SmartBox Dental Marketing

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Patient Attraction Episode 1150

It’s been said that the most expensive words in business are these: “We’ve always done it this way.” Since dentists don’t typically live in caves, I’m sure you’re aware that information technology is evolving at an incredibly fast pace. Patients don’t find dentists the way they used to. Today, more than 90 percent of prospects begin their search for a dentist online. If your practice is going to succeed, now and into the future, you have to take the steps needed to get found online. When we come back, I’ll tell you the best way to make sure your prospects see your website listing and become appointed patients.

– I’m Colin Receveur.

– Thanks for watching the Patient Attraction Podcast.

– Let me reassure you that this isn’t a talk about search engine optimization.

– I could ramble on for hours about long-tail keywords, image optimization, page load times, and a host of other technical stuff.

– But you don’t need to know all that.

– Search engine optimization doesn’t make you any money.

– You make money by seeing patients and solving their dental problems.

– And SEO, as vital as it is, usually has a really big hole in it when it comes to actually getting you new patients.

– Let me explain.

– You might have hired an SEO specialist or company to optimize your website.

– If so, good for you.

– But what did they tell you would happen?

– The odds are that they talked about things like impressions, views, and click-through rates.

– Don’t get me wrong – those are good things, they’re just not enough.

– They’re just a means to an end, and that end has to be putting more new patient butts in your chairs.

– You absolutely need to be seen online, but after that, you have to convert that prospect into an appointed patient.

– Search engine optimization providers typically don’t handle that last step.

– Converting prospects to appointed patients isn’t part of their discipline.

– Don’t get Dr. Ryan Shepherd started on the subject of SEO.

– The Albuquerque, New Mexico, dentist told us, “I’ve done your traditional things. –

– “You know – I did the full-page ad, and the phone book, and had a generic website built.

– “I’ve done a Valpak mailer for the first several years that I was in practice, and those things actually worked – then.

– “But that was 10 years ago, and then over a 2-year period, it totally dropped off so that I wasn’t even recouping my investment in it.

– “And I realized that a big change was taking place in how we need to market dental practices.

– “I signed a 1-year contract to work with a company who guaranteed Google reviews and great SEO.

– “It was a total waste – I mean, an absolute waste.

– “I didn’t see any return on my investment whatsoever.

– “In hindsight, I can see why that was the case.

– “And I knew that in order to make a significant stride and a significant change, it was going to have to be something that was a significant investment.”

– What Dr. Shepherd decided to do was partner with a company that does everything to attract and help appoint new patients.

– He became a SmartBox dentist.

– SmartBox is a full-service dental patient attraction firm.

– We provide a steady stream of more and better new patients so our doctors can focus on doing the dentistry.

– Dr. Shepherd knew  that his approach needed to change.

– How about you?

– Are you tired of spending every month and not getting enough in return?

– Discover what our industry-leading Patient Attraction System can do for your practice.

– Visit smartboxdentalmarketing.com and reserve your no-cost, no-obligation Practice Discovery Session.

– After the session, you’ll receive your free Patient Attraction Roadmap as well.

– We’ll sho[...]

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Patient Attraction Episode 1149

If you’re like most dentists, your advertising doesn’t keep your new patient numbers on anything like an even keel. You have good months, bad months, and indifferent months, and you never really know what kind of return you’re going to get for your marketing investment. In fact, you might have had to seriously ramp up your advertising when your boat springs a leak and you have a disastrous month. After the break, I’ll tell you how to stop bailing out your leaky new patient stream and put your practice on the path to smooth sailing.

– Thanks for watching the Patient Attraction Podcast.

– I’m Colin Receveur, founder and CEO of SmartBox.

– There  are an awful lot of dentists out there who are living month-to-month.

– Not from a paying the bills standpoint, but based on how many new patients they get.

– Their dental practice “boat” gets tossed up and down depending on how strong the new patient stream is.

– A run of bad months can put tremendous strain on your business.

– It’s a lousy, if traditional, way to run a dental practice.

– For one thing, it’s almost all price-driven, which puts you in a race to the bottom.

– Even if you get more patients, your margins are thinner and you’ll earn less.

– It takes really deep pockets to be the low-price leader in dentistry for any length of time.

– And if you have corporate dentistry in your market, forget it.

– You’ll go broke with that approach.

– The chains have deeper pockets and economies of scale that allow them to offer ridiculously low prices.

