Fred Joyal, CEO of 1-800-DENTIST

Frequently, I find I have to convince dentists that their technology plays an important role in their practice marketing. The fact is, technology has huge marketing implications-especially for dentists who have added CAD/CAM technology, such as CEREC® or E4D, to their practice. While these types of devices are on the high end of equipment expenditure, they are also on the high end of consumer appeal. Quite simply, patients are eager to find ways to spend less time in the dentist’s office. They’d also like to get fewer shots and less drilling, and having a device that offers all those benefits can be an exciting prospect.

I have seen hundreds of practices make CAD/CAM pay for itself simply by reducing lab costs. But the real value in my mind is found in the incredible consumer benefits CAD/CAM technology brings to a practice. However, to capitalize on these benefits, it’s essential to promote them-and that means telling your patients about the technology and why it is so good for them.

Most patients don’t care very much about the 3D camera or the computerized lathe. What they do care about is not having to sit there with their mouth wide open while you put on a temporary, knowing they will have to come back in two weeks so you can give them another injection and then pry (or worse, drill) the temporary off before you can put the finished crown on. For any patient who has experienced this, CAD/CAM is enormously appealing.

The key is you have to tell your patients about it in a specific way. When you give new patients a tour of the office, the CAD/CAM should be an essential highlight. You or your team member should say something along these lines: “We have this amazing new technology that allows us to do crowns in a single visit. Very few practices have this, but we appreciate how important your time is, so that’s why we have it. Even better, we can now do any type of filling with real porcelain, which lasts much longer and matches your teeth perfectly.”

Notice I didn’t suggest going into what version of the software you have or how much it saves you on your lab bill. That’s not marketing. Tell people about the benefits to them-clearly and repeatedly. The two things people dislike the most at the dentist are drilling and injections, so a same-day crown is going to be good news to them. It should be on your Web site, ideally with some video offered by the manufacturer. It should be in your practice brochures and in all your advertising. I know dentists who put the lathe in the reception area just so people will ask about it. That’s brilliant marketing.

As expensive as it seems, when properly promoted and used, this technology can quickly pay for itself and really boost a practice. I know practices that have completely done away with composites and started using CAD/CAM for virtually any type of restoration. They charge a few dollars more, but present it to their patients as a better color match for the tooth that also lasts a lot longer. This is a great approach because it comes off as both practical and ideal. Patients don’t want to have work redone 5 or 10 years later, but they also don’t want their dental work to be obvious every time they open their mouth. Most patients will be willing to pay the difference.

When it comes to advertising, don’t use the brand name of your CAD/CAM as the big attraction. It assumes that consumers are familiar with the brand, which 99 percent of the patient population is not. Instead, the message should simply be “Same-Day Restorations” and “No Temporaries.” If they understand the process of getting a crown, then of course they will be interested. Even if they’re not, the message still communicates that you are a high-tech practice, which is another big draw. People love to know the healthcare facility they use has the latest equipment (aren’t you the same way?). If that equipment is designed to make the experience go by faster and with a greater degree of comfort, that’s a huge positive for them-especially if it also creates longer-lasting results.

In my experience, CAD/CAM is more difficult to use when promoting your practice to new patients than to existing ones. Unless they’ve had a crown done and understand the various steps of getting a temporary and all the time involved, the offer of a same-day crown won’t hold quite as much appeal. I’m not saying don’t promote it-you should-but it won’t be the best way you have of attracting new patients. The real advantage to this device lies with your existing patients (or to new patients when they first come into the practice for that initial tour). And the more impressed patients are with your technology, the more likely they are to talk about it, which translates into more word-of-mouth patients down the line.

When it comes to patients in your practice, the trick is telling them over and over what you do and why it benefits them. Did you really understand what CEREC was the first time you heard about it? Imagine trying to understand it as a patient. To take the greatest advantage of this technology, you need a system of communicating with your patients that reminds them repeatedly about your device and all the services you offer.

Another key to successful marketing is uniqueness. In the consumer’s mind, most dental practices are the same. But you can attract new patients with CAD/CAM by showing them you are unique. Not every practice will adopt this technology, so you can take advantage of that. And once they experience same-day restorations, or porcelain fillings and onlays instead of composites, you will earn their loyalty.

