5 tips for attracting new patients

By Dr. Kurt Doolin and Dr. Jeff Haddad

Drs. Kurt Doolin and Jeff Haddad of Rochester Advanced Dentistry in Rochester, Mich., an area hit hard by the automotive industry’s tough times, share their tips for marketing your practice and attracting new patients.

Tip No. 1: Increase your local exposure

In today’s world, effective marketing of a product or service is almost as important as the product or service itself. Don’t misunderstand this message. We all owe it to our great profession to always do the best we can for our patients with sound technique, judgment, and ethics. Still, unless we spread the word, our best efforts can remain disappointingly unnoticed. A combination of traditional print advertising and newer methods such as social media marketing has been the key to our local exposure. Tracking our marketing efforts and seeing what works best has always guided us in all of our efforts. However, any type of media that differentiates a practice from the others should be a practice’s goal.

Tip No. 2: Initiate conversation with your patients

Your current patient pool is sometimes overlooked as the important resource it is; please do not make this mistake. If you do not educate your patients about what you can offer them, you are ignoring your most captive audience. More importantly, having “reminders” around your office about your technology and services will prompt discussions between you and your patients. Portraits of your cosmetic patients and sleep apnea brochures are good examples of these conversation starters. You need to show patients your skills, and at all opportunities tell them about your specialized services, and this will also initiate conversation. Only then can your patients accept treatment or recommend you to others.

Tip No. 3: Develop your Web site

An effective Web site does not have to be fancy or expensive. What it must do is communicate what type of practice you have and show the results of your work. We all have a niche practice, whether it is general dentistry, cosmetics, implants, TMD, etc., and your Web site needs to reflect this to show new patients why your practice is right for them. Offering a doctors’ blog section on your site is a great way to disseminate valuable information and office news to patients. It also makes a more personal connection between patients and doctor. Most importantly, the main goal of your Web site should be to generate prequalified new patients for your office.

Tip No. 4: Make your patients ambassadors to your practice

Word-of-mouth advertising has always been the most powerful and effective marketing tool. Your patients will market your practice better than you ever could, but you need to give them the opportunity. Give your patients a voice by including a testimonial or success stories section on your Web site. Use their quotes in your print advertising. New patients want to know what positive experiences your patients are having in your practice. The majority of your patients would love to help promote you, but you need to ask them. If you give your patients a voice, they can be your biggest advocates.

Tip No. 5: Use local micro-networking

Excellent, comprehensive dentistry requires that we frequently refer our patients to medical and dental specialists to get the care they need. Unfortunately, many dentists are not comfortable referring to medical professionals. Our practice refers to internists, ENTs, plastic surgeons, pediatricians, sleep clinics, chiropractors, and physical therapists on a surprisingly regular basis. Because of this, we have become the dental “experts” when their patients need dental care. This has resulted in increased referrals back to our office. Having a formalized referral network helps your patients and your practice. These patients come to you knowing what they want, because their trusted doctor sent them to you. This can be a great new-patient referral source for your practice.

CLICK HERE to read an interview with Dr. Doolin and Dr. Haddad.