– And yet, dentists keep taking a monthly or quarterly price-driven advertising approach because it’s what they see their competitors doing.

– This approach is seriously out-of-date because the world, and marketing, have moved on since it was invented.

– Dr. James Kiehl of New Hampshire knows all about price advertising.

– He said,“Some of the advertising I’ve done in the past was more offer-driven, free exam, X-ray kinds of things.

– “When you bring patients in that way, you’re chasing them with the next offer or they’re chasing you for the next offer, all the way down the line.”

– When you think about it, it’s not surprising that dental practice boats tend to spring a leak, over and  over again.

– There’s a proven way for you to stop bailing out your boat and get your new patient stream and your practice on an even keel.

– And that’s SmartBox’s industry-leading Patient Attraction System.

– Dr. Dick Davenport of Laredo, Texas, is a believer.

– He said,  “Before we went live with SmartBox, we had 1 practice location.

– “And at that time, we were getting about 20 new patient opportunities a month.

– “Now, 11 months later, we have 2 practice locations and we’re averaging about 70 to 75 new patient opportunities a month.

– “It’s been a big increase for us, and it’s all due to the targeted marketing that SmartBox has done for us.” 

– Discover what our Patient Attraction System can do for your practice.

– Visit smartboxdentalmarketing.com and reserve your no-cost, no-obligation Practice Discovery Session.

– After the session, you’ll receive your free Patient Attraction Roadmap as well.

– We’ll show you how SmartBox provides a steady stream of new patients so you can focus on doing the dentistry.

– Forget about roller-coaster advertising that leaves you bailing frantically to keep your practice afloat.

– Join me for our next podcast.

– Until then, keep moving forward.

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Patient Attraction Episode 1148

There’s a lot of talk in marketing circles about market positioning. The idea is that when a couple of main competitors are in a market, one competitor assumes the dominant position by heavily advertising that its services or products are superior. You can spend a huge amount of money trying to “prove” that your dental practice is better. But only one position in any market matters, and that’s the position that leads to success. I’ll tell you how to position your practice for success when we come back.

– I’m Colin Receveur, founder and CEO of SmartBox.

– Thanks for watching the Patient Attraction Podcast.

– It’s a given that the level of dental competition varies by market.

– Some practices have 1 main competitor while others may have several, or 10.

– Different practices might enjoy unique advantages, such as location or length of time in the community.

– In a complicated market, trying to overcome other competitors’ advantages is a hard thing to accomplish.

– And going head-to-head against the competition can be very hard on your advertising budget.

– A dominant market position requires a lot of maintenance, so if you’re going to try that approach, you’d better have very deep pockets.

– It’s almost always a mistake for dentists to try to fight their competition where the other practices are strong.

– It’s a waste of time and money that could be used in better ways.

– There’s a way to neutralize an opponent’s marketing strength that basically costs you nothing.

– That’s because it’s a natural by-product of a different approach to attracting patients.

– With an opponent’s strength neutralized, you’re free to move your practice into the success position.

– The success position for a dentist is to become the only logical choice to solve prospects’ dental problems.

– Does that sound like marketing mumbo jumbo?

– It’s not.

– It’s part of a proven approach to attracting more and better dental patients.

– And that approach is SmartBox’s industry-leading Patient Attraction System.

– You don’t have to take my w ord for it.

– Here’s what Dr. Raleigh Pioch of Salem, Oregon, has to say.

– He wrote,  “The level of competition we have is astronomical.

– “The odds are against us, so I just need you to put everything in my favor.”

– So, did the Patient Attraction System work for Dr. Pioch?

– In his own words, here’s what happened.

–  “I’m living proof that Colin’s strategies WORK.

– “They work so well that they helped me take my practice from $800,000 to $3.2 million in just 6 years.

– “We couldn’t stop the growth.

– “It’s hard not to feel like you’re in the middle of a new patient ‘gold rush.’

– “But I guess that’s exactly what it is!” 

– I should note that Dr. Pioch sold his practice for a handsome amount and opened another.

– SmartBox took Dr. Pioch to the  dominant position in his market, but we didn’t do it through quick-hit, price-driven advertising.

– We didn’t fight his competition where they were strong.

– We used his website, social media, blog, drip marketing, offline marketing, and much more to position him as the preferred dentist for his market.

– That’s the success position, and he owned it.

