The dentist will offer the patient's convenience. Ideas for attracting new patients

The article will be useful to owners and marketers of dental clinics.

From the material you will learn how to:

systematically promote your clinic;
do comprehensive internet marketing;
monitor your reputation;
increase the flow of clients;
make a good dentistry website;
increase the loyalty of existing customers.

Main stages of promotion work

1. Development of a strategy within which the following is carried out:

Setting goals (in numbers)
Target audience segmentation
Competitor analysis
Analysis of the current site (if any)
Development of the clinic’s USP
Analysis of strengths and weaknesses
Description of services
Online Reputation Analysis
Geography of promotion
Promotion channels
Sales plans
KPIs by promotion channels

This list can be expanded or narrowed. It all depends on goals and opportunities. Of course, we understand that the process of developing a full-fledged strategy takes a lot of time, so for small dentistry it will be enough to do at least half of this list. Another option is not to dive very deeply into each point, for example, analyze not all competitors of a large area, but only nearby ones (5-10 clinics) only according to the main parameters.

2. Setting up end-to-end analytics

End-to-end analytics is a bunch of customized tools ( ATS + CRM + call tracking + website + Google Analytics) to measure the effectiveness of each advertising channel. Thanks to such a system, you can know almost exactly where the patient came from (for example, from Yandex Direct or from outdoor advertising) and how much money he brought in over the entire period of visits to the clinic. This valuable information allows you to make the right decisions on the allocation of budgets for this or that type of advertising; you clearly know how effectively each ruble is spent on advertising, whether advertising pays off and by how much.

In addition, each tool itself has value: CRM- will help streamline work with patients; Call tracking— will show where the calls are coming from and allow you to listen to recordings of conversations between administrators and patients; Google Analytics will show the overall picture, all the necessary data to make a decision.

3. Development of a work plan for 6 - 12 months.

In most cases, business owners want a quick effect, a magic button to increase sales, a website in a month and advertising worth 10,000 rubles, after which crowds of customers will flock. Today it is a myth. There are very narrow areas where this is possible, but they are extremely difficult to find. Those who understand that this process is not easy and quick, discuss it with us in detail work plan for 6-12 months. Only constant systematic work allows you to achieve results.

The average period of preparation for promotion (research, strategy, website, setting up analytics, preparing advertising campaigns) - at least 2-3 months. High-quality preparation brings the payback point much closer, so sometimes 1-2 months of advertising and promotion are enough to reach an acceptable sales level. In my opinion, it makes no sense to work with an internet marketing agency for less than 6 months.

Ideally work plan should be in the form of an estimate, which reflects the names of the work, the number of hours each specialist needs to complete, the cost of each type of work and the specialist’s hour. Typically this breakdown is done by month.

4. Preparing platforms for communication

Website development (reconstruction)

One of the most important stages is the development of a high-quality website for a dental clinic. The site should answer the main questions of potential and existing customers, be convenient, modern, and display well on all devices. To do good site, you need to thoroughly analyze your competitors, know your target audience well, describe services competently and clearly, provide information on prices, don’t forget about special offers and promotions, encourage action - send a request through the website or call.

What sections should a good clinic website contain?

Description of services (each service has its own page)
Doctors (qualifications, photos, certificates, video message, photos of work, client reviews)
Clear and convenient price list
Description of the clinic
- Interior description
- Licenses
- Description of equipment
- Vacancies and working conditions
- Opening speech by the clinic owner or head physician
Before and after (photos of our clients' smiles)
Promotions and special offers
Reviews (reviews from famous people and video reviews are especially appreciated)
Payment methods (can I pay for services on credit, can I pay with a plastic card or other methods)
Treatment covered by insurance (does the clinic cooperate with insurance companies)
Description of contacts (directions from all nearby transport interchanges, on your own or by car, be sure to use the interactive map)
Online consultation
Book an appointment online
Press center (news and articles)
Blog (copyright articles by doctors)
Training (how and where clinic doctors improve their qualifications)
Advantages (why you should choose this particular clinic)
Frequently asked questions and answers
legal information

direct landline number and number 8800 (free calls within Russia)
links to social networks
callback module
links to shares on major social networks after interesting articles
details of a legal entity in the section “About the clinic”
Only unique content, information cannot be copied from other resources!
Don’t forget about the site’s adaptability for mobile devices

Design and initial content of social media accounts

It is important to register, design and fill accounts in the following social networks with basic content: Vkontakte, Facebook, Instagram (optional Odnoklassniki, Twitter). The main content is photographs of the clinic, main services, opening hours and other information. It is important to continue to constantly fill social networks with information. What, when and for whom to publish is usually described in detail in the SMM strategy.

Registration on portals with reviews about the clinic

There are many sites on the Internet where you can post reviews about the company's work. Ideally, follow those where your clients’ reviews have already been posted. There you need to register as a representative of the company and respond to reviews on behalf of the company. Negative reviews are not always bad; it is bad when such reviews remain unanswered by the company. Watch your reputation, it's important! When choosing dentistry, many people choose based on reviews.

Promotion and advertising

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Optimizing a site for search engines means finding the site for key search queries among the first results (Yandex, Google).

Types of phrases for promoting dentistry:

Names of all services (example “caries treatment”)
Geo location (“dentistry + metro/city/district”)
Services + geo (“dental implantation Belyaevo”)
Synonyms (“dental clinic, dentist”, etc.)
By type of service (“dentistry for children”)
Information requests (“ask a dentist a question”, “how to choose a dentist”) are suitable for promoting a blog. It is also good to announce these materials on social networks.