In short, I would seriously consider adding CAD/CAM to your practice. From a marketing standpoint, there are few technologies that offer this level of appeal to the patient. And as long as you promote it properly, and tell your patients about it on tours, on your Web site, in your newsletters and in your case presentations, they will see you as unique, high-tech and concerned about their comfort and their long-term health. And that’s the name of the game. 

Fred Joyal is CEO of 1-800-DENTIST® and author of Everything is Marketing: The Ultimate Strategy for Dental Practice Growth. As an industry expert on dental consumer marketing, he has lectured at dental tradeshows nationwide and is a regular contributor to various print and online publications. He can be reached at 

Articles

Frequently, I find I have to convince dentists that their technology plays an important role in their practice marketing. The fact is, technology has huge marketing implications-especially for dentists who have added CAD/CAM technology, such as CEREC® or E4D, to their practice. While these types of devices are on the high end of equipment expenditure, they are also on the high end of consumer appeal. Quite simply, patients are eager to find ways to spend less time in the dentist’s office.

Marketing your CAD/CAM system

Fred Joyal is CEO of 1?800-DENTIST and author of Everything is Marketing: The Ultimate Strategy for Dental Practice Growth. He can be reached at 

In the dental marketing industry, we spend a lot of time showing dentists why they need internal marketing. After all, existing patients are your best opportunity for increased production, loyalty and patient referrals. But as I was recently reminded, the “why” is only half the conversation. We also need to be talking about the “how.”

Some recent polls we conducted at goaskfred.com helped reveal the problem. When asked how valuable internal marketing is, 60% of respondents answered it was equally as important as marketing to new patients-and another 30% felt it was more important. So far so good.

But then we asked whether practices had a patient newsletter. The results were surprising: 82% answered that they do not communicate with their patients via newsletters-82%! And these are doctors who frequent a dental marketing Web site. Clearly there exists a disconnect when practices that know the value of internal marketing overlook one of its most powerful tools. There are a huge variety of ways dental practices can effectively reach out to patients, but here are a few that are tried and true:

A quarterly newsletter is baseline marketing to me. Why? It allows you to talk about all the services you don’t have time to mention while patients are in your chair. Patients need to hear a message over and over before it sinks in, and that’s not an easy trick if you only talk to them twice a year. Newsletters are an effective, visually appealing way to stay on their minds and keep them thinking about their teeth.

Newsletters can be sent either digitally or by mail-or both. Customize them as much as possible with pictures of you and your staff, practice news and any specials you offer. Then fill the rest with all the great things you can do for them. Get your patients thinking about whitening, or the fact that they grind their teeth, or how nice it would be to get rid of those silver fillings. You may be surprised to have a long-time patient come in and ask you about a particular treatment.

The best way to keep up with modern patients is to communicate on their terms. E-mail messages are free (can’t beat that) and most patients check their inbox multiple times a day. Send them birthday greetings, promote a new technology you’ve added, offer them a promotional discount-or just tell them what kind of electric toothbrush you recommend. It’s an easy way to stay in contact with your patients non-intrusively on a consistent basis.  

Of course, in my experience, most practices only have about 5% of their patients’ e-mail addresses, so the first step is asking every patient you see to provide this information. Get in the habit of collecting e-mail info now and you’ll be in great shape to market digitally before you know it.

Recall cards are one of the most neglected opportunities in dentistry. You need to get your patient to return to your office for treatment and you pin your hopes on a cartoon postcard? This is the perfect opportunity to tell patients about one of the services you offer. The truth is, if you don’t take your preventive care messages seriously, your patients may not either. It’s nice to be lighthearted (and I recommend that approach everywhere in your practice), but the most successful dentists I know take advantage of this chance to communicate something more about their dentistry at this opportune moment when patients are about to return for recall.

Internal marketing isn’t just about what you send your patients, it’s also about what you say when they’re in your office. Mention that you offer smile makeovers, sedation options, same-day restorations or implants. Give first-time patients a tour of your office and point out all the technology you have for their comfort. You never know what might interest your patients (or be impressive enough for them to tell someone else).