– The results speak for themselves.

– SmartBox works with more than 550 dentists on 3 continents.

– We provide a steady stream of new patients so our doctors can focus on doing the dentistry.

– Discover what our Patient Attraction System can do for your practice.

 

– Visit smartboxdentalmarketing.com and reserve your no-cost, no-obligation Practice Discovery Session.

– After the session, you’ll receive your free Patient Attraction Roadmap as well.

– You can focus on doing the dentistry.

– We’ll ke[...]

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Patient Attraction Episode 1147

Dentistry is a trust-based profession. There aren’t too many things more intimate than putting instruments into someone’s mouth and remodeling their teeth. The trust factor is often overlooked by dental practices that are busy competing on low price and specials. But being trusted by patients and prospects alike is essential if you’re going to grow your practice and your revenue. After the break, I’ll tell you the best way to foster a trust relationship with prospects who have never met you, and help them become appointed patients. Stay tuned.

– Thanks for watching the Patient Attraction Podcast.

– I’m Colin Receveur.

– There ar e roughly 120,000 practicing dentists in the United States.

– That’s enough to make a decent-size city, like Evansville, Indiana.

– It’s the third-largest city in the state that nobody’s ever heard of, but that’s not the point.

– If you look at the rate of crime, malpractice, and downright stupidity in a city of dentists, it doesn’t paint a pretty picture.

– Just recently, a dentist was convicted for illegally prescribing oxycodone and earning a 15-year prison sentence.

– Another dentist was charged with unprofessional conduct by a state board after the death of 4-year-old to whom he had administered anesthesia.

– You could look at these as isolated incidents that really don’t have any impact outside the areas in which they occurred.

– You could do that, but you shouldn’t, because a lot of these reports go national.

– Other health professions can shrug off negative reports fairly easily.

– As of 2016, there were over 950,000 licensed physicians in the U.S.

– And even nurse practitioners outnumbered dentists by 2 to 1.

– With that many advanced professionals in one field, the effects of reports of misconduct are watered down.

– But among a smaller group of advanced-degree professionals, the impact of misconduct or criminal activity is larger.

– Dentists who give the profession a black eye poison the well for other dentists.

– That can lead prospects who are on the fence to delay treatment or avoid it altogether.

– But it’s not just the size of the group that matters.

– Dentists as a group aren’t held in the highest regard these days.

– In fact, they’re pretty much regarded as interchangeable.

– Dentists are widely  considered to be competent.

– One dentist is as good as another as far as prospects are concerned.

– So there’s no reason to prefer one dentist over another except for price, availability, and insurance acceptance.

– Dentists who want to succeed face a twofold challenge.

– They have to stand  out from the great mass of dentists, and they have to build trust with their prospects.

– There’s no better way to accomplish those goals than with SmartBox’s industry-leading Patient Attracti on System.

– Just ask Dr. David Moffet, Consultant, and the originator of The Ultimate Patient Experience.

– He wrote, “Dentistry is all about people and relationships.

– “Colin Receveur and SmartBox know how to attract new patients to your dental office.

– “They are leaders in their field in dentistry.

– “In fact, they are rewriting the way new patient marketing needs to be done!” 

– It’s almost impossible to establish trust by using the quick-hit, price-driven marketing that most dentists use.

– SmartBox’s Patient Attraction System takes in the entire spectrum of marketing, both online and offline.

– We work to establish you as the relatable, likeable, trustworthy, and expert dentist.

– And every aspect of your marketing works together to make you the only logical choice to solve prospects’ dental problems.

– Dr. Moffet was right –  we’re rewriting the way new patient marketing needs to be done for dentists on 3 co[...]

Dentists, in Their Own Words, on SmartBox

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Patient Attraction Episode 1146

One thing that I hear all the time from prospective clients is, “Will the Patient Attraction System work for me?” The short answer is that I don’t know until my company does some in-depth analysis, which we do for each doctor. But our system has been shown to work for a wide variety of practices in very different markets. After the break, I’ll tell you what some of those dentists have said about their experience with SmartBox. Stay tuned.

– I’m Colin Receveur, founder and CEO of SmartBox.

– Thanks for watching the Patient Attraction Podcast.

– This is going to be a very different kind of podcast.

– I’m going to relay the exact words of some dentists who have chosen to partner with us.

– You see, I can tell you all about how our industry-leading Patient Attraction System helps dentists on 3 continents get more and better patients.

