Keeping Your Dental Practice Profitable in 2009

The current economic situation has created many businesses challenges. Dental practices will need to respond in various ways to encourage consumers to make dentistry a higher priority. Consumers will only delay longer without ongoing reminders. Additionally, current patients need a higher level of communication and stronger referral skills. 

While regular preventive dental visits can be delayed without a short-term downside, significant health problems and personal reasons will not wait for an economic recovery. When emergencies arise and toothaches occur, your dental office should have a public presence to keep your patient numbers on a growth trajectory. Dentists who offer high value services such as Invisalign braces, dental implants, cosmetic dentistry, and smile makeovers should make sure they are the ones these patients will know of when they start looking. Sedation dental marketing is also a way to move consumers who have put off dental treatment because of fear to get the care they need now.

Take these steps to keep your dental office profitable in 2009.

The Best Dental Marketing Plan has THREE Elements

> ONE: Be A Publicly, Proactive, Persistent Dental Practice

• Helps you grab the attention of patients and consumers who are not considering dentistry right now  
  
• One of the biggest areas of new dental patient development  
  
• Usually includes a traditional dentistry marketing element or format  
  
• People need to be made aware of your cosmetic and restorative expertise and services
  
• While public marketing is not cheap, done right, dentists can bring in new blood fast
  
• Waiting for referrals, or consumers to think about or searchers is risky in a downturn 

> TWO: Completely Cover Your Current Dental Patients Angle

• Patients want others to know about you if you do things well  
  
• This is hardly ever done well - it is often generic, impersonal, and infrequent  
  
• Referrals and smile makeover case acceptance result from effectively communicating value  
  
• Find more ways to connect with dental patients and more formats to ask for referrals
  
• Where you communicate now - add elements that say so meth ing new about you
  
• Referrals still make great patients, but the new landscape requires new methods
  
• Use dental technology to better inform patient of your services and expertise 

> THREE: Network Your Internet Connection: Dental Website

• The Web is where your patients, and consumers are, and will be looking for you  
  
• There are a thou sand ways to attract new dental care patients online: spread your wins  
  
• Internet evasion will shrink your community influence, referral power, expertise value
  
• Remember most of your competition is doing one thing, if any, and often haphazardly
  
• Keep adding to your online dental marketing repertoire, weaving in your highest value services 

Downturn Dental Marketing Conclusion

Assertive and persistent public and internal communication is essential for your dental practice to be viable today and long term. Dental marketing is not only a good thing it is the only thing that consistently gets consumers and patients enough information in the quantity, quality, and the right time of day for them to absorb it effectively. To achieve the success you want in 2009, get the marketing you need to reach your revenue goals. 

Commentary by Dick Chwalek, President Niche Dental

> Niche Dental coaching guides you to better, faster, and fit-your-needs solutions.

Dental Marketing and Communication Consultant