 |
Protect Your Patient List As If Your Dental Practice Depends Upon It... Beacuse It Does!
Author: James Erickson  | Posted: 01-06-2008 | Comments: 0 | Views: 6 | Rating: (50)  (?) 
I read posts from Crown Council members, and occasionally I'll visit DentalTown, to see what topics are hot. I do this to get the pulse of the industry and find out what issues are at the forefront.
You should be doing this as well, but be looking in different media. In other words, you should be looking in the local newspaper, watching the local news and so on. There are opportunities for you to "fold into" your marketing plan on an almost weekly basis that will take your "pitch" or "ad message" and turn it into more "news," thus making it more readable and even more palatable!
The Crown Council network is an interesting media. There is a lot of interaction and a lot of opinionated folks out there (which is why it is interesting!).
Recently, there were some posts about storing digital files - specifically photos - on the computer networks of the office. This reminded me of a recent problem that crept up in my office.
Let me preface this by saying: "Your patient list is ALL you've really got and ALL you really need." If your building burns down, your staff all leave, your dog gets hit by a car (or all of these in the same week!) and so on, as long as you have your patient list, you have a business. You are still IN business. In fact, all that sounds like a bushel of sour lemons, but I know of several business people, dentists included, that have had those or similar things happen and have recovered, coming back stronger than ever!
Now, the point of this posting: What redundant (back-ups of back-ups) do you have in place to protect your patient database and their dental files?
My suggestion is this (after having been through hell and back about a year ago): Have at least three redundant back-ups. I had two because I was paranoid, but guess what, when the back-up saves over the back-up (dumb amateur mistake!) and the new back-up is infected with a virus and you lose all of your data... your still out of business.
Have a UPS battery backup. They are $100 at most. Then, have an online service back-up your computer data. Then, have an off site storage that is updated weekly or sooner that contains your patient data. Also, keep a locked safe somewhere with the same info in it. This is all cheap to do and can save you so much in pain, agony, labor and lost sleep. I know. Take it from me. RE-creating a full month's worth of data was all it took to make me a believer in overly redundant computer back-ups.
If you don't want to do it, hire a computer geek (here in Salem, they have a "Rent-A-Geek" company) and put them on a $150 a month retainer to come in and make sure it's set-up, done properly and will save you if necessary!
Action-To-Take Tip: See above and DO NOT WAIT. Do it today!
Rate this Article:
Current: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s).
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/protect-your-patient-list-as-if-your-dental-practice-depends-upon-it-beacuse-it-does-434648.html
About the Author:James Erickson is the President of EMC Dental Marketing which gives Dentists a resource for turn-key dental marketing programs and dental practice marketing education including new patient attraction, and internal marketing systems. Visit www.EMCdental.com and get a free practice
building kit sent directly to your home or office.
|
Submitting articles has become one of the most popular means of generating quality backlinks and targeted traffic to your website. Join us today - It's Free! |
|
Related Articles
Are There Any New Dental Marketing Ideas Left?
By: James Erickson | 11/05/2008 | Marketing
Are the new dental marketing ideas out there really new, or are they just rethinking old ideas. In this article, we look at how the message, market, and media can be modified to create new dental marketing to get you new patients.
The 7 Business Success Secrets To Build A *Booming* Referrals-Based Dental Practice
By: James Erickson | 13/05/2008 | Advertising
Everyone who desires a self-promoting practice should know these seven things about dental marketing. These 7 dental marketing ideas are the building blocks for successful referral based dental practices everywhere. Combining new dental marketing ideas with proven internal dental marketing systems is the key to growing any practices new referral patients.
New Dental Marketing Ideas: Creating a Gameplan and Using the Internet
By: Ed O'Keefe | 21/04/2008 | Business
One of the best ways to become successful in the business of dental marketing is to develop new ideas, like creating a “gameplan”. What does this idea of gameplan refer to? Well, it refers to developing a gameplan that would help you to double new patients in your dental marketing business. So the more new patients that you have, the more successful you will be in your business. Developing this kind of idea is one way to be on top of the dental marketing area.
Internal Dental Marketing: How to Get on Top in the Business Online
By: Ed O'Keefe | 15/05/2008 | Business
In on-line internal dental marketing, all that matters is the development and growth of your dental website. By development and growth, I mean getting more and more traffic into your own internal dental marketing website and at the same time getting more and more dental patients as well. You need to know the stuff that can help you boost up your own website! Aside from this, everything else is just details in on-line internal dental marketing.
Internal Dental Marketing : a Marketing Strategy by Ed O' Keefe!
By: Darcy Juarez | 23/05/2008 | Business Ideas
In internal dental marketing, making a start with the business means that you have to start it right. You should be able to know how to make your practice come hand-in-hand with the your internal dental marketing business. Among the questions that the doctors asked me in a free tele-class where I invited them: were “How do I know where to start with your marketing?”, and “How do I know if my practice can be helped with marketing?”. I gave them a round about answer.
Dental Practice Marketing : How to Keep a Constant Flow of Patients in Your Practice
By: Ed O'Keefe | 02/09/2008 | Business Ideas
Keeping a constant flow of patients for the growth of your dental practice marketing could be quite a challenge. Even after a long time of really working hard in the trenches of providing great service in the your practice, it's undeniable that even the greatest dentist in the world goes broke without a constant stream of new patients who pay, stay and refer in their practice.
Dental Marketing Online: Ed O' Keefe on Market-matching and Getting the Traffic
By: Darcy Juarez | 19/09/2008 | Business Ideas
In this era, going online plays a big role in the dental marketing niche. One of the things that we're finding is that if you are going to look at the amount of people who are going online, searching for their service providers (like on yahoo, on google, and on all the other major search engines), you can see that the population of the people going online to search for their dental providers is growing more and more.