It is important to constantly monitor the site’s position and take timely action if the site drops in the search results or if it is not yet in the coveted TOP 10.

contextual advertising

Ads in special placement are located above the search results, which gives a higher conversion rate.
More coverage.
Ads can be shown for near-relevant phrases, as well as on partner sites of Yandex and Google (YAN).

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Content Marketing

Content marketing Today it is one of the most important Internet marketing tools. The point is to create high-quality content for the right audience, post this content on your own platforms (website, social networks), as well as on third-party resources, where this may be appropriate. You can also use it in e-mail newsletters or post it on your own blog. You can read more about content marketing in our blog.

Specifically for dentistry, it is important to constantly create high-quality content and deliver it to the target audience. What kind of content can dentistry create? Almost anything that might be of interest to potential and existing clients, partners, and doctors.

For example:

articles about various treatment methods
articles about modern technologies in the world or those used in the clinic
information on the prevention of caries and other diseases
main types of dental diseases
articles on each area of dentistry
customer reviews (also content!). Ideally, take video reviews, but handwritten ones can also be scanned and placed on the website (a printed version can be found nearby for ease of reading)
answer questions from visitors to your website or social networks. Thus, the site will be found by search phrases that were used in questions and answers, and these consultations will also show the level of competence of specialists, which is very important when deciding on choosing dentistry
It is recommended that doctors register on third-party resources and answer questions there, “pumping up” their reputation.

Usually we develop a content marketing strategy together with an SMM strategy; they overlap a lot. It is important to systematically pump up your website and social networks with high-quality content; if you do this once a month or once a quarter, you should not expect any effect. There must be a content plan for publications and it is important to constantly develop in this direction.

Our cases

Crowd marketing

Crowd marketing(English: crowd marketing, crowd - “crowd” and marketing - “marketing”) - guerrilla marketing technology for promotion on the Internet through recommendations to interested parties from regular participants in communication. These recommendations and links feel natural and are a response to a consumer problem or question that your brand, product, or website solves.

For example, if a question and answer service or forum asks you to recommend an electric razor, and you sell Braun electric shavers, then that target audience is currently yours, and it would be logical to join the discussion and recommend your product. Not just recommend, but give a detailed answer with links to Wikipedia, training materials, master classes, video instructions on YouTube, leave a link to the website of the niche leader where this product is sold, and next to this link mention your brand or link to the promoted website.

Same with dentistry. We are looking for topics where they discuss regional dentistry, doctors, who selects dentistry or a doctor and unobtrusively recommend). But to do this really covertly, you need to have the skills of a real guerrilla marketer!

Cross marketing

Cross promotion, a technology for promoting a company (product), when two or more companies implement joint programs aimed at stimulating sales or increasing awareness.

For example, there is a fitness club opposite your dentistry. The fitness club is visited by an audience that can afford quality dental treatment; these are your potential clients. Agree with fitness clubs about a mutual promotion, fitness club clients have special conditions in dentistry, dental patients have special conditions in a fitness club. These conditions are negotiated individually in each case, believe me, it works!

In addition to a fitness club, these can be beauty salons, spa salons, medical centers (without dentists), restaurants, etc.

Video marketing

Video marketing may be part of content marketing, or part of website development work. But it’s not for nothing that I singled it out in a separate category. Today, loyalty to video content is very high. Internet speed allows you to watch videos even without a dedicated channel; a good 3g signal is sufficient.

Create your own Youtube channel, it's free. Write down anything that might be of interest to your audience. It could be:

video customer reviews,
messages from doctors (greeting, a few words about yourself, regalia, motto, etc.)
treatment process (small clip with pleasant “non-whistle” music)
a general video clip about the clinic, which will show the sign, entrance, interior, equipment, doctors.
You can make a video section answering user questions. You won’t surprise anyone with standard written answers, but video answers are interesting!
Video message from the head physician or clinic owner
Joint celebrations, corporate events (will show how united the team is, this is important for many)

Website development and support

It is necessary to develop the site constantly. It is necessary to systematically update the content (news, prices, add articles, videos, answers to questions, draw banners for promotions), analyze the behavior of visitors and work on ease of use. Moreover, it is very important to monitor how visitors from mobile devices behave.

In addition, there are hacks and viruses on the site, so it is important to respond to such situations in a timely manner and solve the problem. Any simple website can be costly for a business owner. About the main threats to website security, watch Maxim Lagutin’s video https://seopult.tv/programs/sites/osnovnye_ugrozy_bezopasnosti_saytov/

Working on your reputation

I conducted a survey among my friends, the question was simple: “What steps do you take to choose dentistry?” Everyone first answers that they already have a permanent doctor and a favorite dentistry. However, I ask them to imagine the situation if they moved to another city or their favorite dentistry was closed. Then the procedure is as follows:

Type a query in Yandex “dentistry + district”,
They look at several sites and choose the ones that best meet their needs (price, doctors, equipment, locations, payment method, general impression, etc.)
Then they look at reviews about this dentistry on various websites, sometimes they look at reviews about a specific doctor. At this stage, the majority of respondents have enough information to make a decision.

In this regard, the conclusion is obvious - monitor the reputation of your clinic and doctors. This directly affects the number of patients in dentistry.

How to track your reputation?

