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Patient Attraction Episode 1113

Welcome to the fifth podcast exploring how dentists can use Robert Cialdini’s Principles of Influence. So far, we’ve looked at the principles of Reciprocity, Scarcity, Authority, and Consistency and their application to dental marketing. Today, I’ll be looking at the principle of Liking. A lot of people read about that principle and have a “Well, duh” reaction. But there are some extra wrinkles when it comes to using this principle to attract new dental patients – particularly if you have a diverse patient base.

I’ll be back after the break to tell you more.  

– Thanks for watching the Patient Attraction Podcast.

– I’m Colin Receveur.

– Cialdini’s principle of Liking basically says that we buy from people we like much more often than from people we don’t like.

– But he expands on that by adding that what determines whether we like someone is based strongly on how similar to us they are.

– In some cases, the similarity is physical – height, gender, skin color, and so on.

– The liking can also occur because of similar educational levels, socioeconomic status, or even shared backgrounds and experiences.

– When it comes to the usual sales process – whether from a route salesperson, at a car lot, or a marketing rep – the salesperson may have to work hard to establish a connection.

– Skilled salespeople do that all the time.

-It’s an essential skill for success.

– But all those interactions are face-to-face, a luxury that most dentists don’t have.

– The sales process for dentists begins long before a patient sets foot in the practice.

– And the relationship, so to speak, usually begins when a prospect visits your website.

– Let’s face it – no dentist is going to have enough in common with every single website visitor.

– Not unless your market has only one race, one economic bracket, and a certain minimum educational level – and you share all of those.

– But if that’s the case, you’d be the rare exception.

– Most other dentists are going to have to find a middle ground that appeals to as broad a base as possible.

– The end goal of all your marketing is to put more patient butts in your chairs.

– To reach that goal, your prospects have to like you, trust you, relate to you, and regard you as the dental expert.

– And that’s where you begin with your marketing to take advantage of the principle of Liking.

– Nobody likes it when somebody talks over their head.

– If you need an example, think about a theoretical physicist discussing gravity waves.

– Unless he or she makes an effort to simplify things, the discussion is likely to go right over your head.

– And you’ll tune out.

– That’s exactly what happens on too many dentists’ websites.

– They’re not written for patients; they’re written to impress other dentists.

– Many dentists’ videos are the same – technical, jargon-loaded, and totally boring to non-dentists.

– Make sure that everything on your website, in your social media, and in your blog is on a level that the average prospect will understand.

– Generally, that’s going to be at about a middle school level for online marketing.

– Keep to that level, and you’ll hold the attention of many more of your prospects.

– But the focus of your online content has to be for and about the prospects.

– Focus on the benefits of treatment rather than the process.

– Most of your prospects don’t want to know the details.

– They just want to eat comfortably, smile without embarrassment, and laugh freely.

– And finally, make sure your marketing conveys that you’ll do everything possible to ensure their comfort.

– It also needs to show you’ll make their experience as relaxed and painless as possible.

– The bottom line to all this discussion is that getting de[...]