– But this time, I’d rather you hear it directly from doctors who have benefitted from our efforts.

– None of these doctors received any payment or other consideration for appearing on camera.

– So, without further ado, here are SmartBox dentists in their own words.

– Dr. Kevin McMahon of Edgewood, Kentucky, was kind enough to share the following.

– He said, “I’m very happy with SmartBox.

– “It actually puts my marketing on autopilot.

– “That makes it a lot ea sier for me.

– “It’s something I don’t have to worry about.

– “I’m the owner of the practice here, so I’m managing a bunch of people.

– “If I can take something off my plate like that, that I know is quality, is going to work, that I’m proud of, that makes a big difference for me.

– “I’m staying busier in times that normally, I wouldn’t be busier.

– “I’m being more productive in things that I’m doing.

– “I’m moving toward the larger cases, implants, things like that, and have associates do other work.” 

– Thanks, Dr. M cMahon.

– I’m a business owner, so I know exactly how it feels to have someone I trust take things off my plate.

– Let’s turn to Dr. Travis Watson in Marietta, Georgia.

– Here’s what he said.

– “We have had tremendous results from working with SmartBox and Colin.

– “It has been fun. The relationships we’ve formed have been great.

– “The favorite things that has kept me excited is the fact that we can monitor the calls coming in, listen to the calls, and really help our front desk grow in terms of verbal skills.

– “Because it’s one thing to get the calls, but you’ve got to convert those calls.

– “That has helped me coach my team a little better.

– “Ever since we’ve been working with SmartBox, which was two and a half years ago, we have seen a tremendous return on our investment.” 

– Thanks, Dr. Watson.

– We really enjoy working with you and your staff.

– Finally, let’s hear from Dr. Thomas Feder in Belleville, Illinois.

– He said,  “The last 6 months, 6 to 8 months, have been very exceptional.

– “I’ve had more new patients than I’ve ever had.

– “My income for the year last year was up, and this year, the way it’s going, it’s going to beat that by several percentage points.

– “We’re doing a lot better this year than we did last year, and I was extremely happy with last year.

– “Our average case value has increased.

– “People are coming in looking for dentures and implants.

– “The practice is now overwhelming our dental lab.” 

– I’m happy to say that Dr. Feder is working less, by his choice, and that his retirement plans are back on track.

– So there you have it.

– Three different dentists in different markets with the same outstanding results from partnering with SmartBox.

– I could add many, many more dentists to this list, but let’s cut to the cha[...]

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Patient Attraction Episode 1145

It’s not common to think of dentists as underachievers. But the sad fact is that many dental practices aren’t reaching their potential. That’s a shame, and it doesn’t have to keep happening. At a time of economic growth and rising wages, dental practices should be thriving. When we come back, I’ll tell you how make your dental practice everything it should be. Stay tuned.

– Thanks for watching the Patient Attraction Podcast.

– I’m Colin Receveur, CEO of SmartBox.

– All across the U.S. there are dental practices that are doing okay.

– They’re keeping the lights on, seeing patients, and making some money.

– I’m of the firm opinion that your dental practice should be a gold mine.

– Doing okay is basically an excuse for not doing really well.

– Those are harsh words, but I stand by them.

– There’s money to be made in your market, and you should be making it without having to work yourself to death.

– I’m kind of an odd duck among people who work with dentists to help them get more patients.

– I want all dentists to be successful whether they work with SmartBox or not.

– So if you’re working too hard, for too long, for too little, I’m going to tell you how to change that.

– Let’s start with the prospects in your market.

– Roughly 70 percent of them are motivated by low prices, specials, and insurance acceptance.

– Those are probably the prospects you’ve been chasing with your advertising.

– Advertising is an attempt to motivate prospects to call your practice right now, or at least soon, for an appointment.

– It’s a quick-hit dose of satisfaction for dental practices.

– But it wears off quickly and leaves you chasing the next hit.

– The problem is, the next hit may be quite awhile in coming.

– Advertising doesn’t always work, particularly if a competitor is undercutting you on price.

– There are highs and lows with a traditional advertising approach.

– Advertising costs a lot, and it often doesn’t deliver enough for what you pay.

– It’s a slow and uncertain way to realize success.

– And that advertising approach ignores what motivates the other 30 percent of prospects in your market.

– Those “better” patients have the ability and willingness to pay more for the right dentist.