It is important to highlight brand queries (for example, the name of a dentistry) and monitor their mention in various sources: on other websites, in the media, on social networks, etc.

Analytics and reporting

It is necessary to regularly analyze the results of work and advertising campaigns. This will allow you to have up-to-date information about what is happening, adjust the strategy in a timely manner, make the right decisions about the effectiveness of a particular advertising channel or Internet marketing tool, adjust the budget and correctly distribute other resources.

It is very important to track all key performance indicators, for example, this could be the cost of attracting a visitor to the site, the cost of attracting a call, the cost of attracting a call, the cost of attracting a client, the number of transactions (sales) from each advertising channel. In addition to cost, it is important to track quantity, dynamics, plan indicators and compare with actual ones. For a small dentistry, it is enough to measure the quality of calls, requests by mail, website traffic, depth of views, duration of stay on the website, conversion to requests and each advertising channel separately.

Read a separate blog article on the main indicators of Internet marketing effectiveness.

Separately about customer service

I would like to once again emphasize the importance of a client-oriented approach. Take care of each client, make sure that the doctors do their job as courteously as possible. If you are a director, give clients the opportunity to contact you directly. Of course, there are inadequate clients, it is useless to fight them verbally, it is important to respond to their reviews on the Internet in a timely, competent and substantive manner, then it will become clear to others which side is the truth.

Be sure to listen to calls coming into the clinic and track the number of missed calls. Very often there are situations when up to 30% of calls from clients are lost due to the fault of administrators or a malfunction of the PBX.

We wish you success in business!

Dentistry– one of the favorable areas for investment, but with high competition. There are dozens of dental centers in every city: from modest dental offices to large chain clinics. To stay afloat, you need to exercise attracting patients to the dental clinic. And you need to do this regularly.

How to attract patients to the dental clinic: 6 effective ways

Location To be a winner, it is not at all necessary to have an office in the city center. It is important that the hospital is conveniently accessible by public and private transport.
Competence of doctors The professionalism, accuracy and cleanliness of the doctor are visible from the first minute of meeting. If he began to conduct an examination without gloves, and during treatment caused discomfort to the client, it is unlikely that he will make an appointment again. You can also attract patients by treating complex diseases, performing rare operations, and using experimental techniques.
Offline and online advertising How to attract patients to a dentistry that has just opened? At first, only advertising on the Internet and on the street will help with this. Use any tools: leaflets, banners, banners, billboards, websites, social networks. In the future, the main stream will come through word of mouth.
Marketing Campaigns Discounts, promotions and special offers have always been and will be an effective way to attract patients to dentistry. Reduced prices will help expand the audience among students and retirees.
Feedback After providing the service, doctors should ask clients whether they liked everything. You can ask to leave a review on the website or on the company’s social media page.
Automated Maintenance Making an appointment with a doctor through the registry is becoming less and less relevant - they use computers or phones. This is very convenient and saves time.

Attracting corporate clients to dentistry

Corporate clients for dentistry – Goldmine. One company can bring an average of 10-15 clients to the clinic. There are two ways to increase client flow in dentistry by offering:

Corporate subscription for employees.
Concluding a service agreement at a discount.

In both cases, the dental clinic receives significant influx of clients, and the head of the company demonstrates concern for his employees. You can contact the owners of companies by phone or email by sending a commercial offer.

Benefits of working with YCLIENTS

Most of the ways to attract clients to dentistry allow you to retain them and make them regular clients. However, only simple, fast and convenient service will help you win them over from the first second.
The cloud platform allows you to do this YCLIENTS. It is linked to the site and allows you to solve numerous problems for both visitors and clinic employees.

Online registration. Busy people don't have to take time off from work to come to the hospital and make an appointment with a doctor, and introverts don't have to make phone calls. You can get to the dentist with one click. All you need to do is select a doctor, a date and a convenient time, and then indicate your phone number and email.
Electronic journal. A doctor just needs to have his phone on hand to find out his schedule. YCLIENTS automatically records clients, which are then displayed to clinic staff in a summary table.
Alerts via SMS and email. Set up automatic notifications to be sent to the client's email or phone a couple of days before the appointment. This way, the patient will definitely not miss a visit to the doctor, and you will not have any gaps in your schedule.
Client base. This feature allows you to increase the customer focus of your dental clinic. You can easily track the frequency of visits. In this way, you can develop personal discounts for regular customers and increase their loyalty. For those who haven’t visited for a long time, organize a newsletter with an unobtrusive reminder about yourself. will provide guaranteed attraction of primary patients to dentistry and turn them into regular clients of your clinic!

d. ps. Sc., Professor, Head of the Department of Psychology and Medical Deontology SPbINSTOM

Today it is already trivial to think that a patient in paid dentistry has two roles: he is a recipient of medical care and a consumer of services. Everyone understands that successful commerce and the competitive ability of a clinic, company or private dentist strongly depend on the extent to which medical and service personnel have mastered the psychology of interaction in the process of treatment and sale of services. To attract a patient, to retain him, to pleasantly surprise him, to make him a permanent patient - these goals have become the companions of commercial success.

And, on the contrary, the concepts of “alarming, disappointing, losing” a patient are perceived as synonymous with bad business. We especially emphasize that a shift is taking place in the consciousness of the consumer of medical services: he is increasingly interested in the personal qualities of the doctor - humanity, decency, kindness, responsiveness, and not just professionalism in the traditional sense. Impressions from the doctor’s personality are usually transferred to the quality of the work he performs - a good person and a good professional. However, what fits within the framework of common sense is not always reflected in practice. That is why it is appropriate to express in the form of strict standards the cornerstone, in our opinion, provisions that should guide a dentist who expects the sustainable effects of his work: high earnings, strengthening relationships with patients, their constancy and voluntary performance of the function of distributors.

