ten proven marketing strategies utilizing the computer. These strategies are not new - they're just good! Many times practices look for "new and better" methods when the "tried and true" have not even been implemented. Most successful practitioners will advise anyone attempting to grow or refine their practice to "go back to the basics." Get these basics down-pat and then move on to more advanced systems.

1. Monitor New Patient Flow

New patients entering the practice should be monitored on a monthly/yearly basis. One of the three critical factors of the business of dentistry is "sales" (the other two are production and collection). "Sales" in dentistry means: (1) How many new patients are you attracting? This tells you how well you are promoting your practice in your community; and (2) How much dentistry is being diagnosed and how much dentistry is being accepted? (We will address this separately.)

Therefore, since one of the critical business factors in the dental practice is new patient flow, this must be monitored faithfully. Monitoring the practice is like taking the "temperature" of the practice - you can measure the health or lack of health of the practice only if you carefully take that temperature.

A new patient, technically speaking, is someone who has received a comprehensive examination from the doctor. Your computer will see everyone on whom initial data is being entered as a new patient. Approach every patient as if they are going to be a "forever" patient, but, realistically, determine which of those patients only came one time for emergency care.

When you monitor your new patient flow, you will be able to discern whether or not you need to increase your marketing efforts to generate more new patients. You will be able to set appropriate goals when you recognize where you are, and when you determine where you want to go. Then, and only then, can you design an appropriate plan of action.

2. Welcome Packet

The Welcome Packet serves many specific purposes. It is not a frivolous exercise, but rather a marketing and management tool that works to solidify relationships with new people entering your practice. There are four main reasons why people do not seek dental care or do not proceed with recommended care:

1. Lack of dental education
2. Fear of cost
3. Fear of the dentistry itself
4. Time

If a person calls your office and schedules an appointment, then gets "cold feet" because of one of these four barriers, they may cancel the appointment or, may simply not show up. You lose the opportunity to gain a new client, and the potential patient loses the opportunity to receive your care. Addressing these potential barriers or objections in a Welcome Packet and turning them into positives - before the fact - can establish confidence and eliminate a certain percentage of "no-shows."

The first and most important thing you need to do with a person is establish a relationship of trust and confidence. The Welcome Packet, carefully constructed, will help to do just that! It lets people know who you are, where you are, what you do and what makes your office a very special place to come to receive quality care.

The Welcome Packet can be created and generated on your computer. Once the creating of the materials has been accomplished, it becomes a simple daily task to generate and mail these packets. The following are the materials to be included in your Welcome Packet:

1. Practice brochure (or a welcome letter on your letterhead stationery if a brochure is not available.)
2. A patient education newsletter, if you produce one, or an informational brochure about some aspect of dentistry. (Make it a beautiful, encouraging brochure, such as one on cosmetic dentistry or preventive care.)
3. The patient information sheet/health history (to be completed before arrival.)
4. An appointment card confirming the appointment.

3. Welcome to the Practice Letters

This "grandfather" of marketing tools is still as effective today as it was decades ago. However, as I travel across the country consulting in practices, I do not see this being done with regularity and commitment in many practices. Business experts tell us that one of the best ways to solidify and maintain a relationship with a client is to send notes. As simple and as "silly" as that may sound, it is proven to be quite powerful.

Enter a variety of letters into your computer so you can individualize your correspondence. Your computer will allow you to integrate the person's name and address with the letter so that it is personalized rather than generic.

When the patient has arrived and is in the clinical area receiving the examination, generate the letter. Hand address an envelope, and either the business administrator can sign the letter (if it is coming from the doctor and the team) or the letter can be placed on the doctor's desk for signing at his convenience (but on that day!)

Handled in this manner, these important letters can be completed on a daily basis and take very little time. If the letters are left to the end of the week or the month, they tend to get put on the back burner and left undone.

Be sure your software package includes an excellent word processing system. Our computer system, Dentrix, uses Microsoft Word. We are able to use our word processing program to integrate letters into our patient data base.

4. Track Referral Sources and
Thank You For Referral Notes

Approximately 70% of your new patients will come to you from a personal referral. A Harvard University study on the main motivators of people found that "recognition" was the second greatest motivator of people. Connect these two significant pieces of information and it makes good sense to "recognize" referral sources. These important benefactors of practices need and deserve special attention.

This idea, just as Welcome to the Practice Letters, is nothing new. But it still makes good business sense to send Thank You for Referral Notes. There are many ways to recognize these important people, but let's follow what Tom Hopkins recommends and send those notes or letters!

Tom Hopkins, of Tom Hopkins International in Scottsdale, Arizona, is considered to be one of the top sales trainers in the world. He says the following about sending notes: "Spoken thanks are nice, they're necessary to courtesy, and sometimes they're the only thanks you can give someone. But spoken thanks rarely bring in referrals. For that, you need to write a thank you note."