Finally, make sure you consistently ask for referrals. I recommend saying something like, “If you’re happy with the care we’ve given you, we’d love to offer that same care to your friends and family. Please feel free to recommend us to them.” It’s a simple way to let them know you’d welcome more patients like them. And make sure to thank them when they do refer.

After 25 years in this industry, I have seen the incredible impact that effective patient communication can have on a practice - bringing additional revenue, increasing case acceptance, tightening recall and helping retain patients for life.
	You may already employ some of these strategies in your practice, but if not, there’s no time like the present.

For more internal marketing tips visit goaskfred.com or preview the patient communication products available on patientactivator.com.

 Fred Joyal is CEO of 1?800-DENTIST and author of Everything is Marketing: The Ultimate Strategy for Dental Practice Growth. He can be reached at goaskfred.com.

Internal marketing 101

	Most dentists I talk to have an image in their heads of the ideal new patient. Not only does this person come in to the practice needing extensive care, he or she also understands the value of dentistry and has therefore budgeted the money to start comprehensive treatment right away. On the surface, this seems to make sense-after all, patients with high need and a high dental IQ offer the best opportunity for revenue, right? Not quite.

	Don’t get me wrong, if you could find a steady source of these motivated, educated patients, it would be very good for business. But focusing your efforts on chasing these elusive consumers ultimately will take your focus off the most abundant opportunities in dentistry. Namely, everyone else.

	Potential dental patients generally fall into one of four categories. To see what I mean, take a look at the chart on the right. On the x-axis is a patient’s “Dental IQ,” and on the y-axis is the patient’s “Dental Need.”

	The first major group is shown at the bottom left-people with low dental need and low dental IQ. You know them as Avoiders. Because Avoiders don’t have a good understanding of preventive dentistry, they’re likely to keep putting off dental care until their need increases (until they’re in pain).

	Sliding up the y-axis, you have Emergencies. They’ve been avoiding seeing a dentist for years, but suddenly their dental need increases. Whether this is because of a toothache or some other immediate problem, they realize they need a dentist.

	Moving along the x-axis, we find Procrastinators. These consumers have a high dental IQ (that is, they know they should see a dentist regularly), but because their perceived dental need is low, they’ve put it off-potentially for years. Procrastinators are those folks who know better, but just can’t seem to get around to it.

	Which brings us to the last category. These are the coveted consumers who have a high dental IQ and a high need (always high because they know they need to see a dentist regardless of whether they have a problem). But here’s the secret: These people already have a dentist! If they understand the value of dentistry and perceive a high need, they are almost certainly another dentist’s patient. And for the most part, they’re not looking for a new dental practice unless they move out of the area.

	The real opportunity for growth lies in those first three quadrants. New patients who have engaged in some level of neglect typically need more dental care-which translates to more long-term production. And by educating patients about the benefits of regular dentistry and the transformative power of your services, you can turn them into high need/high IQ patients in your practice.

	It’s all too easy to make the mistake of judging Avoiders, Emergencies and Procrastinators harshly. But they are not bad people. In fact, they’re most people. Remember, it’s human nature to avoid things you see as unpleasant-and for the average American, that includes dentistry. There also is a pervasive lack of understanding about the importance of oral health in this country, and we in the dental industry need to be careful not to be too critical. Rather, we need to look at this as an opportunity to change people’s perception.

	Imagine, for example, an emergency patient who calls your office late one night with throbbing pain. Some doctors prefer not to treat this kind of patient, assuming he’ll be just a one-time visit or lack the ability to pay. But realize that most Emergencies are just Avoiders who suddenly developed a strong reason to call.

	The most successful dentists I know are happy to treat emergency patients because they understand that if you give someone in pain a positive dental experience, you can create a lifelong patient. That may be the experience that changes his view of dentistry-the moment when it finally clicks. And when you explain that you are going to get him out of his immediate pain, but you really need to see him Monday morning to ensure issues like these aren’t forming in other areas of his mouth, you’re starting him on the path to understanding and valuing dental care. And that’s what it’s all about.

