Danny Bobrow, MBA

As the distinction between oral and overall health continues to blur, the opportunity to develop patient referral sources from both within and outside of dentistry continues to expand.

Referrals from health professionals outside dentistry

Dental specialists have long known the value of cultivating relationships with their general practitioner colleagues.  G.P.s have similar opportunities to connect with colleagues outside of dentistry, the public at large, and even fellow dentists if they offer a service their colleagues are unable or unwilling to offer, or in other ways demonstrate ‘added value.’

Dr. Allan Gross, president of bizcentsfordocs says “Most dental specialists are not comfortable referring potential new patients to just one general dentist considering the relationship he/she has with others.  There is (however, potential) within the medical community.”

Gross relates one example where a dentist noticed a local physician offering alternative medicine.  “The dentist had not placed amalgams for years and thought this doctor might be interested in meeting him.  The doctor was so excited…not only did he become a patient, he sent over 80 patients to his office in a period of less than one year….and how much did that cost in marketing? About 2 hours of his time.”

Other ways to encourage physician referrals is to contact each patient’s physician to receive additional information about anything revealed during the initial medical history, or if any change in status is observed.   In this way, the practice becomes known for its thoroughness and concern for the patient’s health.  This message is not lost on the physician’s team either.

Sleep Apnea care wakes up your referrals?

Treatment of sleep apnea and related conditions is one of the fastest growing areas of oral health care.  According to Philip Goduco, DDS of Goduco Smiles, “I set up lunches with both physicians and dentists, the latter starting with my list of dental school classmates, and continuing with those I know who do not care to affix the oral appliance. I also contact the sleep labs, either directly, or by calling my physician friends and acquaintances. It’s also possible to search the Internet for ‘sleep centers, sleep laboratories’, and so forth.”  Goduco then sets a time to meet, not only with the doctors, but their technicians too, to let them know he is “…looking for a center to which to send my patients to have two studies done; one to establish a base line, and one for titrating the oral appliance.”   Goduco also lectures on the topic, which is another valuable way to create awareness and enthusiasm about his service.

While there is an investment of time and money required to become proficient, Dr. Goduco considers it to be one that has already paid off, and whose return will only increase over time:

Dr. Gross says “There are many ways to be embraced by your community.  A food drive at Thanksgiving, a toy drive at Christmas, a blood drive (have the van in your parking lot), a walk/run charity event that can be co-sponsored are just a few ideas and opportunities that can build your reputation as one who is committed to your community on many levels.”
	Promotion is accomplished both inside and outside your practice. Internal promotion channels include:

		In-Office Display Items e.g. Posters, Lapel Buttons, etc.

Consider a team meeting whose topic is identifying ways to communicate to the health community how your practice demonstrates its commitment to collaborative care (and why, therefore, your referrals will be made to look good in the eyes of those they refer).

Seek out opportunities to exchange information with fellow health care providers and act in a collaborative way to better and more efficiently deliver care to those patients you have in common.  Once that bond is established, just watch the referrals build.
	 
	

While you might ‘get lucky’ and receive as many referrals as you can handle from a single source, it’s more likely you’ll need to develop and cultivate several sources.  I built my dental marketing practice largely by networking over the years to where now hardly a week goes by that I do not receive a referral from one of dozens of sources.  Did every attempt at establishing a referral source result in success?  No way!  Were I to venture a guess, I’d say that one of every 25 to 50 attempts bore some sort of fruit.  And sometimes, it took many years for that to occur.

Realize that it’s not always what you say; it’s how frequently you say it, and that you say anything at all.  For example: if you regularly communicate with your patients, referral sources, the media, etc., the very fact you are reaching out to them reminds them of your existence and, with hope, reinforces your brand identity (just don’t overdo it or you’ll be perceived as a nuisance – in my experience, dentists more often err on the side of too little, as opposed to too much contact, however).  What you are sending to them becomes almost incidental.  How often has someone responded to a letter or telephone call asking you about something completely unrelated to what you sent or said?  It’s happens to us almost daily, and you can bet we don’t care why they’ve called, only that they’ve called!

Gross recommends sending flowers or candy throughout the year as a “…thank you for everybody in the office to see.”  This is a small expense to pay to be noticed and appreciated, not only by the referral source, but quite possibly by its patients.

In general, the successful referral program:


	1.     Develops over time
	2.     Is a ‘numbers game’ in that the more you attempt, the more successes you have
	3.     Involves a learning curve in that the more you attempt, the more proficient you become
	4.     Draws from a number of varied sources
	5.     Makes your referral sources look good in the eyes of its patients
	6.     Makes your referral source’s job easier by e.g. providing timely and complete feedback on the status and treatment of the referred patient
	7.     Automates the process to the extent possible e.g. through social networking sites, without ever losing its ‘personal touch’
	8.     Is reciprocal

The sooner you begin reaching out beyond your patient base, and perhaps your comfort zone, the sooner you and your practice will reap the benefits.

Daniel Bobrow, MBA, is president of the American Dental Marketing Company, a dentistry marketing and patient communications consultancy. He is also Executive Director of Dentists’ Climb for a Cause™. Readers interested in learning more about integrated marketing and patient communication products, systems and services are invited to contact Mr. Bobrow at 312-455-9488 or 

Articles

As the distinction between oral and overall health continues to blur, the opportunity to develop patient referral sources from both within and outside of dentistry continues to expand. Referrals from health professionals outside dentistry

Want to increase your net? Cast a broader one!