This is one of the best marketing tasks your computer can do for you - it will track those referral sources. Of course, it can only track them if they are entered into the computer. Be sure to ask for the referral source during your initial telephone conversation or on your patient information sheet. If a person fails to enter this piece of information, ask for it.

Follow the same protocol for these vital notes that you do for your Welcome to the Practice Letters. Have a variety of these letters, also. Keep them in sequential order so that you do not send the same letter over and over (although that would be better than not sending a note or letter at all.)

Most computer systems not only track the referral source, but will also store such information as who the person referred and how much dentistry was produced as a result of their referrals. Vital information! When a person refers a certain number of patients or if a significant amount of dentistry has resulted from their referrals, a special gift or acknowledgement might be given. Unless this information is tracked, results cannot be obtained. Tracking this by hand is difficult, at best - left to do by hand, it is usually not done because the time needed to produce such information can be prohibitive.

5. Marketing Letters

In addition to the traditional Welcome to the Practice and Thank You for Referral Letters, many other types of marketing/patient contact letters can be generated on a computer. Repetition is a key to excellent marketing. Therefore, staying in contact with patients on a regular basis is important. Computers allow you to do "search routines" to collect specific information on particular "market shares" within your practice. Then, a letter can be created and merged with the various lists created by the search routines. This assures the personalization of the letter/information.

Several purposes are served: (1) Your patients are contacted in a very personal manner; (2) You are giving information that will, hopefully, stimulate their interest; and (3) You have provided that "regular" contact with your patients.

There are hundreds of things you might want to share with your patients in the form of a special mailing. Some examples of such special mailings would be as follows:

• Birthdays
• Anniversaries
• Recent courses attended (i.e., a course on cosmetic dentistry - write a brief, motivating letter to your patient families and include an attractive brochure about the specific type of restoration you studied, such as porcelain laminate veneers)
• Letters to insurance patients (see Insurance Marketing)
• Educational letters to patients who are delinquent with their continuous care program. These should be educational and motivational, not a "put down."
• Letters to parents (do a search routine for these names) informing them of treatment options and advancements in children's care, i.e., sealants (include a brochure)
• Post-treatment letters
• Letters to referring doctors
• Thanksgiving/Christmas letters or cards.

And so on. Be creative. The possibilities are endless. The key is to focus on a specific group and a specific subject for these special mailings.

Business and marketing experts recommend introducing something new to consumers every three months. You can do this through a combination of your newsletter and your special mailings. Remember, a concept or treatment might not be new to you, but it will probably be new to a great many of your patients.

6. Letters to Businesses/Organizations in Your Area

Sending letters or newsletters to businesses in your area can be a very prolific source of new patients for your practice. Find out the names of the personnel directors of various businesses and begin informing these influential people of the services you have available for their employees.

Address such issues as: (1) How you would handle insurance for their employees (if appropriate); (2) Services available; (3) Available financial options (in addition to insurance); and (4) Educational programs you can present to their group.

It is important that you do a pre- or post-mailing telephone call to these businesses. They will pay more attention to your correspondence and will be more likely to give you an interview or schedule a presentation. Many employees, new and old, will ask their personnel director for a recommendation of a dentist. Staying in contact with these key people will be in your favor. They will be pleased to see your interest in their organization and will become an excellent referral source for you.

7. Patient Education Newsletters

Here is another "grandfather" of marketing suggestions. There is some feeling that the newsletter has no purpose in today's 'fast track' world. I, however, feel that there is as much need today for constant, positive contact with patients as ever. Done properly, an educational newsletter can still be one of your most successful marketing tools.

We have done a patient education newsletter in our practice for about ten years. We write it and produce it ourselves. We began producing the newsletter before we were computerized. But, I can promise you that it is much easier and much more cost and time efficient with the computer.

The word processing aspects of computers today make graphic art and desktop publishing a fun, creative, easy task. Patients will respond positively to your informative and personal contact with them. The computer will not only print the labels for your patient families, but will arrange the labels in zip code order so you can mail in bulk and save postage.

If the #1 reason that people do not come to the dentist or do not accept dental recommendations is a lack of dental education, then the main commission of dental professionals may be to educate patients. The main goals of a patient education newsletter are the following:

1. To educate people about what is happening in dentistry today.
2. To inform patients about what you are doing in your practice to stay on top of the latest and best in dentistry.
3. To thank people for their confidence in you.
4. To ask for referrals.
5. To stay in front of your patient family in a positive manner. (Do your patients only hear from you when they get a statement?)
6. To introduce something new to your patients on a regular basis.