– And they’re very loyal to the dentist they choose.

– But you won’t attract those prospects by advertising low price and specials.

– Dr. James Kiehl in southern New Hampshire knows all about dental advertising.

– And he knows what it takes to attract quality patients.

– He said, “Some of the advertising I’ve done in the past was more offer-driven, free exam, X-ray kinds of things.

– “When you bring patients in that way, you’re chasing them with the next offer or they’re chasing you for the next offer, all the way down the line.

– “Since we’ve implemented our SmartBox Patient Attraction System, we’re definitely getting the quality patients that I want to see come into my practice.”

– SmartBox’s Patient Attraction System is a much better way to attract new patients.

– And it doesn’t make you suffer through quick-hit highs and lows.

– We provide a steady stream of more and better patients so our doctors can focus on doing the dentistry.

– Now, let me say that what SmartBox does for dentists, some dental practices can accomplish for themselves.

– There’s plenty of information out there in our podcasts, our Patient Attraction Magazine, our Inside Patient Attraction webinars, and the SmartBox blog.

– But putting together and maintaining your own systematic approach to attracting patients is an enormous investment of time.

– It requires very specialized skills and doesn’t directly make you a dollar.

– You make money by seeing patients and solving the[...]

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Patient Attraction Episode 1144

The quickest way to get to the top of your market is to push hard when things are going well. Right now, the United States is enjoying a huge growth cycle. Dentists who want to dominate that market will seize the opportunity to grow their practices. But not all growth strategies are created equal. When we come back, I’ll tell you about the proven way to overcome the challenges that dentists still face even during the boom times. Stay tuned.

– Thanks for watching the Patient Attraction Podcast.

– I’m Colin Receveur, founder and CEO of SmartBox.

– Right now, the U.S. economy looks pretty much unstoppable.

– We’re in an 8-year growth cycle that shows no signs of slowing down.

– Growth cycles typically last about 5 years, so this one looks very strong.

– With growth comes both challenge and opportunity for businesses, and that applies to dental practices as well.

– The challenges dentists face have been building for some years.

– Those are the rise of corporate dentistry, record numbers of new dental school graduates, and declining insurance reimbursements.

– It might surprise you to learn that those challenges also present great opportunity.

– That’s because the vast majority of those competitors will focus on offering dental services at low price points.

– They’ll all be focused on the same market segment – people with limited discretionary income.

– That’s about 70 percent of any given market.

– But the other 30 percent is where growth-oriented dental practices will focus their marketing efforts.

– That segment consists of prospects with the ability and willingness to pay more for the right dentist.

– Those prospects don’t care much about what insurance will cover.

– They do care about finding a dentist they like and trust, one they regard as the expert to solve their dental problems.

– If you’re that dentist, you’ll make more money while working less.

– Better prospects are predisposed to accept your case solutions so you won’t need to do very much selling.

– And your practice will grow in a healthy way because these better prospects are very loyal once they’ve chosen a dentist.

– When you’re in a commanding position among this segment of your market, you have the dental high ground.

– That’s ground you can grow on, even during the contraction that will inevitably follow this growth cycle.

– But to claim that high ground, you’ll need to take a different approach to marketing your practice.

– Dr. Dick Davenport decided to embrace that different approach, and here’s what he found.

– “Before we went live with SmartBox, we had 1 practice location, and at that time, we were getting about 20 new patient opportunities a month.

– “Now, 11 months later, we have 2 practice locations and we’re averaging about 70 to 75 new patient opportunities a month.

– “It’s been a big increase for us, and it’s all due to the targeted marketing that SmartBox has done for us.

– “SmartBox has worked very well with us, and very hard for us, to target the type of patients that we need to each of our locations.” 

– Dr. Davenport’s practice is positioned to thrive, and our industry-leading Patient Attraction System can help your dental practice get there, too.

– Visit smartboxdentalmarketing.com and click on the “Get Started” button to reserve your free, no-obligation Practice Discovery Session.

– Invest 25 minutes of your time to discover how you can get more patients, more profits, and more freedom.

– You can join the 550 dentists on 3 continents who enjoy the benefits of working with SmartBox.

– Trust me, you’ll enjoy the view when you occupy the high ground in your market.

– Join me for our next podcast.

– Until then, keep moving forward.

The post Kick Your Dental P[...]