10 ways to attract and retain patients

Method 1

During the consultation or reception process, at all stages of service, act in such a way that nothing reminds the patient of anything bad or unpleasant from the practice of budgetary medicine.
Work and gain the trust of patients in the contrast of new and old! This provision applies to all aspects of the activities of a paid institution - information about services, compliance with safety measures, interaction of medical and service personnel with patients, provision of illustrations at the reception, booklets and forms, design of offices, halls and auxiliary premises. The consciousness of patients everywhere should record thoughtfulness, even in small things, and the conclusion should naturally arise: they do not skimp on either treatment or service.

Method 2

At all stages of interaction with the patient, demonstrate cordiality, attention and a willingness to cooperate with any patient, including those who are not very kind, well-mannered, or even those with problematic personality traits. We continue to develop the theme of contrasts, highlighting its psychological background. An ordinary citizen of our country was brought up in conditions of deprivation. Everywhere and in various forms he was deprived of attention and care - in the family, in everyday life and medical institutions, in the place of work and leisure. However, such disappointing realities of the recent past can be used for the benefit of commerce and competition. Imagine, it is your patient who finds himself at the epicenter of sincere attention and care. Literally from the first to the last second of his stay in your institution, he feels the cordiality addressed to him personally, the readiness of the staff to cooperate. The task seems to be simple, but implementing it in practice is not easy. It is difficult to maintain a “cordial and courteous” style at all stages of interaction, with all patients, in all circumstances and with all staff. We are very different - both those who serve and those who are served; Everyone has their own principles, ideas about what should be done, their own nervous system and character. In addition, cordiality and courtesy are very comprehensive concepts that include ethics, the ability to make contact and maintain it. It may take years for a company's employees to learn good manners. Start with the basics. First of all, dear colleagues, learn how to properly greet a new patient entering the office. This is stated in the following provision.

Method 3

Make every effort to give the patient a positive first impression of your personality. As you know, the first impression of a person leaves a deep and lasting mark. It is perhaps not so objective as it is psychologically significant and information-rich. Instantly and largely unconsciously, a holistic assessment of the partner’s image occurs: an impression is formed about whether he is pleasant or repulsive in some way, positive or negative associations with known types arise, and an emotional-energetic consonance or dissonance is formed. At this moment, the patient’s psyche operates in an extreme mode of “sorting impressions and prognosis”: what can you expect from this doctor - is he a good or bad person, can you trust him with your wallet and health? It is known from practice that upon entering the office, patients often lose orientation for a moment, do not understand how to approach and sit in a chair, and have a confused smile or a tense grimace on their faces. Such states indicate that the brain is actively processing new information on a subconscious level, attention is concentrated and directed to signs of well-being and ill-being, and all other details outside the field of active consciousness. After some time, conceptual thinking and logic begin to connect. Gradually, as contacts expand in one direction or another, the opinion about the doctor will be adjusted, and final conclusions about his personality will be formed. But this will happen later, and the first impression will nevertheless remain for a long time and color all facets of future relationships. That is why in the first moments you need to especially try and show the best in yourself - goodwill, friendliness, responsiveness. The vast majority of doctors possess these qualities, but many have hidden them deeply and only bring them out in exceptional cases. Unfortunately, some doctors, being humane people, have developed an official stereotype of interaction with patients - routine formality, a multi-valued smile, an absent-minded look, a neutral emotional tone. The mask “stuck” to the face. It should be recognized that this is an economical style of relationship, but it is least suitable for the first moment of communication with patients, when it is necessary to easily and widely demonstrate readiness for frank and desired interaction and strengthening contacts.

In the first moments of communication with patients, any falsehood, an attempt to pretend to be someone you are not, is very noticeable. Most people quickly notice during their first contacts when their partner is playing someone else’s role. Is it easy for a doctor to be hospitable and kind, to win over a patient from the first seconds of communication? Not easy. Fatigue takes its toll; not all of his character traits and not every manner of communication are liked by everyone. The doctor also “calculates” the patient based on his first impression, and associations and images of the past arise in his mind. Some patients are not at all inclined to open their arms, but true professionalism lies in the fact that the doctor’s humanistic essence and communicative tolerance prevail over unpleasant memories. There is the following warning in this regard.

Method 4

Do not allow yourself to be guided by negative attitudes towards patients. Our observations show that prejudices and images of “bad patients” often precede the dentist’s contacts with a particular patient. One doctor expressed his mentality, proud of his “feel for people,” in the following form: “At first glance, I identify a patient who will be difficult and unpleasant to communicate with, and I immediately develop a corresponding attitude towards him.” Is this a sign of professionalism? On the contrary, as a result of such preparation, the doctor develops certain forms of defensive behavior - closedness in communication, reluctance to explain in detail, explain what is required, emotional constraint, aggression, etc.