For those Baby Boomers (and older) the term is largely pejorative, owing to its association with those who aided the Axis Powers during World War II. But there is another side to the collaboration coin. It is synonymous with team work. 

When all one has is a hammer, every problem is a nail
	

In caring for patients, health professionals have historically had to ‘go it alone.’ This is changing.  Professionals across the health spectrum realize that patients deserve to be treated by those with a ‘well stocked tool box,’ as no one provider can possibly offer all the tools. This is why it is incumbent upon those whose raison d'être is delivering optimum healthcare to establish and build a professional referral network.

The increasing acceptance by dentists, physicians and the public of the links between oral and overall health represent an unprecedented opportunity for dentists to grow their practice while delivering superior care to their patients. We see this as a four step process. First, place yourself in the shoes of prospective network members to ascertain ‘what’s in it for them.’ Second, identify those with whom you already have a relationship (usually more than you think). Third, continue to acquire and share your proficiency in collaborative care with your network.  And fourth, armed with confidence and know how, expand your network.


	Ways you can help your physician deliver a higher level of care include:

Management of oral Inflammation to control systemic inflammation: Dentists are, and will likely remain, the only source for this care.

Management of Sleep Disorders: Dentists can order sleep studies and help physicians determine and deliver appropriate treatment (surgery, CPAP, oral appliance, etc.).

Early Identification of Diabetes: Dentists have the opportunity to identify unrecognized diabetes and pre-diabetes in dental patients and refer them to a physician for further evaluation and care.*

Treatment of Migraine Headache: Dentists’ understanding of the trigeminal nerve, link between the mandible and cranial base and other dentoskeletal structures have proven invaluable in providing relief for thousands of headache sufferers and so owe it to physicians and their patients to become part of the solution.

Identify those who would be a fit for your professional referral network. Sandi Warner Roggow, RDH shares what is perhaps the easiest way to prime the MD referral pump: “We educate our medical professionals at our own check-up appointments.”  In like fashion, use the time treating your physician patients to educate them about how your practice can help enhance their level of patient care.  Commit to ‘wowing’ them with your knowledge and ability to ‘make them look good’ in front of their patients. Create a truly comprehensive examination protocol, and feel free to liberally sprinkle more clinical content, cite studies, your personal experience as you acquire it, etc. so you physician patients are duly impressed by your ability to help them and their patients. Be sure you dental team members are similarly equipped to impress their physicians with your scope of service and system for collaborative care. 

As noted above, begin with the proverbial low hanging fruit. 

Many dentists prepare a health status folder for their patient to take to their next physician appointment. When their MD asks where they got it, they simply answer “My dentist gave it to me.”

Prepare a communication (what we call our 

) for MDs with whom you share a patient.  This is an effective method for getting your feet wet so to speak because your patient’s physician is ethically obligated to communicate with you about the condition of your shared patient. Your communication should begin with your diagnosis and recommendations, as well as an invitation for the physician to feel free to refer any patients who might be similarly assisted by your offering.  Their positive impression and experience with you will lead them to naturally think of you when similar collaboration opportunities arise. Be sure to make it not only desirable, but also simple for them to refer.  Provide them with referral cards, enroll them in an email campaign to educate them while branding your practice as the ‘go to source’ for answers and treatment to medical conditions with a dental solution, hold open houses and webinars, and in other ways continue to share and remind them of your existence and value. 


	Collaboration with physicians has the added benefit of helping your patients obtain insurance benefits for their medically necessary dental procedures, which makes it easier for patients to say yes to your recommendations. A strong relationship with your patient’s physician can help establish the medical necessity of procedures.

*Identification of unrecognized diabetes and pre-diabetes in a dental setting.
	 Lalla E, Kunzel C, Burkett S, Cheng B, Lamster IB.

Daniel Bobrow, MBA, is president of the AIM (formerly American) Dental Marketing Company, a dentistry marketing and patient communications consultancy. He is also Executive Director of 

. Readers interested in learning more about integrated marketing and patient communication products, systems and services are invited to contact Mr. Bobrow at 312-455-9488 or

Marketing Insider: Be a collaborator

No self respecting discussion about communicating with patients of record would be complete without including social networking.

Here are a few statistical tidbits, according to Socialnomics’ "Social media (is not) a fad: It is the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution.":

		As of 2010, Gen Y outnumbers Baby Boomers, and it is this group that has been raised 'on' the Internet.

		Ninety six percent of them have joined at least one social network.

		One out of eight couples married in 2009 met on the Internet.

		It took 38 years for there to be 50 million radios users,

		It took Facebook 9 months to reach 100 MILLION USERS

		If Facebook were a country, it would be the world's Fourth Largest

		The fastest growing segment on Facebook is 55-65 year old females

So, if you think social media is just a fad, think again.

The first social media sites to become involved with are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. MySpace is another possibility, but may not match your practice demographic as closely as the others. Books and other resources are available on each of these, but the most direct, and least cost, method for getting started is simply to visit each of their home pages, and register for an account.

Facebook and Twitter are extremely popular sites and make it rather simple to create a presence on their platforms. With YouTube you can upload your own videos, as well as link to them from your own website  (you can also view other videos that might interest you, but this will not help grow your practice!)