	Dentistry offers boundless potential for growth thanks to the millions of Americans who do not yet have a regular dentist. The secret is to shift your focus from finding the perfect patient to creating that ideal experience with everyone who calls your practice or sits in your chair.

Fred Joyal is CEO of 1-800-DENTIST and author of Everything is Marketing: The Ultimate Strategy for Dental Practice Growth. He can be reached at 

 Most dentists I talk to have an image in their heads of the ideal new patient. Not only does this person come in to the practice needing extensive care, he or she also understands the value of dentistry and has therefore budgeted the money to start comprehensive treatment right away. On the surface, this seems to make sense-after all, patients with high need and a high dental IQ offer the best opportunity for revenue, right? Not quite.

The myth of the perfect new patient

	Has this ever happened to you? The other day I was watching TV and eating some pistachios, and before I knew it, I had eaten nearly half the bag. I realized that if I didn’t stop I might not be hungry for dinner, so I decided to have one last nut. I fished one out, cracked the shell, bit down and immediately my mouth was filled with a harsh, bitter flavor. I realized the nut I had grabbed was burnt and overdone, and the taste was so bad I had to run to the kitchen just to rinse my mouth. After that, I didn’t even want to look at the bag of pistachios. I had completely lost my hunger for them. My snacking satisfaction had disappeared within seconds, leaving me with a bad taste in my mouth.

	Later that night, I realized my pistachio experience isn’t much different than the experience many patients have at the dentist. They’re treated well and are given great service all throughout their appointment, only to have the entire positive experience blown at the very end by one bad moment-be it a distracted front desk, mishandled billing or even simply not being shown the way back to the waiting room.

	Remember, the last taste is the one that stays with you. While rushing patients out of your operatory or leaving them waiting at the appointment desk may seem like small, forgivable mishaps, they often can have a lasting effect on the perception your patients have of you and your office. You can do everything right and perform great dentistry, but if your patients have a bad experience as they’re leaving your practice, everything positive you’ve done up to that point won’t matter. They’ll leave your office thinking they received poor service and believing they don’t matter to you or your staff.

	It’s simple human instinct to want to rap things up quickly. We live busy lives and if your practice is doing well, your schedule is probably packed a little too tightly. The urge to rush someone out of the chair so you can seat the next patient is only natural. Likewise, with how busy your front desk can get and how important it is to greet patients as they arrive and answer the phone within a few rings, it’s not surprising departing patients often find themselves waiting to pay their bill or schedule their next appointment. Your business depends on turning patients over and oftentimes turning them over very quickly. It’s understandable why service may slip a little at the end-but understandable or not, it’s bad for your business and for your reputation.

	To address this, pay close attention to how your office handles patients at the very end of their appointment. Think about the impression you’re leaving them with. If you find it’s not a pleasant one, try making some simple changes. When a patient’s treatment is complete, walk that patient from the chair to your front desk. Once there, personally introduce him or her to whoever will be handling their billing, saying something like, “This is Jill and she’ll be handling your payment today. Please let her know if you have any questions.” Ideally, Jill would be ready to go with the patient’s bill, but if she’s busy with another patient or on the phone, a smile and some reassurance that she’ll be right there will send the message she’s aware of the patient’s need and will help that patient as soon as she’s able.

	One of the most common mistakes made at the front desk is failing to acknowledge waiting patients until the receptionist is ready to help them. There’s never a good reason to do this and it communicates an extremely negative message to your patients. Personally handing your patients off to your front desk will help ensure all patients are greeted and served as promptly as possible. It will make them feel like they were taken care of during every stage of their appointment, and as a result, they’ll leave your office feeling like they’re important to every member of your team.
	That’s a great taste to leave them with, and one that will last.

 or preview the patient communication products available on 

 Has this ever happened to you? The other day I was watching TV and eating some pistachios, and before I knew it, I had eaten nearly half the bag. I realized that if I didn’t stop I might not be hungry for dinner, so I decided to have one last nut. I fished one out, cracked the shell, bit down and immediately my mouth was filled with a harsh, bitter flavor. I realized the nut I had grabbed was burnt and overdone, and the taste was so bad I had to run to the kitchen just to rinse my mouth. After that, I didn’t even want to look at the bag of pistachios.