In other cases, the dentist and his assistant “calculate” the patient’s solvency - whether we can or cannot make money on him, whether he will stay for treatment or not. This is also where the emotional detachment and official tone come from. The patient, as a rule, catches this, and here two outcomes are likely: if he is well-mannered and self-possessed, he will not show it, but will harbor a grudge and speak poorly of the staff; if he is uncultured, emotionally labile, or, worse, with signs of mental disorders, he will react in the form of accusations, indignation, rudeness, etc. Without realizing it, the doctor sowed the wind and reaped the storm. As a result, his opinion became even stronger: “what a bad and capricious patient today is, before...” And the patient made his own conclusion: “Nothing has changed in paid dentistry, the doctors have remained the same.” Thus, mutual negative attitudes can swing the amplitude of negative impressions in the emotional and ethical circuit “doctor - patient”. Forbid yourself, dear colleagues, from participating in this communication drama.

Method 5

Act in such a way that each patient is convinced that you have received from him and properly assessed all the information necessary for the successful implementation of a complex of treatment measures - diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, prevention.

We are talking about the initial phase of mandatory professional communication (OPC) between a doctor and a patient, or more precisely about that part of it that is aimed at identifying the necessary information - complaints and wishes, the general health and condition of the recipient of medical care at the time of admission. In the context of paid services, the “detection” aspect has some features compared to the scheme for collecting anamnesis and studying images that operates in a state budgetary institution. The main difference is that the doctor is not limited to dental tasks; he also exerts a psychological influence on the patient. The visitor should see and positively evaluate the doctor’s professionalism, attentive attitude to health and efforts. Therefore, the doctor works in dialogue mode and on the “feedback” principle, giving adequate information to the client: I see, hear and take everything into account, not a single important detail escapes me.

The doctor “identifies” with the patient in mind, for the patient, and not just for himself. Almost everything that the doctor “reveals”, he brings to the patient’s consciousness. For this purpose, the influence of general health on the state of the dental system is explained and, conversely, individual complaints and image readings are commented on, and generalizations are made. The principle “we write one, two in the mind” is unacceptable here, according to which the doctor understands what is important for himself, grasps the essence of the patient’s statements, determines his condition and silently acts further - makes decisions, draws conclusions. On the contrary, the doctor uses various “feedback” techniques so that the patient can already conclude at this stage of communication: I have come to a responsible, attentive, highly professional specialist.

Method 6

Provide the patient with all the necessary information in such a way that he feels like an active participant at different stages of interaction - getting to know the problem, developing a recommended treatment plan, choosing a solution, discussing costs and guarantees.

To do this, you continue to carry out mandatory professional communication in full, reason clearly and clearly. Address the patient with questions, make sure that he understands you correctly. Let's have the opportunity to express wishes. Do not be embarrassed by the fact that another patient will say: “Do what and how you consider necessary.” Mandatory communication is so named because it includes what must be conveyed to the patient under any circumstances, keeping in mind the rights of the consumer and the complexities of human nature. However, one and the same thing can be expressed briefly or in detail, certain accents can be placed, but the essential cannot be passed over in silence - it will be more expensive for oneself.

In each case of treatment, in addition to “detection”, the following components of the OPO are performed:

explanation - the patient is explained his problems, the content of the recommended treatment plan;
approval - the plan being implemented, the selected technologies, materials, cost, start and completion dates of the work are agreed upon;
clarification - the circumstances for determining the guarantees and the conditions for their compliance by the clinic are explained, the content of informed voluntary consent (or several consents if parallel and sequential interventions take place), the conditions for maintaining the effect of treatment and actions in case of discomfort (best in writing after completion of treatment).

It would seem that there is nothing unexpected or difficult in the requirements for OPO for dentists, but surveys of patients show that not every doctor is able to implement it in full, properly and in all cases. Thus, according to data from more than three thousand patients interviewed by us by telephone after treatment at Medi, a detailed explanation of the problem occurs in the range of 52 to 97%, explanation in case of complications - in the range of 28-99%, guarantees - 25-97%. 91%. Let us note that the disadvantages of public education are various; for one reason or another, it does not reach the required volume and quality and, as our experience shows, it is difficult to correct even as a result of special training. Thus, you should not overestimate yourself in terms of OPO.

A typical mistake dentists make is that they get carried away with monologues, lecture the patient, and oversaturate information with special terms. In this form, they compensate for the lack of dialogue communication skills and the ability to persuade, mistaking their easy words for the art of professional communication.

Method 7

Notice the individual characteristics of the patient and build interaction with them in such a way as to achieve the best mutual understanding.

This position is well known to doctors and has become a truism. But this does not mean that it is at least satisfactorily performed at all stages of interaction with patients, as evidenced by our observations and special studies. Firstly, doctors lack the knowledge and skills necessary to quickly diagnose a patient’s personality. Secondly, no one has ever taught them algorithms for interacting with patients of one type or another - communicative and non-communicative, extroverts and introverts, rational and emotional, labile and rigid, visual and auditory, suggestible and non-suggestible, displaying their psychological characteristics within normal limits. and beyond, etc. Thirdly, most doctors do not follow the rules of reflection and therefore not only make basic mistakes in interacting with a particular type of patient, but also provoke conflicts and rejection of their personality and work style with their behavior.

At the first stage of self-education and self-control, you must at least correctly set psychological tasks for yourself:

to encourage, and perhaps force oneself to respect the patient’s subjective reality, i.e., his actual needs: on the one hand, as a living being - the desire for safety, physical and psychological comfort, on the other - as a self-respecting individual who defends his rights and interests, wants to be heard and seen, wants to prove himself “here and now”;
try to at least in general terms recognize the most significant personality traits of the patient who comes to the appointment for choosing a relationship strategy - has a negative dental experience, is anxious, needs support, is easily vulnerable, suspicious, inattentive, weak-willed, insincere, emotionally labile, conflictual, dependent on outside opinion, has problematic features;
“join” the patient’s individuality if he has variants of the norm of individual-typical properties;
use adequate measures to neutralize tensions and conflicts if the patient has problematic personality traits.