LinkedIn is used more for business than social interaction, but can be a useful way to get the word out to your patients (most of whom, after all, are involved in some form of business). If you are specialist, LinkedIn can be an especially powerful tool for communicating with referring practices.

As with any new endeavor, getting started can be a daunting proposition. I recommend you budget a certain amount of time per week, and, if possible, delegate the work to someone who is motivated and, with hope, already knowledgeable about, the subject.
	Once you’ve registered and set up your profile, you are ready to begin building your tribe that is, inviting people to friend you.  

Facebook makes it easy for you to find and invite people to become friends with you (or at least, with your Facebook Profile). We can also thank Facebook for making the word ‘friend’ a verb as well as a noun.

This involves setting up Facebook correctly as well as actively encouraging people to become your Friend. Facebook can also help in this regard, but do not depend exclusively on Facebook to do this job.  

Tips for being found by current (and prospective) patients on Facebook

As with search engine optimization, you can grow your practice using Facebook through organic and paid search, and below I offer 5 tips to help you grow organically. Readers are also invited to receive a report presenting tips on setting up a Facebook paid search campaign.

 One of the first things to do when setting up a like (formerly fan) page in Facebook is select a name. It seems easy enough, but far too many people try to get ‘tricky’ with their name choices. Some people, thinking in Google terms, go with a name like Dentist – Philadelphia – Cosmetic Dentist – General Dentist – Philly Area Dentist – etc.

This may have been the way of the world in the Google Age, but it just doesn’t work for Facebook. If your practice is called “Dental Associates of Philadelphia,” that's exactly what your Facebook page should be called! Your practice name is your brand, and that’s how you want to be recognized, so name your page after your practice and don’t change it.

 This is actually one area where the Google way of thinking can help you, and your main website.  The Facebook “About” box allows you to elaborate upon your practice for 250 characters. Use every character and use them wisely. Make sure to mention the following things early and often:

		Your target area: whatever neighborhoods, cities, counties, or region you wish to target

		Your specialties: mention all your most prominent services

A good rule of thumb is to place as much of the text from your website’s homepage as possible into your “About” box. This will not only help Facebook members see who you are; it can also help your main website’s ranking with Google.

Tip #3: There’s No Such Thing as Bad Info.

 Here’s another great opportunity to not only to enhance your Facebook page’s performance, but also that of your website. Complete all fields on the “Info” tab. Again, your website can be a great source of content for your Facebook page. Include your address, hours of operation, phone number, and link to your website.

Your Facebook page is also a great place to post photos of your practice and team members. The more useful the information you  pack onto your Facebook page, the more effective it will be, both on its own, and in complementing your website.

 As a dental practice, you already have a group of friends out there and many, if not most, are on Facebook. Once you have your Facebook page successfully set up, it’s time to start recruiting your patients to join. If you have an email list of existing patients, send them an invitation. If you have a computer and/or wireless access in your reception area, remind your patients  you are on Facebook and ask them to join your page, (which should be your default page). Most, if not all, your patients will be happy to join your page. You just need to ask!

Tip #5: How to Post, When to Post, What to Post.

 Now that you’ve successfully set up your Facebook page and built a network of friends, what’s next? It’s time to plan your posting schedule. Tread carefully. Facebook makes it easy for your fans to choose to ignore you. It only takes two clicks for your fan to never see your updates again. If you’re judicious with your posts, this should not be a problem.

The most important thing to remember when posting on your page is that all your friends will see the post in their “News Feed.” Ask yourself whether you think it’s something they would like to see. If you have a new member of your dental team joining the office, Facebook is a great place to make that Announcement. If you ordered pizza for lunch and it showed up 20 minutes late, you may want to reconsider making that post.

To my mind, the art of effective social networking comes into play in the crafting of your communications campaign and content of the messages comprising your campaign.  Your overriding objective is to ensure your friends read your posts and, with hope, derive something of value from them. Posting every once in a while when you see a great article about dental health is a good idea. You can also use your posts to promote your practice (perhaps a Facebook ‘Friend Only’ Whitening Certificate for just before the holidays).

Simply put, when you do post to your friends, make it count.

As you can see, there’s no shortage of information to consider in crafting your social media marketing strategy, Thepractice that chooses to take advantage of this burgeoning opportunity will more quickly grow their practice. Set a realistic implementation schedule for yourself so you are not overwhelmed by the scope and breadth of the task.

Our next Issue will conclude our discussion about Communicating with Patients of Record by focusing on how to use online review sites such as Yelp, Angie's List, City Search, DrOogle and Health Grades to grow your practice, which serves to underscore that communication is indeed a two-way street.

No self respecting discussion about communicating with patients of record would be complete without including social networking. Here are a few statistical tidbits, according to Socialnomics’ "Social media (is not) a fad: It is the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution.":  

Communicating with patients of Record, Part II

	The concept of market segmentation has been a part of the marketing scene since long before the phrase was coined. Any time someone with something to sell (or say, for that matter), identified and spoke directly to “…a sub-set of a market made up of people or organizations with one or more characteristics that cause them to demand similar product and/or services based on qualities of those products such as price or function“* they employed a market segmentation strategy.

	Now one might reasonably ask “Why should I bother with all this? Why don’t I just market to everyone in the area, and let them decide whether or not to join my practice?”