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Patient Attraction Episode 1143

You’re certainly aware that competition between dental practices is at an all-time high. What you may not know is that it’s going to get worse. More new dental school grads, more corporate dental practices, and more cost shifting by insurance companies to patients will erode your patient base. Fortunately, there is something you can do that will not only stop the erosion but actually grow your practice. I’ll be back after the break to tell you about my first book of 2018. Stay tuned.

– I’m Colin Receveur.

– Thanks for watching the Patient Attraction Podcast.

– The U.S. economy looked really good through all of 2016 and 2017.

– That doesn’t mean a correction isn’t coming – it is.

– History teaches that every boom is followed by a contraction.

– But for now, businesspeople in the U.S. are feeling optimistic.

– The thing about economic growth is that it puts more competitors on the playing field.

– The growth in competition can outpace the growth in demand, leaving each business struggling for enough customers.

– Dental practices aren’t immune to this problem.

– Barring something like well-funded universal dental care, there are only so many potential dental prospects in any market.

– If you’re getting paid less for each patient, you’ll need more of them to make any money.

– Okay, enough doom and gloom.

– If you act quickly, you can prevent the ground beneath your dental practice from eroding.

– In fact, you can even grow and thrive in the face of adverse conditions.

– That’s the basis of my upcoming book – Rise UP: The Keys to Ultimate Dental Practice Success.

– When you read this book, you’ll learn how to take the high ground in your market.

– That high ground comes with a lot of advantages, not the least of which is that you’ll make a lot more money.

– And you’ll be able to expand your patient base, even in the face of increased competition.

– Not to mention making dental insurance pretty much irrelevant to your success.

– You’ll also get a wealth of knowledge from SmartBox experts to help you make your practice marketing a new patient delivery machine.

– The book will be available later this month, and I’ll give you ordering information in a later podcast.

– You might be wondering why I’m putting out this book when my previous book, The Four Horsemen of Dentistry, came out just last year.

– The answer is that not all dental practices are the same.

– That’s not just in terms of the services they offer.

– They also differ in the competitive landscape in their markets.

– Some practices dominate because they have relatively little competition.

– Some are successful because they have a great marketing approach and provide a superior patient experience.

– If your practice is successful and you want it to become even more so, my new book is for you.

– What I describe in Rise UP Slipping Away is a strategy that successful and even dominant practices can use to grow even more – no matter why they’re successful.

– Practices that aren’t as successful as they want to be can use this information to safeguard their patient base and grow.

– The economy is moving into a “grow or perish” state of competition.

– Don’t let the ground erode from under your dental practice.

– Follow the Patient Attraction Podcast to learn how to get your copy.

– Join me for our next podcast.

– Until then, keep moving forward.

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Patient Attraction Episode 1142

SmartBox is devoted to helping dentists thrive. That holds true whether you’re a SmartBox dentist or not. We’ve introduced a suite of products – our Practice Perfection Suite – that will help you manage your online reputation, continually optimize your search engine page results, streamline your appointment process, and turn missed new patient opportunities into new appointments. After the break, I’ll tell you why our affordable Practice Perfection products should be part of your marketing approach. Stay tuned.

– Thanks for watching the Patient Attraction Podcast.

– I’m Colin Receveur, founder and CEO of SmartBox.

– Dentists today are facing more competition for new patients than ever before.

– If you’re going to keep your chairs filled, you need every advantage you can get.

– But not only are you facing more competition – the nature of that competition is more complicated.

– The vast majority of dental prospects begin their search for a dentist online.

– Step 1 is showing up online when your prospects search for a dentist in your market.

– Few dental practices have the time or expertise to continually update their search engine optimization.

– That’s why your practice needs SmartBox’s Local360 search optimization.

– You get a ​done-for-you, cost-effective, turnkey, local search solution that works with your existing website to ensure​ ​you​ ​can​ ​be​ ​found​ ​online​.

– But once your prospects find you, what will they find out about your practice?

– Online reviews and patient testimonials are the new word-of-mouth advertising.

– Research has shown that most people trust online reviews as much as they trust recommendations from colleagues or friends.

– Managing your online reputation is vital for getting more new patients.

– But just as with SEO, you and your staff probably don’t have time to continually monitor your online reviews.

– Enter SmartBox’s RAVE Reputation Management.

– RAVE automatically solicits reviews from your existing patients following each appointment.

