Yes, we now have Twitter, where you tell me where you’re eating lunch and tweet a picture of your enchiladas.
Yes, we now have Facebook, where you tell me about your farm and post pictures of your chickens and their eggs, without telling me which came first.
Yes, we now also have LinkedIn, where you connect with me and send me links to your articles, and I’ll connect with you.
If you want to grow your dental business, you must use social media as part of your conversation.
But this instant information blast does NOT cover all your bases. In fact, while it creates buzz about your practice while you show up all the time on news feeds, you cannotforget the basics about marketing.
If you “do the marketing your mama taught you,” a little bit of old fashioned interaction, you will create goodwill, good relationships, and good business.
ALSO BY KAREN CORTELL REISMAN:5 slightly unexpected tips to really get your message across about your dental practice
ONE question you must ask to make your dental meetings productive and SHORT
Here’s what I mean:
1. Send a handwritten thank you note when you really want to thank someone. You can still send a thank you email for immediacy, but then surprise the person with the card.
2. Call your patients to congratulate them when someone wins an award.
3. Send a small gift to someone who has referred you, even if the person referred does not end up in your practice. Word-of-mouth referrals are the highest compliment you can get.
4. Appreciate, appreciate, appreciate. Compliments don’t cost a dime. Not to sound manipulative, but you get a huge ROI when you give compliments. Your patient/team/partner will keep doing activities that get admired.
5. Open the door for people when they get in your car.
6. Let others exit the elevator first.
7. Listen before you speak.
8. Say thank you.
I thank YOU for reading this article.
What other lessons did your mama teach you? Send me your comments to [email protected]. Your mama was probably right, but she didn’t discuss everything on Twitter.
*Source: I first heard “marketing my mama taught me” from Jeanne Robertson, one of the finest humorists in the speaking industry. She said, with her thick Southern accent, “I stay busy. I just do the marketing my mama taught me!” Thank you, Jeanne, for this article’s inspiration. Contact her at www.JeanneRobertson.com.
Karen Cortell Reisman, author of two books and President of Speak For Yourself®, works with organizations on how to make more money. It’s all in how you speak for yourself. Visit her website at www.KarenCortellReisman.com. ©Karen Cortell Reisman, MS