	The main reason a business engages in market segmentation is that, when correctly conceived and implemented, it increases ones return on investment in marketing by either reducing marketing costs, increasing response, improving the suitability or ‘fit’ of patients with the practice, or all three.

	In reality, marketing to everyone “in the area” is a form or market segmentation: it’s simply segmentation along geographic lines. In fact, because convenience continues to be an important factor in one’s decision to join a dental practice, it is actually more than merely geographically driven market segmentation. And, if the target audience is defined based on research such as traffic patterns and other available data, it also qualifies as segmentation based on demand characteristics. “People who live or work beyond 3 miles of our practice, or 9 miles, when our practice is located between their place of work and residence” is an example of a well thought out and soundly arrived at segmented target.

Now that we know the "Why" and "Who", let’s discuss "How and What"
	

Knowing who are your ideal target(s) is the first necessary step toward an effective market segmentation strategy.  Your next step is to confirm the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of identifying a given target audience. For instance: You may wish to target people who are prone to, or are already experiencing obstructive sleep apnea. While such lists are available, they come with rather hefty minimum rental requirements, so the cost per lead may be prohibitive. You may, instead choose to acquire a list of people in your community who are male, over forty years of age, and overweight (yes, this list is available).

	Effective identification of your target audience often requires “putting yourself in the shoes” of your target audience member. An increasing number of dentists want to promote restoration or placement of implants. Many are investing considerable sums optimizing their website for terms associated with implant dentistry (sometimes they also optimize simply for ‘implants’ understanding fully this might attract people desiring implants of a different sort: they do this because these people may be interested in ‘augmentation’ above the neck as well.  But I digress). 

	One way we’ve found to increase your production for dental implants is by optimizing your website, and in other ways promoting denture services. Why? Because, as you already know, implants and implant supported dentures are often a superior alternative to dentures themselves, but your audience may not yet know this. Once they’re in your practice or, if your team is well versed in handling first-time telephone callers, even before the appointment, the prospective patient can be educated about this option. But that will never happen unless you choose to speak in a language your target audience understands and finds compelling.  

	Web landing pages can be created that speak to your chosen market segment e.g. 

, and your paid search or search engine optimization campaigns can be structured so the page web visitors are sent to by search engines is determined by the search term or phrase they use. This ensures your website ‘speaks’ to their concerns and desires immediately, which is more effective than their landing on your home page and trying to find what they are looking for.

	Your practice management software and the existence of variable, sometimes termed, on- demand, print technology means you are able to cost-effectively tailor the message and offer of your print communications for each desired target audience. For instance, you can, in a single print run, create a distinct message and offer to: current patients, inactive patients, new residents, home owners, women aged 40+ and even more. How many people are in each group no longer matters because the print job is performed in a single run.


	The days of ‘shot gun marketing’ are over. Technology now permits a laser beam approach to reaching your desired audiences with low cost precision. So take the time to identify your ideal target audiences, determine the most cost effective way to reach those audiences with a message and offer that ‘speaks’ to them, and consistently monitor the results. The payoff is a higher return on your marketing investment and, because your patients clearly understand what you are offering ahead of time, greater case acceptance. Sound good?

Daniel Bobrow, MBA, is president of the American Dental Marketing Company, a dentistry marketing and patient communications consultancy. He is also Executive Director of Dentists’ Climb for a Cause™. Readers interested in learning more about integrated marketing and patient communication products, systems and services are invited to contact Mr. Bobrow at 312-455-9488 or

 The concept of market segmentation has been a part of the marketing scene since long before the phrase was coined. Any time someone with something to sell (or say, for that matter), identified and spoke directly to “…a sub-set of a market made up of people or organizations with one or more characteristics that cause them to demand similar product and/or services based on qualities of those products such as price or function“* they employed a market segmentation strategy.

Marketing Insider: Hitting home

	There are two benefits your practice realizes from getting its patients to submit posts to customer review sites* and your social media. First, people increasingly depend upon service review sites in forming their opinions about a product or service, which in turn, predisposes them to making their product or service selection.

	Second, these posts, be they on service review or your social media sites, help optimize your website, that is, make it more  popular among search engines that are responsible for presenting your website on their results page when someone searches for a term like ‘dentist’ in your area.  It should be noted, however, that the degree of optimization benefit depends upon the extent to which what is posted is ‘keyword dense’ that is, contains words and phrases you want the search engines to recognize, and contains fully qualified urls, that is, complete website addresses (when preceded by ‘http://’ website addresses are deemed to be ‘fully qualified’).

	Here are some of the more relevant service review sites for dentists: 

	Two of the easiest ways to get patients to post to your social media pages, or submit a positive review are 1) having in-office display materials and ‘takeaways’ with instructions for doing so, and 2) sending an email to your patients, preferably, immediately following a visit, inviting them to post or review, or take some action related to your social media presence.

	Because these reviews are so valuable, you should consider offering a bit of incentive to yield the desired result. For example, you may wish to emulate what other establishments in your area have done for years only, instead of asking someone to “Drop your business card in the fishbowl to receive a change to win [this or that],” invite them to interact with you online.  Explain that, in exchange for e.g. Liking your Facebook page, “Checking In” to your location through Facebook, posting to your Twitter feed, LinkedIn profile, Facebook page or, even better, videotaping and uploading a testimonial to Youtube, your patient will be entered to receive a valuable award.  