Method 8

Do everything possible to ensure that the patient is convinced that the cost of the treatment you provide is justified.

This provision concerns many aspects of the behavior of the doctor and assistant - their ability to communicate, professional skills, attitudes towards their duties and even their personal philosophy, the principles that guide them in life. The patient's belief that the cost of treatment is justified largely depends on the completeness and thoroughness of the EPR. If the patient positively evaluates the verbal part of the professional’s activity, this strengthens his conclusion that the cost is justified, because it is clear that and how the doctor is trying to explain, explain, and agree. It is equally important to show the patient in an accessible form the quality of the planned, and even better, the work performed. After all, many criteria and quality indicators in dentistry are not directly visible and intangible. It is clear to you and me, dear colleagues, that highly professional treatment using the latest materials, tools and technologies cannot be cheap. We are also aware that the cost depends on the level of service. However, these simple market dependencies require evidence and illustrations for patients who are accustomed to reasoning by analogy with the state clinic or in simplified terms: “What’s so difficult about putting a filling or removing a tooth? This is done in any dental clinic. What about the service? Do they really pay for this?

The naive state of mind of the patient (at least at this stage of paid dentistry) can devalue almost all your achievements in the field of service culture, treatment safety, individual approach, technological innovations and quality of treatment, measured by indicators unknown to many. For example, such indicators as complete restoration of the anatomical shape and chewing function of the teeth, the passage of a complex canal, high refraction and light permeability in metal-free ceramics, etc. Much of what is a matter of professional pride for a doctor is a mystery for an ordinary customer seven seals. But who wants to pay for an unknown and invisible quality? Even the most complex in technology, highly aesthetic orthopedic design, which, in fact, is the creation of a skilled craftsman, usually does not cause much impression on a person who is inexperienced in modern dentistry or is fixated on the fact that he is certainly being “hyped.”

That is why the doctor is entrusted with the task of casually, unobtrusively and at the same time, with precise strokes, revealing to the patient the quality of the work performed, sometimes at the same time convincing him, and sometimes enlightening him. Frankly speaking, the task is not easy, requiring the specialist to have good communication skills, the ability to appeal to reason and feelings, use arguments, and notice the individual characteristics of patients. For example, according to a telephone survey, the “cost is justified” indicator among doctors ranges from 14 to 60%. This means that some doctors are better and others are worse at coping with the designated commercial and psychological task. At the same time, they are in the same technological conditions, work at identical prices and achieve fairly high quality, which is an indispensable condition for the employees of our company.

Method 9

Work with the assistant so that the patient notices and positively evaluates your tandem.

Typically, the advantages of the “4-handed” treatment method come down to overcoming technological difficulties, convenience for the doctor and the quality of performing various manipulations. But it would be unfair and reckless to ignore the assistant as a participant in the interaction with the patient and not assign him some additional roles related to the sale of services. The goal is to make the assistant a significant figure in gaining the patient's trust. There are many possibilities for this. By meeting the patient in the hall and escorting him to the exit, the assistant can demonstrate courteous treatment. During the treatment process, she must anticipate physical and psychological discomfort and take an interest in the patient’s condition. By agreement with the doctor, she can give some explanations, and in appropriate cases, maintain a dialogue with the patient on various topics, for example, about the achievements of the clinic, dental care, maintaining the effect of treatment, etc. And, of course, the assistant and the doctor should equally be interested in demonstrating to the patient coherence and precision of actions, mutual understanding “without words,” and a businesslike attitude. In this case, the patient feels a positive energy impact from the medical staff. As our research shows, patients usually notice whether the doctor-assistant pair works well or not.

To put this method of attracting and retaining a patient into practice, some doctors may need to reconsider their views on the functional responsibilities of an assistant. Do it. According to the traditional concept of nursing, the assistant performed auxiliary functions to support the work of the doctor, behaved distantly in relations with the patient and did not have the right to initiative.

In terms of selling services, an assistant is a professional partner of a doctor, together with the doctor he carries out a subjective type of relationship in communication with the patient, shows activity, independence, and creativity (of course, within the framework of his duties and by agreement with the doctor).

Method 10

Carry out all interactions with the patient under the motto “Be our regular patient.”

This motto should unite and direct the efforts of the entire team of the clinic and company towards achieving a common goal. By and large, each patient visit is a performance (in the good sense of the word), which is performed with the participation of medical and service personnel in the name of gaining the patient’s trust and motivating his choice in favor of your medical institution. A play called “A Visit to the Dentist” should have commercial and psychological dramaturgy, the accents should be correctly placed, and the roles should be skillfully played. The doctor is the director and main performer of the action.

It determines the moral context of the reception, its information content, and the energy of the dialogues. The mindset and efficiency of the assistant, who can work to varying degrees clearly, responsibly, gracefully, and proactively, depends on it. The doctor plans and implements in his actions the main goal of the patient’s treatment - to be a one-time visitor or a permanent recipient of medical care and consumer of services.

Under what motto do you, dear colleagues, carry out your daily activities? Try to sincerely answer the question: do you and your assistant always do everything to ensure that the patient prefers to be treated by you in the future rather than by your competitor?