Dentist Practice Management: Keeping a Constant Flow of Patients in Your Practice
By: Ed O'Keefe | 03/10/2008 | Ask an Expert
As a dentist practice management consultant, I find that keeping a constant flow of patients is one of the biggest challenges in dentist practice management. Unfortunately, even the greatest dentist in the world will go broke without a constant stream of new patients who pay, stay and refer. Here are the strategies on how to deal with such a challenge in dentist practice management.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Q&A Powered by: 
Latest Marketing Articles
Marketing Your Cash Flow Business
By: Russell Dalbey | 16/10/2008
So, you've decided to become part of the cash flow business - you understand the basics of the business and are ready to get moving! But how? What do you do for marketing? It can seem overwhelming but if you really think about it, getting started is not as difficult...
When is a Blog Right For Your Business?
By: Alan Tedman | 16/10/2008
There are many types of media in both the printed form and online. I like to read blogs, others like feeds and some others like newsletters. All of these forms require one big thing, content.
Blogs can bring all of these readers together and produce important content for your business in...
Benefits of Submitting Articles to Directories
By: Robert Kokoska | 16/10/2008
Article marketing has long been an easy and extremely powerful way to promote blogs, websites, services and products. With some of the biggest article distribution sites on the internet, you can potentially syndicate your new article across several thousand of different websites increasing your exposure dramatically. Below you will read...
Connemara Marble is One of Many Wonderful Irish Gifts to Remember
By: Scott Wilhelmy | 16/10/2008
What Is Connemara Marble?
Connemara Marble is mined from the quarry at Lissoughter in the Connemara Mountains of Western Ireland. This quarry has been in active use since the mid 19th century. The Walsh family has been mining this stunning green marble for centuries. It is found today in many major...
Online MLM - Why is it Necessary For Your Success
By: Chris Kosman | 15/10/2008
Many network marketers especially the so called heavy hitters regard online MLM, the use of Internet to promote your multilevel marketing business, as an inferior method for prospecting and claim that it is over-hyped. Many of them in the past years build big downlines strictly by using offline methods and...
Brands Miss the Mark at Grand Final
By: Katie Hodgkinson | 15/10/2008
A Steak insight into who spent big money on AFL television advertising but fumbled and dropped the ball.
According to The Australian, 8 September 2008, media buyers estimated that advertisers would spend $35million over the AFL and Rugby League finals period and that Channel Seven was to be asking $120,000 for...
Internet Marketing For Chickens
By: Andrew Kasch | 15/10/2008
Are you afraid to succeed? Did you get into internet marketing because it's easy to fail at, and that is where your comfort zone lies? Great! You are just the person I want to speak to today. It's important that you pay attention, otherwise you will end up getting exactly...
Bum Marketing On Growth Hormones: 10 Brilliantly Simple Tactics To Build Your Highly Targeted Opt-in List
By: Stefan DeVereaux | 15/10/2008
Step-by-Step Instructions... Finally
MOLB: Mechanized Online Blueprint. Alex Edavane is on to something huge. In 15 months, he developed a system that earns him 5 figures a month. No gimmicks, no false hope, no outrageous claims... just the "How I do it." His average profit is around $36,000 per month and...
More from James Erickson
The Dental Marketing Ripple Effect
By: James Erickson | 21/08/2008 | Marketing
Making a change for the better, within your dental practice, does not always require a ton of time, money, or even effort. Sometimes, the best changes simply involve a little creativity.
Want to Attract New Dental Patients? Think About a Referral Contest
By: James Erickson | 20/08/2008 | Marketing
A referral contest is a great way to get your current patients bombarding you with new, quality patients. Referrals are always the best new patients, because they generally come in already liking you. So, why not do something to double, or even triple the number of referral you receive?
Common Business Card Mistakes - From a Dental Marketing Consultant
By: James Erickson | 08/08/2008 | Marketing
Your personal business card is an important asset to your dental practice. Are you using yours its full extent? Those business cards that sit in your wallet, purse, pocket, or brief case should be used to attract new dental patient whenever possible.
Internal Dental Marketing - Undone Treatment... Done
By: James Erickson | 05/08/2008 | Marketing
You have a potentially untapped resource for production just sitting there in your filing cabinet; all of those people that have already been in to see you, and have not yet completed their treatment. You know the patients that I'm talking about. Get them back in, and boost your production rate for this month.
Have You Given Yet? Improve Your Dental Marketing Karma
By: James Erickson | 04/08/2008 | Marketing
Whether you call it 'karma' or 'goodwill' or whatever, giving to those who need some extra help is a great way to give yourself some warm fuzzies, and improve the image of your dental practice.
Attract New Dental Patients by Putting PR in Your Practice
By: James Erickson | 22/07/2008 | Marketing
Free publicity. Did you ever realize that there is such a thing in the dental industry? Follow these five steps to get your dental practice publicity rolling.
From a Dental Marketing Consultant - P is for Plenty
By: James Erickson | 21/07/2008 | Marketing
P stands for Plenty. Plenty of patients. Not "just enough" patients. We're talking about having a few too many, to keep you in constant motion. That's the goal, and here is why.
Focus on Differentiation in Your Dental Office Marketing
By: James Erickson | 19/07/2008 | Marketing
What makes your dental practice different from the one across the street? If you don't know, then, probably nothing. Create an image for yourself; do something to stand out. Your uniqueness will entice people to choose your office over your neighbor's.
|
|
Marketing 
