Cliff's Notes

Marketing 101 … Packaging is 95% of the Sale!

When my oldest son was looking at colleges we attended a seminar on college admissions. The speaker was the Dean of Admissions at St. John’s University in New York and he talked about real world college marketing. One comment he made stuck with me, he said “when visiting the dorms you walk in the front door, when you leave go through the back, colleges never clean up around the back door. Also, ask for a few copies of the college news paper, they may not want to offer it because it may not fit “the package”.

My personal marketing GURU is Stu Leonard. His family started with a dairy farm and created the most unique food store in the north east. Stu Leonard once said “retail is detail & packaging is 95% of the sale. There is nothing special about Stu’s food, it is the way it is presented.

Packaging is 95% of the Sale … The average patient doesn’t know if you are a good dentist or a bad one. Remember the old joke “what do you call a dentist that finishes at the bottom of the class? Doctor!” They just know if they like you and your team. If they like you they trust you. Ask your team members if patients ever asked if you are a good dentist or when you leave the room they ask your assistant if they really need the work done. That brings us to “The Package”.

The Package … Everything your patient sees is part of the package. It starts with the name of your organization and goes though reappointing the patient. Let’s start with the name of your practice. I believe in using names that the local population can relate to, they are easy to remember. Piggyback off a popular name. I call my marketing program “Cliff’s Notes”, why do you think I do that? How your office physically appears to patients is a major factor. If it looks old patients think it’s old. Dental practices should up-date there office decor every 5 years and keep current with local style and colors. Team members should be color coordinated to look like a team, it makes a difference, and have name tags. Give your team a uniform allowance, talk to your accountant about the write-off, not only will you look like a team but you will feel like one and that “ORA” will effect your patients. Now we need to talk about the clinical package.

The Clinical Package … How old is your dental equipment? How old is your car? Your dental equipment is less expensive than your car. Your dental equipment pays for your car. Again, old will be thought of as old. Do you have video monitors in view of the patient? Can you display your digital images and pictures? Do you use your intraoral camera? Your patients see these things everywhere they go. Every retailer uses digital technology to market customers. What is you clinical WOW factor? Digital radiography is old news, everyone has it and the patient can’t relate to it, the sensors hurt. However, intraoral cameras and digital trans illumination really impress and initiates referrals if used correctly. Please feel free to contact me at any time with questions or concerns.

April 23, 2017 - Posted by Cliff's Notes Blog | Uncategorized