Photo: Example of an in-office display inviting your patients to like, friend and post to your social media sites.

	Still another way to ‘build your tribe’ is via eMail:

Photo: Example of eMail sent to your patients announcing your ascension to the world of social media.

	Another simple way to get people to join your social media sites is by inviting them to do so from your website and email signature:

Photo: Connecting made easy. ?Just embed buttons and icons into your website and email signature.

	It’s easy to embed buttons and icons for your website visitors to click on to join, like, connect with, or follow you.

	To maximize your ability to respond to what is said about you by others, you will want to register with the more relevant review sites. The extent to which you are able to respond depends on the site. Some require a registration fee, most do not. Some allow you to respond to the review publicly, some only direct with the person posting the review, and some permit neither. In general, the best response is to have far more positive than negative reviews, then let the prospective patient decide for him or herself.

	One argument in favor of directing people to post to your Facebook page is the ease with which to communicate and otherwise deal with anything that is posted to it.

	As with so many things, the optimum strategy for encouraging your patients to write nice things about you online depends upon your situation. If, for instance, you’ve yet to receive any Google reviews, that should probably be your first objective, so ask your patients to do so. Once you’ve received say, six or so positive Reviews, ask your patients to post comments on Yelp, Health Grades and, if they’ve registered, Angie’s List. I recommend you always encourage your patients to post to your social media pages, as well as agree to have their video recorded testimonials uploaded to Youtube.

	The final piece in the puzzle is being sure your team can effectively communicate to your patients what they must do to post on your behalf.  Be sure your Team knows the sites with which you want patients to interact, and also the names of your various pages.  If you’ve set up your pages correctly, they should be very similar to your practice name, so this should not pose a challenge.

Daniel A. ‘Danny’ Bobrow, MBA, is president of the American Dental Marketing, a dentistry marketing and patient communications consultancy. He is also Executive Director of Dentists’ Climb for a Cause™. Readers interested in learning more about integrated marketing and patient communication products, systems and services are invited to contact Mr. Bobrow at 312-455-9488 or DBobrow@AmericanDentalMarketing.com or visit AmericanDentalMarketing.com.

   There are two benefits your practice realizes from getting its patients to submit posts to customer review sites* and your social media. First, people increasingly depend upon service review sites in forming their opinions about a product or service, which in turn, predisposes them to making their product or service selection.

Communicating with patients of Record, Part III

I use E-volution to denote the Electronic Revolution sweeping over us. One area where growth and change are particularly great is the relatively new phenomenon called Online Reputation Management (ORM), which, according to Wikipedia (as of 1/2010) is: The practice of consistent research and analysis of one’s personal or professional business or industry reputation, as represented by the content across all types of online media.

I offer a slight refinement to that definition: Effective Online Reputation Management, or E-ORM, is the process by which an entity (or a representative of that entity) exerts control over how its perception is formed, maintained, and accessed via the Internet.
	
	I feel this definition is more useful because it: Asserts that E-ORM is a process, which goes beyond the simple gathering and analysis of information and it's an ongoing, ideally proactive, process of controlling how perceptions are formed and maintained.

As noted above, there is an accelerating trend where people turn to online media to research and purchase local services (like dentistry).

Though 63% of consumers and small business owners turn to the internet first for information about local companies and 82% use search engines to do so, only 44% of small businesses have a website and half spend less than 10% of their marketing budget online, according to research from Webvisible and Nielsen.

This disparity between how business owners act as consumers, and how they market their own services, is termed The Great Divide.

Another trend is the use of third party review sites such as Yelp, Angie’s List, Health Grades, etc.

Manage Smarter’s 9/09 Issue reports that 83% of online shoppers said they were interested in sharing information about their purchases with people they know, while 74% are influenced by the opinions of others in their decision to buy the product in the first place.  

Perhaps more surprising is the online role complete strangers can play in a web surfer’s purchasing decision. North American Internet users trust recommendations and opinions posted by unknown consumers online more than advertisements on television, on the radio, in magazines and newspapers, or in other traditional media*.

If you don’t yet have a blog, get one. It’s one of the easiest ways to get noticed by search engines.  And, be sure the blog is linked to your website so your efforts yield maximum SEO Benefit.  In general, limit your postings to 1200 characters or 200 words, and be consistent with your rate of postings.  Search engines prefer to see a steady stream of posts than they do a spate of postings followed by inactivity. A good way to prevent this is to ‘bank’ a series of articles so you don’t hit a ‘dry spell’ of inactivity.  Also be sure to use appropriate tags.

You will likely find the need to expend more effort initially to effectively set up both the look and feel, as well as content of your blog, then shift into ‘maintenance mode.’

Priority two: Encourage positive reviews from your patients

Make it easy for your patients to post reviews of their favorable experiences with your practice on Google Local, Yelp, Angies’s List, Merchant Circle, and Health Grades, or a number of other sites.

“From an SEO standpoint, Google Local is best” says Adam Spiel of Pro Host Management, a Boise, ID-based I.T. consultancy.  First encourage, and then demonstrate the process, of submitting reviews, so your patients will do it.

And, if you do receive a negative review, it’s most often best to ignore it. 