As you can see, the ways to attract and retain patients are varied. Their implementation requires thorough training of doctors and assistants in the field of psychology. It is not as expensive as acquiring and implementing new technologies, but it is labor-intensive and requires patience. But how easy it is to disappoint a patient, cause criticism and dissatisfaction, and provoke him into conflict. There are many ways to do this, some of which are discussed below.

Literature

Boyko V.V. Volume I. Clinic - turnkey, 1008 pp., St. Petersburg, 2009.
Boyko V.V. Psychology and management in dentistry. Volume II. Staff - team, 450 pp., St. Petersburg, 2013.
Boyko V.V. Psychology and management in dentistry. Volume III. Doctor and patient, 580 pp., St. Petersburg, 2013.
Boyko V.V. Psychology and management in dentistry. Volume VI. Doctor, child, parent, 512 pp., St. Petersburg, 2013.
Boyko V.V. Psychology and management in dentistry. Volume VII. Service for children, 200 pp., St. Petersburg, 2012.

How to attract patients to the dental clinic: 6 effective ways

Location To be a winner, it is not at all necessary to have an office in the city center. It is important that the hospital is conveniently accessible by public and private transport.
Competence of doctors The professionalism, accuracy and cleanliness of the doctor are visible from the first minute of meeting. If he began to conduct an examination without gloves, and during treatment caused discomfort to the client, it is unlikely that he will make an appointment again. You can also attract patients by treating complex diseases, performing rare operations, and using experimental techniques.
Offline and online advertising How to attract patients to a dentistry that has just opened? At first, only advertising on the Internet and on the street will help with this. Use any tools: leaflets, banners, banners, billboards, websites, social networks. In the future, the main stream will come through word of mouth.
Marketing Campaigns Discounts, promotions and special offers have always been and will be an effective way to attract patients to dentistry. Reduced prices will help expand the audience among students and retirees.
Feedback After providing the service, doctors should ask clients whether they liked everything. You can ask to leave a review on the website or on the company’s social media page.
Automated Maintenance Making an appointment with a doctor through the registry is becoming less and less relevant - they use computers or phones. This is very convenient and saves time.

Attracting corporate clients to dentistry

Corporate clients for dentistry – Goldmine. One company can bring an average of 10-15 clients to the clinic. There are two ways to increase client flow in dentistry by offering:

Corporate subscription for employees.
Concluding a service agreement at a discount.

Benefits of working with YCLIENTS

Online registration. Busy people don't have to take time off from work to come to the hospital and make an appointment with a doctor, and introverts don't have to make phone calls. You can get to the dentist with one click. All you need to do is select a doctor, a date and a convenient time, and then indicate your phone number and email.
Electronic journal. A doctor just needs to have his phone on hand to find out his schedule. YCLIENTS automatically records clients, which are then displayed to clinic staff in a summary table.
Alerts via SMS and email. Set up automatic notifications to be sent to the client's email or phone a couple of days before the appointment. This way, the patient will definitely not miss a visit to the doctor, and you will not have any gaps in your schedule.
Client base. This feature allows you to increase the customer focus of your dental clinic. You can easily track the frequency of visits. In this way, you can develop personal discounts for regular customers and increase their loyalty. For those who haven’t visited for a long time, organize a newsletter with an unobtrusive reminder about yourself. will provide guaranteed attraction of primary patients to dentistry and turn them into regular clients of your clinic!

Attracting new patients is the most important task of any practice. 40% of production falls on new patients, new patients create significantly greater value in the practice through more extensive treatment, and they are more likely to refer others. New patients bring more revenue to the practice and are more likely to make referrals.

Successful practices today are consumer-focused and use marketing techniques designed to attract new patients and retain existing ones. Since dental services are not a priority for people, and they spend them after meeting mandatory needs (housing, food), dentists are under strong pressure and competition from the goods and entertainment industry, which are fighting for the patient to spend money on vacations, entertainment, etc. Further. The patient is always faced with a choice of how to spend his money.After all, everyone has a case in practice when some careless client tried to self-medicate.

Today, active practice is unthinkable without some form of marketing, which can be divided into two main types. " External" or " external"Marketing refers to activities related to all aspects of informing potential patients about the services offered in order to attract them to the practice. External marketing may be ineffective if the geographical, ethnic, socio-economic and other characteristics of the region are not taken into account. Tools outdoor marketing are:

Forming relationships with the public: participation in any organizations, participation in events of the city, neighborhood, and so on, a dentist’s column in the local newspaper, public lectures in housing complexes, performances in libraries, in production, and everything else that makes you noticeable and surrounds you other people.
Advertisements and advertising: telephone directory, newsletters, local newspaper, local television, flyers, coupons, and so on
Representation means: practice brochure, business card, sign, newsletters, logo, letterhead and office envelope.

"Internal" marketing is aimed at satisfying existing patients with your services and obtaining recommendations from them. Internal marketing is carried out within the boundaries of the practice and its existing patient base. Its tools: clinical bulletins, letters to existing patients, opinion surveys, reactivation of former patients, requests for recommendations, actions aimed at creating the desired image (certificates of continuing education, doctor's biography highlighting his special qualifications, any information that distinguishes the practice and doctor from many others) etc.