– And your practice is immediately notified of all new online reviews so that you or your staff can quickly deal with any negative reviews.

– RAVE is the smart solution to protecting your online reputation.

– Once prospects have found your practice and read your reviews, they’ll hopefully set up an appointment.

– Most website-based appointment systems only give prospects the opportunity to send an appointment request.

– That’s several unnecessary barriers between your practice and a new patient.

– Apoint powered by LocalMed is very different.

– Apoint works seamlessly with your existing practice management software.

– Your practice displays only the appointment slots you want to fill.

– Your prospects and existing patients pick the days and times that work best for them.

– And you can see your online appointment rate increase by 35 to 70 percent and get much higher show rates.

– Of course, not everyone schedules online.

– Many prospects may call your practice instead.

– And every new patient caller who’s not appointed is a waste of your marketing dollars.

– SmartBox’s proprietary, dental-practice specific, Patient Attraction Phone Training and Certification program is the answer.

– Your incoming calls are recorded and analyzed by our Call Quality Analysts.

– You’re notified of any improvements your front office needs to make in phone technique.

– As a result, you can turn your front office into a new-patient-appointing powerhouse.

– Dr. Randy Schmidt of the Chicago area is a big fan of tracking and monitoring phone calls.

– He told us,  “Our daily phone log and recorded calls into our internet phone number we’ve been very pleased with.

– “And our website[...]

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Patient Attraction Episode 1141

Have you ever heard of Pacific Dental Services? I just found out about them. I was surprised to learn that they support 600 dental practices and plan to add another 50 or more offices a year. Now, it’s not earthshaking news that dental service organizations are out there, but many of them are flying under the radar. When we come back, I’ll discuss the challenges of corporate dentistry for your dental practice and the best way for a truly independent dentist to compete. Stay tuned.

– I’m Colin Receveur, founder and CEO of SmartBox.

– Thanks for watching the Patient Attraction Podcast.

– As of February 2017, the ADA estimated that roughly 8 percent of dental practices in the U.S. were aligned with a dental service organization.

– Or a dental support organization – the terms are used interchangeably.

– Regardless, roughly one in 12 practices nationwide are aligned with some form of corporate dentistry structure.

– That may not sound like much, but corporate dental practices represent a trend that’s catching fire.

– I mentioned that Pacific Dental Services plans to add at least 50 more practices a year.

– Over 8 years, that would represent 40 percent growth for that company.

– Heartland Dental is another chain that’s on fire with over 1,000 dentists.

– Then there’s Aspen Dental with over 600 offices, and – well, you get the idea.

– Those practices enjoy discounts from consolidated purchasing services, state-of-the-art practice management services, and a host of other benefits.

– That’s tough for a truly independent practice to compete against.

– When you consider that the Association of Dental Support Organizations alone has 50-plus members right now, you’re talking serious numbers of dental practices.  

– So the odds are pretty good that you have one or more corporate practices in your market.

– You might be thinking that you should join a chain.

– Reports differ on whether dentists who join a corporate dental chain are truly independent in their clinical decision-making.

– Reports also differ on whether they’re under pressure to maximize profits.

– I know quite a few dentist entrepreneurs who simply hate the idea of being told what to do for their patients.

– If you’re one of them, you need a strategy to help you succeed against dentists who enjoy economies of scale that you can’t hope to match.

– Let’s face it – practices that spend less can afford to cut prices.

– If you don’t have those economies, you can’t afford to cut prices to the same degree.

– But why should you compete where corporate practices are strong?

– That makes no sense.

– Instead of focusing on price in your marketing, you need to be focusing on the segment of your market that doesn’t see price as a motivator.

– In just about every market, that segment is around 30 percent of your prospects.

– These are people who wouldn’t be caught dead in an Aspen Dental office.

– These are people who want to establish an ongoing relationship with the right dentist and dental practice.

– They’re also people who are able and willing to pay more.

– You’ll need to retool your marketing if you’re going to attract those better patients.

– Because the right dentist for your better prospects is someone they like, relate to, and trust.

– It’s someone they regard as the dental expert to solve their dental problems.

– Establishing yourself as the right dentist for better prospects is a long-term process.

– And it’s a lot of work, frankly.

– You’ll almost certainly need to revamp your website, your social media, and your blog.

– You’ll need email content streams for each specific condition and a way to manage your drip email marketing effectively.

– You might need to update your office and[...]