“The key is to ensure that the majority of reviews interested parties find are positive. Then, you don’t need to sweat it if one or two are less than flattering. In fact, it may actually add to the credibility of the reviews if not all of them are glowing.” continues Spiel.

It’s also important to have the positive reviews rank above any negative.  While not easy, it is possible to accomplish this, in part, by working with a group which optimizes its own website, based on your practice name (such discussion is beyond the scope of this article.

You can also consider setting up accounts with Yelp and Angie’s list to advertise there, as well as permit more flexibility with respect to responding to any less than flattering reviews.

Priority three: Post articles, video and press releases

Regular posting to other sites, with reference to your website address, helps create back links, which, in turn helps increase your website’s position on the search engine results page (S.E.R.P.) when people are searching for you by name, practice name, or for a high quality dentist in your area.

Upload your articles, videos, and press releases to article and video directories and press release syndication websites.  Among the better known of these are: YouTube, Facebook, ArticlesBase, PRNewswire, and EZine Articles. 

To derive maximum benefit, be sure you understand how to structure your message and where to use and properly place keyword tags and your website link.

Priority four: Manage social networking sites

Most practices are well served by creating and maintaining accounts with YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, but there may be additional sites to consider, depending on the characteristics of your target audience.  To help identify such sites, Google a phrase like "social networking site demographics." Facebook also offers an advertising option which, depending on how it’s structured, and the demographics of your area, can be a profitable venture.

Pro Host’s Spiel suggests a ’30-30-30’ Plan, characterized by first identifying the thirty Top Questions your target audience would have and want answered about you and your practice. Next, provide answers in the form of thirty articles and thirty videos (don’t worry about a highly polished production, as too much quality can actually lower the perception of credibility).  Then distribute those articles and videos to those sharing sites, which most closely match your desired demographic.


	The final step is to update your chosen social networking sites which, as they are discovered by your target audience (and search engines), will allow their Top 30 Questions to be answered by linking back to your website.

Regular posting of content to various sites can be time-intensive. One way to minimize the time commitment is by using what are termed aggregator sites. Such sites e.g. www.Ping.fm permit you to submit the same posting to all your sites simultaneously. 


	Success with E-ORM means knowing what’s happening online.  This is important because, as noted above, you are not the only one involved with forming your online reputation.

One such tool is Google Alerts, but there are many more.  To find these, use your browser for results for the term ‘free online monitoring tools.’

Effective scheduling and prioritizing of the tasks required to establish and maintain a positive online reputation can yield big results for your practice.  Just be realistic and don’t panic if you should, from time to time, fail to keep to your schedule.  As you become comfortable with the concepts and process, you’ll find that E-ORM can actually be a lot of fun! 

Daniel Bobrow, MBA, is president of the American Dental Marketing Company, a dentistry marketing and patient communications consultancy. He is also Executive Director of Dentists’ Climb for a Cause™. Readers interested in learning more about integrated marketing and patient communication products, systems and services are invited to contact Mr. Bobrow at 312-455-9488 or DBobrow@AmericanDentalMarketing.com or visit AmericanDentalMarketing.com.

Marketing Insider: The e-volution will not be televised

	Your team members can’t just answer the phone. They need to connect with the patient. Here’s how.

	Calling a new dentist for the first time can be, for many, an act of courage. This is especially the case when the caller is responding to, for example, a mailed invitation because then, in addition to the usual trepidation, there may be other concerns-such as ‘what’s the catch?’ An appreciation for the caller’s mindset and emotional state can go a long way preparing the Team for handling these calls appropriately.
	
	A dental marketing consultant’s job essentially boils down to getting the phone to ring. I learned early in my career that what happens after the phone rings is every bit as important as getting it to ring in the first place. Until they find a way to actually deliver dentistry over the Internet, the telephone will continue to be the main gateway people use to learn about your practice. This means the front office team can literally make or break your marketing plan.

	Another example of exuding enthusiasm among team members is to ask yourself how you would rather be greeted if you were to call your office.  Would you rather hear: “Dental office” or “Thank you for calling our dental office, this is Danny speaking.  How may I help you?”  While you can tell, just by the words, which is the preferable introduction, it’s how the words are spoken that really makes the difference.  
	
	Specifically, project, enunciate and vary the tone of your speech.

	In a 2007 survey commissioned by American Dental Marketing, 78% of dentists indicated their biggest dentistry marketing challenge is getting their team to properly field telephone inquiries from prospective patients (converting Web site visitors to patient appointments was second, and getting prospective patients to call at all came in third). But there are ways to improve your staff members’ phone etiquette, from changing the tone of their voice to thinking more about what they’re actually saying.

	Professor Albert Mehrabian’s research at UCLA determined that three components comprise our communication:

		The visual component (aka body language). The motion and expression of the face and body.

		The vocal component. The tone, resonance and projection of the voice.

		The verbal component. The actual words spoken.

	When measured, the effect of each component on the believability of the message showed:

		The verbal component contributed just 7%

	These findings make it clear why telephone etiquette, combined with the appropriate choice of words, is essential in diminishing the telephone’s “visual gap” and enhancing the believability of the message (as well as that of the messenger).