Internal marketing based on existing patients with whom you have already established a rapport and who are satisfied with your services is inexpensive and may even be more effective, since new patients come already predisposed to trust. However, the growth of practice and the accumulation of patients may not be as fast as we would like. This is especially important for beginners.

Inbound marketing brings in higher quality clients who are already receptive to you in advance and are more or less aware of and willing to pay your level of cost for the services they may have heard about from those who recommended them. This type of marketing is especially good if you are dealing with a relatively small group of people, such as in a small town, or with a company where people communicate with each other more often.

Without a doubt, both types of marketing must be combined intelligently and creatively depending on the type of practice, location, budget and purpose and must be planned for the short and long term. Is it possible to do without marketing? In most cases today, the answer is no. It is likely that you may be in a special situation and serve a specific group of people who bring you more income. However, you shouldn’t count on this for the long term; the deep river may dry up if your source of new patients is the only one.

Activities aimed at advancing the practice are extremely varied and depend on creativity, effort and desire. There is never a guarantee of complete success, and what works and works in one case may be completely ineffective in another. However, efforts to promote the practice must continue 365 days a year, building on previous successes and trying new ideas.

External Marketing

External marketing can combine many different activities aimed at introducing and promoting your practice and services. You can use the following tools:

Free inspection for certain groups of people in the area (glider pilots, hockey players).
Open Day.
Participation in children's and adult sports and public societies, clubs, circles.
Be active and visible as if you were running your own election campaign.
When meeting new people, always say who you are, what you do and where you are.
Always give yours business card card. These people are your potential patients.
Give short general educational lectures in libraries, schools, housing associations and other institutions.
Reactivation letters to former patients.
Advertisements in newspapers or yellow pages phone book.
Advertisements in professional publications.
Leaflets distributed on the street.
Internet, including website.
Use the right keywords and site position.
Cosmetic dentistry brochure for beauty salons, beauty salons, hair salons and other establishments where people spend a lot of time and visit frequently, with your address, business card and special offer.
A short article in a local newspaper with information, reflective some topic of interest to the public (for example, prevention of dental caries in children).
Discounts for pensioners.
Interprofessional cross-recommendation.
Introduce yourself as existing businessmen in the area. Letter , brochure, special offer for employees of this company.
24/7 emergency assistance.
Participation in clubs popular for women, such as cooking.
Cups, mugs, pencils, pens with your name and logo.
Letter to new residents of the area.
Lecture at school for parents.
A letter to all residents of the area, telling about some important method that is of interest to many people, with an invitation for a free consultation and/or at a discount.
Extended opening hours, including weekends.
Free teeth cleaning for newlyweds.
Business cards for all employees.
Contacts with local pharmacies.
Contacts with plastic surgeons.
Emergency assistance for guests of a nearby hotel.
Free screening for early detection of oral cancer.
Publicize all your events through press releases in the local newspaper, advertisements in the supermarket and other establishments.

Whatever form of marketing you use, carefully consider the strategy and your target focus, that is, what group of people you want to attract, what you want to tell them and in what form. Let's say, if you are trying to attract a group of people who can benefit from mini implants, your potential clients are people without teeth and you need to conduct marketing not in general, but in a targeted manner. Limit your marketing to the geographic location of your office; you can't be everything to everyone. Keep careful records of your cost-to-benefit ratio. Change your form of marketing if what you are doing is not working.

Dental care is a vital service for everyone. The market is huge. This includes all segments of the population: businessmen, housewives, students... almost anyone is a potential client. Many people need and would like your services if (and only then) you tell them who you are and invite them to come.

Make yourself a list of all the people you know, including those you encounter in organizations, schools, cafes, stores, pharmacies, and hairdressers. This applies not only to the doctor, but mainly to the rest of the employees in the office. Everyone can and should do this all the time. Each employee should be focused on potential clients. This is a constant, everyday activity.

Every day, contact part of this group and talk about your office, ask if they know anyone who needs a dentist. The content of your conversation with them is not important, the main thing is to simply tell them that you are a dentist, give them a short educational tour about the importance of oral health and ways to maintain it, pointing out common problems. Find out if they see their doctor regularly and invite them to your office for a short, free exam or consultation.

Always have your business card or coupon with you when you speak with a candidate. Write your special offer and expiration date on a business card (“We’re celebrating a health week”). Take his name and phone number so that your administrator will call and schedule a visit. You will hear many objections, for example: “I already have a doctor,” don’t pay attention, be creative and persistent.

Think about where else you can meet and get to know new candidates? Practice what you say so that it sounds natural. Set a specific goal for the next three months: how many candidates you need to engage (presentations) in conversation. This approach can result in a large influx of people who may not necessarily become part of your practice after their first visit. You can attend a meeting where business people who own companies and manage large numbers of people meet. These managers may become your patients themselves, or recommend you to the entire enterprise, or enter into an agreement with you to serve their employees.

You won’t have much time or opportunity to talk about your practice, so it’s important to establish relationships and contacts that are favorable to you based on community and mutual affection. Approach the person you are interested in or everyone in turn and simply introduce yourself. Start a light conversation by establishing commonality. Then turn the conversation to the person you are interested in. People like to talk about themselves rather than listen to others. Give him a chance to talk. At this stage, nothing more is required of you except to “build bridges.” Immediately after the meeting, send a short note by regular mail or e-mail or hand over a business card saying that you were very interested in this person and his life story (even if this is not the case), the main thing is that he remembers what you do. There is a high probability that he will turn to you in the future or recommend your services to one of his friends and acquaintances.