The Dental Practice: Business Foundations Marketing Dental Services Dr. Dave Willis Dental Simulations

Marketing Definition Marketing is a managerial process which focuses a practice's activities on the benefits sought by a target group of clients, thereby satisfying their needs and desires more effectively.

Benefits of Dentistry Relief of pain Gain a pretty smile Prevent inconvenience & pain Improve function Maintain health

Marketing Definition Generating and retaining patients in the practice (at a profit).

Patient Generation Patient Referrals Professional Office Hours Credit Policy Insurance Plan Participation Advertising Fee Charged Services Offered

Why Dentists Market Gain Patients Increased Competition Third Party Contracts Consumerism Changing Technologies

Ethics of Professional Advertising Information presentation Not false or misleading (no “puffery”) Specialty announcements What is customary for the area What is legal in the state (Dental Practice Act) “Tasteful” vs “Unprofessional”

Types of Dental Marketing Internal External Existing patients Current patients of record Traditional “Professional” Existing office resources Less costly New patients Target group Non “traditional” methods External resources Media More costly

Internal Marketing Branding Performance Facility Communication Verbal Nonverbal Written Recall / Recare / Periodic maintenance Health information

External Marketing Public relations Professional relations Signage Insurance plan participation Web sites Mailings Yellow pages Media

Tracking Effectiveness Ask patient how they found your office Track amount of dentistry (# of patients) by source Compare cost to generate a patient to the amount of work done

Financial Implications of Marketing Marketing is a necessary business function The value of a new patient Repetition

The Dental Practice: Business Foundations Marketing Dental Services Dr. Dave Willis Dental Simulations