	In my writing and speaking about Internet-generated inquiries, I often make the distinction between trigger pullers and tire kickers. Trigger pullers are people who have already chosen to take action. Prospective patients usually fall into the category of tire kicker. Someone calling you for the first time needs to be treated differently than someone who is familiar, and comfortable, with the practice. The tire kicker likely knows nothing about you or your practice. As noted earlier, the challenge becomes even greater when the caller os responding to a special offer, because they may be even more skeptical.

	In other words, a caller may ask, “How much does a crown cost?”  But what they’re thinking and feeling is: “Can I trust you?” and “Will you treat me better than my last dentist did?”  

	Because today’s tire kicker is tomorrow’s trigger puller, the growth of your practice literally depends upon how carefully and professionally you treat these callers. You can, simply with the empathy, enthusiasm and technique you deliver, convey that yours is a dental practice unlike anything the caller has experienced in the past. But, for this to occur, we must be on guard against a mental trap.

	It’s important for your team to really think about what they’re going to say when they take a patient phone call. For example, I attended a lecture where we were asked to indicate our preference between the following workshop titles…

		Proposed Title I: Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, and Dealing with Racism

		Proposed Title II: Men and Women as Allies and Friends, and Celebrating Pluralism

	Both titles promise the same thing, yet it’s obvious which is preferable. The brain hears all the words, but it also feels some of them. Some people will react negatively, perhaps without even knowing why, to the words ‘sexual’ ‘harassment’ and ‘racism’ because for them, these are emotionally charged words. So always choose your words carefully and, if a word can be misinterpreted, don’t use it.

	The self-fulfilling prophesy trap refers to certain attitudes and beliefs that can cause what you least desire to come to pass. For example, some dental offices place a call tracking sheet near the telephone. There are boxes at the top of the sheet that the team member uses to identify the ‘kind of patient’ calling the office. One of these designations is often “Price Shopper.” If a caller asks how much a procedure costs, an X goes in the box marked ‘shopper.’ The team member understandably feels he is doing his or job by saving the practice a lot of time and aggravation by getting rid of the price shopper.

	Unfortunately, neither the doctor nor team member realize that, when we label someone as undesirable, the quality of the communication changes. The call can become more of an interrogation to see if the caller is worthy of the practice than conveying to the caller the unique benefits of joining the practice. This is particularly unfortunate because, in all likelihood, the caller simply asked for the price because he did not know what else to ask.  

	Now that we’re free of any prejudgments about who is calling us, the next step is to understand how to quickly and effectively connect with the caller. And by connect I mean convey empathy, exude enthusiasm and get the caller to agree.

	To convey empathy, you must not only feel for another person; you must also let that person know how you feel. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

	For example, if someone calls a dentist because his tooth hurts, would he rather hear: “What kind of insurance do you have?” or “I’m so sorry to hear you’re in pain. Can you come see us right away?”

	The next way to connect with the caller is by exuding enthusiasm. Because we know most communication is visual, we understand the importance of making up for the loss of that visual component by emphasizing the only two components left to us on the telephone, namely, the verbal and vocal components. This means enunciating and selecting words that are clear, easy to understand and have the appropriate impact.   

	I have my coaching subjects simulate a telephone conversation with their fellow teammates as observers. We then take turns evaluating each others’ performance. One of the most commonly cited observations is the caller seeming ‘flat’ during the simulation. Why? Being perceived as genuine and enthusiastic over the telephone actually requires us to exaggerate our communication a bit. Because this is unnatural, it’s also uncomfortable at first. As with most things, a little practice and positive feedback are all your team needs to exude enthusiasm over the telephone.

	The final key to connecting with callers is to get them to agree. This could mean agree to hear more about the practice, agree to make an appointment, agree to pay their bill on time, or any one of countless other desirable actions you want callers to take.

	Perhaps the easiest way to accomplish this is to place yourself in the questioning seat. This is because whoever is asking the questions controls the call (note that, by control, I do not mean manipulate. People are best served when the expert is in control). A simple way to get and remain in the questioning seat is to answer any difficult question with another question.

	For instance, if someone calls your practice and asks “How much do you charge for a crown?” You might answer, “I can help you with that. My name is [your name]. With whom am I speaking?” By that simple, but highly effective, sleight of word, you have just regained control of the conversation.

	Part of succeeding in business (and life) entails being an effective communicator. Because so much communication is conducted over the telephone, those who master the art of telephone call etiquette are poised to excel.  

	So, stay out of the self-fulfilling prophesy trap, exude empathy and enthusiasm, and practice your skills, and soon you and your entire team will be master telephone communicators.

   How’s your phone etiquette?  Your team members can’t just answer the phone. They need to connect with the patient. Here’s how.

Marketing Insider: Phone etiquette

	If you think your current level of attention to the needs of your patients, both current and prospective is 'good enough,' think again.

	In his book Good To Great, author Jim Collins explains that "Good is the enemy of great." It is all too easy for us to grow complacent with things that seem 'good enough.' The consequences of this can range from a loss of market share to business failure. This has always been true, but never more so than it is today. Why? Because technology advances at an ever increasing rate, which means the period of time from 'new and different' to 'old and boring' shrinks with each passing year.

	This is not to say that such mainstays as valuable customer service and attention to the needs of your patients are no longer important. On the contrary, they are more important than ever. That's because a consequence of this increased rate of technological advance is a higher standard of care when it comes to "customer service." In other words, if you think your current level of attention to the needs of your patients, both current and prospective is 'good enough,' think again.

