Before you can create a successful dental practice, you must define success. What does success look like to you? Is it a full waiting room? A fully booked schedule? Happy patients? Hopefully, you aspire to higher things than just making it through the day and paying your bills.
To me, a successful dental practice is one you and your team love showing up for each day. It means building positive relationships with your patients while delivering care and quality services to them. A successful practice grows as it builds your professional reputation and offers financial security.
If that sounds like success to you, keep reading.
My name is Jennifer Pearce, and I am the founder, owner, and lead-coach of Prosperity Dental Solutions. My idea of success? Helping dentists define and achieve their idea of success. Whatever that means for you. My dream is to help you fulfill your dreams.
So, how do you deliver quality services that “WOWs” your patients and leaves lasting impressions on them?
Let me share some secrets with you.
Build a Successful Dental Practice by Building Relationships with Your Patients
One of the most important things you can do to be successful in your dental practice is to make sure your current patients want to keep coming back to you—even if they move away.
Today’s patients are smart. They know they have choices. If they don’t like the care or treatment they get, they know there are plenty of other dentists out there.
As smart as patients are, though, they also make assumptions. They believe all dentists know the same dental stuff. In other words, if they have a broken tooth that needs a crown, they figure any dentist they choose can handle placing a crown.
They don’t care to know how a crown is placed.
What they care about is how the dentist’s office treats them when getting the crown.
Are they welcomed and greeted by name when they enter? Is everyone friendly? Does the dentist treat them with care?
Are they treated like family?
How do you treat patients like family? By building relationships with them.
Get to know your patients. Find out what is important to them. Get creative. Go beyond having a picture of the patient on their chart. Have a notes section in each patient’s file that includes family member’s names, hobbies, careers, and other useful information. Make sure each team member asks them about something going on in their life.
Encourage team members to add to the notes section. For instance, if a patient tells the hygienist they are going on a cruise next month, she can add this to the notes and ask how the cruise went at the next visit.
It’s also important to give a piece of yourself to the patients. Let them get to know you. Of course, you don’t want to overwhelm them and make it seem like it’s all about you, but you can share a few details here and there. Keep it positive!
Another idea is to have a place for personal pictures of the team. Maybe a corkboard on the wall in the waiting room covered with pictures of the team members traveling or attending events. Include fun times around the office, like a Christmas party. This allows patients to get to know everyone a bit more and acts as a conversation starter.
Make Your Dental Practice Unique
Give patients a reason to choose your practice. Offer a unique service or amenity that impresses them.
Figure out what kinds of patients you most enjoy treating and cater to them.
For instance, if you like young families, don’t just have a play area for kids. Lots of dentists do that. Get creative. Bring someone in on certain days or during certain times to “man” the playroom and watch the kids. Can you imagine how much mothers of young kids would appreciate a babysitter so they can enjoy peace and relaxation while getting their dental care?
Have a “mommy room” where a mother in need can nurse a baby and change a diaper. Create a “no cavity club” that you share on social media (with mom’s permission).
Get your team involved and brainstorm ways to make your practice stand out from all the rest. You could even ask your patients for ideas.
Then use your uniqueness in your marketing material.
Appreciate Your Patients
Don’t just send your patients birthday cards, send them holiday cards too. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, Valentine’s Day, Easter. If a veteran, be sure to acknowledge that as well.
When a patient sends you a referral, send them a thank you gift. It could be a gift card, flowers, a fruit basket. Whatever. When you show your appreciation, they will be more likely to refer more patients to you.
Have a business card drawing once a month. Let the prize be something the winner appreciates but also markets you. For instance, maybe a nice lunch or gift basket delivered to the patient’s place of work. Their co-workers will take notice.
Create raffle tickets patients can earn for things like showing up on time, liking you or making comments on your social media, referring patients, posting a positive review. Again, get creative. And make the raffle for something nice to encourage participation.
Start Building a Successful Dental Practice Today
Want to learn more ways to keep your patients happy and satisfied, so they keep coming back and refer others to you?
Contact me online or call (817) 975-4576 today to get started.
Here’s to you achieving all the success you dream of!