	Another way to help ensure practice growth is to increase your willingness and ability to understand what motivates members of the demographic group known as Generation Y, and adapt your communications and compensation accordingly. This group, raised on the Internet, is better educated, less brand loyal and more focused on quality and speed of delivery. This spells both opportunity and challenge for your team management and motivation skills.

	Our company is committed to what we term “I.C.A.N.” that is, Improvement that’s Continuous And Never-ending. A poignant example of this is in our work with social media for dentists. At this time, 'the rules of the game' and what constitutes an optimum social media presence are changing at an astounding rate. Case In Point: I was invited in September, 2010 to make a presentation to a group 4 months later on social media strategies and nearly drove myself crazy reworking the presentation to ensure it was 'current.' 

	While the pace of change required to remain in the vanguard of dental patient service may not be quite that great, I do suggest as a worthwhile investment of time adding a “What’s New” section to your team meetings. You and your team then have an opportunity to share updates and suggestions on how to improve the patient experience in your practice. And do not think that, once you’ve implemented a chance, you are stuck with it. Experimentation is a key ingredient of improvement and that elusive goal called perfection. Just be sure to give each (hoped for) enhancement a fair chance to demonstrate its value. If ninety nine people love it, and one doesn’t, remember not to set or change policy on the exception, but rather, on the rule.

	What this means for your practice is to be ever on the lookout for better ways of doing and packaging what you do. You need not be an 'early adopter' of technology. From your patient's perspective, offering the 'latest and greatest' will probably not warrant the premium price you are likely to pay, as well as the 'growing pains' you’ll likely encounter, by being by the first to adopt a new technology. But you can and should keep yourself apprised of shifts in the preferences of your target audience(s). For example, are you communicating with current and prospective patients in ways in which they wish to be communicated? Is your service offering consistent with what patients value?

	On the 'back office' side, are you learning about ways to reduce your cost of practice while maintaining high standards and perceptions of quality? Submission of online dental patient forms is an excellent way to simultaneously reduce the time and effort involved with enrolling new patients while providing a valuable benefit to your patients.

	?One of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to keep up with what your patients want is through the use of surveys. These can be mailed or distributed by your team to your patients, but why not save time and money, while simultaneously offering another technology-based convenience to your patients, namely, emailed and online patient surveys?

, a dentistry marketing and patient communications consultancy. He is also Executive Director of Dentists’ 

™. Readers interested in learning more about integrated marketing and patient communication products, systems and services are invited to contact Mr. Bobrow at 312-455-9488 or 

   If you think your current level of attention to the needs of your patients, both current and prospective is 'good enough,' think again.

Marketing Insider: On the importance of fixing it even if it ain't broke

	We all want and deserve to receive value for our investment. Value can mean different things to different people. One might value getting his or her website up and running quickly, while another might be more exacting and patient. One practice might value appearance more highly than function. Still another might prefer quantity over quality of website visitors.

	Whatever your preferences, know what constitutes reasonable expectations, not only from your finished* product, but also from the process.

	In reality, your website should be viewed as a living and evolving instrument in a number of respects.

	To help ensure error-free implementation, someone must take responsibility for coordinating all tasks and resources. Be careful about "promoting" say, your schedule coordinator to the role of website coordinator. If you do choose to manage the process internally, be certain the person to whom you assign this important responsibility is competent, and has the time and resources to take on the challenge.

	It is reasonable to expect that whomever you retain to design your website demonstrates competency so your site is delivered on time, on budget, and as specified. This means your designer will ideally have experience in the dental field, or at least be able to show you sites he has created for other clients, which possess the aesthetics and function you require.

	In general, the firm you retain will listen as much as they talk about your website design because, only by listening will they truly ‘get,' so they can deliver, the appearance and function you desire.

	In choosing your website’s content and layout, imagine your website from the perspective of all who might view it: your current and prospective patients, your team, the media, and yourself.

	Most practices are primarily concerned with how their site is perceived by current and prospective patients. If you want your website to be used by patients of record to: ask questions, request appointments, learn more about proposed treatment, receive appointment confirmations, take surveys, offer suggestions, complete paperwork, etc. be sure the firm is experienced with handling such ‘back-end' functions.  Most websites lack a means for capturing contact information on prospective patients, and an automated means for communicating with them during the ‘gestation period' when they metamorphose from ‘tire kicker' to ‘trigger puller.' As most first-time website visitors fall into the former category, this is an important success component that should not be overlooked.

	Secure your domain name Careful consideration should be given to naming your site. If you have already established a strong practice brand, the name of your website will closely match your practice name. If you select a URL matching your personal name, remember that, when it comes time to sell the practice, your successor may not value it as highly as you do.  Be sure to consult an attorney, or perform a comprehensive name search, to confirm you have the legal right to use your chosen name.

	In structuring the layout of your site consider not only the format of your home page, but also any ?‘landing pages.' You’ll want a landing page for each of your services as well as a(n):

		Unique telephone number so you can track and calculate the return on your website marketing investment

		Form visitors may complete to receive a report on a topic of interest and relevance to them

      Value Defined   We all want and deserve to receive value for our investment. Value can mean different things to different people. One might value getting his or her website up and running quickly, while another might be more exacting and patient. One practice might value appearance more highly than function. Still another might prefer quantity over quality of website visitors.